Kerileanne99 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 It is becoming patently obvious that we are going to need to move. There are just not many (if that!) options for Alex locally with her enthusiasm for learning, achievement level, and interests. I have a feeling that this will most likely be a problem wherever we go with a PG kiddo who is extremly opinionated and stubborn, but I KNOW we can do better than this for her! She has been attending a Montessori preschool 3 mornings a week and I can honestly say it had been a flop...other than the fact that she is interacting with kids and I am getting a bit of much-needed rest. She reads a lot and draws a lot. I had to intervene as they actually put my child in time out because she 'won't go play with the kids' and insists on chatting to the teachers. Hubby is always on the lookout for jobs at other universities, even if t means a pay cut. We are even at the point where we would consider simply moving and continuing to look for a job for him, although I cant believe we would be that reckless when she is still so young (5 in Dec!) We will be homeschooling her, but it would be nice to at least have the option of a school or collection of activities as a backup plan. So, if you could choose just about anywhere to live in this situation, where would it be? Bonus points for plenty of math-oriented activities, circles, groups with plenty of room to grow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 It's a shame they put her in time out for that reason. She sounds like my son who loves to talk to older kids or adults. I will tell u my experience in Michigan. We loved it. We loved Impression 5, Ann Arbor ( both are children's science museum), the Airzoo, Binder Park zoo and Potter Park zoo. And of course, the beaches. :) However,these places are nice now for my children who were all under the age 4 1/2 at the time, but don't know how beneficial it'll be in a few years. So I can't say btdt. Although I'm sure the Airzoo has a nice space camp. My kids were too young to sign up for that. I hope you find what you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I'll be listening in. We already plan to move a few times through DD's childhood - DH's job is very portable and I will likely stop working in a couple years. Opportunities for DD are high on our list for what makes a place good to move to, though it's not the only consideration. Where has great homeschool groups? Where has great science, math, or language opportunities? Further down the line, where has great policies regarding younger students taking the occasional college class? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 I'll be listening in. We already plan to move a few times through DD's childhood - DH's job is very portable and I will likely stop working in a couple years. Opportunities for DD are high on our list for what makes a place good to move to, though it's not the only consideration. Where has great homeschool groups? Where has great science, math, or language opportunities? Further down the line, where has great policies regarding younger students taking the occasional college class? Yes, to all of the above questions. We have a constantly-evolving list of questions just like this whenever we see any chem jobs pop up in hubby's field. And it is impossible to plan even six month out for this kid, so I need options and flexibility. It would be wonderful to find even small groups of kids with similar interests, and we REALLY need things where age is not the primary concern:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrhmhy Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I'm in Madison, WI and love it for our family. It's a big enough city to have lots of opportunities but still a relatively small area, we have friends on all sides of town. Homeschooling is ver popular with 3 large HS groups and numerous smaller groups. Lots of programs cater to homeschoolers with class offerings: nature center, YMCA, childrens museum, gymnastics, soccer, all have HS offerings. I've heard homeschoolers are easily accepted to take early classes at either the UW or tech school. Overall Madison is highly educated, has a large international population, very liberal. We also have a great selection of ethnic restaurants, lots of cultural offerings that you wouldn't normally expect in a city this size. We're usually ranked among the top of "best places to live" rankings. Crime is relatively low and housing prices are still affordable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 PG makes me think about Reno. Isn't there a special school there for PG kids? University of Nevada, Reno is in Reno! Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Seattle has a lot of opportunities for PG kiddos, both in public school as well as in homeschooling. University of Washington is in Seattle as well. There are many universities close to varying sections of Seattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I agree with looking at Reno. DITD is located there, and all their summer camps, classes, and their charter school for PG teens are at UNR. That's an enormous collection of resources and support, all in one place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 We're very happy here in San Diego. Museums galore, three universities, very international, lovely parks, laid back homeschooling requirements, charter school classes, a great math circle, and the best weather in the country (outdoor sports year-round). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 What does it mean great math circle? and the OP mentioned math-related activities as well. Just curious. I don't want to be missing something. :) Is this a math club or something? I'm asking because so far my oldest is pretty good in math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Also, what does PG and DITD mean? Thanks! :) Still getting use to all the acronyms. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 If you Google San Diego Math Circle, you can read about it. I'd link you up, but I'm mobile. Aops is also in SD. I believe some of their folks are involved. We also have ThoughtStem and a lot of other cool STEM-related resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 If you Google San Diego Math Circle, you can read about it. I'd link you up, but I'm mobile. Aops is also in SD. I believe some of their folks are involved. We also have ThoughtStem and a lot of other cool STEM-related resources. Thank you. :) I'll google it later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 PG is profoundly gifted (99.9%)-DITD is the Davidson Institute of Talent Development, a private non-profit which provides services and programs for PG kids, usually free or at greatly reduced costs compared to programs like CTY or EPGY, which includes a high school on the UNR campus focused on the needs of PG students that is considered a public school and is free to Nevada residents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 PG is profoundly gifted (99.9%)-DITD is the Davidson Institute of Talent Development, a private non-profit which provides services and programs for PG kids, usually free or at greatly reduced costs compared to programs like CTY or EPGY, which includes a high school on the UNR campus focused on the needs of PG students that is considered a public school and is free to Nevada residents. oh! thanks! I'm not gifted, so that's probably why I don't know about these programs. However, my son may be....... Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 The suburbs of a big city. We plan to move half way between Cincinnati and Indianapolis. DC would be my top educational choice and the surrounding areas are gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I live in the Bay Area and I can find most resources for my child within a few miles of me. There are some excellent universities here (Stanford included!). There are Math Circles attached to these excellent universities too. There are a lot of good museums, good field trips and it is very cosmopolitan. And there are a lot of PG kids here (because of PG parents congregating here, maybe). A kid who is radically accelerated will not raise many eyebrows in social situations. My friend's 4th grader just talked to me for an hour about the Python programming project that she is working on and it is common for local teens to be doing a lot of stuff that is far beyond school academics. But, that being said, I think that you will find Reno's Davidson Institute a good fit for your daughter if you want to consider sending her to a conventional school at the high school stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I think the closer you are to a big city, the more resources, generally speaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 My vote would be for Seattle, Bay Area, San Diego, Boston, and more recently Houston. These all tend to be city hubs around major universities that pull highly educated parents & similar profile kids and provide a lot of opportunities for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 The Boston area is full of resources. There are SO many colleges and universities with opportunities for kids, especially in math and sciences, mainly in afterschool or summer programs, but also the chance to take early college classes. There are a bunch of different homeschooling groups and co-ops. Lots of local museums offer homeschool classes, or homeschool days, or provide educational materials, and the area is full of historically significant places. Great libraries too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 There are so many areas that could be great for a family with gifted kids (and all you folks with portable jobs are super lucky). When we did our big relocation several years back we were looking for: -a highly-educated urban area with lots of museums and arts opportunities -close proximity to at least 2-3 excellent research universities -an economy with the types of jobs that would draw in highly-educated workers (who would theoretically have gifted children themselves) There are quite a few areas that meet that criteria, so I think the deciding factor for us wound up being job opportunities (since dh's job is not at all flexible or portable), proximity to family, and the weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 What about the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill? Aren't there more PhD's per capita there than anywhere else in the country due to the research triangle park? That would suggest an awfully lot of PG kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I have lived in Reno for a year, and I loved it! It has organised events every 2 months - like the Reno Rodeo, the Air balloon races, etc. The roads are built for this influx of 30,000 people, so not only do you get all the events, you also get NO traffic when an event is not on, which of course is most times. UNR is a lovely campus (although they really should not use the water to grow grass, but that is a different story). And best of all for little kids, when I was there Reno held Halloween on a convenient day and Sparks (the neighbouring city which has merged with Reno) held it on the actual day. So all the kids could go out twice! :lol: I will also say that over time I grew to see the beauty of the dessert and really missed it when I moved to Ohio. Reno is also only 20 minutes from the mountains, and an hour from Lake Tahoe, so there is just lots to do and see. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I would go for near a big city with selective universities, but with a low cost of living because who cares how many awesome resources there are if you can't afford them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 What about the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill? Aren't there more PhD's per capita there than anywhere else in the country due to the research triangle park? That would suggest an awfully lot of PG kids. We're in this region, and we really love it. DD isn't PG (she's MG with 2e issues), but I do keep my eye on gifted programs. The Natural Math site is based in Cary: http://www.naturalmath.com and I think they have a math circle. Duke TIP program is based here. DD cares far more about excelling at circus arts than being involved in the stereotypical things that appeal to STEM kids, but we have lego leagues, Science Olympiad, and tons of museums and lots of science and tech things happening. We do have a ton of resources, but nothing quite as big as some of the other cities noted. But, we've lived in the SF, Austin, DC, Boston areas, and the quality of life is awesome here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I would not move to Reno with a 5 y.o. because Davidson Academy really doesn't like to take kids under 12. They have in the past and apparently it didn't work out all that well, so now they're apparently really pushing waiting until the kid is 12. I've heard of a bunch of families applying for younger kids in recent years who got a "wait until he/she's older and re-apply" response. The D.C. area has public magnet schools for HG kids so if I were moving for an elementary-aged child, that's where I would look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumjustmoved Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I know, move to Australia! My dd (5 in dec) would love to play math games with someone other than her mother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I would not move to Reno with a 5 y.o. because Davidson Academy really doesn't like to take kids under 12. They have in the past and apparently it didn't work out all that well, so now they're apparently really pushing waiting until the kid is 12. I've heard of a bunch of families applying for younger kids in recent years who got a "wait until he/she's older and re-apply" response. The D.C. area has public magnet schools for HG kids so if I were moving for an elementary-aged child, that's where I would look. The summer programs start at age 8, though, and summit starts at age 5. It's not just the academy, although that would be a draw for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Kenyon College! Great college. Maybe not Stem enough. There might not be enough around here. But it is 1 hour to a capital city. 8 hours from DC, Chicago, NYC. So lots of options for over night trips. But we live in beautiful country. Honestly I have heard that Chicago has many great options. But Cincinnati/Hamilton area in Ohio has some amazing public schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Although I am not personally familiar with Madison, Wisconsin, I have heard good things about their gifted programs. No personal experience, though, but it might be worth investigating. UW-Madison is also top notch when it comes to understanding child development. http://www.wcaty.org There is a good math circle at U of Michigan that is run by their director of undergraduate math and others. U of M's math program is very good and is often in the top ten list nationally. The director is a cool guy who was taught and influenced by Paul Sally at U of Chicago. http://www.math.lsa.umich.edu/mathcircle/index.html University of Chicago still has the free Young Scholars Program that was run by the legendary Paul Sally who passed away last December. :'( He was an awesome teacher who was always willing to (nicely) *kick butt* (my son went to YSP and had his butt kicked quite a bit. LOL). They take students grades 7-12, mostly from the Chicago area and a few from the suburbs, but if your child is profoundly gifted, you probably could seek advice from some of the math profs there. The ones we knew tended to be a decent bunch. http://www.math.uchicago.edu/ysp/ Chicago kids (and a few suburbanites) as young as 5th grade can participate in the Payton Math Circle. My son went to that, too. It is run by a group of dedicated math teachers who are no slouches themselves. http://www.paytonmathcircle.org/Default.aspx Evanston, where Northwestern U is located, might have a math circle still but I believe it is only for kids from Evanston, including homeschoolers. I don't think it is as active as Payton but all of Northwestern U's Center for Talent Development classes are right there, too. This program is for kids as young as kindergardeners. http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/gll/courses/family/2014-15/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Some possible destinations not mentioned yet: * Denver suburbs (Ft. Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Aurora, Colorado Springs) * Orange County, Calif. * Portland, Ore. * Austin, Tex. * Baltimore, Md. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saw Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 In NYC you would eventually have the option of Hunter, Stuy and Bronx Science for (public) high school. High COL but great resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegesaurus Rex Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 We like Connecticut. See my post under Early College. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 You guys are awesome! I have lots of places to research now. I love the look and feel of places more in he north-Chicago, Madison, even Boston. However, the weather has me very concerned! Life in a wheelchair is not at all fun when battling that cold and snow:) I am from the other side of the US, in Idaho. I would love Portland or Seattle, as would the kid with her love of the ocean. She has been telling us for nearly 2 years she wants to be an oceanographer, but we shall see:) We definitely are looking at Reno. With Davidson there, I have to believe that there must be some great programs around there as well for littles...even outside Davidson. I really think we are going to need lots of options and support:) I need to do quite a bit more investigation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Yeah, we got a lot of snow here in the Chicago area last year. UGH! It was warmer practically everywhere. This summer and fall have seemed chillier than normal, too. I hope we don't get another cold and snowy winter, but I'm not counting on it. Madison won't likely be better! What about Seattle? I just found out the other day that a classmate of mine from college who lives in a suburb there homeschooled her two boys. One is in a UC school and the other is a senior in high school She loves it there. When it snows, it doesn't seem to last too long. Another area to consider is possibly Corvallis, Oregon. I know someone who used to be in the military there and they're pretty happy out there. I think Oregon State University is located there? Not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Corvallis is awesome and has a ton of opportunities, especially if you like a small town feel. It is also the highest educated city per capita in the U.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 We went through this a few years ago (including major problems with Montessori school) We sold our house and everything. And ended up staying put. Life got in the way, and we only moved about 5 miles when everything else, except schooling for dd, suddenly fell into place. We like our house and are near (enough) family. We came to the conclusion that with a few expensive exceptions, HG/PG kids are unlikely to find a good fit for school, especially at the elementary level. There is a residential Gifted High School in our state, and other good online options, and I can keep her busy until then. She has lots of friends, of all ages, although no best friend "soul mate". We are in a math contest Black Hole, even though we are in a college town, and are an hour from any large city, so we go into the city once a week. But our cost of living is low, and we are 2-3 hours from 3 of the cities on this list. We've defiantly taken the road less traveled around here, but so far so good. We homeschool. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urthmama Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I live in Los Angeles - it is not a good fit for me - but I hope that in the future, it will be a better fit for my kids (they are quite young now). I think if the cost of living were not a factor, then a big city can be great. I have a hard time with the population density, the high cost of living, and the lack of accessible outdoor spaces (like forests). One of my kids has pretty big sensory issues (and I do, as well) - so that is a factor because we live on the Westside of LA, and it is always crowded everywhere. I grew up in Indiana - and long for the days of wide open spaces. There are so many great resources now available at most major research universities (I went to Indiana University Bloomington and could not have asked for a better undergraduate experience). If I could live anywhere, I would probably live there... I have also lived in the Bay Area (not a fan for the same reasons as Los Angeles)- and have just found I am a better fit in a more rural environment with a slower pace of life. I think that it depends on the child's disposition - my kids would LOVE to be able to ride horses and build forts and have space to explore - which I think is something that many gifted and accelerated kids crave... Just my 2 cents. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 My choice of best places to live is rural/small town with quick access to a major city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Corvallis. It is rural/small town with a university and 1 1/2 hours from all parts of Portland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizbusby Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Seattle has a lot of opportunities for PG kiddos, both in public school as well as in homeschooling. University of Washington is in Seattle as well. There are many universities close to varying sections of Seattle. Yes, Seattle is a great place for gifted kids. Because of the concentration of high tech workers (Boeing + Microsoft + Amazon), there are tons of smart kids clustered here. There are lots of private schools for the gifted in the greater metro area, the Robinson Center at UW is one of the best early college programs in the country, and I have found several math circles, of which these are three. Last year the state made gifted education a mandatory part of a basic education, which means public school gifted services are skyrocketing right now. Two of the best suburban school districts (Bellevue and Lake Washington) both expanded their gifted magnet program (from 2 schools each, to 4 and 6 schools respectively). Many people live in the rural areas on the outskirts and commute in, as this is much more affordable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justified Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 research triangle area of NC is probably your best bet. You have great university programs. Bilingual schools (Chinese and Spanish) and gifted schools. Great museums too. Plus you are just a few hours area from the beaches. There are great marine biology opportunities too from Duke to UNC at Chapel Hill and UNC at Wilmington. Carrboro is nice as well Cary. If I could go anywhere this is the area I where I would go. So many beautiful places to live all close to wonderful amenities for the gifted. My husband grew up in Chapel Hill. We will one day go back. If she just longs to live on the beach, Wilmington is lovely. I used to live there. It is not full of many gifted opportunities or amenities but if she wants to pursue marine biology, it is a nice spot. Good luck on your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Some possible destinations not mentioned yet: * Denver suburbs (Ft. Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Aurora, Colorado Springs) * Orange County, Calif. * Portland, Ore. * Austin, Tex. * Baltimore, Md. We live in the Portland area, although it is a beautiful area, I wouldn't say there are a lot of programs for gifted youth. One of the main reasons we homeschool is the public schools are so bad and the gifted programs are non-existent in our local school district. I know a couple of the larger districts have more options, but nothing I would move here for. The homeschooling community is big here though, so that is nice. There are tons of enrichment/homeschool type classes, but I have never come across anything specifically for "gifted" kids and I have been homescooling 10+ years. Perhaps I am not in the loop though. Portland does have a great park and rec system with tons of art and music available and we are home to the nation's first youth orchestra. So those sort of activities to attract very intelligent/gifted kids in our experience. We are considering moving, for different reasons, and I really think finding a community that you'll family will thrive in is important. What what family or gifted kid would love another one not so much. I think you should make a list of the things that are most important and then narrow it down from there. There are some pretty neat city comparison websites where you can enter your preferences and get suggestions. For us the cost of living, traffic, and weather would play a huge part in our decision. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Oh, Los Alamos/White Rock/Santa Fe, NM would have a nice low COL and a lot of resources for gifted kids (the place is crawling with physicists and artists, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mliss Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Oh, Los Alamos/White Rock/Santa Fe, NM would have a nice low COL and a lot of resources for gifted kids (the place is crawling with physicists and artists, etc.) We're in Santa Fe, and I love the city (and the red and green chile) but I've found it almost impossible to find art and technology classes for my two children (DS 10 and DD almost 12). All the art classes available here are after-school programs (most public/private school kids are too tired to focus by then) and concentrate mostly on arts and crafts and free form art expression; not the rigorous art instruction DD craves. Any technology or computer programming classes for kids are all day, summer only, and very expensive. Last year I finally managed to find DD a private art instructor that actually challenged her, plus she started one art class a semester at the community college. This fall DS started his first class at the community college, however I'm going to run out of resources for him in about two years - or less. I know there is a gifted program in Santa Fe, because DD's homeschool friend attends it once a week - however, I don't get the impression there are a great deal of gifted offerings in town. I don't know about Los Alamos/White Rock, but we're considering moving to a university town in another state so DS can find the educational support he needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I live in the central Ca valley, in a farming community. In my city we have access to things like horse riding, nature preserves, etc, however there are no music lessons and such. Play groups and rec classes are limited. But within a half hour drive there are those things, plus museums and bigger parks. Two hours away is San Francisco. Some high schoolers do internships or special classes there. Many CA universities have extension locations as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Oh, Los Alamos/White Rock/Santa Fe, NM would have a nice low COL and a lot of resources for gifted kids (the place is crawling with physicists and artists, etc.) We're in Santa Fe, and I love the city (and the red and green chile) but I've found it almost impossible to find art and technology classes for my two children (DS 10 and DD almost 12). All the art classes available here are after-school programs (most public/private school kids are too tired to focus by then) and concentrate mostly on arts and crafts and free form art expression; not the rigorous art instruction DD craves. Any technology or computer programming classes for kids are all day, summer only, and very expensive. Last year I finally managed to find DD a private art instructor that actually challenged her, plus she started one art class a semester at the community college. This fall DS started his first class at the community college, however I'm going to run out of resources for him in about two years - or less. I know there is a gifted program in Santa Fe, because DD's homeschool friend attends it once a week - however, I don't get the impression there are a great deal of gifted offerings in town. I don't know about Los Alamos/White Rock, but we're considering moving to a university town in another state so DS can find the educational support he needs. This is sooo important! There is never a guarantee that anywhere will have lots of programs for gifted kids that are a good fit for every gifted child. There is so much to consider... To anyone pondering a move: Remember that many professionals with gifted children will have their children enrolled in private schools or public magnet schools - especially in the high school years. If you are looking for gifted homeschooling options for enrichment, socializing, etc., be sure you are looking carefully and know what you are getting into before moving. Having a large academic/professional population doesn't guarantee a good fit for every gifted child! Those communities vary as much as other communities. :) Also, don't go by Facebook or other internet advertising! Or fancy brochures and the like... (That probably goes without saying, but we were pretty shocked by the reality of what we found.) Before moving, I would suggest multiple trips to the area - trips that don't include lots of tourist activities. Instead, you do the kind of activities you will be moving to do. Attend classes, homeschool social activities, extracurricular sports - whatever it is you are hoping to find. Time and money spent on research could save lots of time, money, and tears later on. Even with all of our preparation we had some rude awakenings. Thankfully, on balance, we made the right choice and have no regrets. On the other hand, we have friends who landed in other areas after much less research. A few ended up unhappy and stuck, others moved again quickly. One can always bloom where planted, but it's preferable to be in fertile soil.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 And remember not all University towns interact with their towns. I've lived in a couple where the university and the town did not mix at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1053 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Reported (Spam has been removed.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.