Say a little about the school your kids are in

[happycc]

So many of us are seeking afterschooling for our kids.

I am also curious about the type(s) of school your kids go to...pros/cons etc.Private, public, charter etc......

 

And why we afterschool?

[Caroline]

My kids are in public school. Well, the school aged kids are. My younger two go to a Christian preschool. My kids go to public school because I think public school education is a wonderful thing. Without it, our country would be sunk. I don't have a problem with people who choose other options for educating their kids. I don't think public school is the perfect place for all children, and I know that not all public schools are created equal. I moved from a mediocre school district to the one we currently live in for that very reason. You know all of those horror stories about the Georgia Test scores? Our school had a 95% pass rate on the 8th grade math and a 75% pass rate on the 7th grade Social Studies. (And those Social Studies questions were hard to impossible.) I teach in a school district where most people would not like to send their kids. But someone needs to teach these kids.

 

I afterschool because I don't think education begins and ends when my children walk through the school doors. My DH and I are passionate about science and math, and my kids' test scores indicate that. My son was denied entrance into the accelerated science program in 6th grade because we were a late transfer and the class was full. He got the highest score in the county on the science test that year.

 

I am ordering Plaid Dad's Latin Centered Curriculum today to see if I can adapt it to afterschooling.

 

I actually think that a lot of public school parents do afterschool. They just don't call it that. In fact, I didn't call it that until a homeschooling friend of mine (with whom I was discussing logic curriculum) gave me that word. But I see it at the pool all summer long. The kids all have books in their bags that they read during adult swim. (Not just my kids, but the majority of kids at the pool.) I have a friend who speaks French at the dinner table with her family. That is just normal for them. Not afterschooling.

 

I have attended a homeschool convention here a couple of times. I love the vendor's market.

 

And we all do this while lobbying for public education.

[Mabelen]

My oldest (11 yo dd in 6th grade) attends an independent private school. It is Pre-k to 8th grade, around 230 students, typically two homerooms per grade, around 15 kids per homeroom.

 

There are several things I particularly like about this school that fit my oldest. The small community environment is perfect for her, she has never been a large crown person, she is the kind of kid that will let others get in front of her in any line etc. All the teachers know all the students. If there are any issues of any kind, they are swiftly dealt with. The teachers do not teach to the test (although there is standardized yearly testing from 1st grade), but they are free to take detours to follow the students' interest. Their "specials" program is excellent. An excellent assembly enrichment program. Music, art, P.E., Spanish are all part of the curriculum throughout. There are drama and musical performing opportunities for all; my dd loves drama and musicals but does not have the talent to get a part if she were in a bigger public school environment. There are also plenty athletic and sports opportunities but my dd chooses not to use them because she is not the sporty type at all!

 

The main downside is the social aspect. The full tuition for the school is around 15,000 a year. There are a number of kids who get financial aid, but not huge. The social norm if for kids to have big houses, expensive holidays, clothes, home help, etc. We are not there. We live a comfortable life because we have always lived bellow our means and we do not have expensive taste, for example, the car I drive cost around $12,000 versus the $30,000-$60,000 cars I see at the carpool line. Our house costs half of what most other families' do, etc.

 

My youngest dd was in a Montessori preschool this year and will be going to her sister's school next fall. She can't wait! I think it will also be a better fit for her for other reasons. She is much more at ease with all kinds of groups, so she would do fine in a bigger environment. I think she will really enjoy all the enrichment opportunities the school offers.

[happycc]

My kids don't go to the local PS in our school district. I did an out of district transfer for a much smaller school (200 kids Pre-K through 8th) in a little country like setting about 20 minutes drive from our house. It is its own little district as well. The principal is also the superintendent.

They have been there for several years now.

 

I chose this school because....

1)we live in a very wealthy area and wanted my kids to be around middle class to lower middle class families just like us.

2)It is way smaller than the 1000 some kids in the local PS school district

3)The local PS school district where we live is very academically challenging (not what I am looking for especially for my oldest special needs son.)

4)When we started there years ago, the principal was the sweetest person and understood special needs kids.

5) Everyone knows everyone's name

6) Lots of parental help in the classrooms and on the school grounds.

7)very family like environment-closest thing to homeschooling (as we homeschooled for 10 yrs prior to me becoming single again)

8)same started time and ending time for all the kids except for Kindergarten

9)They have a buddies program. For example, the 8th graders pair up with their kindergartener buddies once a week and do special projects together.

10)It is in a beautiful garden like setting.

 

CONS-

1)it doesn't have special ed classes. The kids are all mainstreamed with at the most 504 plan and that is it.

2)There isn;t a GATE program

3)PE program is a joke.

4)Afterschool programs are minimal

5)It only has one school bus driver right now.

6)The new principal is trying to change it into some kind of big city hotsy totsy school.

 

 

Why I afterschool?

It is nearly impossible to give kids everything they need in a group setting. The teachers do the best they can and they do a superb job but learning continues out of the school fence and I believe parents should play an active roll in their children's education.

Of course there are parents who are very busy struggling to make ends meet and aren;t able to be as available to their kids but that is why I like where my kids go to school. WHen I was a single parent and going to school at the same time and working, the other parents helped me out and kept an eye out for my kids. Now I am doing the same thing for the single parents who were in the same boat as I was in.

Also learning is so fun. I have so much fun teaching my kids new concepts and learning them myself.

[skimerinkydo]

My kids attend the local ps. I half afterschool / half homeschool. The afterschooling is actually turning into just summerschooling...after homeschooling all day the last thing I feel like doing is more schoolwork with my ps kids. All my children will do Singapore math this summer because they all need to master their facts. They simply need more work to get the math down.

[Mabelen]

tongue is Spanish, and that is the main focus of our afterschooling.

 

During the summer we have a Spanish day a week when all we can speak is Spanish. We watch Spanish movies, read books in Spanish, play Spanish computer games etc. Although I always address my girls in Spanish when we are by ourselves, my oldest typically replies in English, and the two girls communicate mostly in English too, so on this day all communication must be Spanish only.

 

This year will be the first time that I will be implementing a formal Spanish program with my oldest to cover Spanish grammar and spelling thoroughly. During the summer I also make sure my oldest keeps up with math, physical activity etc. I do not have to worry about reading because she is an avid reader, she always has a book in her hands!

 

With my 4 yo dd I am just planning on keeping her well stocked with art supplies (she is an art nut!), read lots with her, and follow the letter of the week curriculum loosely.

 

With both I also want to do a little science in the form of fun simple experiments and a some geography.

[Janet in Toronto]

My sons (16 and 13) go to a large, private, Catholic boys school.

 

I homeschooled my younger son for two years (grades 4 & 5). We chose the school that they are in because we wanted an academically enriched environment, solid Catholic catechesis, and lots of extracurricular activities since we are new in town this year and don't have a network of friends/activities already in place.

 

Our experience in this our first year has been mixed. My older son (Grade 11) has experienced all of those things and is thriving. Our younger son (Grade 7) has something of a dud of a homeroom teacher and I dont' think he's getting either of the the first two items. However, I have had excellent support from the Guidance department and administration so we are moving forward to Grade 8 next year. He is writing the Grade 8 math exam (a year above his current grade) to see if he is prepared for Grade 9 math as an 8th grader (I"m sure he is, thank you Singapore math!)

 

Our afterschooling consists of enrichment activities like museum visits, day trips on weekends, and school-work support. For example, I read all the literature that the boys are reading in school and we discuss the novels/plays/poems together. I do a lot of work with older son in Math...he is very strong in that area, but has needed assistance with some areas (annuities/present value, trig identities). DH works with him in Physics. We will all be speaking French at home this summer.

 

Next month, younger son will be attending two weeks of camps put on by the science and engineering outreach department at University of Toronto. One is called "Digitize It" (electricity and programming) and the other is Biomedical Science (blood typing and DNA extraction...both of which we did as homeschoolers, but maybe they'll have cooler equipment at the medical school!). He has also asked to go to Volleyball camp for a week...he doesn't generally like organized sports, but the camp is being run by his school science teacher and teacher's brother (both of whom are world class beach volleyball players) and he really likes this teacher, so he's going.

 

As another poster stated, I don't really consider these things "afterschooling", just parenting.

[AuntPol]

My kids are in a magnet school.

 

Pros

** There are some outstanding teachers

** Librarian is dynamic

** Relatively small (less than 500 for 6 grades when we started but now at 630)

** Hands on learning for science and math -very exciting and interesting. ** Each module usually has a guest speaker and field trip.

** Full time AG teacher so kids in K-3 get enrichment pullouts before AG starts in 4th.

** Strong Specials w/ 6 week focus units in grades 2-5 (art, music, drama, dance, and PE) -exciting topics that are well integrated to grade curriculum

** Strong Environmental focus-recycle projects in each grade, compost project. Class gardens, butterfly garden, frog pond.

** TV station on site that is used by all.

** Out in the community -many many field trips each year, lots of guest speakers from community, service projects

** PTA brings in lots of fine arts -each 3-5 class has a week working with a different artist (3rd -puppets and songwriting, 4- author, 5-batik artist) plus several great "shows" like opera, acapella singers, etc.

** Strong network of actively involved parents

** A nearby creek that we gather at after school each day.

** Spanish twice a week in all grades

** Lots of computer time

** Kids do all the technology for school productions -TV, running sound and lights, etc.

** Lots of kids art and works all over the school (our base school had none when we toured!).

** Strong focus on writing skills (which is actually a con for my writing phobic child as they are pushed beyond what is developmentally appropriate but a pro for my dd who is a talented writer).

 

 

Cons

**High turnover of teachers, especially in grades 3-5 (one class went through 3 teachers this year with about 2 months w/o any teacher)

**If you get a bad teacher (or a poor fit for your child), you are SOL.

**Principal puts needs of teacher ahead of needs of child. She also seems to think that all parents are idiots.

**Lots of behavioral problem, gang issues, etc mostly stemming from base population

**Very transient base population

**At least 25% of kids have a parent or sibling that is incarcerated.

**Not racially balanced (not unusual for their to be one white female in the entire class)

** School population has grown since we began and plans for it to go to 900.

**School will be remodeled in a year and we will have to move off site to trailers.

**Highly racist (white kids are suspended when they do something once that black kids do on daily basis w/o no consequences, Black parents have to beg to get child suspended, only Asians can get grade skipped or subject acccelerated, only history taught in grades K-3 is black history, some teachers refuse to read a book unless it is African American in nature, kwanzaa and MLK are only holidays that seem to exist, some teachers don't give any awards to anyone white, student of year must be minority).

** Principal and specialists are impossible to work with when it comes to special needs.

** Principal will not meet with a group of parents. No more than two at a time. She prefers singular meetings so that she can tell you that you are "only one" with problem.

** Horrible school achievement awards w/ no criteria other than teacher discretion (so you have thugs getting it because they had one whole day of not hitting someone) and the child who is always good and makes top grades not getting it for entire year.

** No ability grouping for entire class (this is not a school issue but an issue with education overall). They claim "differentiation" in class but that doesn't pan out as there is such a need to get the lower abilities to pass.

**Too much emphasis on the test so that even kids who are good students and could pass blindfolded are sick to their stomachs. My dd's 3rd grade teacher did not teach cursive this year ( a 3rd grade standard) because she felt it more important to cover the skills that are tested (all the ESL kids are in this class and she was quite worried as our school failed to make adequate yearly progress last year).

[summer]

I do not "afterschool" but saw this title from the front page so decided I would answer.

 

My oldest is in a public middle school. Academics are fine. Problem is, the elementary schools were so lacking that these children, unless they came out of home school or private, did not have good foundations. However, our schools rank the top in the state, which gives a really sad statement on the rest of the state. I think they rank high though because their rankings are based on the TAKs test which is a state test that is just not that hard and does not check for a whole lot. My public schooled child is top of his class and in the gifted program. I have been one of the most involved parents there (I am on the PTA board). Most teachers are good teachers. But the system is seriously broken. The district puts so much emphasis on sports but then only allow the elite to play on sports or extra curriculars. For example, my son wanted top do yearbook, but less than 4% of those who went out for yearbook got a space. Even more never tried for a slot on the yearbook because they knew it was way too competitive. The worst part is those students are picked by a partial teacher, not through a writing competition or anything by an impartial committee. The district spends millions of dollars each year on the football team, while claiming they cannot afford things like paper for the schools so requiring parents to donate reems of printer/copy paper. BUT, 99% of the parents prefer to just drop their children at the door and drive away and not know how messed up things are. Then when they donate all those supplies, printer/copy paper, pens for the staff, tissue for the staff, etc..they say that is the least they can do. But, they already pay thousands of dollars in tax dollars toward the schools each year on property tax (we have high school property tax).

 

Children at the grade schools basically run amouk and treat each other pretty badly. They arfe barely supervised and barely tolerated. Substitute teachers are only required a GED or high school diploma. I would dread the daysy subs would come in at my children's school as they were often highly unqualified to care for mass amounts of children. Academically, the schools were behind the rest of the nation by a year or two. But the parents do not know this generally because they only give the TAKs and not the ITBS or Sanford or other nationally accepted standardized test. The happy parents are generally ignorant in what is going on there. Kids whose parents are not very good parents anyway are the ones that these schools would really be for. The rest of the parents are really just plain ignorant and I think they like it that way. For example, grammar is not really done at the elementary level..not even simple nouns. It is up to the individual teacher to come up with spelling lists, there is no program there. Most teachers barely bother but will come up with 2 or 3 lists for the year. The best of teachers might have 12 lists for the year.

 

There was no writing done at all in the 5th grade because there was no writing on the 5th grade TAKS test. They told us that at the 5th grade orientation. Oh, and the schools claim to supervise the children at all times. In reality, they are not really supervised at recess and such. The children run all over the place and the 2-3 teachers assigned to recess duty sit in one place, not in full view of the areas the children play, and only look at each other and chit chat without actually looking up at or walking around seeing what is going on with the children.

 

My younger ones were in private school this past year and it was far far better than the public schools. But I knew what to look for in a school and was very picky. I saw and know of a lot of private schools where you just pay lots of money and they are, in many ways, as bad as the public schools if not worse.

 

I am more open to using the local public schools for high school, but never again will I use them for lower grades.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Oh..and the only afterschooling I do with him is handwriting. They never did handwriting in the early grades and now his handwriting is awful.

[LibrarianMom]

My dd will be a first grader at our local public elementary in the fall. It is a small K-8 district that feeds into a larger high school district which combines our district, the larger "town" district, and two other smaller districts. The multiple districts is highly confusing and is part of the reason I afterschool. Our local elementary is great with caring teachers and a family atmosphere with the older kids looking out for the younger. Our daughter only had 15 in her class this year with the same in the other section.

 

In the fall ds will be enrolled in the early childhood pre-school at the same school, so he can receive OT and some other help. The nice thing about that is there will only be five in his class, it's free, he'll attende five days a week compared to two or three days at the church pre-school, and the teacher's aide is our next door neighbor.

 

I afterschool because I want to be involved in our children's education. Purchasing and following a curriculum or other materials (even loosely) helps keep me accountable for doing it. There is so much I wish I knew and that I want my children to learn. I agree with the earlier poster that many public school parents afterschool or at least parents of kids who are the top of their classes. Some parents shoot a basketball with their kids or make sure their children are signed up for the right sports team or camp. Others focus more on things of an academic nature.

 

LibrarianMom

[summer]

Librarian Mom..your school sounds so nice.

 

 

I think if we had smaller classes and more caring staff, a family friendly environment, I would be willing to send my children again. My oldest is still in the public schools, but I am unhappy. It is not as bad at the older level, because by then, kids are ready for more independence. But in the elementary level in our district, it was made clear that parents were not welcome at the school or to ask questions or be involved in any way.

[Melinda in VT]

I love our elementary school. That isn't to say it doesn't have its issues; any educational arrangement has weaknesses. This year, I've been frustrated by the sixth-grade math class (it's the teacher's first year teaching sixth-grade math). And the French program is a joke. But the school overall is a gem.

 

It's a one-school district with about 160 kids in grades P3 through 6th. Parents are highly involved in the school as teacher's aides, volunteers and substitutes, as well as with larger projects like adding a stage or redoing the playground.

 

The school has a lot of traditions, which I like. For example, every fall the school hosts a Harvest Dinner potluck. Each class cooks something, and then parents fill in with dishes from home. Each class has one or more traditional field trips, so the kids can look forward to the overnight trip in third grade or the trip to Cape Cod in sixth.

 

It really feels like a community, where adults watch out for the kids and for each other. When someone is sick or injured, it is the school that organizes meals to help out.

 

Classes are small (around 17 students) and are usually of mixed grades after K (1/2. 3/4. and 5/6). The art and music programs are both very good. The school lunch is phenomenal.

 

Of course, my oldest is heading off to middle school in the fall, so I'll have to see how I like that. So far, I've been impressed with their orientation and communication with the parents.

[Guest Afterschooling Mama]

My kids go to the local public school. We moved to this school district (our county has 23 different districts) because of its quality and philosophy. While it's far from perfect, I've been happy overall.

 

I afterschool because that's who I am. I love learning and look for ways to enrich my kids' minds all the time. DH is more play and sport oriented, so we create a nice balance ;)

[missmumau]

I homeschool until my guys go to high school, so two at school and only one at home now :sad: My son goes to a non-denominational private boys' school and my daughter goes to a non-denominational private girls' school (next door to my son's).

Our afterschooling consists of teaching Catholicism, reading good literature and studying art.

[4babybirds]

My 3 oldest children will attend public school for the first time in the fall. They will be in 5th, 3rd, and 1st grade. I worked at the school part-time a few years ago as an SLP and know that it is a pretty good school. I just will be curious as to what teachers they will get and how we'll like them. And how my schedule is going to change. It was going to change anyway with a new baby due in 6 weeks! LOL! But, I wonder if I'll want to afterschool them at all. Probably only if I feel that their teachers are lacking.

[JeenneNY]

I AS because I believe any time spent with my children is well worth it. I just feel it's my job to provide a solid foundation so they can make good choices. At home, I focus on math (our school uses EM), reading and bible study.

 

For the most part I like our PS and know that they're doing a good job.

 

Pro's: there's a lot of parent involvement, extra activities and traditions. The PTO hosts fund raising activities for many enriching in-school events and class trips (K-5).

 

Con's: for the past two years my 7 yr's olds teachers haven't been very communicative. Also, the school doesn't allow for kids to shine as individuals (the "playing field" is way too level for my tastes).

 

My 13 yr old dsd goes to a good PS in SoCal. I can't say much about it but she's happy with it and doing very well. Her elementary years were at a charter school and the poor thing was stuck with a mean group of classmates for many years.

 

I have to say, part of me wishes I could justify HS'ing. I've researched it for over 7 years (my first book being TWTM) and would love to have that kind of family life.

 

Oh, and "hi", this is my first post on the new boards.

[BabyBre]

Well, I have to take this oportunity to vent a little about dd's teacher this year. This was our first year in ps, with dd7 in 1st and ds5 in K. Dd's teacher is a wonderful woman with 32 years teaching primary education. I have the utmost respect for her experience! However, I feel I had the wool pulled over my eyes this year.

 

I conferenced with her before the beginning of the school year about keeping dd challenged. Dd did 1st/2nd grade work at home last year but we decided to enter her into ps according to her age because we thought it would be better to be safe than sorry with regard to her placement. (We didn't want to overplace her and then have to hold her back.) The conference went well and everything was understood. I put in to volunteer once a week in dd's classroom because I wanted to see what she was learning and how she was performing, etc, and be useful at the same time.

 

At the 1st trimester conference, dd had been complaining of being bored and I expressed my concerns (again) to her teacher about her being challenged in the classroom. She assured me she was challenged in a variety of different ways and, given this woman's experience with young children, I took her at her word. In the meantime, every time I went into the classroom to volunteer, the teacher had work ready for me that needed to be done outside of the classroom - reading to other kids, cutting and pasting or copying in the workroom, etc. I didn't ever argue or complain about this because I was trusting that dd's teacher was taking care of her as she assured me she was. I thought with all her experience teaching 1st grade she ran a very efficient classroom and didn't need any help.

 

On the very last day of school, I was stopped as I was leaving the school by a parent of another child in my dd's classroom. I've never seen this woman before, and she felt strongly enough to stop me and tell me that my dd was the smartest, sweetest little girl and that her teacher was often very hard on her (to the point where this parent wondered if she should speak up). She told me she wondered why dd was in 1st grade at all (not 2nd) and that she couldn't believe she didn't come home having been bored to death every day.

 

I was completely taken aback. My first thought after absorbing the initial shock of what she said was "How on earth does she know this?" This parent had apparantlly spent enough time in the classroom to know all of this about my dd! I immediately felt duped by dd's teacher. I feel fairly certain that she made a point of keeping me, the medling homeschooling mother, out of her classroom to keep me quiet and out of her way.

 

It was hard enough for me to put my kids in ps to begin with, but now I was completely furious and mainly with myself for having allowed this to happen. I let my guard down when it came to my kids and at least I can say I won't ever let that happen again. Next year, if I can't be made useful in the classroom, I'll sit and observe. I'll also be there more, although I was at the school 2 days a week this year and quite often at various other times in between.

 

In our district they certainly like to have their parents feel as if they have no control (we MUST vaccinate, MUST take the state standardized test, etc), but one thing I've learned as a homeschooler is that we most certainly do have control over our dc's educations (in WA, thank goodness). I'm not a control freak, but I know what I think is important with regard to my dc and their educations. I love having the freedom that comes from being informed of my options to go to bat for my kids in that way if necessary. This is arguably the most valuable thing homeschooling has taught me.

 

So, I saw this thread before that last day of school and thought that I didn't have a whole lot to say about my kids' school. It was OK - very nice people, great new friends and families, lots of great enrichment for my dc, etc. I'm disappointed that I have the above story to relate, and that it regards such a great teacher.

 

Thanks so much for listening!!!

[EndsWell]

My 2 oldest are a rising 2nd and 4th grader in public school. I like their school but wish it was a little more difficult. My 3rd is going to a small home-based PK and my 4th is at home with me.

 

We don't afterschool so much during the school year, but we will be augmenting during the summer. I am considering adding in Latin again (we started last aug). We also do piano for my DD.

 

Adriana

[threetreasurs]

16-year old at competitive public high school - rising Junior. Son, 19, at Jesuit College. Youngest still at home, rising 8th grader.:)

[Sabrina in AZ]

After nine years of homeschooling, our kids (grades 6, 8 and 9) will be attending a classically centered, socratically led, college-prep charter school this fall geared for grades 6-12. Their focus is on providing a core liberal arts education with a strong emphasis in the humanities.

 

Sabrina in AZ

[Guest Rosalind]

My son will attend kindergarten this fall at a private school and I will do some afterschooling- focusing on history (taught chronologically) and language arts (Riggs Institute materials).

 

The school's teaching methods are different from the public schools in the area. Students advance through math and phonics/reading at their own pace. The teacher doesn't have a lesson plan for those subjects- teachers will work individually with each child. When my husband and I looked through the math workbooks during the school tour, we noticed that each child was working on a different workbook page and one kindergarten child had started working out of the first grade math workbook.

The school also teaches Spanish and Chinese begining in kindergarten. My husband thinks the Chinese instruction is a little too much for kindergarten, but I told my husband if the faculty wants to teach two foreign langauges for only $5,000 a year tuition I am all for it.

[Grubbsfamily]

My boys will return and my daughter will start at a Private Catholic (K-8) school at the end of August. This is a transition for us. My boys began mid-year last year when we were informed that my husbands military unit will be activated in September.

 

Until last February my kids had always been homeschooled.

 

While the school is not perfect (but neither was I) they have a very integrated curriculum.

-They read real literature for instead of a textbook for Language Arts.

-They do not use a specific publisher for every subject but have chosen the best program for each subject they could find.

-Each week my kids have Art, Music, PE (2x), they visit the library and computer lab where they are actually learning how to create things (powerpoint presentations, word docs, spreadsheets, etc.) not just play games.This year my 5th grader will begin to attend science in the high school level sciece lab 4 days a week. These classrooms are all filled with speciallty teachers not just the classroom teacher doing the work to check the box and say they met the standards.

-There are a lot of enrichment programs - instrument lessons, sports, science classes offered before and afterschool.

-The teachers/staff and especially the administration team had been very communicative, and helpful. I chose this school b/c when I walked around and talked to the people I just felt welcome.

 

The drawback is that it is not a classical approach. Most of the schools here in CA are all so stuck on the CA educational standards.

 

All in all though I am pleased with what is going on at the school.

[BlueGator]

The school also teaches Spanish and Chinese begining in kindergarten. My husband thinks the Chinese instruction is a little too much for kindergarten, but I told my husband if the faculty wants to teach two foreign langauges for only $5,000 a year tuition I am all for it.

 

Rosalind,

 

Can I ask some questions:

 

1. What program / book are they using for their Chinese class?

 

2. How many vocabulary words do they plan to introduce?

[Guest Rosalind]

Pam,

 

I don't know the name of the Chinese program that will be used. I must admit that I didn't think to ask because I viewed Chinese instruction as an add-on "perk" offered by the school at this point in time (early primary grades). I will be much more focused on his regular phonics curriculum for the first few years.

Below is a link to a letter from the headmaster regarding the school's newly hired Chinese teacher (her credentials).

http://www.gfacademy.com/index2.htm

 

Rosalind