After a long 4 months of 1st grade at our local public school we have officially pulled Sam out and moved him to The Laureate, a local private school. At the end of Sam's kindergarten year, which he did private, we made the decision to give the public school system a try. Our local district scores well on standard testing, I am a product of our local district, and our districted school is one of the top performing school. Also my mom is a public school teacher, one of my best friends is also a public school teacher(now administrator) and her child attends public. There are great teachers out there and I know how hard they try to give our children the best education they can, but at the end of the day, I know often their hands are tied, the funding is not there and they are dealing with allot of kids. Educators are amazing people.
With that said after about 3 weeks into the school year I started having my doubts about the choice we had made. Even with a good reputation of the school, behaviors I were seeing at home were not outstanding. When I meet with the teacher and tried to get a feel as to what Sam was learning and doing, I received little information. I began doing researcher and comparing the different first grades within the school and within the district. The degree in which each class differed was amazing to me. It was no wonder the teacher could only tell me that Sam was doing fine. In some first grade classes the teachers were requiring spelling test, 20min of reading a night. In others they had reading one night a week and by Christmas break not one spelling test. It was interesting to me in a state that is pushing for standardizing in everything, how un-standardized the classes were. Along with this we live in a very liberal state, and as I began looking further into the public school I was quite shocked as to what is and/or could be taught to our children as young as kindergarten. Many of which were issues I feel are my responsibility as a parent to educate my children on: not the schools. (Prop 8 for example)
Along with that the feel of the school didn't fit our family. Sam didn't seem to be forming close bonds. I would try to chat with parents but it was strange, could have been because I had all this other stuff swirling in my head who knows. So, I began exploring what our options were out there for next year.
Our good friends and our babysitter home school, so I started with them. There eldest daughter helped me explore this option, she attend public and was home schooled, then she study education, nannied for a family; in which she home schooled their children and is now working towards her masters in Education. She pointed me in the direction of some great curriculum and answered my multitude of questions regarding, legalities to socialization, etc. My other concern was personality conflict. Serafina, I believe would home school like a breeze but Sam and I but heads, our personalities conflict. Some great advice she gave me was: when you have a large family don't try to pick one school for all off them; look at the individual and pick the school best for them. She comes from a family of five each child took a different educational journey, one of her siblings attend private and now is in public and one as been fully home schooled. I am not positive the schooling routes of the other two.
I also began to look in to the local private school. The Laureate has always been a top pick school in my mind. I looked into as a preschool option for Sam but at the time we lived in Nipomo and the school was in SLO. Between the cost of the school and the drive I said no. Once again, I found myself looking into private schools. I didn't start with Laureate thinking it was out of reach. I looked at Coastal Christan, Old Mission, and SLO Classical (which is part homeschooling). Each one had a great program, I can not say anything negative about them. However they didn't feel right. At night I would keep going back to the Laureate's website. Over Christmas break my grandfather said he wanted to go see this Laureate school my mom and I kept talking about. So we made an appointment for Jan 8, (the Thursday I got sick). We all went, it was during the tour that I realized I did not feel well!! Anyway- he loved the school. The person touring us told us that we could wait until next fall to enroll him, or they happened to have a family move to Colorado over Christmas who had a first grader, if want the spot it's ours.
We went home, I was dieing from my tummy bug and really couldn't think. Mainly the cost of the school still swirled through my head. Then my grandfather offered to help with tuition costs!! There was no stopping us we called and on Friday Jan 9th, Sam started at The Laureate. It has been the best move we ever made. He comes home from school so happy and talking about what he has learned and the things going on in the class (at public school all he talked about was recess). He is begging get a school shirt and sweatshirt (never mentioned wanting one at public). He walks around the campus like he owns it. One of Sam's social skills we have been working on since he came to us is eye contact. He has a hard time making eye contact with people, especial new people. On Tuesday I was in the classroom with him and his teacher whenever she spoke with him he made direct eye contact with her. I never saw him make that much eye contact with a teacher before or anyone he has just meet for that reason. To be honest I am awestruck by this school. It could just very well be the honeymoon stage, but I don't think so. It is a small inmate school were everyone knows your name, the kids hold each other accountable and really learning takes place.
So what were the aspects of the Laureate that made us choose it over the rest? To be honest it is hard to pin point them all. We were very happy with the class sizes; they maintain a 1:20 ratio in all grades. In K-3rd they maintain a 1:10 ratio during language, reading, and math instruction. They strive at teaching critical thinking skills in all grades. They begin teaching Spanish and Mandarin in preschool and it is taught through 8th grade. They also work hard at teaching to the level of the child, meaning if your child is in 2nd grade but reading at a 3rd grade level then they will be taught at a 3rd grade level ( the reason for 1:10 during this instruction time). Same goes if they are reading below what grade level they are in. This is so that ones that are excelling in an area don't get bored but are challenged and can move forward and those who may be behind don't get frustrated or lost and give up. There is a music and art program and of course PE (which I have to die laughing at because in spring they were telling me they have the Golf-pro from a local country club come and teach the kids golf! You have to love that). Then they also offer a variety of after-school actives including drama group for those who want to be young actors. I could go on, but you get the idea.
With all those little aspects rolled into one. Along with the friendly staff we met. Other parents I know who go there, and well my gut! Good 'old moms gut. We made the move and could not be happier. Today Sam came home happy and smiling again. We use to have tears every night during homework and it would take hours! So far 3 nights of homework, no tears and it has been done in under 30minutes! (minus the 20min of reading they want!)
Nothing makes you feel better as parent then believing, or thinking, that now you might have finally made the right decision!
If you want to read more about the Laureate you can check out there website:
click here
They have been entertained for hours now. The laundry is folded, my sock draw is organized, and well the kitchen, we wont go there. And the best part is that when Sam gets home from school it will be new to him so he will want to play, which will get them excited all over again!
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