Is Montessori for you?

I mentioned earlier in this blog that I would write about Montessori for you.

While this post is about Montessori, I encourage you to do further research in your own area and really look into what the Montessori approach can offer you and your child.

There are limited options for Montessori in our local area. I have attended the open day for the local Montessori that offers pre-school, ages 3-5. There was nothing I didn't like about the centre, it looked very much like every other kinder in the area, a bit run down, with lots of activities for the children to take part in. There were lots of parents to speak to and request information from. But at the end of their time at this centre, all the children would be going to 'mainstream' school of some kind if they were to stay in the area. Parents could drive about 45 minutes to the nearest school.

This is an expensive choice of preschool education, approximately $5500 per year, for 3 or 4 mornings a week.

Montessori professionals much prefer to take children as early as possible, and at the centre I visited, they will not even consider putting a four year old on the waiting list.

There are many pros and cons of a Montessori education, you really need to decide if the philopsohy is something you share.

For me, we practice alot of the ideas at home, we do lots of craft, the girls are constantly involved in our everyday activities, cooking, washing, shopping, learning. We teach them to respect their own items and those of the people around them. We offer lots of unstructured play that results in learning of different concepts. We teach them to appreaciate, respect and enjoy the diverisity of other people and cultures.

While I like the theory behind the Montessori concept, I can't say that our area offers the true idea that Dr Maria Montessori, was trying to acheive. I also find that due to the 'rules' of accepting children, the high level of fees and the 'waiting list' approach, it is not a very inclusive environoment. Only the well organised, prada wearing infants from this area will be attending our local Montessori.

Fot information about Montessori in Australia click here
For information on the history of Montessori education information, click here

School starting age

An issue that is bound to be discussed in any blog about starting school is how old should your child be.

I am not an expert on early childhood education, so I have had to do my own research, attend lectures on the issue, scroll the net, look internationally, and make the decision that is best for Poppet. For us that decision is for her to start school just after her sixth birthday.

In Victoria, you can begin school if you turn five before April 30th of that year. But many parents have realised the benefits of waiting until the child has turned 6, especially children born between January and April, and even more so if they are boys.

There is no hard evidence/research, conclusive study that proves that starting younger will make a student finish with higher grades. In fact, we as a country can not even decide on what is the best age, with every State and Territory having different cut off dates and entry ages.

One article that was worth reading, if you are unsure about what to do from the Times (English newspaper) gave a good summary of the Finnish system, where most children start at 7. The Finns, also have such a fantastic education system that private schools barely exist, and even if you do find one, it will be for religious/faith based reasons, and fees will still be very limited, if at all. A shame we can't copy exactly what they have.

Back to Victoria, to your child, and what to do? Ask the kindergarten teacher (if you have one, they are also getting hard to get into around here), rely on your own instinct, don't push a child who you don't think is ready.

Comments I have received from local Principals include, "If in doubt at all, don't send them, you will always wonder what could have been if they had an extra year at home." and "The most important start to school for a child, is that they are happy to attend, a child happy at school, will cope, learn and thrive much better than one who is unhappy."

I am sure Poppet would cope ok if she was sent off to school next year, but she will also love attending the new fabulous Kindergarten I have found, going to swimming, dancing, the park, play dates and library just as much.

Melbourne City School

Melbourne City School is a new option for people who are happy for their kids to go to school in the city, and can afford the pretty amazing fees (amazingly high that is). It looks like a fabulous school from the information kits and newsletters I have received and has the added advantage of having out of school hours options in term holidays, design to suit the city worker.

The latest newsletter includes an invitation for parents that could be worth attending for anyone who has a child starting at any school next year:

Transition to School Seminar

Open to all parents not just those considering Melbourne City School - this valuable seminar will cover all aspects of preparing your child and yourself for the transition to school from kindergarten or other child care or home care situations. Presented by early years’ specialist Sonia Van Hout the seminar will help you to make this exciting transition as smooth as possible.
Tuesday 22nd June 2010, 4.45pm – 5.30pm (including light refreshments)
Booking essential – email us now or call 9433 9973 to secure your place. The email address is: reception@mcs.vic.edu.au
 
You can learn more about this school at their website - http://www.melbournecityschool.com.au/index.htm
 
If you can afford the price, this looks like a real winner, any feedback from people who have looked at the school would be great.
 
 

Kiddie Tour Guides

Arriving at State School No. 2 I am a little flustered, wanting to get there on time, dragging the kids, pushing the pram, trying to find the entrance, fighting my way through the construction, Kevin07 has certainly managed to get some new buildings built.

My disappointment is high when the assistant principal introduces me to Sally and Jane, dressed in their lovely blue Class of 2010 jumpers, excited and nervous to be showing three adults around their school. "So, where do you want to go?" they say. I would like to utter "home" but we are here now so lets get on with it.

The school rooms are massive, they each have a little library that joins the next class room. This little room is also being used for reading times, I presume it is a parent volunteer listening to children read while the teacher is with the main class. There are a lot of computers. The Prep and 1 rooms are old portable class rooms. I don't know if the new construction is going to include new rooms and these are going as Sally and Jane are not sure, they wont be here to see the finished product anyway.

There is a little play area for Preps only, small, but still a place for them to call their own.

Half way through the tour and I am chatting to the other mothers as we pretty much take over our own tour and direct it where we want to go. Discussion starts to centre around how old your child should be before they begin school. We are sending Miss A a year "late", while mother B is sending her child "early" this will make her child 15 months younger than mine, but let's discuss this issue at another time.

As we wander about, the PA system calls us all to the TLC. Mmmm the what? where? We follow the crowd and enter the Thinking and Learning Centre, otherwise known as the Library. Looks pretty much like the other libraries I have seen. The Principal makes a wonderful appearance, how nice of him. He tells us about all the great things at the school, and there are many, this is a well known school, has had great results and a reputation that reaches far and wide. A parent asks his thoughts on play based learning for Prep level students, he makes it clear there will be none of that sort of stuff at this school, there will be strategies, for each child with the objective very clear - high levels of literacy. While this is sweet music to the ears of some, I wonder why these individual strategies are required if play based learning isn't even an option. We all want the one outcome - a literate child, what if his current strategy is not working for a student? His brochure mentions "Learning is a dynamic and interactive experience" but obviously not one that can incorporate play based learning, even for those as young as four.

The assistant principal starts talking to our group, one of the mums is saying that she will most likely enrol her twins at the school. Oh, well you can add them to the list, but you're not in the correct 'zone' she is told. The mum is surprised, she has walked here, she lives much closer than to the other State school being mentioned. Sorry, too bad, says the assistant P, but you can always try us and see how you go. I mention this because other Principals have mentioned that Victorian State Primary schools do not have zones, they pretty much have to accept everyone who wants to go there, subject to visas and residency. The assistant also discusses that they try and stick to the governments recommendation that Prep classes do not go above 22, but sometimes they go higher, again, other schools state that the recommendation is 21. At the moment I am not sure who is right about class sizes and zoning, but I am sure I can find out.

Train goss

Well, it seems that I am not the only one having to deal with grade six kids. Heading home on the train and I start chatting to a creche Mum, we naturally discuss the school starting topic. I had presumed her daughter would be going to the Catholic school closest to them, so had they. They are 'zoned' for the school, it is close to their house, it is among the reasons that they recently purchased their new home. However, the school can not keep up with the current demand. Inner city areas are more and more packed with children and the education system has not kept up with the trend, expecting us all to want to head to the burbs or city fringe. So, at the school interview she was told that her child would most likely have to attend catholic school B, it is not near her house, not on the way to work, she knows nothing about this school, and the principal had the cheek to suggest that if she actually wanted a tour of the school then it would have to be with some Grade six students, the principal just being too busy to attend to such matters herself.

There are actually a few points here of concern to those soon to enrol at school. Firstly, being in the zone does not ensure you get entry to a school and buying a house in a school zone is also no guarantee that you will actually get into a preferred school.

Secondly, the mini baby boom over the last five years is starting to have an impact on available services, so you need to be prepared if you have a preference for a certain school.

Thirdly, it seems many of the principals are not too concerned with what parents think of the school, they have so many on the waiting list that there is someone else to take your spot.

Solutions are of course - move to a regional area, sign up early, start paying early, network or homeschooling!

It's all about the future

Choosing a school for primary can be made more difficult because you may also be making a decision about where your child will be going to secondary school.

If you live in a metro area and want a Catholic secondary school, you better get your kids into a catholic primary school, and if you want your kids to attend a specific private school then you need to get them on to the list for that school.

In the words of the rabbit...:I'm late, l'm late, for a very important date, no time to say hello, goodbye. I 'm late, I am late, I am late".

At the age of 4, Miss A is not on any school lists, which means it would be a waste of the enrolment list fee to start adding her to a few. So I called direct, spoke to the enrolment lady and asked if we would have any chance of getting in at Year 7, around 2019! Yes, that should be ok, do you have our prospectus she says. Well, I have worked a few years in finance and I know a prospectus can come in handy when buying managed funds, investments etc, but wasn't aware I would need to review one for schools. But, today it arrived, less than 24 hours from hanging up the phone, a shiny blue parcel is here, it is glossy, it is quality stock, no less than 300gsm on the cover, the girls are all looking magnificent and happy and well adjusted, there are lovely marketing words all over it. For a marketing person like me, I know this is high quality material, specifically designed to lull me into believing this is the best option for me, and bugger the price, if that's what it costs, than that's what I will do. I will try to keep my wits about me as I read through my prospectus. But I need to get on a list, just in case!

Tips for Tours

Another tour just completed, before I write about that I thought it might be good to mention some other factors that can assist with tours.

1) If you get a chance to leave your kids behind, than do so. I have had to drag both the girls to every tour, they are over it and it makes the tours hard work for me.

2) Schools do not seem overly pram friendly, especially not if you are trying to keep up with a tour. Carry your infants and leave the pram behind.

3) Ring and see if it will be students, staff or the principal that is conducting the tour, two of mine have so far been by students, one by the principal and one the assistant principal. I wont be going to any others hosted by 10 year olds, no matter how lovely they are. In fact, isn't it a bit rude, imagine people turning up to your workplace for information and you just letting the Year 10 work experience kid showing them around the place. Most schools will do a tour at any time, so if students are the host on the open day, just make a time for another day, when the principal is actually free. And, if they are hard to catch for a tour, imagine how hard they will be to catch if your kids go there and you need to call a meeting.

4) Ask questions as you go, few people seem to. A few easy ones that I have picked up along the way are; what are the school fees, can you explain the buddy policy, do Prep children have lunch at the same time/place as the rest of the school, do Preps have their own playground? What are you offering for children that are doing really well, what kind of assistance do you offer if my child is not keeping up? Also interesting to know where the Gr 6 kids generally go...is that where you are thinking your child might go?

As you can see, few grade 6 kids would be able to answer any of these questions, nor help you up stairs with the pram, or gauge what the parents are interested in.

Closest State Primary School

The tour today was of the closest State primary school to our house. This for many people would be the first choice of primary school for their child, for a number of reasons.

1) State primary schools are super affordable, this one is $100 per child, per year, bargain! That includes all their books, pencils, stationery etc. Additional costs are for swimming, camps (3-6) and excursions, and uniform, which was a fairly standard Aussie primary school style.

2) Convenience. This school will be walking distance from us. It makes drop off and pick up easy and means that you will meet people who live in your local area. It makes attending out of school hours activites or meetings easy to get to and may even allow you to make a network of like minded people who you can share school pick ups with, baby sitting etc.

3) State schools must meet the minimum government regulations and must be accountable to those regulations. While this sometimes might be frustrating for schools, it does mean that all children have minimum standards that they should be reaching.

4) Diversity. State schools give your children a great opportunity to mix with everyone from their community, not just a specific religion or socio-economic group.

So how did today's school rate? Pretty good.

There were a few issues that I will have to consider more carefully, such as, this school has decided not to run LOTE, the principal believes that it doesn't work in Victoria, and not in this area. His thoughts are that one hour a week will leave the children with extremely limited language skills (counting, days of week, some songs, colours etc) that wont have them fluent in a language, and then in high school they learn a different language. While many of the students are already speaking a second language at home and struggling with English, so a third language is not ideal. These are valid reasons not to offer LOTE, however what about the argument that LOTE can introduce a whole new culture for a child, what of those children who have no exposure to other languages at home?

This school council has organised a Speech Pathologist to be at the school once a week to assist the children that need it.

They have additional aides and programs for children not keeping up with the minimum levels. They did not have any programs for those at the other end of the scale.

The school grounds are currently a building site, so can't be properly considered, the stimulus money certainly going to good use with a new library and gym, and a few new classrooms. These will be ready for next year, so the Preps will have a lovely school room and facilities to get them started.

Standard transition program from kinder and buddy system that is popular with schools now.

It was also wonderful to hear that the school doesn't zone. In fact we were informed (as I expected earlier) that State schools are not zoned, if you apply, you should get in (this can depend on visas, residency etc). Government regulations also suggest Prep classes are capped at 21, this is a recommendation, and up to the school.

The teachers were all using the interactive white boards, the students were all very polite. The school was clean, calm and comfortable. Possible that it hasn't changed much over the last 50 years, but that can be a good thing.

What do I want

So, it seems that when deciding on a potential school you really need to have some questions organised, or at least know exactly what it is you are looking for in a school.

What am I looking for? Well, everything I guess! My main purpose is to find somewhere that I think the girls will be happy, where bullying is not part of the culture, and anti-bullying programs are embraced. A school where all students are considered, wherever they fall in the academic spectrum, to be valuable students and just as worthy of the teachers time. A school that is accepting of students from all walks of life. A school that is progressive enough to look at new options when the old ways are not taking them where they want to go. But most of all I want a school that will encourage my girls to believe they can do whatever they want. One that will never crush the spirit they may have to do something. A school that says Yes! rather than no. A school that provides them opportunities to do a variety of things, to learn many cultures and be the best they can be.

What about academic performance? Nope, not at the top of my list. Yes, I will check the myschools website to see how they each performed, but it wont be the deciding factor.

Fees? Unfortunately this will be something that limits us, however in my quest to find what I am looking for I am being open to looking at all the options and reviewing what you actually get in comparison.

Raising Children Network | Choosing your child's school

Raising Children Network Choosing your child's school

One of the many websites with information about starting school.

Are you going to school next year?

Welcome!

Here begins the quest to make the right decision in where and when to send Arabella to school. What I expected to be a fairly straightforward option has become a complex process. Where once the idea was that we enrolled our children into the closest or most convenient school and sent them off with crisp new uniforms, shiny black shoes and a lunch box yet to have stickers applied, it seems to be no longer, then again, perhaps it was never like that, it was only my naive impression.

There are now countless experts who will tell you when and why to send you child to school, there are marketing professionals (very much like me) who will develop strategies on how to encourage you to send your child to their school, there are tactics to ensure a school will be amongst the highest achieving establishments and there are the opinions of every Mum whose child is at one of these schools. So how do we make the choice? What information do we gather? Whose advice should we rely on? What does actually make the best school? And then again, who is it best for, you or your child? Will they attend the religious school of your choice, regardless of what the academic standards or will they be sent to the most prestigious, simply because you can afford it?

I will embark on a campaign between now and January 2012 to make the decision for us. Along the way I will share with you the funny comments from the mums, the sheer marketing babble (I recognise it very clearly, as I often write it myself) the honesty direct from the students and the style of the teachers and principals.

Open days, phone calls, unorganised playground chats, newsletters, advertisements, school showbags and prospectus' all lead to influencing the decision, so these will be my source.

Join in and add your comments, but note this blog is not about degrading any schools, teachers or students, but about acknowledging they all differ slightly, and finding what is best for your family may not be as easy as you think!