What do I do next? Preschool to Kindergarten

[stacyl]

Hi all. My dd is going to be registering for K in Jan. (I know, I may be jumping the gun a little, but I want to make sure she gets the best education possible!) My DD is an only child, so I don't know what to do. So, when I am looking at schools for her, what do I look for? Right now she is in preschool, and will start K in Fall 2014. But i have no idea what I do next....can anyone help point me in the next direction? Thanks Gals!

[ReneeW]

Many of the school districts ask that you do a pre-K screening. Both of my kids did around age 3, anyway -- so you may want to make sure that you have that done. The people who do the screenings may be a good source of information for you.

I would talk to neighbors, parents you see at the park and around your area, etc. and ask them about the schools in your area -- how are the teachers, staff, principal, how does the school do on test scores? Some data can be found on the state's education dept website.

education.state.mn.us/MDEAnalytics/Data.jsp

Many areas have wonderful neighborhood pubic elementary schools (major bonus of living in MN!!). Depending on your personal preferences, there are also some good (and some not-so-good) charter schools; some schools that offer language immersion options, usually Spanish, Chinese, or French; and other alternatives to the "typical" neighborhood school, such as Montessori options or various private schools.

Good luck and try to have fun with it without stressing!

[love]

I wonder the same thing. I'm open enrolling my DS as the area schools here aren't up to my standards and I already feel overwhelming with it!

[sharon]

Where do you live? What types of options are you looking at (public, private, charter, all of the above)?

A lot will depend on where you live and every district has it's own situation and options.

We started by narrowing down to a short list. St. Paul has a parent info fair which was helpful. We came up with a few "deal breakers" and went to talk to the administrators at the school fairs to inquire about those. Once we narrowed it down then we went to open houses. We also talked to many other parents in the area to find out where there kids were and what they liked or didn't.
We toured one private school that we knew was the only one we would consider. And so we ended up with a short list of several publics and one private, and then worked on narrowing and sequencing the list.
It IS overwhelming, but so worth it in the end!

[bumblebee23]

I agree it is good to start with the prescreening because they need to do that first anyway. They should be able to tell you which elementary school your child would attend at the screening. My oldest started off at our local public school but I was unhappy with them and moved him to a charter school. If that is an option you want you need to search out the charter schools in your area and ask to tour or speak with the principal. A lot of charter schools do a lottery system to get into.

[stacyl]

I live in Woodbury. We are looking at a public school. I am feeling overwhelmed, and I know it's early, but I want to make sure we pick a good fit. (if that's an option) Do you think her preschool teachers and staff could answer some of my questions?

[bunsy]

They could certainly tell you her strengths and give you ideas of what kind of teacher would work best for her. I have a friend whose children have been through the spanish immersion school in Woodbury and are very happy.

[sharon]

Yes, her teacher probably will have some guidance for you. As a PreK teacher I hear a lot from families about what they do or don't like about different schools, and have a sense of which ones are more popular right now.
And as Bunsy said, they might give you some idea of what type of environment might be a good fit, depending on her temperament and learning style.
Do you know parents of kids in elementary school in Woodbury you can ask?

[bumblebee23]

the public school should also have an open house before Kindergarden starts and allows you to get more info on buses and things like that but I think if you are that stressed just call and try to set up a tour and meeting with the principal.