Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments school issues and ramblings *updated day 1*

Nathan has his assessment week this coming week at the local gifted school... He will go into the 3 - 4 year class in January.

We got the fee structure for the two kids and nearly had a heart attack on the spot. It's a 12% increase from this year plus a hefty "Admin" fee for registration. Geez it's crazy.

Do you recon it would be within my rights as a paying customer (cause that's what it feels like this is about - business rather than about the kids needs) to demand what we have been promised all along (ie a personalised learning plan) for both kids? I fail to see the need to pay fees like this and then still have to educate my kids the way they need/want after school - fork out money for equipment, curriculae, online memberships, additional books etc.

I refuse to pay this amount of money purely for them to colour, cut and paste and "play nicely with their little friends" kwim?

I am all for homeschooling/unschooling, but hubby feels that Nathan is way too excited now, that he needs to experience school as he has watched Aiden going for the last 2 years etc etc.

thoughts/opinions?

I wouldn't pay for that, either -- but I don't know what your other options are in South Africa. What are the choices?

here, DD8, goes to public school that is paid for with property taxes. I don't pay extra and I STILL feel I have the right to hold them accountable for what we were promised.

That school works for YOU! Personalized learning plan sounds like EACH child should be interviewed, strengths/weaknesses asessed and their needs taken into consideration. Maybe you do need to have a meeting to discuss your children and see what is being done. They SHOULD explain it to you, I think you are well within your rights.

FWIW-DD8 is going to start independent study (homeschool with a school campus for one classroom day and other activities) but I would NOT consider it AT ALL for DD4.5 right now. She too is excited about school and having a great time, so she stays, lol!

update: I stayed at school with Nathan this morning for one and a half hours. I am totally devastated! He looked so bored.

They asked the kids each to count to ten and backwards again to zero - he counted to 13 (they didn't ask him backwards). They asked the other kids their birthdays and addresses. This is stuff for their end of year reports... they have all turned 4 already, and he is barely 3 (by 1 week now). He knew all of this ages ago already. And I should expect him to go to a class where he will only be required to show this stuff at the end of next year?

He drew a picture of our new swimming pool - started writing his name on it, realised no one else is writing and stopped. refused to show it to the teacher (asked her for an eraser and she told him he doesn't need one)

I cannot do it! He played on his own and then asked me to leave as he was very busy. I fetch him in another 2 hours or so.

Maybe the rest of the week will go better.?? will it? someone please reassure me here!

there are two gifted schools here in SA. This one that my kids are at and another one 600km away. And we can't move just to try out a school modeled on this one.

Are there other types of preschools available in your area? I don't know anything at all about SA, but in our area of the US we have a selection of preschools with widely varying educational philosophies. It's possible that the best fit preschool for your ds might *not* be specifically a gifted preschool - our ds loved his Montessori preschool, which had a mix of abilities among the children but the kids were in mixed-age groups and were had the opportunity to work individually and choose their own work and challenge themselves.

polarbear

I'm inclined to agree with polarbear. Not only are they not individualizing, but also I'd be at least as concerned about the emphasis on memorizing stuff.

As the mother of a preschooler, I want a school that thoughtfully engages with my child as her conceptual understanding develops. Teachers who will give her satisfying answers when she asks questions like "Is a billion a made-up number?" "Why do bricks get hard when they're put in fire?" "Is the sky an animal?" Memorize her address??? Oh please.

I think the bottom line is, you're not getting gifted education at this school, no matter what they call themselves. I would ditch them and look for a school that just has lots of enrichment.

There are loads here - we have montessori schools (up to 7th grade) we have waldorf schools too. But all the schools regardless of type have more "conformist" ideas to our government's idea of equal education for all than they would care to admit. It's a deep-set issue here as it goes back to fixing the wrongs of apartheid...

every single other pre school we have looked at is very set on the "age appropriate" development of kids. It's in their pamphlets, its in their verbal messages, it's clearly apparent in their classroom environments.

update 2: Nathan said that he enjoyed it mostly. He wants to go back tomorrow.

He wouldn't tell me anything that they actually did today after i left though.

If he's already looking over his shoulder at what the other kids are up to, then can he be placed in a classroom where the other kids are doing what he can do?

If you never ask, you'll never know.

I'd advise sitting in the classrooms with older kids first so you know which room to ask for (and which teacher!)

Love and More Love,
Grinity