preschool/kindergarten who's going?

[moogie]

Well though we are homeschooling/unschooling we've decided that Charlie could really do with the fun and social side of school so we're intending to start her at an early learning centre(not childcare) 1/2 a day a week starting in about a years time.  We also wanted some schooling assistance from one of the private schools when it comes time for schools so want to get in good and on waiting list for preschool now. The waiting list is a little long but it got me wondering what you guys are planning and whether you have waiting lists to worry about over in the States.  I assume you would have waiting lists but are you guys going private, public or not at all and are you already on lists?   

[skeettafic]

I actually think about this all the time!   What can I say, I'm a nut.

I would like to send Jocelyn to a preschool program but I'm not sure if that will be a year or two years from now.  Because of the December b-day, she won't be able to start kindergarten until the fall after her 5th b-day, so closer to 6.  I don't know that I want her in "preschool" for more than a year so I'm not sure.

The dc that she goes to actually has a great preschool right in the building so she could go without having to get used to another place.  I think I'll ask them this fall what their program is like, what options there are and if there is a wiating list. 

We are in an excellent school district right now so if we stay where we are, she'll probably at least start out in public school.

[kokonutmama]

This is something I have been thinking about but not acting on since I don't know where I'll be living when it comes time for preschool.  I'd need financial assistance, too, so it seems imperitive that if I want to place him in preschool, I move sooner rather than later, but with the other factors... It seems like perhaps we'll wait till public school age to do school.  I think kindergarten is for us, even if we homeschool otherwise.

[ShannonandDel]

We probably aren't going to do preschool. I would like to get Delaney into some other activities but they will have to wait until after the new baby is born and we move into our new house. Until then we just play 

[jnezmama02]

Well, given the recent disaster regarding our plans for preschool (what you call "early learning") with Jessie, I am no longer making plans. I think Emily would love preschool, as she is more social and less clingy. Luckily, we already know which school she would go to and when know the process for getting on the list since we had to do this w/ Jessie.  The school is actually thru our public school system and is held in the local elementary school, but is a combo of play and learning. It has some structure, but not to the degree that kindergarten does.  Luckily, this school doesn't even take people on the list until a few mos before the school year starts. However, when we were considering the montessori school for Jessie, we put her on the list like 1yr before we wanted her to go initially and she still didn't get a space!! (worked out in the end, though, b/c she ended up not being ready last year or this year, obviously)

Kindergarten is a requirement...if we were to homeschool, we'd have to report to the state what we were doing every so often. We have chosen for all of our kids to go to public school as we have too many kids to go to private school, private school options are limited in this area, and we know that our public school system is a good one.  Our state is pushing full-day kindergarten (9am-3:15pm). Right now, half-day is free and you have to pay $50/wk for the additional hrs to get the full-day. However, the state has passed increased funding for every year for the next 2yrs, so we may get full-day for free by the time Jessie goes next year and definitely by the time Emily goes. However, I'm not so sold on full-day kindergarten now that Jessie won't have gone to ANY school before then. It seems like too big a leap from nothing to all-day school.  I think they need some time where they only go a few hours a day first.  So, Jessie may just do half-day next year anyway (if we don't need to homeschool).

[kokonutmama]

I just saw something in the paper about full day kindergarten gaining popularity with school systems.  My gut reaction is that it's not so great. 

[HanoiHelle]

CM was in preschool in Hanoi, and has been in a summer program here in Maryland since a few weeks after we came back. Next week, she starts the regular pre-school program, which is from 9-3 (as was the summer program). Since the program in Hanoi was only 8:30-noon, we wondered how she would deal with a fuller day, particularly taking a nap at school, but that was not a problem. Many of the kids in the summer program arrived earlier and stayed later than CM. CM liked the structure of hte Hanoi program, and I think she'll like the more structured regular schedule of that starts next week. The summer program was less so.

We signed her up in early March this year; over the summer, however, the school has filled up and they are turning away students now.

[moogie]

Charlie is officially starting Kindergarten in January at an early learning centre.  It is approx 9-3,  3 days a week as we couldn't get the 2 day program.  But we think we'll pay for the 3 days and just send her for 2.  the school has an open door policy where the parents can be with the kids all day if they want.  It is a progressive school, attached to a very good private primary and secondary school.  They do recycling and ban disposable plastic packaging in lunch boxes.  It was a hard decision but we just can't keep up with how much stimulus Charlie requires.  Also as it is a registered daycare, they require you to pay for 48 weeks of the year whether they attend that many or not.  A bit extreme, and sad i think for the kids who do go for 48 weeks.

Anyway just wanted to update and let you all know what we decided to do.