Well, after having another conversation with the principal of the school here, it looks like they aren't willing to work with us after all. Supposedly it has to do with their accredation and all the kids having a certain attendance level. This seems flimsy to me because kindergarten isn't really required (and she tried to tell me it is), nor is it mandated to be a half day. I started to argue with her about it, but dropped it because I didn't think doing that was really going help my cause any, anyway.
So, now we're left with two bad choices, and we have to figure out which is the worst one. I've been praying, and Oliver and I have spent a lot of time talking about this. I really appreciate his willingness to see my side, even if he has a slightly different take on it all. It's helped me see it in a wider lens than I can on my own.
I don't want to make the wrong choice. One of my problems with parenting is that every decision feels so momentous. I look at my own past and can see how one disastrous decision of my mother's made such a detour in my own life.
I'm trying to keep it in perspective. I know that her decision was first heralded by many smaller bad decisions along the way. I'm just hoping my past good choices will help make this one not so terrible, or that my fears will go unfounded and all will be well.
We did register him, and will likely send him and hope for the best. He's going to be nearly six because of when his birthday falls, and he's the child whose been most willing to try new things and leave my side. If this were Oscar we were talking about right now, I know he'd be staying home.
I'm not happy about this. Not at all. If it hadn't been for my very good impression of the teacher and her willingness to recognize my concerns I don't think I could go ahead and send him there. But, I don't think keeping him home is the answer, either. I just hope this doesn't end up with him hating school right off the bat. I was really hoping to avoid that a bit longer.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Kindergarten: Take Two
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3 sonar pings:
Maybe he will end up loving it. It sounds like the teacher is a very good teacher and with such a small class it is possible that she will be able to work to his strengths. In yours shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. For schools, things usually come down to money. It may have something to do with their funding if he isn't there all day. That would be my guess, but obviously, I could be wrong.
I know what you mean about all these decisions that seem so huge. They come along an awful lot.
Hello, I've read your blog a few times and really enjoy it.
My daughter is going to be entering Kindergarten this fall too, and I am so very nervous about it as well. I may not totally understand your reservations about Kindergarten in general, but I worry about her being there all day too.
Right now she's gone to preschool, and now in Pre-K for the past two years. Preschool was two hours a day, Pre-K is not quite 3 hours a day. I know she's going to be exhausted when she comes home, but the school we're "zoned" for only offers all day kindergarten. I look at it this way though...First grade and beyond will be an all day thing, and even if she does half day kindergarten, she will still be doing all day in first grade. So either way, all day is coming whether or not I like it. I've thought about home schooling her, but I know for her she would do better in a classroom setting. That's not to say that will change.
Anyway...If he seems willing to do new things, I say let him try it. If anything you can always take him out if you're unhappy with the school, or if you think he's really suffering because of being there all day. On the schools part though, it really may be a funding thing and they need the kids there all day. Most things like that tend to come down to money. Plus, it sounds like it will be a really small class which is awesome in itself.
Kids are dynamic creatures and can really adjust fairly quickly. Good luck with your decision.
Ugh! I think you are being fed a ration, personally...but what can you do, unless you are ready to go higher than the principal and/or spend a whole bunch of time researching the documentation to prove them wrong?
At any rate, maybe he'll do better than you think with the all day thing? The ratio is certainly to-die-for.
I feel your pain about the whole decision thing. If anyone had told me that the education part of parenting was going to be this hard, I may have thought twice about having kids (so, I guess I'm glad I had no clue). It is HARD! There is no one-size-fits-all, that is for sure.
Wishing you the best of luck with all this!
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