Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Once more: school options

We are now in the process of hunting school for DD for next year.

This is the situation: no GT school where we live this next year, but most probably the following one (2009-1010) yes.
There is one opening on another town but it involves driving (see later on).

So, we have to look some other solution for DD for just one year, 2008-2009.

Our options are:

1. Same school where she was going but she would be moved to first grade. Since it is a Montessori, she would be in a group with 6 to 9 years old.
School has agreed to accelerated her, the Principal was quite in favor from the very beginning, the remedial teacher half-half, but convinced at the end, and the actual teacher (kindergarden) was totally opposed, saying that DD wanted only to play and refused to do any learning activity.
Problems with this: DD will be in a large group (30 kids) and only one teacher. No possibilities for the teacher to give DD extra time or attention. Teachers in that school do not have any gifted training. School would accept an extra teacher payed by us.

We have asked to meet the teacher that DD would be having to see if she agrees to the acceleration, because if she does not, then it is useless.

2. Another school just around the corner would accept as well DD in first grade, but I still have to talk to the Principal about details. This is a 'normal' school so she would be with just 6 years old children. This school is studying the possibility of opening a gifted section in two years, but nothing is decided yet.

3. And finally, the gifted school in another town. That would be perfect: they have philosophy, chess, individual curriculum on maths and LA, drama, English, Spanish (this at 8 only)... Teachers are specifically trained for GT kids. The children get a laptop and they learn keyboarding so they can 'write'....

The big problem is: I would have to drive back and forth in the morning and afternoon. Without traffic jam, it is 25 minutes of driving, not too bad. But in the traffic jam it can be easily one hour. And the school times are sure enough in the peak hours. So I would drive one hour in the morning, drop DD, drive one (maybe 45 min if I am lucky) back. And the same for the afternoon.

Moving there is not an option. This is only for one year (hopefully) anyway.

Soooo, what would you do??????

The GT school is the perfect school but the driving .... mmm

All schools are public schools. Fees are negligible (except if we hire an extra teacher to help in the classroom).

Hi Isa! Wow to all the offered accelerations!

Questions
#1 -
Remind me how old is DD now? You also have a younger child, yes? How old is your younger? Am I forgetting a third? Can you hire someone to watch baby while you are driving? Can you hire someone to drive daily, at least one way? Is there anyone else from the gifted school who is 'carpool material?'

#2 - could you find someone to hire for the Montessori school? How expensive would it be? Could you do it part time?
#3 - Is there 'before and after care' for the Gifted school? Maybe you could manipulate her hours so to get off of high-traffic times?
#4 - do you know anyone in the other town that you could hire to do before and after care, so she is less 'stimulated' by the long day of school?

[size:11pt]#5 - How soon can you meet next years Montessori teacher? Can you watch her interacting with the children? Can you watch and see what the other children are doing - so you know if there would be a fit in that room?[/size] Actually - this last question goes for all three schools - get into the classrooms and watch, if it's not too late!

Smiles and prayers,
Grinity

I would eliminate the school that is far and involves lots of driving (this would get old fast). School #2 sounds like it could work as a one-year remedy. I agree with Grinity that checking it out is probably the best way to know which "fits" best.

Hi Isa,

My dd goes to a gifted school (about 45 minutes away each way). We have done this for two years and it was definitely the right choice for us.

The drive isn't so bad. We have a lot of heart to heart talks on the way. She can take a nap if she is tired or we just listen to music and be silly. It has been a great bonding opportunity for us.

My point is, choose the school that would be the best fit for your dd. The driving is doable.

I agree that the drive is doable, espeically if you have a happy girl for the rest of the day. You may find that you can do a little picnic/library trip/ etc. at the end of the day and avoid rush hour. Depends on the overall needs of your family.

Perhaps you could look into getting a job at the gifted school? Then you could work while she is at school instead of making two trips. Extra income to offset the expense.

I think it's clear that your DD needs some accelerated learning option. So as long as the solution you choose offers her that, I would think it would be fine.

#1A (without the teacher you pay) is a bit iffy to me because it sounds like the teacher is not on board. That constitutes a real problem, I think. The only person who has control over what goes on in the classroom is the teacher. It's good that you have the principal's backing, but in the end, the teacher is really all that matters. If she isn't totally with you, then I don't think I'd pick this option.

#1B (with extra teacher) Now, when you throw in the additional teacher paid for by you, things change a bit. Presumably you then have a lot more say about what happens in the classroom and what your daughter does. If you can make this happen, it sounds like a pretty good option. Expensive, for sure, but a good choice for getting appropriate work for your DD.

#2 I don't think I'd pursue a new school unless there was some benefit to it for now, and I don't see any benefit. You don't have the relationship that you have with school #1, they haven't agreed to a skip or to other accomodations as has #1. I just don't see this as a good option.

#3 I agree that the driving doesn't have to be a bad thing. Obviously do whatever you can to minimize the drive time. Before- and after-school care or a job in the area sounds wise to me so you can avoid rush hour, especially if you can find someone good with GT kids to play with her. Get "books on tape" for the car or sing along to the radio together. Play car games like the "Last Letter Game." It's not necessarily the end of the world to have to drive a little if you think the school is a good place for her.

BUT I do think that any solution has to work for the entire family--you included! If you REALLY hate driving, then that may not be a sacrifice you're willing to make, and that's okay.

So I think you have 2-3 feasible options, depending upon circumstances: #1A (maybe), #1B, and #3. Any of them seem to me to be acceptable, depending upon your family's priorities.

It's good to have options, but it does tend to be difficult to make such big decisions, doesn't it?

Keep talking if you need it! We're happy to help!

I think you should investigate school #2 further. Talk to the principal, talk to the teacher. If you get a good feeling, I think it sounds like a good option. Especially since you have another child, the long drives may be difficult.

Isa

We opted for the drive, we start in September, about a 45min to 1 hour each way. Depends on traffic. DW found a Part time job at a school nearby (1 mile from new school)as a teachers aid. This is so she can be close by and keep it to one trip a day. The money will pay for the gas. We don't know if it will work out, but we have to try. It means, my stay at home DW will have to be up by 5:30am to leave by 7am, and our DS5 (who was used to getting up at 8), will now be up by 6am. I will also have to be up now by 5am. (For you farmers in the midwest, this is early for us.) Our DS15 will have to adjust to me being at home for him until DW comes home. All new changes, but again we have to try and make things work. The DS5 school offers contacts for carpooling, that is also someting we may look at. Once you make the choice (the hardest part) finding a way to make it work is really not that difficult.

Thanks a lot for the comments !

Do you realize that I have gotten as many different comments/sugestions/preferences as posters?

They are all helpful in my decision making anyway,

I am living in a short to a information evening of one of the GT schools in the next town, so I will know more about it.

And tomorrow I have a meeting with Principal #2, who by the way has already agreed to skip DD to first grade.

Ok, now I have to go....