Spicewood Elementary's International Baccalaureate program (Austin, Round Rock: home, middle schools, universities)

[eirenecat]

If you have or recently have had children in RRISD's Spicewood Elementary (OR Anderson Mill Elementary) in the IB program, I'd love to hear about your experiences and how you like it. I am particularly interested in how it may compare to a "regular" RRISD elementary school. The IB program seems really cool to me (I would have loved to have gone to something like that when I was a kid) but I am curious as to how it really plays out at the elementary level.

We currently have a kindergartener in Pond Springs. We are not terribly pleased with our daughter's kindergarten experience--so much so that my husband and I both agree that if this was a private preschool, we would have pulled her by now--and I am trying to determine what the cause of the issue is. Part of it is her teacher, and we realize that, but I am trying to figure out what the systemic cause of the curriculum problems are--whether it is just a Pond Springs issue, or a Round Rock ISD issue, or a RRISD non-IB school issue.

We get absolutely no communication about what is being taught in the classroom, and our daughter gets weekly homework that takes a very long time to do (multiple evenings) and which does not seem to be age-appropriate or related to what I surmise they are studying in class. We don't really know for sure what they're studying in class, because all we get is a one-page monthly summary with just a couple sentences on it. My BFF is a teacher in Leander ISD, and she and her colleagues send out a weekly email with information on what's going on in class. Our RRISD experience seems non-standard to me.

[Austin97]

just FYI my daughter is in 2nd at laurel mountain and at every grade we got weekly emails, pictures etc from the teachers.

My wife does due diligence every year to find out the best teacher for our daughter then we do some work to make sure we get the teacher that is the best fit for her.

I dont know about at the elementary level, but at the high school level our friends have said the IB kids simply do a lot more work which is hard to imagine since the kids we know already study about 3 hours minimum a day. I see it as a lot of one world international brainwashing. (world citizen type stuff)

kindergarten was basically a catch up year and we did not get any homework (even in first and barely in second).

[Idlewile]

We had children at Spicewood before moving out of state 6 months ago. We had the "veteran, A+" teachers because of how I crafted the 'note to admin to help in teacher placement' in K-1 and never had daily homework other than reading. Occasional projects with tons of notice. Weekly emails and communication from teachers, almost daily emails from administration and/or PTA. We did really like Ms. Kim -- she knew the name of EVERY child enrolled 4 weeks into the year, 750+. PTA is a well-oiled communication machine and has it down pat.

The principal at Westwood can choose wherever in RRISD she wants to send her elem child, she sent said child to Spicewood -- they do not live close by.

IB was great, and interwoven into "units of inquiry" and most often part of the social studies content. Definitely an added bonus with no additional work.

All three top RRISD elems are great in general but better on paper. If you're looking for that sort of "excellence" in rankings and scores as I was in the beginning, you will be pleased, just as you would with high schools like Westlake and Westwood and award-winning middle schools like Canyon Vista.

Having left RRISD and moved to an area with even better-rated schools but on a smaller scale, I see that many of RRISD's grading standards and, frankly, ways of doing things are simply and ONLY to secure good ratings rather than to cultivate a pupil's ability, skill or even enthusiasm for learning. Even in the RRISD TAG program... goodness, it leaves a lot to be desired but they sure like to toot their own horn regardless.

I suspect that is not unique to RRISD or Eanes but is rather a product of a big district system that has a great interest in adhering to a state's standards (which are rather questionable in TX as outlined by top educational experts) in order to receive high ratings. Case in point: grading definitions and resulting report cards and how they are actually employed are a joke.

RRISD exemplary schools were great for getting us top dollar on our home but after being elsewhere and seeing MANY and participating in an "excellent" but much different, small school system in another part of the country, I realized Spicewood, its peers and much of RRISD were only truly excellent on paper. But most folks don't have the opportunity to see and participate in the difference. And trust me, I used to sing the praises of our schools on this board before really getting in to it all... alas, viewpoints and attitudes about such things can change. YMMV though. The only thing I know for sure is parents' priorities are varied and different.

[eirenecat]

Originally Posted by Austin97

just FYI my daughter is in 2nd at laurel mountain and at every grade we got weekly emails, pictures etc from the teachers.

My wife does due diligence every year to find out the best teacher for our daughter then we do some work to make sure we get the teacher that is the best fit for her.

I dont know about at the elementary level, but at the high school level our friends have said the IB kids simply do a lot more work which is hard to imagine since the kids we know already study about 3 hours minimum a day. I see it as a lot of one world international brainwashing. (world citizen type stuff)

kindergarten was basically a catch up year and we did not get any homework (even in first and barely in second).

Thanks for this great information, Austin97! If you don't mind my asking, how does your wife insure your daughter gets the teacher you prefer? Without having a friend who teaches in the school, I am not sure how to go about doing something like that but I'd like to learn.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by eirenecat

Thanks for this great information, Austin97! If you don't mind my asking, how does your wife insure your daughter gets the teacher you prefer? Without having a friend who teaches in the school, I am not sure how to go about doing something like that but I'd like to learn.

Ah Cat....you want to learn?

Take one part the Mom on the Goldbergs & two parts the Mom on Fresh Off the Boat....and you're ready !!

A true Tiger Mom will make it happen !!

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by hound 109

Ah Cat....you want to learn?

Take one part the Mom on the Goldbergs & two parts the Mom on Fresh Off the Boat....and you're ready !!

A true Tiger Mom will make it happen !!

no joke... this is close to the truth.

participate heavily in the school, get to know the teachers and the principal. Participate in PTA and get to know the moms. Donate at the highest level to some of the fundraisers. When it comes time to fill out the "what kind of class would your child thrive in" pull in your favors to 1) find out who is the best teacher for your child 2) let the people know which teacher you want

Some teachers are duds no matter how good the school is and you just want to make sure you know who they are. Some teachers might get the ADHD and difficult kids, you want to make sure your kids are not in those classes.

[testmo]

If child will be going to a texas university or really most US universities an AP program or stream is better than IB