Memorial Drive Elementary, Grace School or ROBS? (Houston, Bellaire: apartments, house)

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by Memorialmaven

Ah, ok. Now I get you! Glad I asked. He won't be a legacy, as neither of us (ie parents) are from here. He's not a minority. He's highly gifted in the arts, and is (obviously) not from a lower income bracket. So it sounds like the best we can do is keep him on a very academically strong school track (which is where my original post comes into play), keep those grades up, continue to push his well roundedness in the arts and athletics, and pray...does that sort of sum it up?

Yup. Pray, pray hard lol. Also, Kinkaid has great summer programs. Enroll him. He will get to know teachers and the school. More importantly, they will learn about him.

I think you'd be fine with Memorial Elem. honestly. You could try each year for an opening at Kinkaid.

[notready]

ROBS

Hate to disagree but I doubt you will be happy with the level of academics at MDE. GT services are one fun day of pull out and 4 days of regular classwork, say some prayers for teachers who can and will differentiate. Be prepared to supplement or find enrichment elsewhere. Is he sporty? It can be a tight crowd, are you friends with kids and neighbors his age at MDE? How do you feel about SBMS? If you can't get a spot at Kinkaid for middle, what is the backup plan? ROBS at least gives you until HS to have make a school jump.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by notready

ROBS

Hate to disagree but I doubt you will be happy with the level of academics at MDE. GT services are one fun day of pull out and 4 days of regular classwork, say some prayers for teachers who can and will differentiate. Be prepared to supplement or find enrichment elsewhere. Is he sporty? It can be a tight crowd, are you friends with kids and neighbors his age at MDE? How do you feel about SBMS? If you can't get a spot at Kinkaid for middle, what is the backup plan? ROBS at least gives you until HS to have make a school jump.

Do you think GT services should be five days of GT classwork or at least two days?

[notready]

They should be getting appropriate material every day, I don't think it has to be called GT class, but don't think it happens otherwise. I do not understand the SBISD elementary GT model. If the GT kids can miss an entire day a week and not be behind or miss essential information, what does it say about what happens each day? How many days could they miss before it mattered? How can they need 'special' curriculum only one day a week?Spiral activities are completely separate but assume intended to help them be ready for advanced curriculum in middle school. I don't think that can happen in a meaningful way in subjects such as math, and have heard of many kids who don't make the transition to MS GT math, which is really just skipping a year of pre-AP.

OP: I would try to get very comfortable with the regular curriculum, that is what your child will be exposed to 80% of the time.

[marksmu]

Seriously, I applaud all of you parents for your involvement, but this has really gotten out of hand. If you are worried at the elementary school level that your child may not be getting the most challenging education available, or that your choice may effect their HIGH SCHOOL something is wrong. Kids need to be kids. Let them play.

I've got 2 kids, we are zoned to Bunker Hill, Memorial, Memorial, and I am not in the least bit concerned about them getting into the best of the best private schools. I went to college with kids from every single private school in Houston, knew every single one of them, yes they were slightly more prepared for college than other kids, but the difference ended there. All that preparation, and few of these kids chose majors that would get them anywhere in life that their parents did not already have them set up for. I think I knew one kid who went all private and chose an engineering degree....one. So all that pushing and forced AP classes to set them up for a BA degree? Does not make sense.

I understand college admissions have gotten ridiculous, but it seems to me too many parents are pushing for the best schools and the most challenging curriculum, and not really letting their kids enjoy their childhood years. You must excel at everything school, then you must be a leader at your church, you must do 20 hours community service/month, you must be an outstanding soccer/lacrosse player, you must be musically talented, you must speak English, Spanish, and Mandarin chinese...and you must do these things before you are 17....its really gotten out of hand.

These kids need to be outside, hunting/fishing, camping, enjoying life....learning by doing, building things, tree houses, forts, whatever it is you can do for them. If we take it all away from them now and push them this hard this early, all they have to look forward to is a lifetime of more work....what is the point?

Personally, I think your kids will be fine at any of the schools you have talked about. MDE is excellent. Do not let the ones who are in private make you think that just b/c their school is "better" that they are getting a better education. There are plenty of slackers at St. Johns, and Kinkaid. I think if your kids want to do the more challenging curriculum, let them - even push them, but dont steal their childhood. Let them play and have fun too b/c I assure you that so long as you are an involved parent and you dont let them trip up, they will succeed.

[jerbear30]

MDE is a good school, but it does not have the kind of academic rigor I was hoping for when I moved to the area to send my son to school there. My son now attends (horror of horrors) Spring Branch Middle school and frankly I don't see that much of a difference between MDE and the middle school in terms of overall quality of education. If anything, Spring Branch Middle is a least more diverse. At MDE, if you are not white and rich, you are a bit of an oddball demographically (more than once my Mexican wife was mistaken for a maid there by other parents, lol). So to the poster's point, I think you'd be better off in private school if you can do it.

[Memorialmaven]

And thanks again for the replies and advice. Much appreciated!

[texasroots77]

If you can afford it I would not turn down ROBS. Sure many families live inside the loop but many also live in the memorial/galleria area as well. It is an outstanding school, goes through middle and has a strong reputation for placing kids into excellent HS (Kinkaid and SJS).

[Memorialmaven]

My husband and I have talked and talked and prayed and talked some more, and we have concluded that MDE is looking like the right choice for us right now. Our son is bright, and he'll still be bright no matter where he goes to school, he's already got friends in the neighborhood who attend MDE, and it gives us financial and family schedule breathing room...seems like the best option for all involved at this ten seconds. Hate to turn down ROBS as it is excellent and know not super easy to get into, but I think we're with easilyamused and marksmu...it will all work out as it should. Don't need to know the end of the story right now, this is just one chapter. Thanks again to everyone for all of the great perspectives - really helped my husband and I in discussion and evaluation...

[texasroots77]

MemorialMaven ultimately only you know what is best for your family :-) Best of Luck at MDE