Private Schools in Champaign / Urbana area (Chicago, Peoria: 2013, appliances, credit card)

[techInKC]

I am trying to get this info for a friend of mine, who will be moving to Champaign / Urbana from the UK and is looking for Elementary school information:

I read thro the Champaign Unit 4 School District FAQ section...

From that it appears that it is a gamble to get the school of choice.

For e.g. if my friend wants his kid to go to Barkstall Elementary, there is no guarantee he will get it, even if it is first choice and his house is directly opposite to the school!

So, he wants to know if anyone in the area can throw some light on good private schools (preferably with non-sectarian orientation, but religious orientation is fine too).

His plan is to keep private schools as a backup, in case he does not get his public school of choice.

Thanks

[linicx]

Your friend needs to understand three things. Champaign has 35,000 students and teachers. Housing availity during the school year is at a premium. She may live at a motel for 2-4 weeks, or even longer, before all the paperwork is completed and she is approved as a tenant.
Secondly, the choice of schooling may or may not include public charter or magnet schools, schools or classrooms for gifted, Autistic or challenged students - due to location and/or availability. Private schooling in any area may or may not include Montessori or church/temple/mosque religious schools depending upon the area and availability of said schools. Homeschoolearning is also a viable option for your friend in most states.

Third, Illinois is an agriculture and livestock export state. What this means is your friend will share the state with 78,000 farmers who grow corn and soybeans. Nearly every town in Illinois is surrounded by corn, beans and cattle. Champaign is no different. Farming states generally share certain traits: crops, weather, John Deere and one large metro (population exceeds 1 M) plus 3-5 urban-rural-areas where community population is 150,000 residents or smaller. Urban-rural- areas in Illinois (not including Chicago suburbs or other states attacbed to the Chicagoland MSA), are generally thought to be Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign. Collectively, when the population of the quadrangle area is combined these cities, each seperated from its closest neighbor by 45 or more miles of corn and beans, contain one million or more residents.

The good news is within this area is 6 malls two dozen or more shopping centers, three zoological parks, world class entertainment, river cruises, top rated schools, great lakes and rivers, two large metropolican areas, and hundreds of miles of beautiful scenery that is not corn, beans, cows, hogs, or sheep.

Truthfullt\y, the only place your firend will find the private English school is in Chicago. It is also the nearest area where she will find ex-pats, food and clothing that is familiar. Moving to Champaign and getting her children ready to attend an American school will be a culture shock unless she lives on a farm in rural England. The good news is it is very easy to grab a train or plane to Chicago or St. Louis for a weekend. I believe it is the Champaign highschool that has Lacrosse and Soccer teams.

[techInKC]

Thanks, linicx. I have forwarded your insights to my friend. It is going to be a little different moving from the UK, but I dont think they can send their kid to Chicago, since it is far. They will have to settle down to schooling their kid in U/C. : ) cannot wait to hear their comments once they move in!

[linicx]

I can guarantee the first few comments will be frustration. I can't find....; I don't know where.....I can't believe I .... . ! Champaign is not London, but she will find her way around in a short time.

A quick driving course would be the most beneficial thing she does. If you want to help, send her an IL Rules of the Road book (for drivers) and a map of Champaign. She'll probably have to take the driving and written test to get a license. . And we have some new driving laws she really needs to know because they carry stiff penalties. The first infraction is $150 US. The second is $500 US and you lose your drivers license for a year.

The biggest change is cell phones. No talk/text in any school zone 7-5 M-F during school year except during legal holidays and other school closings. This applies to any school in any county in the State of Illinois. No talk/text in any construction areas.

Scott's Law is one of the most hated laws in the state. Do not pass in the lane NEXT to any parked emergency vehicle: police, fire, ambulance or any other vehicle involved in an emergency situation. here's the catch. Emergency vehicles are not required to engage emergency lights .

The correct procedure is to move safely to the next or farthest lane away from the emergency vehicle as sson as possible, and if you cannot, pull off the road and wait until you can safely merge into another lane. .Use common sense. On a two lane road slow down and move into the oncoming traffic lane to pass safely as soon as possible. I've heard a violation of this law can cost $1000 or more, but I do not know if this is true or not.

Scott's Law is applied liberally on the major routes around the Urbana -Champaign area.

[zclipse]

Which is a better private school in Champaign (relatively)? Countryside or Next Generation?
Anyone in this forum have feedback?

[madpaddy]

Good non-denominational Christian school in Champaign: www.judah.org

Fast-growing school with a good reputation: www.nextgenerationschool.com

Don't know much about this one: www.countrysideschool.org

EDIT-Sorry about the links. There's some sort of software/user incompatibilty issue going on.

[zclipse]

Originally Posted by madpaddy

Good non-denominational Christian school in Champaign: www.judah.org

Fast-growing school with a good reputation: www.nextgenerationschool.com

Don't know much about this one: www.countrysideschool.org

EDIT-Sorry about the links. There's some sort of software/user incompatibilty issue going on.

Thanks for the info, madpaddy.

[R S Graham]

I am writing on behalf of a married couple with 3 children. They are Brazilians and both are PhD's, one in biochemical engineering and the other in genetics. They are involved with research at the University of São Paulo. They have invitations to collaborate at UICU during Jan-Jul 2013. They also have 3 boys, ages 8, 10 and 13, who they want to bring with them for their stay. They seek school accomodations for their children beginning in Jan 2013. Structured social interaction and simple, basic educational courses are desired, not just baby-sitting.

Although it will be for a short time, what opportunities, if any, exist in the C/U area exist for at least one semester of schooling for 3 Brasilian students/family in this situation?
They realize that documentation, i.e. medical records, etc will be required.

Their research grants are finalizing, and they are now trying to make arrangements for the temporary schooling of their children. In addition to their academic positions, both parents speak English and are also experienced international travelers, including trips to the USA.

I am an American friend of the family who currently resides in Brazil, and I am helping them with the ground work to formulate their plans. Any advice and all references will be greatly appreciated. Time is of the essence.

Thank you.

[linicx]

What a wonderful opportunity for the children. Do they speak and understand English? If not they will be in a ESL class (English as a Second Language)

Generally speaking Illinois kids in Kindergarten thru 8th grade get a good basic education. High school can be tricky. The oldest child may be in high school. They will all need physicals, eye exams and current shots. Where they go to school depends upon where they live. I will call the University Monday and see what kind of accommodations they might have for your visiting doctors. The school has some amazing resources they can tap. I will also inquire as to what or if this family needs to do anything in Illinois prior to arrival.

I was just thinking it will be a wonderful opportunity for their classmates to hear and learn a few words or short phrases in Portuguese.

[linicx]

The most direct flight is from Brazil to St. Louis. Deplane collect luggage and then board a short flight to Champaign. In St. Louis it will be cold enough to nail jello to a tree in January. It will colder in Champaign as it is ENE of St. Louis.

I cannot stress this enough! It is possible to have sub-zero temperatures and an even colder wind chill in early January. Plus the humidity will make the air feel even coolder and more miserable. Cover: hands, head, feet, and face with something like snow mask, gloves, and boots made for walking on ice and snow. My friends in NZ do never see snow on ground level, and they swim in their pool on Christmas Day. I assume Brazil has similar winter weather

There are two basic forms of transportation between St. Louis and Champaign. Air and train. American Airlines owns the short flights in the area. It is a 143 miles between St. Louis and Champaign. The discounted family package is $500 per person plus tax. Regular fare is $1530 with tax per person.

Amtrak has two daily C-U stops. [1] LV: 7:55am; AR: 11:am. [2] LV 2m; AR: 6pm. $108 per person plus tax. The third option is car. Travel time is 3 hours. Winter days are long in Central Illinois. It is dark by 4:30pm. In America what we call rush hour traffic is 6:00am - 9:00am, and 3:00pm -6:00pm. I do not advocate learning how to drive in rush hour traffic at night in any large metro area.
What I suggest - if it is at all possible - is to stay overnight in St. Louis, enjoy a nice meal and catch the train... for the kids.

Here is some things they need: Passport, driver's license, state ID(?), birth certificates, medical records, plus school records for the children. If they have a pocket medical ID, it would not hurt to carry it, plus letters from the school. It may be overkill; I do not know. All records should be in their control at all times. Luggage gets lost; be sure to lock it. Laptops should stay with them, too.

iPad, iPhones, small appliances will not work in U.S. I believe they can go to the Apple store and get "loaners" while they are in the U.S; I will check on it. There is an Apple store in St. Louis. Otherwise a no-contract, throw away phones from Walmart will work fine. Small appliances like hair dryers, chargers, ect., will need a DC/AC converter. I cannot say whether or not a non-US phone charger will work in the average american car; I will check on it.

American kitchens are different too. There is no Mark 3. The oven temperature is marked in degrees such as 335, 350, 375, 400. Generally it is between 225/225 (tepid) and 550 (very serious burn). She may want to bring oven mitts.

US air luggage limit: 50 pounds per person (free). No need to bring much summer clothing or shoes. T-shirts, jeans, a pair of shorts. School term ends Mid-May. Normally it is cool through April.

Illinois has some stringent driving rules concerning speeding, texting and passing stopped Emergency vehicles (Scott's Law). Here is the IL Rules of the Road on line. http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/pu...s/dsd_a112.pdf
If they are going to drive in Illinois they need to know how to do it safely. The Right lane (curb side) is not usually incorrect.

Music and food will very different. She should probably bring native spices they use. Mexican and Italian, and olive oils are common in Central Illinois. It is perhaps possible to find something from Brazil in Chicago. It is a question as to whether or not they will find Salsa (music/dance) in Central Illinois, but nothing in Illinois is impossible. Generally speaking if you can't eat it, wear it,see it, listen to it, find it, or order it in Chicago, "IT" either does not exist, or it is not an import product. They can hop on a train in CU and be in Chicago within 5 hours. International shipping is usually expensive.

To avoid a lot of grief they will probably need to open a local checking account. The University may have a Credit Union. I would advise using it. Our credit union issues a free Visa debit card that can be used the same as a credit card anywhere in the world. Traveler's Checks used to be the defacto standard.. until thieves learned how to make precise forgeries. Bank Draft yes, but it needs to be under strict control too.

It is possible your friends will be in a motel in CU while they find a place; I will check that too.

If they have questions be sure to ask!

Originally Posted by R S Graham

I am writing on behalf of a married couple with 3 children. They are Brazilians and both are PhD's, one in biochemical engineering and the other in genetics. .