Can children do a practice day at school before enrolling?

Anonymous
We are deciding between sending DD to either Rachel Carson or a local private Catholic school. I'd love for her to be able to try out a day at Rachel Carson to see which she prefers. Do schools allow this?
Anonymous
No
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:We are deciding between sending DD to either Rachel Carson or a local private Catholic school. I'd love for her to be able to try out a day at Rachel Carson to see which she prefers. Do schools allow this?


How old is your child?
Anonymous
Seriously? No. No they don’t.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Seriously? No. No they don’t.


I wouldn't say never ever--when I was deciding between my home MS and magnet MS in MCPS and was having trouble deciding, the home MS allowed me to shadow one of their 6th graders for a morning to get a feel for what it might be like to go there. But that was when deciding between two MCPS programs, not MCPS and private, and it was 20 years ago. So I don't know. I would tend to doubt it.

You can always ask, OP. The worst that will happen is they say no and think you are a bit precious.
Anonymous
They don't officially, but I'm sure you could just enroll and then after a week transfer if your DC wants. They can't stop you from transferring, just have a discussion with the catholic school before hand so they are ready and so you definitely know that you have the option of registering late. I'm assuming that you are deciding between RCES and Mary of Nazareth. Both are great schools and in the end a lot of students from both schools go to QO, though many MoN students continue to Catholic high schools. Rachel Carson is very good but very crowded and busy environment, while MoN(or any Catholic school in general) is much smaller with smaller class sizes. That is definitely something to consider if you think that would be better for your child. Also, most MoN families I know kept their kids at the school thru 8th grade, just something to keep in mind.
Anonymous
How old? We're in dcps and I was able to arrange a visit (not a full day) for my 3rd grader by talking to the counselor. But it was after we had already decided to enroll, just to ease the transition.
Anonymous
Yes. Yes, you can.
You can also try out your next job for one day before you accept the offer. And colleges now let you try out a day of classes before deciding to enroll. They will keep the spots open for you until you decide.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Yes. Yes, you can.
You can also try out your next job for one day before you accept the offer. And colleges now let you try out a day of classes before deciding to enroll. They will keep the spots open for you until you decide.


I work at a private school and we allow this. Even encourage it! But I worked in MCPS until fairly recently and they don’t allow it.
Anonymous
Can you imagine the logistics of letting students try a day of school for 20 or 30 potential attendees each year? LoL!

Anonymous
OMG... Just send your kid to private and spare the public school kids your ridiculous entitlement.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Yes. Yes, you can.
You can also try out your next job for one day before you accept the offer. And colleges now let you try out a day of classes before deciding to enroll. They will keep the spots open for you until you decide.

I love this response.
Anonymous
Our local public high school offered a shadow day for DC here in Montgomery County.
Anonymous
If MCPS really did permit this as a regular thing, can you just imagine how many annoying helicopter moms would do this?

Sorry OP, the rest of us would like our children to use their time in school to learn, not to facilitate your angst over how to get 5yo Larla into Harvard.
Anonymous
Private schools require this sometimes.

But MCPS? No. You can get a tour and perhaps bring your child in to meet people and also tour. But a full trial day as a shadow? Nope.
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