I have a 1st grader who is highly gifted...she is currently at public school in town but we are very disappointed. We are looking at private schools in shoreline and New Haven area - does anyone know of schools in this area that are accomodating of gifted kids? I dont want to spend a ton of $$ and have the same issues we are having now.

Hi! Well, I don't know of ANY gifted schools in CT...There is Pine Point in Stonington and The Country School in Madison...We looked at and visted both...They are VERY expensive, and you have to take an exam to be accepted. Pine Point offers the EPGY program for those who qualify and go through 9th Grade. The Country School has a very heavy focus on hands on Science and STEM programing. Both were heavy on boys and didn't have many girls. Both offer scholarships and shuttles...Where are you? Are you near? There is also a Multi-Cultural school in New London which I hear is a year ahead...but...not gifted....also lottery..

BTW...have a first grade girl...:) Not identified as gifted...yet.....So far she is doing fine in school...Our school uses the Fundations curriculum and because she is a VERY VISUAL girl and learned to read grade levels above with very little phonics or understanding of phonics, I thinks this program will be good for her in the long run....to teach her spelling...so, we are not in the same boat with our first grader...but we are unhappy with school for our 4th grader and looked into these schools as options. In the end, we decided to leave her be...for now....good luck...

Thanks for your thoughts. We are in Killingworth and have looked at Country School. We are still considering it. We are also looking at Cold Spring School in New Haven. I am just stressed that we will uproot my daughter and spend lots of $$$ and still have the same complaints. The public school just really hasnt been accomodating at all.

I love Easton Country Day...all the kids do each class at the childs level...they get what makes gifted kids tick. I have heard really good thinks about Pierpont in Westport for highly gifted and beyond.

Foote in New Haven is worth a look.

Certain CT districts have very good public...it may be worth looking at neighboring districts.

Smiles
Grinity

I did come to the conclusion that although the Country School School had some really cool stuff and I think my DD would fit in socially with the girls, that the education was NOT sooo much better that is was worth changing schools AGAIN and paying $24,000 a year! I will be in Killingworth tonight!

I haven't heard of the Cold Spring School in NH, I will have to look it up...that's a distance every day! Would you move?

Cold Spring is an amazing place - very child centered. I can't say enough good things about it. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.

We have been very impressed with Cold Spring so far...I love their mixed age classrooms. My daughter visited and loved it. It would be a long drive for us but if they get gifted kids, it would be so worth it. Do you have a child there or do you know someone who sent a gifted child there??

Thanks for your input - this is such a stressful decision!

I hate to say it because I wish it wasn't true but I've seen so many situations where a school is great for one PGlet and terrible for the next PGlet. Try to see if the school gets your individual child. Ask them for examples of their past flexible behaviorbecause flexibility is key.

Smiles
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