Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Starting the season ahead!

As I was busily entering school tour dates into our company's website, I had a small moment of panic. ACK! It is school selection season soon! BUT IT IS STILL SUMMER, my head screamed!

After a few deep breaths, I realized that I will be prepared. This summer I have been busily gathering everything that I could need to help families through this hard, stressful season -  including preparing a great (and FREE) presentation on September 29th on choosing a "best fit" school for your child.

But - if you are the kind of person who likes to think ahead (like me), here is an old post to get you off on the right foot. Nice and early.

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Looking for a school can be very overwhelming - and time consuming. Wondering what to do when? To help, we have organized key action items that will assist your family in a public, private/parochial, and charter school search. (Note to Non-Bay Area families: this list may help you, but double check time lines with your district and independent schools organizations to make sure they match our estimates.)

Here is a month-by-month list of activities to help you organize your school search: 

August
  • Brainstorm with your partner, close friend, mother, etc. what are the most important things you are looking for in a school. Think about this from your perspective (what will make you feel comfortable that your child is getting a good education) and from the viewpoint of your child (what type of setting do they do well in?) 
  • Start your research as soon as possible: Start doing Internet and word-of-mouth research on schools of interest. Places to start in the Bay Area are: 






Check out up-and-coming educational search site www.noodle.org

Don't forget the websites of the schools themselves - they are full of great information.

Last, but not least, talk to friends, family, chatting with people you meet in the park - people love to talk about their impressions about schools - listen to them, but do other research to back up their thoughts. 

September
  • Talk to your child’s preschool (or previous) teacher(s). Ask them: 
--Their impressions of what kind of program would be beneficial for your child. 
--Is my child ready for....? Knowing early in the year whether your child needs extra support to be ready for the next grade can be critical in selecting a school and getting them the support they need. 
--What schools have other families attended - and spoke positively about? 
--Would they be willing to write a teacher recommendation (required by most private schools) for your child? If so, what time frame would be most helpful for them (you don’t want your teacher to rush through your child’s recommendation). 
  • Request admissions and financial aid material for private/parochial schools of interest online or via phone. Most schools will have their tour schedule up at this time - but a few won’t. If there are some “must see” schools on your list, request that you be informed of tour times once they are scheduled. 
  • Create a place to keep all your information gathered about various schools to stay organized throughout the school selection season. 
  • Schedule study time for the ISEE for your middle school or high school student. (See above.)
October
  • This is when tours, open houses, and information nights for private/parochial schools begin in earnest - schedule them and attend. While you want to collect good information, don’t overwhelm yourself by doing all your touring in October - you can tour in November, and in December too. Spread it out.
Remember: Take notes during each tour and organize any information you receive at a tour with your application materials. You don’t want to be searching for your notes on “school A” at the last minute before your application is due. 
Idea: Take some pictures on your school tours with your handy smart phone. Most schools won’t let you take pictures of children - but they will let you take pictures of the outside of the school, the hallway, an empty classroom, etc. Pictures may help you remember one school versus another when they all start to blur in your memory in January.
  • Information fairs for independent schools - where you can talk to representatives from a variety of schools in the Bay Area at one time - occur during this month. Check the EBISA website for this year’s fair date and location.  
  • Middle schoolers and older need to finish studying and take the ISEE. See above for more information.

Click here for November through March - you, early planner you!

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