So I'm determined to try and do at LEAST one post a week - two if I'm lucky. I've been very lax in putting up the mundane details of our life, but I know some of you actually like reading about them (never mind the fact that those interested parties are all related to me!).
Today's post is about Alex. We have come to realize that we have a very shy boy on our hands. We really try to not say that in front of him, but he has heard it (either from us or his teachers) and now has his excuse for not doing anything new ("But Mom, I'm too SHY."). It started about two years ago. All of a sudden he got extra clingy when I dropped him off at school and no longer wanted to participate in swim class (I'd have to leave the room and wait in the car for class to be over). In addition to being shy, the boy is the most stubborn kid I've ever met. If he doesn't want to do something he will shut down - cross his arms over his chest, drop his head and just become unresponsive. He is horrible with change, which made the move up here and subsequent entry into a new preschool after almost a 6 month hiatus a nightmare.
With this in mind, I've been agonizing lately over whether to send him to the public kindergarten next year or pay for a year of private kinder at the school we are currently at (which he loves). On one hand I know staying at Wesley Hall would be wonderful for him, and there is at least one of his very good friends this year that will be in that class. On the other hand, the whole reason we sucked it up and moved to Westfield (versus a less-expensive neighboring town) was because the public schools are awesome. But due to crowding the town instigated last year the program where all the kindergarten students go to one school together, rather than at their respective elementary schools. Luckily the school is a half mile from our house, so it's easily walkable. But I worry about Alex dealing with a new school next fall and then ANOTHER new school the following year. And the chances that he will end up in a class with someone he knows (or even very many kids that will continue to our elementary school) are pretty slim - they have 7 morning classes and 7 afternoon ones, and from what I understand they don't try to group people at all.
But the big consideration of course is the money. His friends that are going to the public school are going to try to get morning classes so they can do enrichment programs at Wesley Hall in the afternoon. So if we stick with the private route we'd really need to see about doing full day kindergarten (to the tune of over $7K). Hard to stomach that when I'd been getting so excited about having NO MORE tuition payments (until college of course). And once again, we are paying outrageous Westfield property taxes already BECAUSE of the great school system. So I think for now I'm going to try for the public school with the afternoon classes at his current school (but I'll probably still put that deposit in on the private kindergarten just in case).
5 comments:
Sometimes its so hard to know the right direction to go.
You said it. Just want to do what is best for my kids.
We went through the same thing with Austin. He even used to say "But I'm shy" too.
I saw the biggest change between pre-k (the year he was 5) and K (when he was 6).
He is always going to be the quiet kid but he is no longer what I would call shy.
It really stinks that the kids in the K class are not all the same ones that will go to his elementary school. Or that they are not even the same building. That would have been ideal obviously.
I hate to say it but I would probably suck it up and keep him where he is at. Give him that extra year to gain confidence and become more sure of himself.
When I sent Austin to pre-k instead of K his teachers said, "he is so shy, he never raises his hand, much more of a follower than a leader, etc" but he went to K the next year and I told his K teacher what the pre-k teachers had said- she said, "wow, I never would have though that, he is a total leader."
Being shy in K was not something I was terribly worried about, but being a follower in middle school and up was more than a little scary to me.
Can you believe I will have a middle schooler next year?? UGH!
I should also add that Austin still hates change. He is not as bad as he was by any stretch (he used to not even allow us to get him new shoes when his were wayyyy too small or falling apart) but he is not a go with the flow kind of kid. He needs time to think about it, digest it.
And I know what you mean about the taxes- our taxes are so stinking high, I have no idea why people stay here when their kids are done with school.
I love the "mundane" details of your life and I'm not related!
That is a tough decision, but the fact that you are putting so much thought into it and weighing so many factors is fabulous. You'll figure it out and Alex will end up great. He obviously has good genes and nice parents.
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