Moving College Preparatory Conversations to a New Blog

As I go deeper into the "College Prep" rabbit hole, I realize that this topic alone warrants its own distint blog.  Trying to 'keep everything in order' (which was the purpose of the blog in the first place) has become 'disorderly' for me in trying to focus on acquiring knowledge and resources for myself, the family, and Haley as she prepares to apply and attend college.

Haley is 12 years old.  Likely "rightfully"a 6th grader with a very 'borderline' birthday that would either render her the OLDEST in the 6th grade, or the youngest in the 7th.  When she was little, we opted for *moving her forward* and pushed for her to start kindergarten at age 4.  

Books and 'experts' agree that the path to college begins LONG before the applications arrive.  Many suggest starting a planned, diligent, organized strategy starting in 7th grade.  

Well, Haley is *technically* in 7th grade (although she is considered an 8th grader so she has access to algebra and more advanced music theory.  Next year, she'll be considered a high-schooler, which further opens doors that would not otherwise be accessible to a 12 year old.  #strategy

Nonetheless, our goal (currently) is to have her graduate in 2020 - so she's a 7th grader.  

And as a 7th grader, things get 'real.'  So we're going to move over to a brand new 'college prep' blog to help keep the 'development' (of talent) separate from the 'demonstration' (talent).  

The new blog that will highlight, feature, and help organize and prepare Haley for college (and the other 2 children when they are ready in a few years) is:

THE PATH HOME TO COLLEGE

http://tayloredcurriculumtocollege.blogspot.com/  

From now on, things that are more exclusive to Haley's college prep will go there.

Everything else, will continue to go here on this blog, Taylored Curriculum  

End of year Hybrid homeschooling (brief) update

As this academic year closes, I am very proud of our success!!  Haley pulled off all As (from external evaluators).  I am most proud that I didn't even check her grades but TWICE this year.  We/I am really trying to avoid getting "caught up" in worrying about doing work (and educating) for grades rather than for LEARNING.  But, it's appropriate to log-in at the end of the semesters to check and see how we are faring.


Ian and Hana also did well.  They don't have grades...not really.  But through-out the year I've exchanged plenty of emails inquiring about their progress.  This upcoming year, we plan to switch Hana to another Hybrid school that is better suited for her gymnastics.  I really do love how flexible the homeschooling (hybrid) has proven to be - allowing us to really tailor and create the curriculum (with SUPPORT) that we need to be successful as a homeschooling family.  And, honestly, the days they are with instructors are very useful times for us (parents) to get some things done.

What an enlightening experience this has all been.  And we are ALL so happy that we found success.

Where we are

To do list:
Finish our extra room
Discover learning type project
Continue reading "homeschooling books."
Transition kids to more paleo diet.
Don't forget to plan and implement the Spiritual curriculum
All curriculum planned and materials purchased!!
Camps - Writing, Math, Speech/Debate, Art 

School begins - Late August
Plan daily activities based on spreadsheet of curriculum.
Get all supplies


Activities
Visiting friends and lots of water fun
Links Gala - formal ball
High noon tea
Spa day:  Mommy and Haley
Lessons ongoing - Horseback riding, Piano, Harp, Karate/kung-fu

Trips
Portland, OR - July
Atlanta, GA - August
Washington DC - September
Waco, TX - October

Summer Spa Day with the girls!!

Last days of school; math camp begins.

Today is the last day of Public school for Haley and Ian.  Since we've had out-of-town guests at home for the last week, the children have had the opportunity to pause their school activities and value this family time.

Paused school activities included:  sitting in a tent reading alone (DEAR - drop everything and read) play camping and messing around with people she don't like as they've moved all of her "friends" to the other homeroom.  And when there IS discussion, they have her "sick with Malaria" for play...in the tent.  How is that educational...for my child to be asked to lower her vibration and take on the role of illness so other kids can avoid having to do so ("someone HAS to have malaria...how about the black girl?  That's in Africa, right?")

Or, for Ian, the teacher straight-up told us:  "we are only playing games."

So miss Grandma visit, Uncle visit, Cousins visit (and the associated activities) to DEAR or play games with insignificant people?

Yesterday they went to the awards ceremony (they each got an award).  Today Haley will go and get yearbook and have fun exchanging signatures.  And tomorrow, both kids will go and say bye and gather their things on the last half day!

Side note:

Haley HAS started math-camp already....and already, she is feeling better about math.  BECAUSE, all the kids are happy and relaxed.  Their attitude is like "lets do this."  And that, is contagious.



Update:  6/7/13
Final Grades for Haley:

Final Grades for Ian (M="Mastery" which is the highest mark)

Finishing Strong.

The summer curriculum is shaping up.

Haley has both art and music camp for a week. Haley also has a pre-algebra math course and (a likely) weekly creative writing class.  I've found what seems like a great horseback riding teacher locally (and inexpensively).  And, she will continue her harp/piano throughout the summer.

Ian, has more "relaxation time" (which he'll enjoy) with 2 weeks of art camp, and continuation of kung-fu.  He'll also do horseback-riding (as will little sister, Hana).  And, so far, that's where we are.

I'm looking for an IT course of some sort (I think he'll like that).  And maybe...a photography course.

We have a few trips planned:  Portland, OR; Atlanta, GA; and Washington DC (July, August, September).  We intend to host out-of-town guests (Grandma and Auntie).  We are planning to train our dog in a structured fashion (albeit this is low on the priority list right now because Ian is a bit young).

Ian and Haley both have their study tablets (that they mostly play games on currently).  The outside room is coming along slowly (had other priorities INSIDE the house before working outside of our living space).  And as Haley finishes up her (exceedingly unproductive) last days of school (where, now that the STAAR test is over, she spends all day sitting on the floor or a tent, reading) we are excited to be moving on to the next thing.

I did inquire about absences (more for Hana next year), because this may be a reason to pull Hana out of public school.  Afterall, they threaten to call CPS if the child misses "too many days" of *optional* kindergarten?!!  OR...we can just keep her home.

Turns out the kids can miss 17 days of school.  They have only missed 5.  So, we could keep them home the rest of the year and not get to 17 (which is nice).  Especially since, I have plans for them and will likely keep them home a few of these days (Grandma in town, math camp begins, etc).

So, in the spirit of "finishing strong" and "stick-to-it-ness" the kids finish out their academic year in Public school.

Learning styles and nuances of intention

I'll shamelessly admit that so many of my blog entry inspirations this early in the game arise from other blogs. A few days ago I read "School is a competition where winners get nothing" and felt motivated to share these ideas on my own blog (more for future reference for myself, which is the singular purpose of this entire blog, actually).  

What was particularly interesting to me is how Penelope states the obvious:  

You already know that everyone learns differently.  You already know that each kid has different interests, and you know that kids learn at different rates.  So you know, intuitively, if you set up school to be a competition, it will not be close to a fair fight.

You won't have all the math kids competing against each other in math and all the artists competing against each other in art.  You actually have the math kids competing in art and the art kids competing in math, because the idea of school is not only competitive, but also pushes the idea of well-roundedness.

1.  Testing gives people a way to rank kids.

2.  Report cards give parents a way to rank themselves based on how well their kids learn.

3.  School measures IQ not only with testing, but by setting up discrete subject matter that requires basically one type of IQ.

So obviously true.  Last night, when I explained this to Haley, she understood immediately.  See, Haley has a friend who does VERY well in school.  Her learning style is conducive to how information is presented in school.  She has the natural personality to accept what's said as fact, doesn't have tons of questions about "why?" and is able to memorize and regurgitate those facts on a multiple choice survey.  

And that makes her "gifted."  That makes her "intelligent."  

Haley has TONS of questions.  And takes nothing as a 'given fact' just because some 'random' person tells her it's truth.  She's a thinker. 

Additionally, I believe, in addition to the various *known* learning styles (see below) there are subtleties and nuances that are not being accounted for.  Such as complementary energy, intention, interpersonal interaction, and other influences that are difficult to articulate, much-less analyze.  

Take for instance a dog.  If you love the dog (and the dog *knows* you love him), he is more eager to please.  And even when you're having a "bad day" and being impatient, the dog KNOWS you love him, and will happily tolerate you, and try even harder to please you...to make you feel better.  The dog is more responsive, and feels like he's important to you.

On the contrary, if the dog senses animosity or resentment from you...or if the dog doesn't feel like you like him, he will be less enthusiastic about learning from you.  Even a smart and motivated dog will sense the negative energy from it's trainer, and that trainer will be less likely to pull excellence out of that dog.

Of course children has this ability as well.  The ability to sense the *motives* of the person who's offering the advice or teaching the "lesson."  And the more sensitive the child to this energy, the less likely they are to wholeheartedly accept information as truth in their lives from "negative" people.  

School teachers (while intentions may start out altruistic and genuine) are jaded and cynical.  Especially when interacting with a child who may be from a family that coincides with their own beliefs.  Or, they may begin to put of an emotional wall when interacting with "problem" children (i.e. children who ask 'why?').  Because, answering the "why?" isn't always easy.  Because answering the "why?" requires the teacher to think.  And they aren't rewarded for thinking...

Parents, on the other hand, (barring those rare parental misfits) care the MOST about their children.  No one cares more.  Therefore, the chances of your child performing better for you (even in a 'weaker' subject) are much greater.  The energy is not weird.  And the environment is not competitive for the sake of ranking students (and parents) based on arbitrary criteria that do not result in success, peace, or any other relevant "happiness indicator" in the world.  So what's the point?  

My children have talents that are not measured on the STAAR test.  My children have attributes that go unappreciated in traditional school classrooms in this country.  My children are bright, funny, caring, helpful, artistic, athletic, compassionate, honorable little people...and their life light shines bright.  

In the early years (kindergarten, 1st grade, etc) the teachers tend to be nice and more understanding of the innate genius that each child possess.  And traditional school may work well - and actually prove beneficial in allowing the proverbial socialization (especially for the oldest/only child).  However, as children get older, and their uniqueness really takes center-stage (coupled with *many* social outlets via siblings and extracurriculars  the traditional model may be less beneficial.  Especially in the setting of test-overemphasis and focus on grades and memorization...traditional school can become very detrimental to many children. 

Learning Styles:

• Visual: The occipital lobes at the back of the brain manage the visual sense. Both the occipital and parietal lobes manage spatial orientation.
• Aural: The temporal lobes handle aural content. The right temporal lobe is especially important for music.
• Verbal: The temporal and frontal lobes, especially two specialized areas called Brocas and Wernickeïkis areas (in the left hemisphere of these two lobes).
• Physical: The cerebellum and the motor cortex (at the back of the frontal lobe) handle much of our physical movement.
• Logical: The parietal lobes, especially the left side, drive our logical thinking.
• Social: The frontal and temporal lobes handle much of our social activities. The limbic system (not shown apart from the hippocampus) also influences both the social and solitary styles. The limbic system has a lot to do with emotions, moods and aggression.
• Solitary: The frontal and parietal lobes, and the limbic system, are also active with this style.

Observations

For some (odd) reason, I feel the need to emphasize that this entire home-schooling decision was prompted by Haley, and solely fueled my desire to see her ENJOY learning (and realizing I can't do *worse* than the intermediate school she currently attends.  There is no "problem" per se.

The Public elementary school that Haley attended, and Ian currently attends, has been great.  But as I investigate homeschooling, it's becoming clear that this might be the way to go for Ian as well (considering his personality).

Additionally, (again, for some odd reason) I feel the need to 'justify' why Hana's going to the Public school while I pull the older ones out.  The short answer is, it worked well for the other two children, and I don't anticipate it won't be equally (if not MORE effective) for Hana (based on her personality and learning-style).

Besides, if Hana begins to regress back into her RAD, that may be an indication to go ahead and pull her out of Public school too.  She's done so well at home.  I must admit I'm a tiny bit concerned about sending her to another 'institution' if she hasn't fully recovered from earlier childhood adversities and issues.  But, because the school is a good school, I feel its worth giving it a try.  With a small element of RAD, she may be 'protected' from the opinions of others (as she doesn't really care what they say), and with the dishibited form she displayed, residually that may serve to enhance her ability to make friends, "fit in" and enjoy it fully.  Bottom line, she just might excel and thrive.  And that would be a great thing!

Anyway...

I read this story today, and it really resonated with me.  As I try to work through my thoughts, ideas, expectations, justifications, uncertainties, and excitement about home-schooling, I find myself full of "words." So many words that it takes awhile to prune my thoughts into coherent aliquots that can be subsequently expressed verbally (or in writing)!

Therefore, I was *delighted* to see "my words" so succinctly stated:

Unless you have lived through academic struggles with a child who is a misfit for school, it is hard to describe the impact on the family. Tears, sobbing, pleading, punishment, crumpled & torn paper strewn across the floor, pencils cracked in frustration & anger, books thrown across the room, yelling, doors slamming, sullen eyes, silent treatment….entire afternoons and evenings derailed by academic drama.

And that's just after school. There's also the mornings of pulling them out of bed over and over again, threatening to leave them home, skipping breakfast, begging, pleading, water thrown on their head to get them to wake up. Something that is so simple (get up, go to school, do homework) becomes so complicated, so dramatic, clouding everything in your world. It's a full time, exhausting, no-reward effort, debilitating for everyone....

My son has good intentions—always a willing participant in trying a new approach. He wanted the positive glow of a great grade. But he could not sustain the effort needed to achieve it. So every new attempt would last a day or a week or a month until he lost interest... 

Looking back, I have known for years that he was in the wrong place academically. And I feel deep shame that I didn't take action sooner...

My observations coincide with hers in many respects.  While my child didn't have the issues her child does (perhaps because she's younger and female) I can see some of the positive changes in Haley *already*, just with the prospect of home-schooling.  It's amazing, actually.  And maybe...the change isn't JUST with Haley.  Maybe the entire family has been affected by the *prospect* of homeschooling.

Like the author, I do wonder 'what took me so long' to realize (after multiple schools and educational home supplementation) that traditional wasn't really yielding expected results?  I think I kept waiting for it to get better.  "Fourth grade is when you learn all the really important stuff....so we'll see how 4th grade goes."  And when it didn't happen in 4th, the thought became, "Well, maybe in fifth grade the magic happens these days, when she finally breaks off and goes to *intermediate* school..."

One HUGE, very specific change I've noticed with my child *already* (even though nothing else has changed.  She still attends Public school.  She has the same 'friends.') is she's so relaxed and treats her siblings much nicer.  She went from "No one in my room!!" to "Can Hana and I have a slumber party?"

And as further evidence of her 'more relaxed state', I've noticed that she's not so stressed out (frustrated, asking questions before thinking for herself, crying, etc.) when WE go over things together at home.  I was able to teach her the Spanish verb conjugations with a few tears.  I was then able to teach her the Spanish alphabet with NO tears.  And just last week, I was able to teach her percents, proportions, ratios, and review long division via Khan Academy...and it was AWESOME.  Not only were there no tears...we actually had a good time.

After the time was up, she wanted to keep going!!  I think she realizes that...there is no hurry to learn it before "the class moves on."  There is no reason to "slow down" in order to not leave a kid behind.  She has as much (or as little) time as she needs.  She can take the lesson in a completely different direction that what was initially intended....and learn with enthusiasm.

We both had a good time.  AND, when we went grocery shopping, she was able to actually figure out "which one is the best deal."  This has been a sore spot for 2 years with us (whereby she couldn't think of the math 'fast' enough so she'd immediately become anxious and frustrated.  Eventually, she didn't even want to try...).

This is encouraging because...we haven't even started our home-schooling yet.

Kung-fu Update

Kung-fu success!!  Ian practiced, tested for, and earned his white sash.  Congratulations!!

To Reed? Rede? Or Read?

"ee" sound is represented by:

ee (as in need)

ea (as in read)

y (as in baby)

e_e (as in here)

It's NO WONDER that kids can't spell! 

As recommended by The Well-Trained Mind, we've embarked upon the Phono Graphix Program....

...therefore, I've been reading Reading Reflex to help me institute our remedial reading program.  I'm completely done with the introduction and the "Getting Started" section, which was helpful and enlightening (albeit a bit repetitious for my taste).  

While I appreciate the emphasis on recognizing and appreciating that the letter symbols represent sounds (and not vice versa), I really didn't need her to spend an entire chapter making that point.  Also, I tend to not like it when authors spend an excessive amount of time explaining why their way is "right."  If I didn't believe in the method...I wouldn't have purchased the book.  And while I appreciate her offering an explanation (and giving some real life examples of real clinic patients and personal situations), again, an entire chapter is just too much time dedicated to this aspect - especially when I'm just eager to get to the nitty-gritty and start remediating my child(ren).

So I have *finally* arrived at Chapter 3 (and there are only 6 chapters in this 350+ page book!) - Teaching the Basic Code.  There are a few "pre-tests" and "simple" exercises in this chapter that I just HAD to try out on the children.  To my delight, both my 1st grader and 5th grader actually intellectually understand the crux of the premise:  letters are symbols that represent sounds.  And there are many symbol combinations that can represent the same sound.  

And to my delight, my pre-k was able blend sounds into words!!  

So now I'm going to go thru the chapter in an attempt to find a "good" starting place for both Ian and Haley (since they are the two who will undergo this homeschooling process first).  

Spanish victory

In preparation for more academic home-learning, Haley and I sat down to do a lesson...

...in Spanish!!

Our session was about an hour (longer than I anticipated but Haley was determined to "learn how to say something in Spanish" THAT night!!)  And in her eagerness, she became impatient.  I think she felt like she had my attention for only 10 minutes...and whatever she didn't master after 10 minutes would have to "wait until next time."  OR perhaps *I* would "get bored" or "discouraged" with her perceived lack of knowledge...and call it quits for the day.

And she REALLY wanted to "learn *something*" that day.

When we sat down, my idea was to teach her the basic idea of verb conjugation of regular verbs.  We went over "what a verb was" and the conjugations in English.  Then easily enough I explained the conjugation of 'hablar'

I - yo - o
You - tu - as
He/her/you - el/ella/usted - a
We - nosotros - -amos
They/you all - ustedes - an

She couldn't/wouldn't just memorize the various forms.  She had to know "why" and "what happens when" and "what if I want to say...."  Which is excellent, but was beyond the scope of what I was ready to teach at that moment.  I thought we'd sit down, and she'd memorize the above 5 lines...and that's it.

Her thoughtful questions took us on various tangents...
...and somehow we ended up *also* learning the Spanish alphabet as well.

After a few tears (hers) and a rising desperation (mine). I explained to her that we could work on this for as long as she wanted to.  She would be the rate-limiting factor...not me.  I stayed focus on the end-goal, and reflected back to my childhood home-learning days....


I recall feeling frustrated when I didn't understand adding fractions in the 5th grade.  I had a teacher (Mrs. Duvall) who didn't think I was very smart...and to "show her" that I "belonged in the smart kid group" I urged  dared taunted her to give me more difficult work (I proclaimed that I was much too smart for this "easy baby stuff").

So without teaching a single lesson in fractions (not one) she assigned me (only me) an entire page from the back of the math book.  I accepted the challenge proudly.  Got home.  Had no idea what a fraction was!!  (Crazy in 5th grade to not know what a fraction was, right?).

I remember crying as my mother tried to explain it.  (I had accepted a challenge, afterall.  There's NO WAY I could go back with my face in my hand and ever proclaim my intelligence, EVER, if I couldn't even master 5th grade math!!).  So when I didn't immediately understand, I felt like I would 'never get it'...that perhaps I was somehow not capable of understanding.  And...my educational journey would come to a screeching halt at that moment of confusion.  And I'd be relegated to the throes ignorance forever...and ever...

...and I'd live on the streets.  And never amount to nothin'...

But my mother persisted.  Maintained composure and told me "if you keep crying, I can't show you how to do it."  So I stopped crying.  And I learned how (and why) to find common denominators in 1 night...so I could go to school the next day a shining (intelligent) star.

Take THAT Mrs. Duvall!


(Back to Haley)

After our hour, Haley learned a basic Spanish exchange, the alphabet, and the sounds the letters make.  She knew how to conjugate a verb...and understood the idea that an adjective comes after the noun in Spanish.  And she was happy.  And I am excited that she could learn so much in such a short time from me...in a subject in which I'm no master!!  That renewed my confidence that together, we could make it thru.

Specialty vs. Recreation

As a more sophisticated parent (thanks to Mothering Haley) it doesn't take as much time, effort, or money to realize whether or not an activity that occupies your child's time is "worth the trouble."  Sure, broad exposure  to various sports/instruments/extra-curriculars are beneficial.  But too broad of an exposure is useless and frustrating.  And even "very broad" becomes more expensive and labor intensive than it's worth.  Choosing a "specialty" for your child early yields the highest return on that investment.  And certainly resisting the urge to "waste" time and money on "expensive, organized play-time" frees up family resources that are better invested in...

...something that will likely carry the child through to adulthood with an added 'lagniappe'.  It is this 'specialty', 'hook', or 'lagniappe' that will make them competitive for anything they apply for in the future (college, scholarships, jobs).  It is these activities that should comprise the bulk of the child's dedicated *scheduled* "extracurricular" time, since the more devoted they are to developing their niche', the more developed their niche' will be.

And this specialty should be something in which they are interested, AND have the ability to excel (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually).  No sense it "wasting time" forcing a child with no rhythm into a dance class.  Even if THEY think they want to dance...as the parent, it is our responsibility to help them choose activities in which they are more likely to succeed.

This is NOT to say that a child with no rhythm CAN'T learn to dance, and/or shouldn't be allowed to try.  Just enter into the studio with a realization that they would have to overcome a natural deficit in order to compete and be considered top tier...and with that 'handicap' comes additional struggle, time, money, and in the end may not be enough to reap the "reward" of being a 'specialist.'  And the ability to recognize this fact makes things much less stressful because you can appropriately allocate resources to a given activity.

Anyway, after going through multiple activities with Haley, we realize a lot of frustration could have been avoided had we:

1) Offered her recreational/fun activities (low cost, low commitment) when she was a very young child with no expectation that she develop the necessary skills to be "good" at said activity, but rather just offer exposure and good times.

2) Then, as she matured and her strengths and preferences became apparent, begin focusing on those and deprioritize all the other activities that may be simply serving to distract from her specialty.

Our mistake was, we spent more money and were more "dedicated" than we should have been very early on in the "trying out" period of an activity.  So with Ian, we allowed him to participate in a few recreation activities, but didn't feel the need to force him.  And when it became clear that he had no interest, or little natural talent in a particular area, we didn't dawdle...

We are "smarter" now!!

The Summer Taylored Curriculum of 2011 and 2012

To date, the Taylored Curriculum has been a very supplemental to the children's school.  During breaks and vacations Taylored Curriculum would pick up the slack and the Parental Unit would create specific, planned learning opportunities for the children.


The largest chunk of time was always summer.  After reading what Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, had to say about the achievement disparities between children who had more (structured) summer learning opportunities vs. those who had "summer breaks"...I REALLY kicked up Taylored Curriculum in the summer of 2011.

Studies show that children from wealthy families keep learning over their summer breaks while children from poorer families often backslide.  The difference lies both in wealth—wealthier parents can invest more time and money in their children—and in parenting styles—wealthier parents generally believe it is their duty to invest in their children’s education and future.

More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al, 2007).

It was this year that we decided that the older two children (who *actually* had a summer "break") would engage in a performing art, a sport/activity, and we'd travel and learn about historic places on road trips.  We made special effort to engage in cultural events, and interact with other professionals that were willing to expose the children to different areas of life.

The Curriculum included:
Yoga classes
Photography and photo editing
Typing
Equestrianism  
Basketball & Volleyball camps
Road-trip to Washington DC to meet members of Congress

The children were introduced to both the piano and the violin. Ian also spent time at the Natatorium swimming.   We got a telescope and spent time star-gazing (and saw Saturn!).  Ian had art classes, and of course there was plenty of family time to bond and grow.

Likewise, for the following summer, we spent many hours in the Spring planning the Curriculum which included specializing Haley in piano, volleyball, basketball select team, and continuing the other structured programs, special camps (such as Zoo Camp for Ian).  We took a trip to Houston, New Orleans, and we did lots of reading and introductions into the next year academic curriculum.  Hana started gymnastics, and Ian continued swimming and equestrianism.   

Public. Private. Charter. Other.

Now is the time to plan for the next academic year.  The Fort Worth Child Magazine January Issue makes that crystal clear in case there's anyone new to this crazy process of choosing academic institutions for young children!!

And even tips and 'how-tos' for choosing summer camps (and curricula) are making an appearance.

This 'Private School Preview' event has happened already...and according the FW Child Magazine, many of the open houses for the "premier" private schools has already passed.  .

Many of these private schools have applications, mandatory facility tours, interviews, and fees associated with the application process.  Thee process begins now.  And ends with an acceptance, typically in about March.  Public school kindergarten round up is in March.  Charter Academy has their lottery March 1st, and the accepted students will find out their status sometime between March and Summer.  

Therefore, if you start thinking about 2013-2014 academic school year NOW....you're right with the pack.  While I enjoy being ahead of the curve, sometimes patience reveals opportunities and information necessary to make the BEST decision.

I've signed the children up for the lottery at the Charter Academy already, which is currently our first choice (I think).  We considered looking for a place to buy or rent within the catchment area of that institution...

...but with limited resources, doing so would cause us to make some difficult budget choices.  And we really enjoy allowing Haley the opportunity to play the piano, and Hana gymnastics.  Also, I've started the process of investigating a physical extracurricular for Ian as well.

So I'm not sure if moving to a MORE expensive area (up the street, mind you) is more beneficial than having those resources accommodate a *better* Taylored Curriculum.


I've gone through the FW Child Magazine and made notes of the local private schools that might work.  While there are no local private schools on par with St. Mark's, Hockaday, or Avenues...I believe that some of the more inexpensive (and more accessible) options may actually be a better choice for our family considering our location, financial resources plus financial obligations - such as The Oakridge School.

After spending a significant amount of time talking with other local Jack and Jill Moms I realize that the most common sentiment is:  while the school is (insert positive adjective here), I just feel like they aren't really learning enough.  And that state STAAR test prohibits learning.*  Of course parents of children that drive the 40+ miles to Hockaday or St. Mark's have less complaints about *the school* than other parents.  But...the tremendous inconvenience and significant price-tag cannot be ignored.

*On a post for another day, I'll share the story of the process we endured to opt Haley out of sitting for that pointless test in 4th grade.  Suffice it to say, we are NOT huge fans of standardized testing (even though we've always done very well on standardized testing).  Nor are we fans of the critical points in the academic curriculum in math and social studies....and language arts....

So what I'm looking for in a school is a de-emphasis on the test.  A focus on teaching the classical method of math (not this "new" Everyday Math/Lattice crap).  And opportunities to discuss the nuances of social studies.

So the search begins....