Instead of the Dishes » Education
On Education: Part 4 – We’re In!
So, it’s official. Carina has completed her kindergarten screening, and we’ve paid the first of the enrollment/registration/building fees. She’ll be attending kindergarten at The Anthony School this fall. We are very excited! As I mentioned in my previous post, taking the school tours and asking lots of questions was what really helped us make the decision. Much like buying a house, we certainly analyzed all the facts and figures, the school stats and programs, etc., but when it came down to it, The Anthony School just “felt right” when we walked through. The school is small, but not too small. It looks and feels like a typical elementary school – not too fancy, but not stashed in a basement or retrofitted into an old office building. The fact that there are … Read entire article »
Making a Plan…
Today I’ve been in spring-summer planning mode, thanks to a great article I found on The Savvy Source website called Planning Your Year. If you have a preschooler in your house, I think you’ll love this resource too. The article starts with an introduction to planning, and then highlights specific holidays and seasonal pass-times with links to specific crafts and activities for each month. From doing coin rubbings this Monday for Presidents Day, to planting a … Read entire article »
On Education: Part 3 – On Tour
Once we learned that private schools did not have to use August 1 as a cutoff date, we began vehemently researching dates, prices, and curriculums. The most difficult pill to swallow – the average $8,000 in tuition it would cost us to send Carina to kindergarten in a private school. We decided that as long as our household budget could handle the monthly payments, we felt it was important to give Carina the opportunity to go to kindergarten. In the midst of all this, we learned more about eSTEM Charter School in downtown Little Rock. After having watched Waiting for Superman and learning more about the school, their structure really appealed to us. The have a year round school schedule and an extended school day. The school is public, so it’s … Read entire article »
On Education: Part 2b – A Correction
Early registration in several AR school districts is now open, so I wanted to correct some mis-information I had in my last education-related post. I had stated that my kids did not have access to a free prek-4 program because we do not live in the Little Rock school district. However, during an interview with the Director of Early Childhood Education for that district, I learned that once the district has processed all the applications for kids that live within the boundaries, they give any remaining available seats to students who do not live within the district. Chances are good that they’ll have some room left over, as there are a total of 1500 seats available in the district, which is the largest prek program in the state. So, if you have … Read entire article »
On Education: Part 2 – The Dating Game
When we moved to Little Rock in August of 2008, we found a specific neighborhood that we loved. Luckily, our realtor informed us, we were in one of only about three good elementary school districts in Little Rock. This was a relief, as several people had warned us about the city’s “bad” education system. Before we moved, Craig visited the elementary school, Baker Elementary in Pulaski County Special School District, and met the principal. All was well and good, he reported. We also scouted a Parents Day Out program for Carina to attend. We wanted her to have social interaction, and quite honestly, I needed a break from juggling a baby and a toddler. She started the program at St. Margaret’s Episcopal in September and loved it. While the program was … Read entire article »
On Education: Part 1 – The Mindset
Back in August, my friend Lucy sent me a list of topics she would like to see me cover in my blog. Her number six item was, “The public school vs. private school quandary that is Little Rock.” At the time, that issue was already swirling around in my head, but now, it has a presence in my brain of tornadic proportions. It’s going to take more than one blog post to cover this one… I grew up in public schools in the Midwest. In fact, in most places I lived, that was the only option. You went to the school you lived closest to, and all the other kids at the school lived nearby too. I turned 5 at the end of June, and my mom took me down to … Read entire article »
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