I’ve come to accept that I have to have a bit of a spidey sense when it comes to my kiddo’s school. I have to know, almost a full year in advance what and who my child will be the next Fall right around the time we are opening Christmas presents. No pressure or anything.
I guess I got use to it, as most moms do. We answer questions like “Will my child be potty trained in 8 months so I can sign up for this great preschool or do I have to do a co-op route?” or “My child can read, but not wipe his own rear…which is worse?” Luckily when it comes to Kindergarten, we have a wealth of info to help us make the transition (and the decision) even easier.
Wavering back and forth about full day vs half day? Northshore has created a document detailing the differences between the two programs. For my family, the thought of having just 2.5 hours 5 days a week just isn’t enough time in school for our son. He’s currently doing the Meteor program at over by and is totally rocking it. He even does the Lunch Bunch program so he is presently in school for almost 4 hours a day 4 days a week. Cutting back the hours seemed illogical to me, especially considering my son is one of those Red Shirts you may have heard about.
Red Shirting? Really, you haven’t heard of it? 60 Minutes just did a report about it. Seems Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers touched a nerve by identifying certain children who are older (whether by parents intentionally holding them back a year like we are or just simply giving birth without consulting the class cut off dates (the nerve!)) in class tending to excel in academics as well as sports. My son will be a freshly minted six-year-old off to Kindergarten and chances are he will be trotting around the playground with boys and girls who are a whole year younger than he is.
Such realizations about the age gap concerned me, as I’m sure it concerns every family. Is my older child going to be bored? Are the younger kids trending toward the half-day program? Is my 15-year-old daughter going to prom with a 17-year-old? The answer to all the questions above is: Who knows? Each class is different, depending on that particular class's makeup.
Oh, and if there is a lottery because too many parents opted for the program you are planning your life around? You may just have wasted all those brain cells pondering something you can never have.
So, now that you have half a dozen other things to concern yourself with this week, remember that enrollment for our Woodinville schools is happening NOW and continues until the March 27. You can pick up your registration forms when the school office is open and you are encouraged to bring your child with you when you do the final registration. You will need proof of residency and their birth certificate to complete your forms. You will also need the health form filled out to be reviewed by the school medical staff. Remember, you can opt-out of the , but the policies have changed regarding the need for a medical consult to obtain the authorized signature.
And try not to weep directly on the forms. It makes the ink run and the school district frowns on it.
