[netdragon]

I am willing to consider that. I actually discussed this on a different thread (taking your perspective) and it's hard to separate what is a result of more active parenting in Glastonbury and what's truly a result of the educational opportunities the schools present, along with what influence more high-achieving peers can provide. Some students can also excel at any school regardless of peers.

Also, based on what I've been told recently by people that still live in Glastonbury and still have kids in school, Glastonbury's school system has declined a little since I went there and is constantly dealing with overcrowding, again! It's crazy how many times the schools have been added onto. I haven't heard any updates since the high school and Hebron Ave School were enlarged, or the new elementary school was built in South Glastonbury. Did that help overcrowding?

By the way, how are Hebron and Bolton? My mother is raising my younger sister in Coventry and is disappointed by the educational system there, however Coventry has this program where students can take classes at Uconn and that's what my sister did.

[Srib]

agreed! JayCT usually has good info on schools so he may reply, but I think Bolton and Hebron have fine schools, but will probably not be too different from coventry. Smaller district, less $$$, less options, etc....

[CTlibrarian]

Originally Posted by Srib

how about you move where ever you feel comfortable? Your kids will do fine if you are a good parent. All this bull about living in the best school district is ridiculous and all it leads to is more and more people living beyond their means to try to meet some standard people set of whats the best. as you can see from these posts everyone has their own ideas of what the 'best' is. give me a break!

Welllll... I see your point, but I'm not sure I agree. Case in point: A coworker of mine sent her oldest child (let's call her Mary) to Danbury public school for elementary school. Because the teacher had to spend most of his/her time trying to communicate with students who did not speak English, The pace of the curriculum was agonizingly slow. Mary was ignored for most of the day... finished her work quickly and sat at her desk bored. kily, Mary is also a quiet, well-behaved child who simply sat at her desk. She could easily have become one of those bored kids who starts causing trouble. FWIW, my coworker moved to a "better" school district.

My nephew, a gifted child, is in a rural district in Eastern CT where language is not an issue, and test scores are good. But there are no programs for gifted students, and the teacher was unable or unwilling (I'm not sure which) to find enough extra work to keep him busy all day. He got bored and started to develop behavior problems in the classroom that spilled into home life.

Maybe I'm naive since my child is still a preschooler, but it seems to me that a "better" district would have resources to allow teachers to address the needs of all the children in their classrooms. Is it silly to expect that? I plan on being a "good parent" and an involved one, but I can't provide all the subject instruction my child will need.

I currently live in an urban district where test scores are horribly low and there is a large non-English speaking population. Before I was a parent I thought that the diversity in the schools would be a good thing, but I have changed my mind. Ethnic diversity is one thing, if all the parents value education. But when a large portion of students come from homes where education is not valued, and certain standards of behavior are not upheld, it spills into the classroom and creates an environment where learning is difficult and no amount of "good parenting" can compensate. At least that is how I feel at the moment, and plan to move to a better district before my child starts school.

[DebbieF]

How about South Windsor High? I graduated from there in the 70's.

[vvolin]

Thank you, Jay, I will explore your suggestions. Meanwhile, back in September I started a writing group at Nayaug school together with my daughter's teacher. It involves 10 5th graders and the idea was to offer some extra opportunities much like the Pace program does for math. Still, it is not enough and I will definitely look into the giddeon welles and MCC programs you mentioned.

[Srib]

Originally Posted by CTlibrarian

Maybe I'm naive since my child is still a preschooler, but it seems to me that a "better" district would have resources to allow teachers to address the needs of all the children in their classrooms. Is it silly to expect that? I plan on being a "good parent" and an involved one, but I can't provide all the subject instruction my child will need.

Sorry to say, but you are naive to think that the "better" school district will have ALL the resources. No school district can have it all and it is rather silly to expect that. If you read back through the thread you will see that even some of CT's premier school districts don't have it all.

[speedy214]

I'm from Hartford Ct. I left in 91 and have gone back a number of times since then. I beleive my last real vist was between 97- 99. The reason I'm not sure is because it was so painful to see how much my neighboorhood had changed. Unfortunally, I had to return in 2006, my mom passed away. Not only was I in such pain from the lose of my mom.......but to also see the lose of my neighborhood too. I now live in Indianapolis Indiana and have been here since 91. It has been a real challenge for me in so many ways.....but I would never choose to be anywhere else but here. I have gone through a lot.......and the only place I call home is INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA with pride. Even though I still refuse to say POP!

[4 girls]

Does South Windsor have all the activities for children like organized sports, advanced placement classes in HS, etc?

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by 4 girls

Does South Windsor have all the activities for children like organized sports, advanced placement classes in HS, etc?

South Windsor offers all these programs.

[kampoverj]

Tolland also is a great town with a lot of charm and a great school system.

If you find yourself looking for things to do with the kids check out this website: My Connecticut Kids