Dual enrollment for PE and Music - 1st and K - thoughts?

[oneangelwaiting]

Our elementary school is about 1/4 mile away from our house and they offer dual enrollment for PE and Music for my 1st and K boys. They would be in the same class, and it is 30 minutes 4 times per week (same time every morning).  I checked with the principal and she said it's free, and that they would also not be counted for attendance so if we had to miss we wouldn't get in trouble or anything.

 

I'm having a hard time finding social opportunities that I feel like I can get us all to ("us" being me plus four, soon to be five kids ages 6 and under) without wreaking complete havoc on our schedule (because - NAPS!) or on our pocketbook.  This seems like it is a good option. We should be able to do a bit of school work beforehand, then finish up after the class or in the afternoon (it's from 8:45 to 9:15 a.m., but my children are morning people so we are usually up by 7 or shortly after).

 

Has anyone done this and if so what were your experiences? I just want to make sure I'm thinking this all through before committing! 

[chelsmm]

I haven't btdt because I don't want to be tied down to an activity four days a week.  However, if your kids are early risers, it seems like a good way to start their day. And it's early enough that you could still do a lot with the rest of the day.  They will get some social time, get to run around, have a music class- it sounds like it could be great.  For us it wouldn't work.  My dd likes to sleep in and start her day slowly.  My ds would probably enjoy something like this.  At our local school, the specials are later in the day, so it would be too disruptive for us.

 

Can you try it out for the rest of the school year and see how it goes?

[SkatingMom]

Something like that would not be for us....simply because we enjoy flexibility too much. Being tied to classes, to a brick and mortar school would be like a noose. Plus, I do not buy into the whole "socialization" thing.. that is for my golden retriever, not my kids.

[jnaj]

I don't know that I would want to be tied down, but I do think that kids need exercise everyday, and this sounds like a fun opportunity for them. For me PERSONALLY, if this was offered only 1/4 mile away, I would probably do it and bring my running stroller and go for a short run while they were in class. Two birds with one stone since I workout every morning anyways, it's only fair that the kids can too, right? :) I think it's early enough to where you aren't tied down for the whole day, and it's free. If it doesn't work then just don't do it anymore.

 

 

[alisoncooks]

Well, I think it is a wonderful opportunity and I would jump on it.  

That said, I see that you also have/will have babies/toddlers.  I think you have to really ask yourself whether or not you can realistically get all kiddos out the door and there on time.  What will you do with the babies while you wait?  Or will you leave/come back?  There's a lot of logistics involved.

 

But I'm totally jealous.  Wish there was something like that around here for my girls!

[Gil]

If we had such an opportunity available to us, we'd take it. My boys 6 and 7 are in voice/music lessons 4x a week now with a private instructor and so far its been only a positive for them. Sadly it isn't in a group of other kids but the boys like the privacy of the situation.

[Gil]

Also, I know you have other kids but its just 30 minutes in the morning...Maybe you could try and commit to going maybe just 2x a week instead of 4x if its hard for you to make that trip, but it sounds like a good opportunity to at least try out and PS is almost over anyway. I say at least try. Fortunately for me, I only have 2 boys both close in age but I would try my hardest to make it work, at least until the end of the school year.

 

Ask about permission to go on the schools playground while you wait 30 minutes for the kids...or get a couple of Car Only DVDs/snacks/toys and stay in the car. Or go for a drive through the neighborhood and have a sing-along with your other kids while you wait. Or take a walk with the smallest kids. Or....

 

[Um_2_4]

I tried something similar when oldest DS was just turned 4 at a nearby private school for a second language and some recess/lunch time. Then I only had DD18mos. It was a bit too much of a hassle for me.

It was later in the day than your class (10:45), but the getting ready, etc. took a chunk of time I did not expect. Maybe if you were VERY well organized and didn't have to drive. 

Another year we had a PE class at 11:00, but I found once we came home, not much would be done besides maybe reading/quiet time things.

[Ellie]

Our elementary school is about 1/4 mile away from our house and they offer dual enrollment for PE and Music for my 1st and K boys. They would be in the same class, and it is 30 minutes 4 times per week (same time every morning).  I checked with the principal and she said it's free, and that they would also not be counted for attendance so if we had to miss we wouldn't get in trouble or anything.

 

I'm having a hard time finding social opportunities that I feel like I can get us all to ("us" being me plus four, soon to be five kids ages 6 and under) without wreaking complete havoc on our schedule (because - NAPS!) or on our pocketbook.  This seems like it is a good option. We should be able to do a bit of school work beforehand, then finish up after the class or in the afternoon (it's from 8:45 to 9:15 a.m., but my children are morning people so we are usually up by 7 or shortly after).

 

Has anyone done this and if so what were your experiences? I just want to make sure I'm thinking this all through before committing! 

 

Ok, I'm imaging getting all of you out of the house four days a week--**four days a week**--to be there on time, hanging out with the littles having nothing really to do, going back home, settling in, and then trying to do anything that looks like academics (which wouldn't be much for a 5yo and a 6yo, but still...)...no. I cannot. In the mornings, all of you would be thinking about Getting Stuff Done so you can get out of the house, and so your minds won't really be on what you're doing, and there won't be wiggle room for taking more time to do something that y'all find really interesting (or bunny trails), or more time to work on something that's bothersome.

 

Truly, IMHO, it is too much time out of the house for the sake of "social." I'd look for a homeschool support group first, one with a *monthly* park day (if the weather where you live allows for that--I'm used to California, lol, where we can meet outside year-round), not a weekly one. I'd look for a Cub scout or other sort of club activity for the oldest, maybe the older two. With five of you, there will be way more social going on than you think. :-)

[Haiku]

I wouldn't do it for three reasons:

 

1. It seems like a lot of hassle to get everyone ready to go and the kids there for such a short amount of time and relatively little academic payoff.

 

2. As others have mentioned, my kids tend to be useless for schoolwork if we have been out in the morning.

 

3. You're opening the door for your kids to want to go to school fulltime. That might not bother you, but it would bother me.

[...................]

Well, I think it'll be hard to get your kids back on track after being out.  And I also think it'll be dead time for you and the littles, sitting around in the car, (or are you going to come back home?) BUT I think that loneliness is a real issue for homeschoolers, and so is exercise.  If you guys don't have the money for other activities and sports, this seems like a really great option.  Yes, it'll be inconvenient in some ways, but I think that since loneliness and lack of friendships and too much time at home can be really depressing or boring.  Since academics are pretty simple right now, I think it could work to do this program 3 or four days per week.  You could do some schoolwork while the babies are napping, before your high schooler gets home, and have a nice routine going.

 

A lot of it depends on your schedule and your family dynamics.  If you have a whole little troupe of children who play really nicely together and you have the energy to be very involved, making sure that you teach them character, and if you have a big yard, plenty of space, a swing set, toys, plenty of balls, and bikes, wagons, and a few neighborhood kids, they should be able to get ample exercise at home.  But, if you have a tiny yard, only two kids to play with each other, and the neighborhood kids are all out at daycare/school, and the street is not safe for bikes and scooters, then this is a GREAT option for you!  

 

And anyway, you should try.  You won''t know, if you don't try it.

 

(This is all assuming that there are no strings attached and the public school won't be breathing down your back)

[oneangelwaiting]

Thanks all.  My soon-to-be 1st grader is in K at the public school now, we're starting HS officially in July. So I can't really try it out. But I do get everyone fed, dressed and out the door every morning to have him to school by 8:30, so I know that isn't a problem. Although the new baby may throw a wrench in things, we'll deal with that when she gets here I guess. :)  

 

I think we're going to just do the PE, two days a week.  The principal said we can play on the playground while we wait, or that we can wait in the lobby.  We're in Nebraska and it can get pretty bitter during the winter so I'll be glad for them to have a chance to run off some steam. We do still play outside in the winter but when it doesn't get warmer than 20F all day long we tend to just stay in.  This past winter was just awful.