Kanawha - Holz, Kenna or Overbrook??? Help! (Charleston, Elizabeth: neighborhoods, elementary schools)

[sat832]

Hello,

I'd like to get some advice on three elementary schools in Kanawha county. We are relocating and have narrowed our search. Our children need to have accelerated learning opportunities (GT programs.)

These three schools seem to be the most "GT heavy" in the area and would offer the more challenging coursework.

I'm wondering more about the neighborhoods around each area.
Which attendance area would be most preferred for a young family (kids currently ages 4 - 9.)
Experiences in these schools?
Which might be best for GT offerings? I think Holz has the most GT classroom time but I'm still doing some research.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Almost Heaven WV girl]

What is GT heavy? All three of those schools you mentioned are excellent schools with consistently high test scores.

[sat832]

Our kids have been in a full time gifted/talented (GT) program for several years now. They work 2 - 4 years above level in their regular grade. So to go back to regular classroom is going to be tough. We need to find a school that still pulls them out as much as possible to do above level work. The three in the South Hills seem to offer a decent amount of services.

Our oldest spent a few years in a regular classroom before finding the current program. It was very hard for him to manage if he wasn't given challenging above level work, so it's really important that we find something that works. He had anxiety issues, sleep, etc. until we got him the fit we needed. He tends to need other kids working at his advanced level to relate to socially.

Leaving a school program that is working so well is hard to do but we really want to make this move.

[bballjunkie]

No school system in WV has a full-time gifted classroom placement that I have ever heard.

You need to call the program coordinator of gifted ed at the Kanawha County Schools office.

[SIZE=5]Kanawha County Schools
[/SIZE]200 Elizabeth Street
Charleston, WV 25311
Telephone: 304-348-7770
Webpage: http://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/

The three schools you mentioned will have a concentration of GT but I believe the programs are only like one day a week but I am not positive.

Another option is to "gather" your child's records and go meet with the principals and see what they have to say.

[Almost Heaven WV girl]

bballjunkie is correct. No Kanawha County Schools have fulltime gifted classrooms.

[sat832]

Yes, we have found that to be the case. However there are schools in the south hills that offer more than just one day a week enrichment pull outs so that's why we are focused there. These schools have a higher concentration of GT students so that's probably a better fit.