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Well, the Husband likes it and we've pretty much decided that's where we're going to put them next year. I still haven't heard from the other private school if they've been accepted or anything else.

I am getting excited about the idea of the 4-day week. I have decided that I'll either ask my boss to work 4/10s or just take a pay cut and work 4 days a week. I think it'll be fun!

As for the hours, here's the schedule: K-G1 - 8:45am-3:00pm
G2-6 - 8:45am-3:15pm. Right now they go from 8:20-2:50, so it wouldn't be any different in the amount of time in school.

I'm really looking forward to the combined classes aspect of it. They also sent home a questionnaire that I liked. The questions were:
What are your child's strengths (academic and social)?
What are your child's weaknesses (academic and social)?
In what type of environment does your child learn best?
What are your child's hobbies/activities outside of school?
What are your expectations from Alice King Community School?
Any other questions/comments?
Does your child receive special services? If so, what?

Those are good hours. My son is in school longer than that on a five day program. I would love a four day program.

I hope the school is everything it sounds like. It's so hard to tell ahead of time but I can say I have found charters feel a need to earn students more and as a parent I have more of a voice.

Good luck KD!
I saw this:


I would specifically ask if this is the NWEA's MAP test which is given on the computer, and ask if it would be used with your children, and suggest that your son be tested on the test designed for 2nd grade and up. If it is the MAP test, and they can give examples of children who were multiage grouped according to their strengths, then I would be hopeful.

Best Wishes,
Grinity

Thanks for the information Grinity! I'll email them now and ask them.

BTW - We just heard from the private school we had applied for next school year... They were both accepted, but they would make DS repeat Kinder in the Fall. So that's a bummer...

Here's the principal's response to your question:

This MAP assessment is given on the computer. We use it for all grade levels. We begin at the grade level the students are on, and the assessment will allow them to progress as far as they can. Hope this helps!

Hmm. We were told at the two private schools we are looking at that if Mr W enters K early then he can go into first grade when he graduates from K. He can also enter 2d early if he graduates from first grade.

Well, the private school they're attending now would promote him to 1st grade (along with all of the public schools). But this one private school seems "hell bent" to "strictly adhere" to the age cut-off... Which is totally stupid IMO because of kids like mine. One of my friends' daughter is in the same position as my son, got accepted, but they want her to repeat Kinder.

Stupid.

We saw much of the same rigidity in the "Top Preschools" in our area. When we visited, the toddlers were Zombies compared to Mr W and their rooms were basically meat lockers with no books, puzzles, etc. When we interviewed the admins, we also found little imagination or flexibility in their thinking. They had a "method" and planned to stick with to the bitter end no matter what.

Great - the MAP is an amazing test that self adjusts while the child is taking it. There are 2 versions (although the school may not realize that, so treat carefully!) - on is for K-2nd, and the other is for 2nd and up. We have seen schools where the school person assumes that because the 2+ test goes on and on forever, that the younger test also does.

Inky - please check my facts here - do I have this right?

Here's the name of the K-2 test that doesn't go on and on:

If at all possible, you want them to let your child take



so that they can really see what your child can do.

That should help you clarify without driving them nuts.

The only possible pitfall is that you child won't have seen some of the symbols in math, so a kid that understands division, and can verbally do long convoluted word problems involving division in their head, but has never seen the ways that division is written on paper might really confuse the computer and be on for hours and hours while the AI tried to figure out where to place this child.

Encourage you child to keep going 'no matter how long it takes' - and if you think this might be an issue for your child, remind child that most tests you feel smart when you finish more quickly than others, but this test has an AI that keeps the smartest kids there for the longest because it gives them harder and harder stuff.

I really think that you have a terrific chance to use this test to show the school what your child actually is capable of. So exciting!

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Okay, not allowing the grade skip seems stupid, but depending on the popularity of red shirting in the private school it may simply be in your best interest. Since its a new school, in a new city, I think it might be hard to know exactly how old the kids in 1st are. I know the school will tell you what the cutoff date is, but it might not tell you how many parents opted to have their kids start a year later.

(DD spent all of k in 1st and 3rd grade classrooms. When we switched her school at the end of "k" I tried really hard to get her skipped to 2nd and the new school wouldn't budge. I was really mad about it for a long time. I took me a whole year to realize that even when placed with her "age" peers she is the 2nd youngest in the class because of the prevalence of red shirting. Even though the school cut off date is Sept 1, everyone born after May 3rd is a whole year older. )

Just an idea... Anyway the charter school sounds great!