Possible move from Philly suburbs to Burlington/Stowe area in Vermont - we have 4 kids!!

[momnh]

I live in Williston and like it a lot. People tend to only think of the big box stores, but the town center is very nice (and not crowded) and there is a huge sense of community. This is a very kid-focused town. I also like the location right on 89 between Burlington and Montpelier (and the ski areas).

Also, a benefit of all those big box stores is lower real estate taxes!

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by OhBeeHave

From the article:


That's a very small number of children taking the exam -- it averages to under 3,400 children per state. There are approximately 600 4th grade students in my school district alone; I can't image how many there are in all of NYS.

While the news sounds good, how can there be any legitimate comparisons with only a small number of students?

Like I said I was just sharing a link mentioned in the Times Argus story. I wasn't really judging it. On the other thread about education I posted two links which showed Vermont lacking in some education areas.

Can't argue with your assessment tho it's better that they did well then poorly, right? I didn't make any claims, nor did the story about the quality of Vermont's education system based on the data. Just that the Vermont kids did well and they did.

[4girlmom]

Thank you all for these posts. I knew it would be a "different world" and I was right! However, it sounds like a nice one. We are mainly concerned with finding a place that would be great for kids. Our youngest is 8 and the town we find would need to be good for 10 years (until she's off to college). So, schools are probably going to be most important for us.

Thanks for the information about Stowe - confirmed our guesses about living in a resort town (which would be wonderful if you were in that "stage" of your life, but we are not). Also, good to know about downtown areas (or lack thereof). We do have nice downtown areas in the suburbs, but our local downtown area is not really "usable" since it mostly antique shops. Cute to look at, but not super functional. Sounds like Burlington is worth the drive.

The biggest concern, other than schools, would be the weather. I remember in college (Waterville, ME) that we never dressed in single layers - and, once inside class, it would take about 15 minutes to shake the chill off during high winter. It appears that Burlington/Montpelier is even colder.

I suppose with skiing and hockey and ice skating, we'd find things to do during those cold months.

Thanks!

[momnh]

Winter is what you make of it. If you have the right clothes (layers), it will be fine. And even invigorating at times!

I remember before I moved here that I asked a coworker what she did with her kids during the winter (thinking she would name some big indoor play places we could check out during our recruiting visit). She answered "we put their snowsuits on them and send them out the backdoor to play and go sledding". That was a beautiful moment for me because it made me realize I had grown accustomed to a more manufactured childhood/world for my kids, rather than the one I grew up in.

[momnh]

Oh, just some school info. The Williston schools use a "house system", where grades are mixed together for 2-3 years at a time. We highly value this because it allows my son to learn with the older kids on things he is most advanced on, and be with same age or younger kids on things he needs more help with (such as social stuff). He tests 3 years ahead of his age, so in other schools there would be pressure to skip grades, but I wouldn't want him to grow up significantly younger than his classroom peers. I really value how the Williston system accomodates him without isolating him, and I value how the individual counselors and teachers are finding ways to keep him challenged.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Like I said I was just sharing a link mentioned in the Times Argus story. I wasn't really judging it. On the other thread about education I posted two links which showed Vermont lacking in some education areas.

Can't argue with your assessment tho it's better that they did well then poorly, right? I didn't make any claims, nor did the story about the quality of Vermont's education system based on the data. Just that the Vermont kids did well and they did.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as picky. My mistake. 20 lashes with a wet report card

Good news is certainly better than the opposite!

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by momnh

Winter is what you make of it. If you have the right clothes (layers), it will be fine. And even invigorating at times!

I remember before I moved here that I asked a coworker what she did with her kids during the winter (thinking she would name some big indoor play places we could check out during our recruiting visit). She answered "we put their snowsuits on them and send them out the backdoor to play and go sledding". That was a beautiful moment for me because it made me realize I had grown accustomed to a more manufactured childhood/world for my kids, rather than the one I grew up in.

The following sort of ties in with the above, high-lighted comment. My friend Andrea is involved in early childhood education and wrote about outdoor education as opposed to the conventional indoor education. I wish we had this here!

Early-Childhood Education Takes to the Outdoors | Edutopia

[LisaMc46]

Originally Posted by 4girlmom

The biggest concern, other than schools, would be the weather. I remember in college (Waterville, ME) that we never dressed in single layers - and, once inside class, it would take about 15 minutes to shake the chill off during high winter. It appears that Burlington/Montpelier is even colder.

You get used to the weather and your kids probably won't mind it at all. I live near Stowe and the kids have outdoor recess every day unless the temp dips below zero degrees.

Even when it's freezing, I have to remind my little one to zip her jacket. Both my kids will ski regardless of how cold it is. They only complain if there's sleet on the slopes as this makes skiing conditions horrible, regardless of how experienced you are.

If you're coming up, I'd advise you to check out Landsend.com for some good outerwear for the kids. Their stuff costs half as much as you'd pay in the ski shops and keeps them just as warm. Right now they have most of their ski jackets and pants on sale for 25 percent off.