Good enough JATP for Buckhead private schools? (preschools, live in)

[snsh5713]

I think it might be safer not to set your sights on only one main school, because it can be a big disappointment if the child does not get in. There are many good private schools...you may want to consider more and broaden your options. Lovett and Trinity, your other choices, are also excellent schools...

[PeteATL41]

I wouldn't stress too much about the JATP. Let's face it there just isn't that much empirical data on rising kindergarteners. As a parent with kids at one of the schools you mention, my observations on K admissions are as follows:

1) JATP has to be good enough i.e not reveal a underlying problem 2) Good recomendations from a respected feeder pre-school are very important 3) it really helps to have a legacy connection or absent that a relationship with an established family in the school who can vouch for your family. 4) The child needs to come across as school ready at the observation and show an appropriate level of maturity and situational awareness 5) Be flexible and pick a few acceptable school choices as without the strong legacy connection there is a bit of luck involved as all the schools try to balance class demographics etc. 6) As you have done, make sure that your #1 choice knows that you will accept the spot. I'm sure the admissions people are evaluated based on the yield rate... 7)Get your checkbook ready :-)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by PeteATL41

I wouldn't stress too much about the JATP. Let's face it there just isn't that much empirical data on rising kindergarteners. As a parent with kids at one of the schools you mention, my observations on K admissions are as follows:

1) JATP has to be good enough i.e not reveal a underlying problem 2) Good recomendations from a respected feeder pre-school are very important 3) it really helps to have a legacy connection or absent that a relationship with an established family in the school who can vouch for your family. 4) The child needs to come across as school ready at the observation and show an appropriate level of maturity and situational awareness 5) Be flexible and pick a few acceptable school choices as without the strong legacy connection there is a bit of luck involved as all the schools try to balance class demographics etc. 6) As you have done, make sure that your #1 choice knows that you will accept the spot. I'm sure the admissions people are evaluated based on the yield rate... 7)Get your checkbook ready :-)

An excellent summary.

[lastminutemom]

There is legislation right now going through the GA House of Reps that will change the entrance date for kindergarten.

Age change for kindergarten enrollment gets OK from state House subcommittee | Online Athens

In my opinion, at those schools, it may be a mistake to send a summer birthday boy because so many parents hold their kids back. He will likely be 15-18 months younger than the oldest kids in the grade. It may not be such a huge issue in K and early elementary, but may be a much bigger issue in secondary school.

[LovelySummer]

The bill is total garbage and typical example of wealthy Republicans trying to push their redshirting agenda on everybody else simply bc THEY want to do it (which is by and large the only people that actually consider keeping their kids back).

What about parents that now have to pay for an extra year of daycare (which is $$$) due to this crap? I guess maybe the daycare centers are lobbying behind this - who knows.

So now kids who are not 5 by Aug 1st and then by July 1st cannot start kindergarten? The school year does not even start until mid-August/early September. And what about kids whose parents have gotten them ready?

The problem is not with the children - the problem is with redshirting parents who send their kids to school a year older under the guise of being "kindergartners" when they are really the maturity level of first graders (bc that is what they actually are based on their age) and then teachers that are too stupid to recognize what a true kindergartner is and just want their job to be facilitated by only having to teach older kids younger kids material. Goodness forbid a teacher should actually have to deal with a true five year old. Pure and utter laziness.

If anything, I expected the legislation to say no more redshirting and put all the kids in school when they are supposed to start and push back on the PARENTS to get them ready.

Wealthy parents lining the pockets of Republicans sure enough. Everybody else be d*mned. Nothing new here.


I also disagree with prejudice against boys. Clearly outside of the law when orchestrated by public schools. I refuse the idea of holding back a child because OTHER PEOPLE have held their kids back and therefore it SEEMS the true-to-age child is smaller or less mature or behind. I think parents should push back and make the schools recognize what is really what as relates to children at different ages. Are we to simply follow behind the masses because other people are doing something? Where does it stop? In a post many months ago when someone asked about redshirting a boy born in May or so, I joked that next thing you know people would be redshirting anybody born that year. Sadly, we are heading in that direction. Can nobody see it is a slippery slope? The more you push back, the more those kids will be older than the others who have birthdays right before whatever the new cutoff it. For example, kids born July 1st will be the oldest kids in the class going forward. How is that any different and less arbitrary than the kids born in September being the oldest now? It makes absolutely no sense and is completely arbitrary. Someone will always be almost a year older than the other kids no matter the deadline. Why not just make the deadline December 31st like it was in IL when I was growing up and let the parents rise to the challenge and make the teachers stop whining about having to teach kindergartners. After all, didn't they sign up for the job of teaching kindergartners??? If they wanted to teach first graders, they should have signed up to teach first grade. Period.

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

There is legislation right now going through the GA House of Reps that will change the entrance date for kindergarten.

Age change for kindergarten enrollment gets OK from state House subcommittee | Online Athens

In my opinion, at those schools, it may be a mistake to send a summer birthday boy because so many parents hold their kids back. He will likely be 15-18 months younger than the oldest kids in the grade. It may not be such a huge issue in K and early elementary, but may be a much bigger issue in secondary school.

[caligirl7777]

Anyone know if it is normal to have an admissions staff member come and observe your child in their preschool class unannounced? We already did a school observation so I'm wondering if they needed more info about my child or if they do this for all applicants?

[AtlJan]

Originally Posted by caligirl7777

Anyone know if it is normal to have an admissions staff member come and observe your child in their preschool class unannounced? We already did a school observation so I'm wondering if they needed more info about my child or if they do this for all applicants?

Caligirl, This is a routine part of the process. The schools are very thorough, aren't they? My guy has been wearing a collared shirt to school every day--that's all I can do to help The rest is up to him!

[snsh5713]

That sounds very strange. I've never heard of this before. Are the admissions staff even allowed to come to a child's preschool unannounced or is it a feeder preschool?

Which admissions office is this?

[AtlJan]

All the big Buckhead privates send admissions staff to the big Buckhead and midtown preschools to observe their applicants.

[Riaatl]

Which schools are considered feeder schools? Can you name the top feeder schools?