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Hello all, as we get closer to our move date down to the Triangle area, I am trying to get some insights on local private schools and or charter schools that might be a good fit for our older daughter. My husband and I would like to find a schools that is primarily nurture children in the areas of their strength while helping them overcome and strengthen areas of weakness. To be more specific, our girl is very artistically bent and very much a verbal processor. She has difficultly with fine details when they are written and can get too caught on trying to see too much into things and not enough into what is important. She is getting overwhelmed with school especially as she has hit 3rd grade and the work load has gotten increasingly greater.
We would like to try out a private school that might be helpful for her. Small class sizes I think would help but also a school with an overall philosophy of not just teaching for tests, but teaching to the child's strength and natural inclinations but at the same time being academically sound. I don't think she needs so much academic rigor but more of the former.
Sounds like Carolina Friends School or Emerson Waldorf School if you want to go the private route. Alternately the charter school Central Park School for Children in Durham might be a good fit or Willow Oak Montessori Charter in Northern Chatham County might be a good fit, too. Someone else will have to speak to the Wake Co options as I'm not as familiar with them.
The public schools here might be a better fit for her, too, though. My daughter is in 4th grade at Carrboro Elementary and we've been happy with it. It's a little schoolier than the local private school we left, but she's had minimal problems adjusting. They do have smaller class sizes in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (around 20-24) with a teacher assistant and a student teacher along with the lead teacher.
Thanks Poppydog, I definitely will look into both the private and the charters that you mentioned. On the carrboro school, are the TA and the student teachers for each class and are they there all the time? We don't have TA or student teachers in my daughter's current school and they are at 26 kids.
And as for the charter, we do not necessarily need to be in the durham or north chatham county to apply/attend, right? I just need to be able to provide transportation?
And as for the charter, we do not necessarily need to be in the durham or north chatham county to apply/attend, right? I just need to be able to provide transportation?
That is true. Do be aware for Central Park in particular, as well as other popular charters (e.g., Woods Charter in Chatham) have many, many more applicants than slots, so your odds of getting in are quite limited. Still worth exploring, but do have a backup option. :-)
In addition to the ones mentioned above, I'd look at Heartwood Montessori and The Raleigh School. They're not as touchy feely as Emerson Waldorf but still more so than traditional public schools. I'd also look closely into the philosophy at Emerson Waldorf as it is very different than what most are familiar with.
Perhaps not the right fit, but you might look at the Hill Center in Durham, which targets kids with learning disabilities, especially but not exclusively ADHD.
Thanks so much for all of the info! I am getting excited at the prospect that there might be a good fit for my daughter! As for the montessori options, do any of you know if the classrooms tend to be loud? My girl is easily distracted and I wonder if the montessori environment might be too much stimulation?
Charter schools are open to any child in North Carolina and you just need to provide transportation.
At Carrboro Elementary my child's class does have the TA full time although I think in some CHCCS elementaries in 4th and 5th grade they may have a shared TA between 2 classes. In 3rd grade and below it's my understanding that they always have a full time TA. My kid's classes have all had a full time TA. The student teacher is not there every day, but depending on their university schedule they usually have a full semester student teaching I believe, so at that time there are 3 adults in the classroom.
Carolina Friends might be a good fit. It is expensive, but they do offer financial aid. I have heard really good things about Willow Oak Montessori, too, and since it's brand new it may not have quite as much competition for the lottery as Woods Charter or Central Park. Woods is another good option, but it is very hard to get into and it is my impression that it is pretty structured with a good amount of academic rigor, but it is a smaller environment. Carolina Friends really sounds like what you're describing, but it's too expensive for us.
Poppydog, I do appreciate the info regarding the CHCCS. I am leaning towards private school but you are right about the high cost of Carolina Friends. Unfortunately, we won't be able to qualify for aid, so it would have to be a commitment to make it doable. If we were to do the montessori route, it would be much more comfortable.
I noticed that Willow Oak is based on a lottery system. Not all montessori schools are lottery based, correct? Heartwood is not but Sterling is?
Is there a list of montessori schools that are lottery based and not?
Thanks!
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