Oh I’m so sorry. 
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That’s really a bummer- both having Covid and missing the time with GD.
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Oh goodness, I’m so sorry! I hope you are starting to feel better!
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DD1 sent me the email about the school closure - there was a series of things that caused this, but a major thing was a new two-story building started before Covid, and while the outside was completed, it has never been totally interior completion and occupied, and the parish is paying a monthly debt. In combination with declining enrollment, deferred maintenance, the financial situation has not improved and is not viable. The school completed 30 years! A shame to close. We continue to be heartbroken.
DD1 said they have put their two children’s enrollment application information in for this classical education school as well as another – with the hopes that both children will be enrolled together at one school (I think both are the same cover name/operation now at two locations). The other school had open enrollment lottery started in January. Since the programs begin at kindergarten, GS2 who would have been in 4K will stay at the daycare program. These other schools have a uniform – they use Land’s End uniforms. This classical education has a 3-year lease for the school property, for K - 12th grades.
None of the faculty could be retained - but perhaps some will apply for spots with the new magnet classical education program.
Enrollment fees and downpayment funds are being returned to parents.
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I am so sorry, @Bromfield2! That is most unfortunate timing. I hope you are feeling much better.
For me, that was the worst part of having Covid. I don’t think I’d ever gone ten days without seeing my grandchildren. I had put them to bed the night before I tested positive and worried that I had exposed them. Thankfully, they did not get it from me!
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I’m very sorry for your family, @SOSConcern ! School is such an important part of life. Change is never easy, but I’m hoping your family will make a smooth transition.
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This NY Times article is interesting. I think the more one can do to help boys mature with early childhood experiences, the more confidence they will have in educational settings. Also I think about male role models for them, be it dad, uncle, grandfather, family friend - showing an interest in the child and encouraging educational engagement.
I am glad GD1 is the oldest - she shows her two brothers some educational leadership. We never compare, but they can see what can be achieved when they advance to her grade level.
This article should be able to be opened, as it is a gift article.
Why Boys Are Behind in School From the Start - The New York Times
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That was an interesting article. Hopefully it will help parents be more aware of things they may need to work on with their boys. I really don’t like the trend of so much standardized testing in the younger grades, but I don’t see that going away unfortunately.
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so sorry
Interesting article. Since my D is a 1st grade teacher and reading specialist, I think that give GS a leg up
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To me the testing allows an awareness for parents as well as feedback to teachers. Having a healthy and happy child interested and engaged in learning is key - and everything is a steppingstone to the future. IMHO learning is a marathon where one paces themselves all the way through. One certainly doesn’t want a child discouraged and have a negative mindset at any point.
At what point will we consider that perhaps we are pushing our little ones beyond where they should be in kindergarten (actually, before kindergarten)? This:
Some states test children at the beginning of kindergarten, and generally find that fewer than half of students are ready for kindergarten, and often only about a third of boys.
Maybe the problem is the adults. Kids should be learning to play together and gaining skills through play. The focus on academics at such a young age is the issue, IMHO.
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After being gone for three weeks I saw huge changes in all three local grandkids. They change so fast and we are lucky to have them close by. One of our kids had their nanny out so we were able to take one of the grandkids to his OT and feeding therapy. We have done this a few times in the past and we have learned a lot and it’s also great to see the progress.
I was a stay at home mom when my kids were little and I see how difficult it is to be a two parent working family. For example my away grandkid has a fever today. Luckily my son-in-law was able to pivot and work from home today. They have no local family help.
The linked article was interesting. When my three were in kindergarten the expectations were so different. With the first two they didn’t even start letters and sounds till late in the school year. They did math not by learning facts but by baking. My son was nowhere near ready to sit and learn to read at 5. In hindsight we should have started him a year later.
I have a family friend who is a longtime child psychiatrist and we have talked a lot about how young males are perceived and treated in traditional educational settings. He feels that often it doesn’t fit and they get lost and think they aren’t smart. The opposite is true it just isn’t an environment that works with their gifts and strengths.
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Don’t we have a thread about this subject that has hundreds of posts in it?
I’d like to not have to wade through a subject that has its own thread
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What are you referring to? I’m confused.
I think she’s referring to the side discussion on how boys have been underperforming in school.
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That’s what I’m referring to. Sorry I should have directed my comment to the person who posted the article
Everyone is welcome to post in any thread in this forum. I would rather we cut down on the redundancy
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A problem I see out in the public is very young children with their own hand-held device showing kid movies or cartoons. Studies continue to show the damage of a lot of screen time. I doubt the parent/caretaker realizes the potential harm - they see it as keeping the kid(s) entertained and quiet.
Also, some children have not had any pre-school type of education - and this does not need to be formal, but learning colors, letters, the alphabet. Ready to learn in kindergarten. So much information is out there on the good things to be doing with toddlers and very young children. Kids learn and absorb at incredibly young ages.
Children have been found to be able to learn a lot at very young ages. DDs were in Montessori at 2 1/2 (when potty trained and that age requirement) - they learned a lot of things at their own pace.
Some states (like my state) have started public 4K programs with the intention of having children from less nurturing households get a start (remember ‘Head Start’ programs?)
I was amazed at what GD1 and GS1 learned in 4K, K, and first (over 2 years) at their excellent school. These two are 14 months apart in age and are one grade apart. Learning/reading was reinforced at home, and very limited screen time. The younger grandkids’ daycare has little to no screen time.
Yes, skills through play is part of learning.
May I make a suggestion? I personally would like to keep this thread a bit lighter and not get into discussion on trials and tribulations of raising kids. We have all done that already. It is our kids’ time on how they want to do raise their kids. It is time for us to enjoy our grandchildren.
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I second that!
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