Our school also has other gatherings which might be more in tuned to what you're looking for. For instance there was an international night and a movie night. Those would be better places to go with a neighbor and get a feel for the school community.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:as the parent of a rising K student, I BEG you not to go to the "open house" in the week before labor day. that is for students who will be in the classes THIS YEAR to meet teachers and other students and for parents to meet teachers and other parents. it is not fair to expect them to pay attention to you, a parent whose child is a year or more from starting K, not DAYS away from starting.

make an appointment at a slower time of year to visit the school. thanks.

I was planning to attend the open house of our public school to get a feel for the school and community. I do not plan on asking questions.

We are trying to make a decision on going public or private. I feel like with a private tour, you won't be able to get a sense of the families.

What do you mean that you won't get a sense of the families? You live in the neighborhood or are considering moving there...the families are the same people who live in the neighborhood.

Our immediate neighborhood is fine. There are other parts of the town that feed into our neighborhood school. I want to get a feel of the actual school and the student mix.

We scheduled private tours with a private school, our neighborhood school and with a Spanish immersion school. All meetings/tours were with the principals of the schools and were held the spring before DC was to start K. The individual time and attention we received gave us all the information we needed to make a decision.

OP, rather than the Open House check with the school about spring open house and tours. Here in Arlington we've seen announcements for information nights and tours at the elementary schools during the school year for parents with rising K or an interest in applying to one of the magnet or special schools (ATS, Drew Model or Claremont for example).

If you want to see it in session, ask for a private tour during a school day. Otherwise, as a PP said, th parents at the school are the same parents living in your neighborhood.

Open House is not a good time to go. Period. It is rude.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:as the parent of a rising K student, I BEG you not to go to the "open house" in the week before labor day. that is for students who will be in the classes THIS YEAR to meet teachers and other students and for parents to meet teachers and other parents. it is not fair to expect them to pay attention to you, a parent whose child is a year or more from starting K, not DAYS away from starting.

make an appointment at a slower time of year to visit the school. thanks.

I was planning to attend the open house of our public school to get a feel for the school and community. I do not plan on asking questions.

We are trying to make a decision on going public or private. I feel like with a private tour, you won't be able to get a sense of the families.

What do you mean that you won't get a sense of the families? You live in the neighborhood or are considering moving there...the families are the same people who live in the neighborhood.

Anonymous wrote:as the parent of a rising K student, I BEG you not to go to the "open house" in the week before labor day. that is for students who will be in the classes THIS YEAR to meet teachers and other students and for parents to meet teachers and other parents. it is not fair to expect them to pay attention to you, a parent whose child is a year or more from starting K, not DAYS away from starting.

make an appointment at a slower time of year to visit the school. thanks.

I was planning to attend the open house of our public school to get a feel for the school and community. I do not plan on asking questions.

We are trying to make a decision on going public or private. I feel like with a private tour, you won't be able to get a sense of the families.

*are lots of things

For the grammar police . . .

Anonymous wrote:as the parent of a rising K student, I BEG you not to go to the "open house" in the week before labor day. that is for students who will be in the classes THIS YEAR to meet teachers and other students and for parents to meet teachers and other parents. it is not fair to expect them to pay attention to you, a parent whose child is a year or more from starting K, not DAYS away from starting.

make an appointment at a slower time of year to visit the school. thanks.

Agree. My DD is starting K and everyone is excited but anxious. It's a big change for all of us. There is lots of things to learn about and find. This is our time to get her settled in, get comfortable and meet the teacher.

Please have the consideration to make your own appointment to ask your questions.

as the parent of a rising K student, I BEG you not to go to the "open house" in the week before labor day. that is for students who will be in the classes THIS YEAR to meet teachers and other students and for parents to meet teachers and other parents. it is not fair to expect them to pay attention to you, a parent whose child is a year or more from starting K, not DAYS away from starting.

make an appointment at a slower time of year to visit the school. thanks.

Anonymous wrote:You would not be charged. You might be questioned and possibly by the police. Odds are no one would question you, as it is quite chaotic. Let me put it a different way....what would happen if, during one of these events, someone hurt a kid? I know that there is a registered sex offender living across the street from at least one fcps school.

This part I agree with. Nobody during an open house is going to know who "should" be there. During the school year it's different. Everybody has to sign in and they're questioned by staff if not wearing a visitor's tag. During Open House, people are in and out freely.

You would not be charged. You might be questioned and possibly by the police. Odds are no one would question you, as it is quite chaotic. Let me put it a different way....what would happen if, during one of these events, someone hurt a kid? I know that there is a registered sex offender living across the street from at least one fcps school.

^ That's not going to happen.

Anonymous wrote:I can almost garentee that if you are identified as someone without connection to the school, the police will be called. You will be questioned, and released. The thing is, all it takes is one wrong person to hurt a kid.

Are you telling me that if we attend an open house that my preschooler may attend next year, I will be charged with trespassing? I'm sorry. That is ridiculous.

I doubt the police would be called. At my school, during Open House, we wouldn't know if you were a current parent of a student, a neighbor, an aunt... It's just a mass of people. During the school year someone would approach you if you hadn't signed in and even then security or police wouldn't be called unless you became belligerent or threatening, but during OH nobody keeps track of who comes and goes.