Pls help me think through Private School

[shinyhappypeople]

Yeah, I'm still thinking about it since starting that poll about private schools last week. I like homeschooling (most of the time), but the girls would REALLY like to go to school. And the idea of taking a 1 yr. homeschool sabbatical and having my days free to pursue some personal dreams... well, that would be amazing.

 

If money were no object, we'd send the girls in a heartbeat. The school in question is a small, Christian school with great academics (10-15 students per grade).

 

It's also way too expensive for us. :(

 

BUT... when I called and spoke to the admissions person, she kept emphasizing that they offer financial aid. We'd need a generous financial aid package, but maybe it's possible. Maybe it couldn't hurt to look into it further.

 

What questions should I be asking?

 

Off the top of my head I would want to know:

 

(1) How will they deal with DD2 (the K'er) who learns very, very quickly and is working above grade level, for the most part.

 

(2) Will the school throw a hissy fit if we decide to go on a family vacation during the school year? (I'm guessing no, since, hey they get our tuition money whether we're there or not).

 

What else? Please help me think this through.

 

Thank you :)

[newlifemom]

Yeah, I'm still thinking about it since starting that poll about private schools last week. I like homeschooling (most of the time), but the girls would REALLY like to go to school. And the idea of taking a 1 yr. homeschool sabbatical and having my days free to pursue some personal dreams... well, that would be amazing.

 

If money were no object, we'd send the girls in a heartbeat. The school in question is a small, Christian school with great academics (10-15 students per grade).

 

It's also way too expensive for us. :(

 

BUT... when I called and spoke to the admissions person, she kept emphasizing that they offer financial aid. We'd need a generous financial aid package, but maybe it's possible. Maybe it couldn't hurt to look into it further.

 

What questions should I be asking?

 

Off the top of my head I would want to know:

 

(1) How will they deal with DD2 (the K'er) who learns very, very quickly and is working above grade level, for the most part.

This is really important. I know a family who took their girls out of a pvt school b/c they became little teachers and were bored to tears

 

(2) Will the school throw a hissy fit if we decide to go on a family vacation during the school year? (I'm guessing no, since, hey they get our tuition money whether we're there or not).

 

What else? Please help me think this through.

 

Thank you :)

As for what else:

 

What is their education philosophy? Does it mesh with you and your husband's?

How are they about parent input? I think that once parents get homeschooling, they kind of like things done their own way and may potentially butt heads. :tongue_smilie:

What is their view of homework and when does it start?

 

 

These are the things that come to mind. HTH

[Miss Sherry]

I'm wondering what your schedule will be like. Will you be driving them back and forth to school and will your children be on the same schedule ?

What about homework ? School activities such as parties ? Field trips ? Are parents expected to volunteer at the school ?

 

Parents that have their children in private or public school can be very busy too. It may or may not give you a break. Sometimes the activities and homework can be even more of a disruption to doing things on your own schedule than homeschooling is.

Sometimes a change for awhile is a good thing. But I'm not convinced you will be any less busy. Just busy in a different way.

About the vacation. I doubt they will appreciate it if you disrupt the school year by taking them on a vacation. Some private schools are very concerned about keeping the grades up. You would probably be sent school work to keep up with. But you won't know until you ask.

Edited March 7, 2011 by Miss Sherry

[Unicorn.]

My ds goes to a small private school. I do know that there is a 6th grader in his algebra class, so they do allow kids to work at level. Worth asking about! Also, they have no problem with kids going on trips. Not every school is like this though. As to the busy- yes you will be busy, they have as many or more fundraisers as public school. You will get some free time, but driving them to and fro can be a pain.

 

What else to ask? What kind of curriculum do they use, and if the school is religious, what are they going to be teaching your child? Do they teach cursive (is this important to you), reading lists, .... I'm sure there is more, but I'm tired and that's all I can think of at the moment.

[Luckymama]

We had to remove dd11 from her good private school because they were not able to address her need for higher math. They said there was "no way" within the school schedule grid for her to join the 7th grade pre-algebra class :rolleyes:

 

You'll have to be very specific with your questions.

 

I'd bet they'd frown on extended absences during the school year, unless there was a compelling reason (parent back from/heading to deployment, ill family member across the country).

[Chris in VA]

I'd ask to see a schedule, and curricula. I'm a big researcher kinda person, so I want to know everything before making a decision--sometimes it's paralyzing.

 

What do you think the effects would be on your philosophy of homeschooling if you let them go a year, they turn out to absolutely thrive, and they absolutely love it? Are you willing to either tell them they can't go back, and deal with their disappointment and maybe even anger, or give up the idea of homeschooling them and deal with your own feelings (whatever they may be)? IOW, how big a part of your identity and your family's identity is wrapped around homeschooling?

 

Conversely, what are your feelings and thoughts about pulling them if they don't thrive? What are the risks to their hearts if they have a very negative or even a lukewarm experience?

 

It's a hard question and you are wise to think everything thru--get wise counsel, then see what happens, I guess! :001_smile:

[snickelfritz]

What do you think the effects would be on your philosophy of homeschooling if you let them go a year, they turn out to absolutely thrive, and they absolutely love it? Are you willing to either tell them they can't go back, and deal with their disappointment and maybe even anger, or give up the idea of homeschooling them and deal with your own feelings (whatever they may be)? IOW, how big a part of your identity and your family's identity is wrapped around homeschooling

:iagree:

 

My dd REALLY wanted to go to school. We are sending her to a private school next year. Because she wanted it so badly, we would not have done it if we didn't plan on leaving her. We didn't even mention it until we had decided to apply. And then, only because she had to attend the interview. We went to an open house while they were at a sitters.

 

If anything goes wrong, we can homeschool again. But, we're not planning on that happening.

 

As for questions: Go visit them. Ask about curricula. For vacations, it depends. One trip? Probably fine, especially as young as your kids are. Just have to get homework ahead of time. Multiple trips? They probably wouldn't be thrilled. Even though you are paying, choosing to put them in school shows a willingness to abide by their schedules.

[Margaret in GA]

Yeah, I'm still thinking about it since starting that poll about private schools last week. I like homeschooling (most of the time), but the girls would REALLY like to go to school. And the idea of taking a 1 yr. homeschool sabbatical and having my days free to pursue some personal dreams... well, that would be amazing.

 

If money were no object, we'd send the girls in a heartbeat. The school in question is a small, Christian school with great academics (10-15 students per grade).

 

It's also way too expensive for us. :(

 

BUT... when I called and spoke to the admissions person, she kept emphasizing that they offer financial aid. We'd need a generous financial aid package, but maybe it's possible. Maybe it couldn't hurt to look into it further.

 

What questions should I be asking?

 

Off the top of my head I would want to know:

 

(1) How will they deal with DD2 (the K'er) who learns very, very quickly and is working above grade level, for the most part.

 

(2) Will the school throw a hissy fit if we decide to go on a family vacation during the school year? (I'm guessing no, since, hey they get our tuition money whether we're there or not).

 

What else? Please help me think this through.

 

Thank you :)

 

Not to be hyper-critical, but my belief is that some private schools tell you financial aid is available just to get you/ your child excited about the prospect. But, most of that money is reserved for the children of teachers, kids already attending, minorities, or in the case of my highschooler's private school, athletes. I hate to admit it, but it's true. Anyway, I know that sounds jaded, but this is my dd's 6th year in a Christian school and we have learned a lot about the various schools around. So... my advice: don't get your hopes up, don't tell your children, and see what they really can do for you. Good luck and I wish you all the best!! FWIW: sending my dd to school was a good thing for her. But, we are considering bringing her home next year. Actually, we say that every year. ;)

 

Margaret

[Heather in Neverland]

Off the top of my head I would want to know:

 

(1) How will they deal with DD2 (the K'er) who learns very, very quickly and is working above grade level, for the most part. Well, here we have ability grouping for math and reading so maybe they have something similar? Also, depending on her birthdate and ability, we do advance children a full grade if it is necessary.

 

(2) Will the school throw a hissy fit if we decide to go on a family vacation during the school year? (I'm guessing no, since, hey they get our tuition money whether we're there or not). Hissy fit? No. Here you get 20 absences for the entire school year. After that we hold you back a grade. BUT, taking kids out of school IS disruptive to the class and the student misses out because the class keeps on going without you.

 

What else? Please help me think this through.

 

Thank you :)

 

One of the hardest things for homeschoolers (myself included) to get used to after putting their kids in school is that it is NOT the same. It is group education, not individual. There are many, many things that a school can do to optimize the learning (and I feel being a homeschooler helps me see both sides and makes it easier for me to make better administrative decisions)... but it is still group education. As homeschoolers we tend to be very independent and like to do things our own way and that doesn't work that well in a group setting.

 

Last year, when my ds went to school for the first time, I had issues with the kind of homework he was getting and all I could think of was how I would do it differently. But in the end, I was not his teacher and I had to respect his teacher's decisions or pull him out.

 

At any rate... in the end it has worked out very well for us and I wish you the best of luck!

[annlaura]

Tuition help may or may not include a variety of fees. For example, one parochial school here offers tuition assistance, but there are still about $600 of fees per student, not including lunches, uniforms, sports fees, field trip fees, fundraising,etc. Also, will the school be able to provide the same level of tuition assistance for future years should you decide to continue? Our cousins' children went to a nice little Christian school for several years. The first year, they were given generous assistance. It decreased after that, and they had to fight for what they got. They finally didn't return. The school you're looking into may be very well funded and generous, but our cousins' experience was an eye opener for me.

[Dmmetler]

Also, check and find out what the financial aid policy is. I was looking at the wonderful sounding international school in our area, where we would have absolutely needed financial aid, and they emphasized that they offered it-but in reading the packet, I found out that by applying for financial aid, we obligated ourselves to pay whatever part the school's financial aid processor felt we were able to pay and that it was a binding contract, with a substantial penalty if we didn't send DD to that school. Oh, and financial aid could include loans.

 

So, if they'd decided that we could pay 30K/yr, we would have been obligated to pay it, or pay a penalty of several thousand dollars.:eek:

 

Doing some college financial aid calculators online made it seem very likely that they'd decide we could afford to pay, if not the full amount, something close to it-and I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay 30K a year for college, let alone for 1st grade!

[nono]

Two questions.

 

1. How will you feel, not directing your education?

 

2. How will you feel with a tighter* budget?

 

 

*Call me skeptical, but I wouldn't rely on financial aid long term. What if the funding diminishes in year two? Or the fees increase substantially? You get the idea...

 

Good luck deciding!

[jec3113]

The answers to some of your questions depend on whether or not they are accredited. If they are, they will be unhappy about absences. Attendance rates affect their accredidation. They are also less likely to advance your child is they are an accredited school. More of a public school mindset. At least this was our experience with a private Catholic school here. Since they were accredited by the state, they were no different from public school.

[mommaduck]

Financial aid and scholarships are definitely something to look into. My oldest is on full scholarship, but we have the "non-catholic" parish fee to pay ($1500). Uniforms are not cheap, but some schools have a clothing closet where past students have donated their uniforms.

 

Most private schools I know would have a problem with taking school days off for a vacation. Like public schools, a student may only be allowed to miss so many days (10 days here) and those can get sucked up by illness.

[LibraryLover]

I loved ours, and I sometimes miss it. It was a real community and very special. They added a higher level math program for 6 kids in the upper school. I was floored by that. They did not charge us extra.

 

That said, I do not miss:

 

Programs. Parents wanted to see where the money went, so we had art nights, poetry nights, Shakespeare nights, Latin language plays (one year my son was Caesar, so that was cool, but still, most years they were both Chorus....) musicals, concerts, Prairie Days, Science fairs, festivals, harvest fairs, visting dance troupes and musicans, grandparent book nights; sometimes it felt endless.

 

Of course you don't have to attend everything, but it gets tricky to say no, and who doesn't show up to watch their kid's puppet play about the Punic Wars (true story).

 

When we left, I danced the happy dance of freedom.

 

And now, so many years later, I know my dd would be in heaven there. I don't want to give up our freedom, but I have been questioning myself more frequenlty lately. Spring is almost here, those thoughts are most profound in the dead of winter.

 

Our school was fine with family trips in the lower school. They were very good about parent work schedules and the lack of flexibility some people have that way. The problem is in the upper grades. There was a ton going on in the clases, so it's not that you couldn't get an amazing education on a trip to France...but while you're gone are you actually preparing for the Nation Latin Exam, fi?

Edited March 7, 2011 by LibraryLover

[AuntieM]

Ditto ditto ditto what all the others have mentioned looking into. Our youngest is in private school this year and I have come to terms with the fact that they don't do things the same way I would. However, she is receiving an excellent education and is still (now into March) excited about getting up and going to school every day.

 

One thing I would definitely ask about is how the school conducts fundraising activities. Our school is very different than others locally - there is one annual large event which brings in a lot of donations. There is NO selling-of-cr@p fundraising in which the kids are sent home with sales sheets to canvas the neighborhood. (If there were, we would opt out.)

 

Also, when applying for financial aid, the form includes an opportunity to say which areas of the school you may be able to help support by work rather than cash. There's sort of a tradeoff/bartering arrangement. I do not know how much actual service they expect from an aided family, but it would be something a receipient has to factor into the schedule.

 

Our school has also instituted an enrichment program for accelerated learners. This doesn't necessarily mean they are allowed to work many grade levels up in an academic course, but it does mean the student is challenged in other interesting ways which helps him remain satisfied (ie, not bored) with his studies.

 

Do check curriculum, and see if, within the curriculum, there are opportunities for student paced learning. Some programs, especially in reading, are designed to allow for this.

 

Now I will say this (and I am willing to withstand a few tomatoes): I personally believe there is little reason to accelerate a student beyond one year ahead in math, even the student is able. I say this with the experience of three teens. IF your child is destined to be a hard math/science major, the institution that will eventually award that degree will prefer the student takes that school's courses. Credit may not be granted for accelerated maths taken in high school. This is just my personal opinion, but I believe it is much better to have a student WELL grounded at a standard/slightly above average rate of accomplishment than to race through math curriculum just because the student is/seems ready. So, I wouldn't be quick to discount a private school because they won't let the child accelerate. That may end up being one of the reasons not to select a school, but I personally wouldn't make it the only one. If you can see that your child would be bored out of her gourd in every class across the grade level, of course that's another story.

[justasque]

Now I will say this (and I am willing to withstand a few tomatoes): I personally believe there is little reason to accelerate a student beyond one year ahead in math, even the student is able. I say this with the experience of three teens. IF your child is destined to be a hard math/science major, the institution that will eventually award that degree will prefer the student takes that school's courses. Credit may not be granted for accelerated maths taken in high school. This is just my personal opinion, but I believe it is much better to have a student WELL grounded at a standard/slightly above average rate of accomplishment than to race through math curriculum just because the student is/seems ready. So, I wouldn't be quick to discount a private school because they won't let the child accelerate. That may end up being one of the reasons not to select a school, but I personally wouldn't make it the only one. If you can see that your child would be bored out of her gourd in every class across the grade level, of course that's another story.

 

I would add that in a (high)school setting, being totally out-of-sync with one's peers in a particular subject can wreak havoc with one's schedule. Just because the school offers a particular course, doesn't mean that it will fit and the dc will be able to take it. Things are more difficult if the dc *must* take a class that most of his otherwise-peers are not taking. Not ideal, but from a practical perspective it's wise to be aware of this.

[abbeyej]

I don't think your question is about "taking a sabbatical" so much as deciding whether or not you want to home school at all. A "sabbatical" is something one takes after having put some time in (for a professor, 7 years would be standard). Your kids are still babies. :) And that's lovely. But your question isn't about "taking a year off" -- it's about deciding what you want to do for the long haul, and about what your philosophy of education is going to be for your kids.

 

So I guess my suggestion would be that you sit down and make a list of all of the reasons why you wanted to home school in the first place. Add in any that have arisen in your time home schooling as well. Stick to positive reasons (not things that are really just "negatives" about public or private school).

 

Now make a list of positive reasons why you would want to send them to school.

 

Once you've got a good list of positives on both sides, you can add in the negatives for each.

 

What do you want long term? Obviously you *can* change your kids' schooling situation at any time, but I think any time you're going to make a major switch, you need to go into it in good-faith, thinking that it's not only the best choice for today but that it'll be the best choice in terms of big picture.

 

I cannot FATHOM allowing a very young child to have much sway in this decision. Yes, I would take an individual child's temperament, personality, likes, talents, etc, into consideration -- absolutely. But I'm the parent and I have knowledge and perspective that my young children simply don't have. They see "play time with friends every day!" or "taking lunch in a cute new box!" -- that doesn't mean that's what school *is*.

 

I can't really help you make the decision though. You have to decide for yourself *why* you would home school and why you wouldn't -- what you want from the next 10-13 years for your girls.

[LibraryLover]

 

I can't really help you make the decision though. You have to decide for yourself *why* you would home school and why you wouldn't -- what you want from the next 10-13 years for your girls.

 

 

I agree about the whys, but I don't agree about projecting this 10 or more years into the future. Needs change, and it's good to be open to change. Let's not overwhelm ourselves. :D 7 is not 17. My youngest has never attended school, but I can see that we are getting to the point that she needs much more diversity. She would thrive in a program where she could discuss literature with more than just mom, fi. We don't have anything like that in our hs groups here. That's just one example that is affecting us.

 

Some people are homeschoolers forever, no ifs, ands, or buts, and that is wonderful for those families. Yet as you can see from the huge varity of folks on this list, many here have dabbled creatively in various educational situations. ;) (I want to say half, but sometimes it looks like more to me. Still, I want to be conservative.)

 

There is nothing you cannot decide for your kids...and you do reserve the right to hs forever, or hs for a few years...only you know your personal choices and needs.

Edited March 7, 2011 by LibraryLover

[ezrabean2005]

I agree with all that has been said. I did want to add that at least at our local private school, if you receive any financial aid, you also were effectively signing up to "work it off" by volunteering and doing things for the school. This was part of the standard agreement. So if the school is similar, that would drastically affect your "free time".

 

I also want to underscore the fact that financial aid usually is good for a year or two, but if your family can't afford it, that introduces a whole new set of stressors. With a child that young, their opinion would not be a part of my and DH's decision in any way. This is about what you and DH want.

[LibraryLover]

I would not consider a school which would offer financial aid in the early years, but take it back later. That means too much student turn-over, and a good school will want cohesion. A respectable school will not reduce your FA package unless you have an increase in income beyond basic SOL. Ditto, with 'working it off'. The schools I know do not allow this. That would open up a huge can of worms. Further, FA should be private. The child should not be wearing a red FA on their shirts.

 

Research, research. You don't want to be in a situation that doesn't work for your family. If you choose school, purchase tuition insurance if you're not 10000% sure.

[abbeyej]

I agree about the whys, but I don't agree about projecting this 10 or more years into the future. Needs change, and it's good to be open to change. Let's not overwhelm ourselves. :D 7 is not 17. My youngest has never attended school, but I can see that we are getting to the point that she needs much more diversity. She would thrive in a program where she could discuss literature with more than just mom, fi. We don't have anything like that in our hs groups here. That's just one example that is affecting us.

 

Some people are homeschoolers forever, no ifs, ands, or buts, and that is wonderful for those families. Yet as you can see from the huge varity of folks on this list, many here have dabbled creatively in various educational situations. ;) (I want to say half, but sometimes it looks like more to me. Still, I want to be conservative.)

 

There is nothing you cannot decide for your kids...and you do reserve the right to hs forever, or hs for a few years...only you know your personal choices and needs.

 

Oh, things change certainly!

 

But I think it's detrimental to go into something thinking "we'll switch our whole approach for a year, but then maybe we'll switch back after that"...

 

Make a decision now with the whole in mind -- knowing that things may change eventually and require an overhaul. But don't go into it *still* feeling wishy-washy.

[LibraryLover]

Oh, things change certainly!

 

But I think it's detrimental to go into something thinking "we'll switch our whole approach for a year, but then maybe we'll switch back after that"...

 

Make a decision now with the whole in mind -- knowing that things may change eventually and require an overhaul. But don't go into it *still* feeling wishy-washy.

 

 

I think some of that is human nature, and I don't see thoughtfulnes (and it sounds like the OP has that in spades) as detrimental. OP has hs K, 1, and currently 2nd. They may be young, but those are three very important years of dedication. I am in my 8th year of dedication, but I do think in the next 2-3 years, we are going to switch it up, so I can relate to the questions, and I do think she has earned her right to ask the questions. :) (Not that anyone said she hasn't.)

 

I also don't see taking things 'year by year' or '2 years by two years' :001_smile: or whatever, as wishy- washy at all. I see it as trying to make life work in the way it needs to work for a particular family.

 

Many strong families here have taken the 'year to year' approach. One year may turn into forever or it might not.

[Margaret in GA]

Oh, things change certainly!

 

But I think it's detrimental to go into something thinking "we'll switch our whole approach for a year, but then maybe we'll switch back after that"...

 

Make a decision now with the whole in mind -- knowing that things may change eventually and require an overhaul. But don't go into it *still* feeling wishy-washy.

 

 

I think abbey has some really good points. If you need a 'sabbatical', then take a few months off. I think taking a year off and then back to homeschool would be hard on your kids. I've seen it play out many times with kids at my dd's school. It's really heartbreaking when the kid gets emotionally invested in the school and the parent takes them out.

 

Good luck whatever you decide!

 

Margaret

[shinyhappypeople]

I think abbey has some really good points. If you need a 'sabbatical', then take a few months off. I think taking a year off and then back to homeschool would be hard on your kids. I've seen it play out many times with kids at my dd's school. It's really heartbreaking when the kid gets emotionally invested in the school and the parent takes them out.

 

Good luck whatever you decide!

 

Margaret

 

Taking a few months off from homeschooling them won't address my problem, though. I need a sabbatical... FROM MY KIDS. There. I said it out loud :tongue_smilie: I want to be *totally alone* in my house. It's been 7-1/2 years since I've been able to do this with any regularity and *I'm tired.*

[abbeyej]

Taking a few months off from homeschooling them won't address my problem, though. I need a sabbatical... FROM MY KIDS. There. I said it out loud :tongue_smilie: I want to be *totally alone* in my house. It's been 7-1/2 years since I've been able to do this with any regularity and *I'm tired.*

 

Maybe you just don't want to home school. That's *okay* you know.

 

I just wouldn't go into it thinking of it as a "sabbatical". If you think that some school situation will be best for your family, then find a way to make that work.

 

On the other hand, if you think home schooling is ultimately the best for your family, perhaps there are some ways that you can fit more support for you into your life. If you think of it in terms of $11,000 for school vs you staying home, perhaps you can find a way for some small portion of that to be spent on whatever you think would give you the greatest stress relief -- gym membership (with childcare) or a mother's helper one afternoon a week or maid-service every other week, etc...

 

But maybe home schooling just isn't the best option for you. There doesn't need to be any shame in that.

[elise1mds]

I haven't read all the replies, so I may be repeating, but since my DD is in private school, I can tell you what I'd ask about if I was doing it again:

 

1. Do you have to reapply for financial aid every year and how is it awarded?

 

2. Do they offer free/reduced lunches? (Ours does.)

 

3. FUNDRAISING: How is this accomplished? What are the parents expected to contribute on top of tuition? At our school, they nickel-and-dime us to death. I love 'em, though, and they're still cheap compared to almost any other private school.

 

4. Curriculum, obviously. Ask them to show it to you.

 

5. You already mentioned asking about how they handle advanced students, but it's not a bad idea to ask how they handle remedial students or students with special needs, too, even if you will never need that. It will give you a better idea of their capability to handle a lot of other things.

 

6. Ask what the parental involvement is supposed to be. Our school has "Share Hours" which is 15 hours a year of "mandatory volunteer" time to help keep their costs down. That number is halved for single-parent homes.

 

7. Security and discipline. Can anyone just walk into the school? Are there signs of vandalism throughout the school? What is the discipline policy and how is it enforced?

 

8. Uniform/dress code. How strict is it? Do they have a free or cheap way to get the clothes? Our school has a 'uniform closet' where you can trade out clothes when you're done with them. The school pays to have them dry-cleaned, so they're ready to wear.

 

9. Extracurricular activities. The smaller the school, the fewer of these they'll have, naturally, but are they offered at all or are you expected to go through your own channels?

 

That's all off the top of my head. Make sure you get a good look at some of the stuff hanging on the walls around the school. That's usually a good indicator of the level of each grade. Good luck on your decision! It's been nice for us to have a little bit of both worlds.

 

Edited to add that nobody has ever said a word when I have yanked DD out for a family day (we did that on Valentine's Day because we took an impromptu weekend trip to Illinois), and there are a couple of families who take a few days off for vacation every year. They talk to the teachers beforehand and make sure all work is turned in when they return. However, our school's calendar is more amenable to family vacations than most because there is a week off in October, two weeks for Spring Break, a week for Thanksgiving, etc. It means the summer is shorter, but it's worth it.

Edited March 8, 2011 by elise1mds
adding stuff

[Laurie4b]

Yeah, I'm still thinking about it since starting that poll about private schools last week. I like homeschooling (most of the time), but the girls would REALLY like to go to school. And the idea of taking a 1 yr. homeschool sabbatical and having my days free to pursue some personal dreams... well, that would be amazing.

 

If money were no object, we'd send the girls in a heartbeat. The school in question is a small, Christian school with great academics (10-15 students per grade).

 

It's also way too expensive for us. :(

 

BUT... when I called and spoke to the admissions person, she kept emphasizing that they offer financial aid. We'd need a generous financial aid package, but maybe it's possible. Maybe it couldn't hurt to look into it further.

 

What questions should I be asking?

 

Off the top of my head I would want to know:

 

(1) How will they deal with DD2 (the K'er) who learns very, very quickly and is working above grade level, for the most part.

 

(2) Will the school throw a hissy fit if we decide to go on a family vacation during the school year? (I'm guessing no, since, hey they get our tuition money whether we're there or not). The school may or may not be okay with vacations, but the "hissy fit" take on it if they are not okay is indication that you'd like to have your cake and eat it too. IOW, it sounds like you'd like to keep the flexibility of homeschooling and be in charge of your child's education, while also having the child in school. I don't mean that snarkily at all. I had to come to grips with that when we sent our two oldest this year. I've liked nearly all of it, but I had to give up control of the content of their education and of our flexibility in exchange for them being in school. We did it for financial reasons (this school is in a cooperative relationship with a community college; nearly all their classes are cc and free and the credits will transfer).

 

What else? Please help me think this through.

 

Thank you :)

 

Answer in your text

[shinyhappypeople]

Thanks for all the replies. We're still thinking... and thinking... and thinking.

 

I called the school today and asked more questions:

 

(1) "Unexcused" absences: "Of course you can take days off! You're paying the same tuition whether your child is here or not. We don't have to report numbers to the government." She also mentioned that, in her opinion, kids NEED a few mental health days throughout the year. (preach it, sister)

 

(2) Academics -- They use Saxon math. By 3rd grade, the kids are working one grade level ahead in all subjects. Each class also has different reading groups based on skill. Advanced learners aren't asked to tutor slower students.

 

(3) Financial Aid... maybe. We *might* be awarded enough to cover the tuition. They'll be sending out award announcements at the end of April. It's basically a matter of apply for aid then wait and see. I'm not feeling fully confident of this at the moment.

 

Now, other things to consider: will we be able to afford keeping younger DD in ballet if we go this route? (Not sure, depends on if DH gets a raise. We'll know by 4/1, I think.) And, do I really, really want to do this? Both of the girls would be *delighted* at the prospect, I think. Also, the school only goes through 5th grade. Public middle school is NOT an option here, so we'd be homeschooling again for that.

 

We take things one year at a time, so regardless of whether we decide for or exist private school, it's not a forever decision. I'm not a hardcore "Homeschool Forever, No Exceptions" person.

[shinyhappypeople]

Another thing I need to take into consideration: BOTH girls are in desperate need of some space from each other. They've been begging for "alone time" away from each other.

[katilac]

 

(2) Academics -- They use Saxon math. By 3rd grade, the kids are working one grade level ahead in all subjects. Each class also has different reading groups based on skill. Advanced learners aren't asked to tutor slower students.

 

I'd be pretty suspicious of this claim, personally. I've never seen a school where every kid was a full grade ahead in all subjects.

[shinyhappypeople]

She actually said that "in general" kids were working a grade ahead.

[AnnaM]

I glanced through the answers and saw alot of great comments.

 

I didnt see this so thought I would throw it out there. I would personally ask about their theology. Not all Christian denomonations teach the same thing and well to be honest some are flat out heretical. I would definitely make sure that all of the essential doctrines line up.

 

I personally am not a fan of the back and forth idea, but you of course have to weigh that for your family.

 

Pray fervently while you are making this decision!

[ezrabean2005]

Another idea regarding the financial aspect....can you go get a job now that the kids will be at school? That would ease the financial burden and you would get some space.