Hi all! I'm a first grade teacher in BVSD, and since the first day of school was today, I have not been online in a while. The last few weeks have been hectic. We got the e-mail that RMS was closing also. I'm so sorry for all of you who had children there. That must be so traumatic.

My son started Westgate this week. We went through the whole Stargate/Westgate application process. Honestly, I'm not looking for the most top notch, high pressure education for my five year old (I'm really laughing as I write this). I just want him to be happy. He is quirky and stands out. He had a hard time in preschool and I would like for him to want to go to school rather than whine and say, "What's the point?"

We definitely had a negative impression about Stargate. As someone else mentioned, I wanted to be sure that my son's needs were met. He scored 149 on the WPPSI and is just a little "out there" in personality and intensity. They told us that their school is designed for a child with an IQ of around 130--enough said. Even though my son got in, we turned them down.

Westgate, while it cannot exclude based on IQ, is claiming to meet individual children's needs, which is more than I heard at Stargate. I guess I firmly believe that a school's philosophy and its teachers can make all the difference, regardless of the students it has in its classrooms. I teach in a VERY diverse school in BVSD. It is not best for all kids (my oldest son is not going there, but my other two may), but I had a PG student in my class last year and have his brother (who skipped K) in my class this year. And their parents have been very happy. I think knowing your child's personality and what type of environment would suit him/her best is more important than the selective (or not so selective) criteria of the school. That is why I did not think Peak to Peak would be a good fit for my son. I think there is too much pressure. I've heard that the teachers put tremendous pressure on the students, and I think my son would cave in that environment. A friend of mine interviewed there and said that during her observations and trial teaching assignment the students were afraid to speak up and seemed totally traumatized. She was shocked. My son is a perfectionist, and I think he would always think he wasn't good enough. He needs nurturing, encouraging teachers to bring out his highest potential. At least that's my opinion now--he's just 5.

I will let you all know how things go at Westgate. Since my son has only been there 4 days, it is hard to tell. Good luck as you all get settled into the school year!