Anonymous wrote:We're a prospective new family with a son who would be entering Kindergarten. REALLY want some honest feedback about the school (class sizes, teachers, etc.) Particularly interested to hear about the following: 1) how the transition into Kindergarten is handled, and 2) how well the school monitors kids being/getting sick (of course hard to avoid the spread of germs but had a great experience with a preschool who was really on top of it to avoid super spreaders, particularly for an immunocompromised child). Thanks so much for any helpful insight and guidance - we really appreciate it! And for what its worth, the "crazy parents" comments aren't particularly helpful.

I know this response might be a little late. But, as a parent who sent an immunocompromised kid to school at Lafayette last year, it was okay (which is really all we could have hoped for!). We communicated with teachers and staff, and know they took some extra care with regard to cleaning/sanitization and picking a seat for our kid that wasn't right in the middle of everything (though they inserted themselves into the middle of everything all the same, so, ya know). We also communicated with fellow parents in the class—which is really awkward and sucks, but most parents were very kind and understanding about everything—just to make people aware of our child's situation, in hopes that it'd maybe make someone think twice about sending kids to school on the wrong side of "borderline." Kiddo still got sick, as did their older sibling, but I think that's just a reality of things. We did utilize masks from time to time if it seemed like too much was going around/we had some reason why avoiding illness was especially important (heightened immunocompromised status, for example).

Everyone's experience is obviously unique, but we've always had a good experience with teachers and staff in terms of accommodating health issues (and helping kids get caught up after dealing with things). And we at least found that parents in the community were really supportive and kind.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lafayette is terribly boring for my very advanced child. So there’s that. My kid started out as an enthusiastic learner before entering and now kind of dreads the academic stuff.

My kid likes the school for the most part. Many of the teachers are great. I haven’t found the parents to be particularly friendly, if anything they’re a bit cliquey.

The indoor recess so much last year was ridiculous.

It’s a ton of kids in the building and cafeteria. My kid gets sick a lot.

Mostly, It’s free so that’s where my kid is going. I think it’s overall a good school.

Lafayette is stuffed full of parents who — despite all evidence to the contrary — call their kids “very advanced.” That’s all you need to know.

+1 We’ve been at Lafayette for years and hear this all the time. And often times those same bored kids are in Mathnasium/Russian math school, and I suggested once “maybe the extra tutoring is what is making the in class stuff now seem repetitive and boring?” But these kids are geniuses, so what do I know?

most interesting in all this is when they leave for private (sidwell, Maret, whatever) and they learn their kid is bored no matter how much money they pay.

My kid both loves Lafayette and consistently scores a grade+ ahead. We don’t do any tutoring. You can get an excellent education there without freaking out.

Why would that person be a troll?

That’s a weird thing to say. It seems like there’s someone with a vested interest in dismissing any actual parent experiences.

Anonymous wrote:Lafayette is terribly boring for my very advanced child. So there’s that. My kid started out as an enthusiastic learner before entering and now kind of dreads the academic stuff.

My kid likes the school for the most part. Many of the teachers are great. I haven’t found the parents to be particularly friendly, if anything they’re a bit cliquey.

The indoor recess so much last year was ridiculous.

It’s a ton of kids in the building and cafeteria. My kid gets sick a lot.

Mostly, It’s free so that’s where my kid is going. I think it’s overall a good school.

This has got to be a troll.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have an immunocompromised kid, I don’t think any school will pressure parents to keep kids home outside of the health policy and people will push the edges as far as 24 hours after a fever, etc. Parents have to work and kids need to go to school. Instead, look for ways they can keep your kid relatively safer like good circulation, enforcing handwashing, etc.

+1

I think this is the reality of school. Also I don’t know if people should be horrified as one PP said. Parents have to work.

The parents with the immunocompromised kid have to work too. It's not exactly fair to say "parents have to work" when parents sending their sick kids can possibly threaten another child, who then has to stay home with those working parents. I always find it helpful to look at the situation from both sides. We all do our best, but I don't think any of would ever want to be responsible for putting a child at increased risk. Hope everyone has a happy & HEALTHY year ahead!

When you are in large group settings on a daily basis you will be exposed to illness, germs, etc. It is just going to happen. Parents may not know their kid is getting sick, kid might be symptom free but contdgious.

Anonymous wrote:Lafayette is terribly boring for my very advanced child. So there’s that. My kid started out as an enthusiastic learner before entering and now kind of dreads the academic stuff.

My kid likes the school for the most part. Many of the teachers are great. I haven’t found the parents to be particularly friendly, if anything they’re a bit cliquey.

The indoor recess so much last year was ridiculous.

It’s a ton of kids in the building and cafeteria. My kid gets sick a lot.

Mostly, It’s free so that’s where my kid is going. I think it’s overall a good school.

Lafayette is stuffed full of parents who — despite all evidence to the contrary — call their kids “very advanced.” That’s all you need to know.

Lafayette is terribly boring for my very advanced child. So there’s that. My kid started out as an enthusiastic learner before entering and now kind of dreads the academic stuff.

My kid likes the school for the most part. Many of the teachers are great. I haven’t found the parents to be particularly friendly, if anything they’re a bit cliquey.

The indoor recess so much last year was ridiculous.

It’s a ton of kids in the building and cafeteria. My kid gets sick a lot.

Mostly, It’s free so that’s where my kid is going. I think it’s overall a good school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have an immunocompromised kid, I don’t think any school will pressure parents to keep kids home outside of the health policy and people will push the edges as far as 24 hours after a fever, etc. Parents have to work and kids need to go to school. Instead, look for ways they can keep your kid relatively safer like good circulation, enforcing handwashing, etc.

+1

I think this is the reality of school. Also I don’t know if people should be horrified as one PP said. Parents have to work.

The parents with the immunocompromised kid have to work too. It's not exactly fair to say "parents have to work" when parents sending their sick kids can possibly threaten another child, who then has to stay home with those working parents. I always find it helpful to look at the situation from both sides. We all do our best, but I don't think any of would ever want to be responsible for putting a child at increased risk. Hope everyone has a happy & HEALTHY year ahead!

The parents with the immunocompromised kid have to work too. It's not exactly fair to say "parents have to work" when parents sending their sick kids can possibly threaten another child, who then has to stay home with those working parents. I always find it helpful to look at the situation from both sides. We all do our best, but I don't think any of would ever want to be responsible for putting a child at increased risk. Hope everyone has a happy & HEALTHY year ahead!

Anonymous wrote:If you have an immunocompromised kid, I don’t think any school will pressure parents to keep kids home outside of the health policy and people will push the edges as far as 24 hours after a fever, etc. Parents have to work and kids need to go to school. Instead, look for ways they can keep your kid relatively safer like good circulation, enforcing handwashing, etc.

+1. My friend has an immunocompromised kid (open heart surgery as an infant). She talked with the teacher and purchased a fancy air purifier for the class. Teacher then assigned the kid a seat closest to it. Not sure it helped, but it didn't hurt. There will always be kids arriving in the morning with a good dose of Tylenol or Mortin (or both) in their system to get through the day, no matter what school public or private. Control what you can, but have reasonable expectations, and it'll be ok.