So we finally know where we are going--Atlanta, here we come! We found a great house in a district with great public schools so I am very excited. We close Fe. 15th. The stereotype is that the high school and feeder schools are extremely competitive, tiger mom type environments filled with bright over-achievers but I am certain that there are many exceptions and not really worried about finding like-minded people for our family.
I am looking at the rest of 5th grade as a transitional time socially and to get dd11 used to a big public school (she has been at a small private Montessori until now, but for a few years she did the gifted pull-out at the public school so it won't be totally foreign). I think that she will likely be adequately challenged--I know a bunch of these kids are identified as gifted. She is not a 99.9% kid, however I do think it will take some advocacy to get her the appropriate acceleration in English--she was in the 99% on the Explore last year as a 4th grader.
We finally have her scheduled to take the WISC IV next week--the psych doesn't specialize in gifted kids but the price is right and dd11 isn't too complicated so I think it will be OK--we need it so she can hopefully get gifted services right away. (one day pull-out at new school)
The middle school will offer her so much more than any school could in our current location. A dedicated orchestra teacher which she is thrilled about, and she will audition for the Georgia Youth Symphony. The drama program is unbelievable (although I think she is in for a very rude awakening to not be the star of the show!) After-school programs including painting and chess club that will be right up her alley. The gifted kids do accelerated work all together, so she will hopefully have same age peers and won't have to be in classrooms with older kids (except for maybe English, which again I am sure they will tell me she wouldn't need further acceleration--but I am also sure they would be wrong!)
So, Montessori has been a great fit for my dd since she was 3. (FWIW it has worked well so far for dd4, who is more complicated and likely a higher LOG combined with intense psychomotor OE but I think the new public school will be a better fit for her for K too--waiting until she turns 6 to take WISC with Spomenka Newman) But dd11 is ready for bigger and better things and we are very excited!
I will prob. be back more often to ask for advice though as things progress and esp. as dd4 enters school in the fall. For now I need to get busy packing!
