GT students -- project based schools

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GT students -- project based schools

by parent trying to decide by tomorrow

Aug 27, 2009

My husband and I find ourselves faced with a unexpected decision, whether to send our daughter to a charter school or to the local junior high. Today I was driving I n a part of town I normally am not in. I saw one of the old Catholic schools with huge banners waving announcing school tours, grades 6-12, free tuition. Thinking it was a new school in town, I went in to check it out. It turns out it was charter school that I thought was located way outside of town, not only has its location changed it now has busing, suddenly making it a viable option for us. We now have to make a quick decision because school starts Monday.

First size. Class sizes will be held to 17 kids per teacher. The class that they would put her in will have only 10 (6-8th gr) total. She is coming from a very small school with only 20 per grade, the public school, also 7- 12, will have 350 per grade. This is all good, but because of its size, it doesn’t offer any extracurricular activities. Right now my ...See MoreMy husband and I find ourselves faced with a unexpected decision, whether to send our daughter to a charter school or to the local junior high. Today I was driving I n a part of town I normally am not in. I saw one of the old Catholic schools with huge banners waving announcing school tours, grades 6-12, free tuition. Thinking it was a new school in town, I went in to check it out. It turns out it was charter school that I thought was located way outside of town, not only has its location changed it now has busing, suddenly making it a viable option for us. We now have to make a quick decision because school starts Monday.

First size. Class sizes will be held to 17 kids per teacher. The class that they would put her in will have only 10 (6-8th gr) total. She is coming from a very small school with only 20 per grade, the public school, also 7- 12, will have 350 per grade. This is all good, but because of its size, it doesn’t offer any extracurricular activities. Right now my daughter is really excited about tennis which she signed up for, and is really upset about giving it up, BUT she is very tiny and unathletic and hates to exercise and we had already made the decision not to spend any really money on supplies till she made it past the first week. So in other words, I don’t want to base the decision on sports which may last only a week or year. She will however truly miss being in the theater and speech clubs.

PROJECT BASED—The school is project based. This idea intrigues my husband and I and makes us nervous. DD is gifted; she has been accelerated three years in math and one year in everything else. The public school says they do acceleration by the teachers giving some type of packet to the GT kids who want it. So far they have not let us see any of these. Nor are the GT kids grouped together in anyway. We are not sure if the project based theme will be good for her. She gets really good grades, but except for in math, DD tends to putz in school, she never gets in any real trouble but doesn’t have a good attitude and is constantly daydreaming, reading or scribbling in a notebook. In 5th and 6th grade, she found out what the minimum was expected for a half way decent grade and did that. This was a drastic achievement over 4th where, trying to pretend she wasn’t smart, she did the bare minimum to pass. My husband and I are worried whether or not she is a good candidate for project based schooling. He is worried because ever since 3rd grade, she has not been self directed at all and that is what this school aims for.

By the way, she will know nobody at the charter school and know only 3 girls at the public. She is not really friends with any of them and didn’t even wave at them when we saw two of them in the mall. Yet one of the major reasons she says she wants to go to public is because she has friends there.

I am terrible confused and we have to make a decision basically by tomorrow, Monday at the absolute latest. There is one other option, the charter school starts Monday, but the public doesn’t start till the 10th. My husband and I thought a trial week might be a good idea.

Please any feedback would be appreciated. What do you know about project based schools? Can you think on any questions to ask tomorrow when I take my husband back to tour the school? And is a trial week a good idea? If so any ideas how I can get my daughter to see it as a unique opportunity rather than losing her last week of vacation.

Comment

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Jamie in MO Just one opinion, but I think the charter school sounds like a good idea to try.

Public school is always there, and the 3 semi-friends and could-be tennis aren't super compelling reasons to stay, and it doesn't sound like there's a lot of emphasis on gifted education there.

Now, I start drooling when people talk about project-bas...See MoreJust one opinion, but I think the charter school sounds like a good idea to try.

Public school is always there, and the 3 semi-friends and could-be tennis aren't super compelling reasons to stay, and it doesn't sound like there's a lot of emphasis on gifted education there.

Now, I start drooling when people talk about project-based learning, so I'm totally biased in favor of anything remotely resembling it, but that's me. Maybe a project-based environment would be a disaster for her, but maybe it would teach her how to be self-directed.

Could the drama piece be addressed by community theatre?

Whatever your decision, good luck!

On 8/27/09, parent trying to decide by tomorrow wrote: > My husband and I find ourselves faced with a unexpected > decision, whether to send our daughter to a charter school > or to the local junior high. Today I was driving I n a > part of town I normally am not in. I saw one of the old > Catholic schools with huge banners waving announcing school > tours, grades 6-12, free tuition. Thinking it was a new > school in town, I went in to check it out. It turns out it > was charter school that I thought was located way outside > of town, not only has its location changed it now has > busing, suddenly making it a viable option for us. We now > have to make a quick decision because school starts Monday. > > First size. Class sizes will be held to 17 kids per > teacher. The class that they would put her in will have > only 10 (6-8th gr) total. She is coming from a very small > school with only 20 per grade, the public school, also 7- > 12, will have 350 per grade. This is all good, but because > of its size, it doesn’t offer any extracurricular > activities. Right now my daughter is really excited about > tennis which she signed up for, and is really upset about > giving it up, BUT she is very tiny and unathletic and hates > to exercise and we had already made the decision not to > spend any really money on supplies till she made it past > the first week. So in other words, I don’t want to base > the decision on sports which may last only a week or year. > She will however truly miss being in the theater and speech > clubs. > > PROJECT BASED—The school is project based. This idea > intrigues my husband and I and makes us nervous. DD is > gifted; she has been accelerated three years in math and > one year in everything else. The public school says they > do acceleration by the teachers giving some type of packet > to the GT kids who want it. So far they have not let us > see any of these. Nor are the GT kids grouped together in > anyway. We are not sure if the > project based theme will be good for her. She gets really > good grades, but except for in math, DD tends to putz in > school, she never gets in any real trouble but doesn’t have > a good attitude and is constantly daydreaming, reading or > scribbling in a notebook. In 5th and 6th grade, she found > out what the minimum was expected for a half way decent > grade and did that. This was a drastic achievement over > 4th where, trying to pretend she wasn’t smart, she did the > bare minimum to pass. My husband and I are > worried whether or not she is a good candidate for project > based schooling. He is worried because ever since 3rd > grade, she has not been self directed at all and that is > what this school aims for. > > By the way, she will know nobody at the charter school and > know only 3 girls at the public. She is not really friends > with any of them and didn’t even wave at them when we saw > two of them in the mall. Yet one of the major reasons she > says she wants to go to public is because she has friends > there. > > I am terrible confused and we have to make a decision > basically by tomorrow, Monday at the absolute latest. > There is one other option, the charter school starts > Monday, but the public doesn’t start till the 10th. My > husband and I thought a trial week might be a good idea. > > Please any feedback would be appreciated. What do you > know about project based schools? Can you think on any > questions to ask tomorrow when I take my husband back to > tour the school? And is a trial week a good idea? If so > any ideas how I can get my daughter to see it as a unique > opportunity rather than losing her last week of vacation.

Aug 27, 2009

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Mrs. P Let your child choose the school. It's her education, not yours.

Aug 29, 2009

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kevin On 8/29/09, Mrs. P wrote: > Let your child choose the school. It's her education, not > yours.

While a middle schooler should certainly have input into which school is chosen, it would be a very rare one indeed who would have the wisdom and maturity to choose well.

Parents have to make these decisions, not leave the raising...See More

Aug 30, 2009

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teacher-parent A trial week is an excellent idea. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. How to get your daughter to see that? How do you get her to do other things that are good for her that wouldn't be her first choice? Tell her a charter school is a rare opportunity and she might like it. If she hates it, she'll return to her normal public school but she Must give ...See MoreA trial week is an excellent idea. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. How to get your daughter to see that? How do you get her to do other things that are good for her that wouldn't be her first choice? Tell her a charter school is a rare opportunity and she might like it. If she hates it, she'll return to her normal public school but she Must give it a try because of its advantages.

> My husband and I find ourselves faced with a unexpected > decision, whether to send our daughter to a charter school > or to the local junior high. Today I was driving I n a > part of town I normally am not in. I saw one of the old > Catholic schools with huge banners waving announcing school > tours, grades 6-12, free tuition. Thinking it was a new > school in town, I went in to check it out. It turns out it > was charter school that I thought was located way outside > of town, not only has its location changed it now has > busing, suddenly making it a viable option for us. We now > have to make a quick decision because school starts Monday. > > First size. Class sizes will be held to 17 kids per > teacher. The class that they would put her in will have > only 10 (6-8th gr) total. She is coming from a very small > school with only 20 per grade, the public school, also 7- > 12, will have 350 per grade. This is all good, but because > of its size, it doesn’t offer any extracurricular > activities. Right now my daughter is really excited about > tennis which she signed up for, and is really upset about > giving it up, BUT she is very tiny and unathletic and hates > to exercise and we had already made the decision not to > spend any really money on supplies till she made it past > the first week. So in other words, I don’t want to base > the decision on sports which may last only a week or year. > She will however truly miss being in the theater and speech > clubs. > > PROJECT BASED—The school is project based. This idea > intrigues my husband and I and makes us nervous. DD is > gifted; she has been accelerated three years in math and > one year in everything else. The public school says they > do acceleration by the teachers giving some type of packet > to the GT kids who want it. So far they have not let us > see any of these. Nor are the GT kids grouped together in > anyway. We are not sure if the > project based theme will be good for her. She gets really > good grades, but except for in math, DD tends to putz in > school, she never gets in any real trouble but doesn’t have > a good attitude and is constantly daydreaming, reading or > scribbling in a notebook. In 5th and 6th grade, she found > out what the minimum was expected for a half way decent > grade and did that. This was a drastic achievement over > 4th where, trying to pretend she wasn’t smart, she did the > bare minimum to pass. My husband and I are > worried whether or not she is a good candidate for project > based schooling. He is worried because ever since 3rd > grade, she has not been self directed at all and that is > what this school aims for. > > By the way, she will know nobody at the charter school and > know only 3 girls at the public. She is not really friends > with any of them and didn’t even wave at them when we saw > two of them in the mall. Yet one of the major reasons she > says she wants to go to public is because she has friends > there. > > I am terrible confused and we have to make a decision > basically by tomorrow, Monday at the absolute latest. > There is one other option, the charter school starts > Monday, but the public doesn’t start till the 10th. My > husband and I thought a trial week might be a good idea. > > Please any feedback would be appreciated. What do you > know about project based schools? Can you think on any > questions to ask tomorrow when I take my husband back to > tour the school? And is a trial week a good idea? If so > any ideas how I can get my daughter to see it as a unique > opportunity rather than losing her last week of vacation.

Aug 31, 2009

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