Skipping a grade - private school or public school (renting, elementary school)

[darkblue]

Had meeting with school director. She recommended to put my son in first grade and then in first grade plus depending on evaluation from 1st grade teacher(which is more challenging) and reviewed first grade curriculum which he already know most of it. She also told us that he received lot of accolades from his class teacher.We asked her about his maturity level and she assured that without checking/evaluating all the things, we would not recomment for skipping a grade, he will do fine.
We also talked to the coordinator at public school when we went for enrollment into kindergarten if they take him into second grade when he finishes first grade from private school. She said yes as long as the private school is accredited.
We also talked to our son. He is more excited and told he can handle it.

Does anybody know if public schools check for age when the kid leaves private school and enrolls in public school for new grade?

[michgc]

Originally Posted by darkblue

Does anybody know if public schools check for age when the kid leaves private school and enrolls in public school for new grade?

You need to provide a birth certificate when you register your child in a public school district.

[LillyJo]

Originally Posted by darkblue

Hi,

My son is currently in doing k4plus in private school in Loudoun county. He got 'A' in all the subjects. His teacher never spoke to me about his talents . But yesterday, when I went to drop him at school, his teacher started telling about him that he is way ahead of his classmates and he know times table, very good in reading and maths, she took to office to show them how fantastic he is. She told me he needs to be challenged and to have an appointment to talk to director about 1st grade curriculum.
Has anybody skipped a grade in private school in Loudoun county?
We are also thinking about skipping a grade in public school if it is offered.
If it is offered in both places, which one is better? I am unable to decide.need your suggestions.
Thank you

Don't do it. Your child should be educated with his peers, and not pushed into a higher grade with children who will not emotionally connect with him. My experience was much like Caladium's. My brother and I were always the youngest children in our grade and it was awful, particularly in middle school and high school. Academically we were fine, socially, not so much. No child, especially a boy wants to be the youngest kid in the class, and often he will be smaller too. It's a bad spot. No one wants to be without a driver's license when everyone else can drive. No 16 year old girl wants to go to Homecoming with the youngest boy in the class who will be up to two years younger than she is and everyone else since so many parents hold their kids back a year to give them every advantage. Your son won't lose his smarts because he waits a year to go to school and is educated with his peers.

A few years back the smartest kid at TJ, captain of the math and physics teams, and with perfect SAT scorses, had been held back a year as a 5 year old because of his August birthday. He too could read and multiply prior to kindergarten. He went to the GT center in 3rd grade and was always educated at his academic level, always challenged. He was also always with his peers, kids his own age. He was one of the older kids and that was never a disadvantage. No parent has ever regretted waiting a year, but many have regretted pushing their kids ahead a year.

[LillyJo]

[quote=darkblue;34521401]Had meeting with school director. She recommended to put my son in first grade and then in first grade plus depending on evaluation from 1st grade teacher(which is more challenging) and reviewed first grade curriculum which he already know most of it. She also told us that he received lot of accolades from his class teacher.We asked her about his maturity level and she assured that without checking/evaluating all the things, we would not recomment for skipping a grade, he will do fine.
We also talked to the coordinator at public school when we went for enrollment into kindergarten if they take him into second grade when he finishes first grade from private school. She said yes as long as the private school is accredited.
We also talked to our son. He is more excited and told he can handle it.

Does anybody know if public schools check for age when the kid leaves private school and enrolls in public school for new grade?[/qu

The problems aren't in first, second, or third grade. Being the youngest child in a class is a problem in 7th grade, 9th grade, 12th grade and college. I would never consult a 5 or 6 year old about something this important. He couldn't possibly foresee his future.

[michgc]

Originally Posted by LillyJo

Don't do it. Your child should be educated with his peers, and not pushed into a higher grade with children who will not emotionally connect with him. My experience was much like Caladium's. My brother and I were always the youngest children in our grade and it was awful, particularly in middle school and high school. Academically we were fine, socially, not so much. No child, especially a boy wants to be the youngest kid in the class, and often he will be smaller too. It's a bad spot. No one wants to be without a driver's license when everyone else can drive. No 16 year old girl wants to go to Homecoming with the youngest boy in the class who will be up to two years younger than she is and everyone else since so many parents hold their kids back a year to give them every advantage. Your son won't lose his smarts because he waits a year to go to school and is educated with his peers.

A few years back the smartest kid at TJ, captain of the math and physics teams, and with perfect SAT scorses, had been held back a year as a 5 year old because of his August birthday. He too could read and multiply prior to kindergarten. He went to the GT center in 3rd grade and was always educated at his academic level, always challenged. He was also always with his peers, kids his own age. He was one of the older kids and that was never a disadvantage. No parent has ever regretted waiting a year, but many have regretted pushing their kids ahead a year.

While I agree with the premise of what you wrote, to say that "No parent has ever regretted waiting a year..." is a bit of an assumption, as you cannot presume to know every parent who has held their kids back. I see that statement posted a lot, and it's just not true. I do know someone who regretted holding back her child back. I also know someone who sent both her late August birthday kids on time and after all was said and done - they are now in their 20's - the mom said if she knew now what she knew then, she would have probably held the girl back but kept the boy ahead, even though her friends were telling her to hold the boy back (the preschool teachers disagreed that he should be held back).

I spoke to the boy a couple of years ago when I was about to send my late- July boy to Kindergarten, and I asked him if he hated being the youngest kid in the class throughout his school years. He said it was absolutely no big deal and he didn't mind it at all.

[darkblue]

Thanks everybody for their responses.

I spoke to director office , Elementary education, LCPS. I explained the whole story. They said this is the first time they are encoutering this scenario. They dont have any policies about enrollment into second grade when a kid completes first garde in a private school even though he is not 7 years old. They said they will evaluate the kid but there is no gaurantee that he will be placed in second grade.
I tried to convince them by explaining the following exception. Why can't it be applicable to second grade also?.
When the private school is accredited by VCPE, then why should they evaluate him for second grade when he already completed first grade.

A child who is 5 by September 30 will be placed in first grade without a trial placement if s/he was enrolled in and has successfully completed a kindergarten program in anon-public schoolrecognized as participating in the accreditation program under the auspices of the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE). Parents must provide evidence (report card or transcript) that indicates that the child has successfully completed the kindergarten program at the non-public school.

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[greekchampion04]

Please don't ignore all of the advice in this thread. Your kid is smart, that is great. After 3rd grade, there are gifted and talented programs, honors courses, AP and IB in highschool. If the kid wants to be challenged, there is plenty there.

Putting him/her at a social disadvantage when he/she is 14-18 years old because he/she is smarter than other 5 year olds does not make much sense to me.

For what its worth, I tested into TJ when I was in 8th grade at Lake Braddock and scored high enough that I qualified. I did not want to do the extra work, and didn't particularly care that I was "smarter" than my peers. I have since graduated from College and turned out OK, despite not taking the "gifted" path.

Your 5 year old says now that he wants to skip a grade and is prepared for everything that comes with it. There is no way that he can comprehend what that decision will actually mean to him 10 years from now.

Your kid is not going to regress by being in "normal" classes until 3rd grade. Just keep him motivated and challenge him outside of school if you feel it is necessary.

[darkblue]

We joined our son in first grade . So far he is doing good. Will let you know the progress. Thanks all.

[kieplangdu]

Originally Posted by darkblue

Hi,

My son is currently in doing k4plus in private school in Loudoun county. He got 'A' in all the subjects.

Didn't know a kid who has not turned 5 years old can get 'A'. I thought letter grade only comes after the 4th grade. How do you even skip grade in preschool? This sounds more like a person with a need to tell the world that his 5 years old son is the next Einstein. Seen too many of them lately!

[kieplangdu]

Originally Posted by darkblue

We joined our son in first grade . So far he is doing good. Will let you know the progress. Thanks all.

Please do. We need to know how the next Einstein is doing.