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school open house
Aug. 23rd, 2007 02:43 pmOn Monday we received a big packet in the mail informing us that Casper's new school failed No Child Left Behind this year - did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress goals. So we have the option to transfer to another school, or have a school-paid tutor for our child. Since they only test in grades 3, 4, and 5, and the Montessori program phase-in only reaches grade 3 this year (I think), I'm not too worried, but it is disappointing.
Today was the open house (1-2 pm; apparently in the past they did it at night and I'm sure going to ask them to do it that way in future). We found Casper's name on the list in the Pre-K/K hallway. She is going to have Mrs. B as her teacher, and be in a class of 14 kids, 6 5 year olds and 8 four year olds. Kid names: Logan, Maya, Nelly, Stephen, Ofelia, Lauren, Isabelle, Alejandro, Gabriel, America, Karen, Leslie, Tamara, Dylan, Stephanie. Which, plus Casper makes 16 kids, so I have no idea what's up - the list was copied from the printed class list on the wall plus the sheet where people signed in their kids, so maybe Nelly is a nickname of Ofelia, or they've added a kid or two since the class list was printed. About 10 kid-parent sets actually showed up. Stephanie has been in Casper's class at the day care for 2 years now, so that's nice, although they aren't particularly close (and her parents didn't come). We don't know any of the other families (yet).
Casper LOVED the classroom. It has an internal bathroom (one of our worries), a guinea pig, a doll house (a very caucasian doll family; I wonder if I can ask Mrs. B if we could get some non-white people too), and lots of cool stuff. Casper didn't want to leave after an hour, and had to be dragged to the bathroom while doing the pee-pee dance. She was also pretty outgoing with some of the other kids and didn't hesitate to start talking/playing with them.
Mrs. B is a newlywed, new to the city and the school and the Montessori method, although she's been teaching Pre-K or K for 3 years already. If she's any older than 24 I'll eat my hat. She seemed shy with the parents and answering questions about school routines and bureaucracy, but more confident with the kids. She's only had the intensive 3-week training in the Montessori method, and will be doing intensive training throughout the year, but she seems really interested in the method. When I asked about cupcakes for the birthday, she reminded me that part of the Whole Child thing was healthy snacks (but in a really nice way, not a holier than thou way.) I hope she has a good mentor, and I'd like to see that she has a steely side at some point, or I'll worry about discipline (Casper is an arguer and a weaseller!) but I am hopeful that this will be a good class despite her youth.
Most of the Park Mommy families are concentrated in the classes with the two returning, senior teachers, both of whom have good reputations. I wonder if this is coincidence or political networking, but oh well, what can you do.
Today was the open house (1-2 pm; apparently in the past they did it at night and I'm sure going to ask them to do it that way in future). We found Casper's name on the list in the Pre-K/K hallway. She is going to have Mrs. B as her teacher, and be in a class of 14 kids, 6 5 year olds and 8 four year olds. Kid names: Logan, Maya, Nelly, Stephen, Ofelia, Lauren, Isabelle, Alejandro, Gabriel, America, Karen, Leslie, Tamara, Dylan, Stephanie. Which, plus Casper makes 16 kids, so I have no idea what's up - the list was copied from the printed class list on the wall plus the sheet where people signed in their kids, so maybe Nelly is a nickname of Ofelia, or they've added a kid or two since the class list was printed. About 10 kid-parent sets actually showed up. Stephanie has been in Casper's class at the day care for 2 years now, so that's nice, although they aren't particularly close (and her parents didn't come). We don't know any of the other families (yet).
Casper LOVED the classroom. It has an internal bathroom (one of our worries), a guinea pig, a doll house (a very caucasian doll family; I wonder if I can ask Mrs. B if we could get some non-white people too), and lots of cool stuff. Casper didn't want to leave after an hour, and had to be dragged to the bathroom while doing the pee-pee dance. She was also pretty outgoing with some of the other kids and didn't hesitate to start talking/playing with them.
Mrs. B is a newlywed, new to the city and the school and the Montessori method, although she's been teaching Pre-K or K for 3 years already. If she's any older than 24 I'll eat my hat. She seemed shy with the parents and answering questions about school routines and bureaucracy, but more confident with the kids. She's only had the intensive 3-week training in the Montessori method, and will be doing intensive training throughout the year, but she seems really interested in the method. When I asked about cupcakes for the birthday, she reminded me that part of the Whole Child thing was healthy snacks (but in a really nice way, not a holier than thou way.) I hope she has a good mentor, and I'd like to see that she has a steely side at some point, or I'll worry about discipline (Casper is an arguer and a weaseller!) but I am hopeful that this will be a good class despite her youth.
Most of the Park Mommy families are concentrated in the classes with the two returning, senior teachers, both of whom have good reputations. I wonder if this is coincidence or political networking, but oh well, what can you do.