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CMSVMom, thanks for sharing a good insight about the financial aid offered by the private schools. I did reach out to few Private schools in my area and they have advised me to submit the application, after reviewing the details they will be getting back to me.
Also based on the brookdaleresident's advise I contacted Bergen Arts and Science Charter school, Garfield, New Jersey, they have designed special ciriculum for gifted childrens concentrating on maths & science from early stage. I will be visiting this school to learn more about what they offer. They also informed me that this is a public school and other city residents can also apply. Their enrollment for 2008-2009 Kindergarten will be starting from Dec 3 2007. Thanks for the advise.
Hi Somk. I am so glad to see your message since we have the same exact situation with our daughter. She was born Oct. 2, 2003 and is in pre k this year and is soooo ready for Kindergarten. The only problem is our town told us there are no exceptions what so ever to the Oct. 1, 2003 deadline. We live in Westwood. The only way to not miss "one year" of the child's education according to our town is to send the child to an accredited kindergarten. The town of Westwood would be willing to test for first grade. You mentioned there was a child you knew of in Westwood that missed the cutoff date and was granted permission for kindergarten. Do you know this for sure; if so could you share with us how they were able to pursuade the town to let he/she in.
I live in NY and had a similar situation with my daughter (who is now 16). In Long Island, some towns allowed children born through December 31 into school and others only through December 1 (including the one where I was then living). She was born on the 20th. The five boroughs of NYC accept children born through December 31. Since I lived closed to the outer border of NYC borough of Queens, I enrolled her in a Catholic school there for kindergarten and first grade. I then transferred her into the public school in LI (with the December 1 cutoff date) for 2nd grade and had no problem.
Another option is to find a private early childhood school in your area and see if you can enroll your son there for kindergarten and 1st grade. There is usually no problem transferring the child into the public school system once they have completed first grade.
It would have been a serious waste of time for my daughter to do an extra year of pre-K. In her case, even though she started early, she has always been very successful in school. Now she's a high school junior and has already earned 21 college credits through A.P. and college courses given at her HS.
I wouldn't waste any more time discussing your son's case with the superintendent or school board. These officials are notoriously unaccommodating with such requests. Focus on crafting a personal solution for your son and your family.
Good luck.
Try a Montesorri kindergarten or check the cut off date at the local catholic school kindergarten
My daughter was in the same boat 2 years ago..being as she would of had to continue to pay for day care anyway she sent my grandson to Montessori kindergarten
CMSVMom, thanks for sharing a good insight about the financial aid offered by the private schools. I did reach out to few Private schools in my area and they have advised me to submit the application, after reviewing the details they will be getting back to me.
Also based on the brookdaleresident's advise I contacted Bergen Arts and Science Charter school, Garfield, New Jersey, they have designed special ciriculum for gifted childrens concentrating on maths & science from early stage. I will be visiting this school to learn more about what they offer. They also informed me that this is a public school and other city residents can also apply. Their enrollment for 2008-2009 Kindergarten will be starting from Dec 3 2007. Thanks for the advise.
We took our son out of the charter school because they did not have the programs for gifted that they promised. In fact, they don't even have enough books for all of the students and completely ignored the fact that our son was bored with what they offered. Maybe in a few years, if they survive, they will be able to provide what they promote - but they don't have it now. We have put our son in private school and we (and he) are much happier. We're broke, but happier.
Hi Somk. I am so glad to see your message since we have the same exact situation with our daughter. She was born Oct. 2, 2003 and is in pre k this year and is soooo ready for Kindergarten. The only problem is our town told us there are no exceptions what so ever to the Oct. 1, 2003 deadline. We live in Westwood. The only way to not miss "one year" of the child's education according to our town is to send the child to an accredited kindergarten. The town of Westwood would be willing to test for first grade. You mentioned there was a child you knew of in Westwood that missed the cutoff date and was granted permission for kindergarten. Do you know this for sure; if so could you share with us how they were able to pursuade the town to let he/she in.
Thanks and Regards,
Carrie
Thanks for sharing this information. I guess you got it right, I double checked with the parents who joined their kid in westwood. They confirmed that it was was 1st grade. Their daugher had completed accredited kindergarten. When they wanted the admission for 1st grade in the westwood school, she was asked given test and interview and was able to join first grade in westwood school missing the cut off date.
I sincerely thank everyone for your time in reply to my post.
I checked some of the schools in Fair Lawn, St.Anne Catholic school & in Lodi - Bergen Charter School of Arts and Science. They are very strict about the cut off dates, no exception.
Can any one share any information on any private schools in bergen county and the fees structures for Kindergarten and 1st Grade?
I wish you luck in making the right move. Your post caught my eye because I've got boy-girl twins born 3 days after your son. They're in full-day pre-K in a public school in Brooklyn. And while I was concerned they might be the runts of the class, in fact, there are 5 or 6 kids even younger. In NYC, Dec. 31 is the cutoff, so I suppose you could move here, to any of the 5 boros.
They seem to like it and are doing well, though my daughter is a bit ahead of my son ... but I think he's getting plenty out of it. I truly dislike this fad of holding kids back ... but maybe that's because I was a December baby and though always among the youngest, I didn't have any problem keeping up. That was in Englewood back in the 60s and 70s, but I guess the rules of the game have changed. Still, socially, another year might've made me less of a geek!
I wish you luck in making the right move. Your post caught my eye because I've got boy-girl twins born 3 days after your son. They're in full-day pre-K in a public school in Brooklyn. And while I was concerned they might be the runts of the class, in fact, there are 5 or 6 kids even younger. In NYC, Dec. 31 is the cutoff, so I suppose you could move here, to any of the 5 boros.
They seem to like it and are doing well, though my daughter is a bit ahead of my son ... but I think he's getting plenty out of it. I truly dislike this fad of holding kids back ... but maybe that's because I was a December baby and though always among the youngest, I didn't have any problem keeping up. That was in Englewood back in the 60s and 70s, but I guess the rules of the game have changed. Still, socially, another year might've made me less of a geek!
kaith talent,
Thanks for sharing your thought. I agree with you, if my son was born 3 months after the cutoff date, I would have considered him for the kindergarten next year. 5 days shouldn't matter. As you suggested I wish I could have moved, unfortunately the house sales are down this year and I couldn't manage to make that move this year.
I guess the only option is to go for catholic public school for kindergarten and 1st grade and then 2nd grade shouldn't be a problem as I see in the discussion. I will post what I find with the public schools I am contacting now, if any one has some insight on the tution fees that would be helpful for me at this time.
My daughter turned 5 on her first day of Kindergarten - and let me tell you - If I had known then what I know now - I would have held her back a year. The problem isn't academic - she is now a freshman in high school - gets straight A's etc etc.....the problem is socially and emotionally - If you can put him in a preschool for 1 more year I would. I would not press this issue. It will a lot easier for him to be one of the older ones rather then one of the younger ones. A couple of months can make all the difference.
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kindergarten problem
