Me again - St. Michaels School? (Lexington, Providence: home, transfer, neighborhood)

[goldenmom7500]

Hi,

Someone at my book group just suggested I switch my daughter to St. Michael's School for the rest of kindergarten and then proceed to the school in our district. [I am on such a rollercoaster - yesterday was wonderful and I thought - "maybe I should just stay here for all of her elementary" - then today was maybe worse than my last bad experience. I'm so low I don't know that I can even say what happened.]

Has anyone heard of this school? This suddenly makes sense since next year we could just start at Garden Springs.

[I feel so badly saying this because the principal has been so wonderful, and I have been volunteering, almost full-time, in two locations of the school and feeling so good about things, and then there is my Girl Scout troop, but ... I don't know ... too many negative forces outweighing the exceptional positive forces, or force, or whatever and it just doesn't make sense that I should be trying so hard to "help" this school - ].

One of my 3 lowest days since moving here - and there have been a *lot* of great days.

[teebird1012]

Originally Posted by goldenmom7500

Hi,

Someone at my book group just suggested I switch my daughter to St. Michael's School for the rest of kindergarten and then proceed to the school in our district. [I am on such a rollercoaster - yesterday was wonderful and I thought - "maybe I should just stay here for all of her elementary" - then today was maybe worse than my last bad experience. I'm so low I don't know that I can even say what happened.]

Has anyone heard of this school? This suddenly makes sense since next year we could just start at Garden Springs.

[I feel so badly saying this because the principal has been so wonderful, and I have been volunteering, almost full-time, in two locations of the school and feeling so good about things, and then there is my Girl Scout troop, but ... I don't know ... too many negative forces outweighing the exceptional positive forces, or force, or whatever and it just doesn't make sense that I should be trying so hard to "help" this school - ].

One of my 3 lowest days since moving here - and there have been a *lot* of great days.

Having lived in Lexington all of my life, I have never heard of St. Michael's. My guess is that it's a Catholic school similar to Sts. Peter and Paul downtown. I would just stay where you are through kindergarten if you've had such a good experience there and then switch next year. There's no use in putting more stress on yourself than you already have.

[lexingtongal]

It's actually Episcopalean (sp?). It's in Zandale. I have heard many good things about it. One of my neighbors has sent all 3 of her sons there and she raves about their curriculum.
My only word of caution would be to compare the curriculum against Fayette County Public Schools to make sure they are comparable. Our son went to kindergarten in a montessori school and missed out on a lot. There is a definite path from year to year in the public schools and if your child misses out on a step it can be difficult to catch up.

[goldenmom7500]

Thanks both, the director is calling me back in a few minutes. teebird, it's just preschool and kindergarten, which might be why you haven't heard about it. My neighbors did say something about how "it counts" as kindergarten in Fayette County, but the point about the actual curriculum is well taken.

Disaster at current school. It got worse today. I was getting hugs from two former PTA presidents who were volunteering with me today, so at least so far I seem to have some support as far as what happened.

[nlschr0]

Ugh - sorry you had more bad things to deal with! Is it anything that can be "fixed"? If not, I would consider transferring.

That is a good point about the Montessori program vs standard curriculum. In fact, I know that when Fayette Co offers Montessori Kindergarten classes, those kids often enter "regular" first grade without the same skill set as their peers. I've seen some wonderful Montessori programs, but in my experience it seems like a child either has to do it only for preschool, or commit to doing it at least several years in the elementary setting because the learning experience is so different than standard classrooms.

However, I would think that if the curriculum is not specialized like Montessori, then you would probably be ok in a private K program. Most expectations for entering KY 1st grade classrooms (solid counting, some CVC sight word vocabulary, etc) are pretty common and easy to find out.

[goldenmom7500]

thanks, great, great info ... my daughter has a late birthday and so is already in her second year of kindergarten (last year, private, back in VA, in the basement of a church) ... so I think she will be OK academically no matter what.

I don't know if I can or should go into this. Sigh.

As many of you know, my daughter is at a school that is not filled with rich kids. Somewhere between 75-85% are on free or reduced lunch. It's now down to a 2 on greatschools and is 532 out of 688 elementary schools in KY on schooldigger.

The school has quite poor parental involvement, but there is a handful of parents (myself by all accounts at or near the top) who are very involved. We all know each other. It is a small group.

After a blow up a couple of months ago, I had a great conversation with the principal (who is wonderful) who seemed to treasure the parents who are very involved. Then he asked me, through my daughter's teacher, to help in the library, so I am there for some time most days. Love it.

I am also, well, very, very good with kids - that sounds stupid, but it's true. I am very good at relating to a crying child, getting a shy child to speak, or whatever. I missed my calling as a preschool teacher or pediatrician. So ... since they pretty much all know me, every time I enter a room, they go nuts. They reach out their arms to hug me, they call my name, etc. I try to keep this from getting distracting - like, if I walk into a room and they start up, I give them hand signals to stay in their seats. But they all want hugs, and this small group of involved moms seems to feel that these are kids who can use all of the hugs they can get. (I verified this today, this hugging policy). When appropriate, I let them do these huge bear hugs, with a dozen kids around me, or maybe hug a kid passing in the hallway, or saying good-bye. They reach out their arms to me ...

Sob. So here goes.

Yesterday, a teacher I had never met (but at the same grade grouping as my daughter, K-1) called me out of the library and into the hallway to tell me to stay away from her class. She said I wasn't showing "boundaries" and "who was I anyhow?" etc. [I mean, I may not be employed by the school, but I registered as a volunteer, did the background check, sign in, wear a nametag, was asked by the principal to be there, etc., etc.]

Then last night I was at my neighborhood book group and my daughter blurts out that her teacher said (that day, same day as this other confrontation) that they would get a [school specific prize] if they didn't hug me. I said "why don't they want you to hug me?" and she said "so we can get this [prize]". [My book group - very tough, affluent, smart women told me - don't walk, run out of that school].

I thought it had to do with distraction. Like, if they are in a line and run to hug me, they are out of line. But then today they all told me that they were told they can't hug me any more. Apparently my daughter's teacher stood in front of the class to say that the kids can't hug me (by name!). And then it was in the context of "you can hug teachers, but not parents". [And there is no way this didn't have something to do with the other teacher, since they are all K-1 teachers and it was the same day].

So all of my PTA friends (including 2 past PTA presidents) just went completely nuts when they heard this. I told them absolutely every detail to be sure I wasn't sparing something horrible I might have done, and they just went ballistic. [The moms sent me home because I was crying ... they told me to talk to the principal when I had re-grouped; we do not know where the principal stands on this, if he knows about it, endorsed it, etc. Everyone doubts it ...].

I mean, this is not a nurturing school. The principal is warm and caring and nurturing, but the full picture is not nurturing, not at all. Not at all! And I did want to change that tone. I admit this.

Also, and I don't know how to say this ... but hey, I am a highly educated, affluent woman. I know these teachers resent me, even though I have been nothing but warm and generous and helpful. I am not ostentatious, but I went all out for our class party (yes, I'm the room parent) - in a completely home-made, appropriate way, and was the biggest buyer at the book fair. I now there is a clash of sorts, but I promise I am anything but a jerk. If my daughter's teacher asks for a book donation, I bring it. Stuff like that.

In any case, the real question is "what is best for my child?" But does anyone think this is the best thing? Really?

Please be honest, even if you disagree with me. It really can't get any worse than it is right now, no matter what you might say.

[teebird1012]

Wow I didn't realize it had gotten this far... I'm so sorry. Maybe you should check into St. Michael's. Are you just limited to public schools? Reason I ask is maybe you could look into LCA or Sayre for elementary school.

[goldenmom7500]

OK, what is LCA? And who would take us at this time of year? Providence was willing to take us a month ago, but now?

And I have no clue about switching to another public school. I received a letter from the school board a couple of weeks ago saying that we were still on the waiting list for Garden Springs for this year (I actually didn't realize we were on a waiting list). For next year there shouldn't be any problem going there. My best bet is probably just a preschool-kindergarten program, since those can't be that hard to get into and they won't mind the fact that we're [probably] off to Garden Springs next year.

But *would* Sayre take us right now, now meaning December?

OK, Lexington Christian Academy, it just came to me.

[goldenmom7500]

your location now says you are heading to Sudbury - what's the status?

[teebird1012]

It's still not yet set in stone, but I went ahead and put it in my location (just to get used to the idea more or less)...

Sayre takes students practically anytime of year. A friend of mine from Korea came in January of my 8th grade year, so I would think you would have no problems. There is an admissions process and everything is outlined on Sayre. Almost every week of the school year I see parents and prospective students touring campus. I'm sure LCA is pretty similar. Here is Sayre tuition for this year (ALL classes pre-k - 12 are full day):
Tuition

Academic Year 2007-2008


Montessori (3, 4 year old)

$7,000

Montessori (5 year old) Full Day Program

$10,700

Pre-K (3 year old)

$7,000

Pre-K (4 year old)

$7,000

Kindergarten (5 year old) Full Day Program

$10,700

Lower School (1-5)

$14,000

Middle School (6-8)

$15,000

Upper School (9)

$15,000

Upper School (10-12)

$16,000