response 1 of 14:

Nov 18 02:58 UTC 1995

Tim's in his second year of kindergarden at Steiner.  He loves it.  I forget
that most people find it odd to do two years of kindergarden, it made so
much sense for him.  He just turned 6, and they like kids to be already 6
when they enter 1st grade.  Michael worries that he'll be bored, but no
such thing.  If anything, the opposite; last year he complained that he
"wasn't learning anything" and I had to point out to him how he was learning
songs and stories, art skills, etc.  Now he sings a bit, loves art materials,
loves being a leader (no change) but is learning to accomodate others a bit.
Of course, his cognitive development is happening more or less on its own
and at home, so I really needed to further the creative and social components.
        His best buddy was in the other kindergarden last year (that teacher
is no longer doing kindgergarden) and didn't do well, so he went to Concord
and was quite happy.  I don't know Summer's Knoll, and wasn't aware that
Concord had an upper level.
        An other option for you might be a new charter school Honey Creek,
started by Child Care Connection, where both my boys have gone.  It's K-2 or
so right now, planning to add a grade a year as needed.  Really good; multi-
age classes, child-centered, with learning-centers and individual goals,
multicultural, open to handicapped kids- as a matter of fact, it's hourse
(er, housed) in the WISD building; I like my kids to be exposed to the widest
possible range of people.  The reason Timothy isn't there is that he's a
bit brick-headed, especially about transitions, so learning centers are a
bit of a struggle with him; getting him to do anything new, move along,
integrate with the group when there are choices.  I think Gareth will go
there if we're in Ann Arbor that long.
        Good luck, and have fun.  I enjoyed the process of finding the right
setting, although it's a bit more stressful for Michael since he doesn't 
know what he's looking at quite as well.

response 3 of 14:

Nov 24 04:13 UTC 1995

Why aren't the Whitmore Lake public schools an option?

        I went to Burns Park, a public school in Ann Arbor, for most of
elementary school, although I spent a few years in other places.  For the most
part I liked Burns Park, although there were some bad experiences there,
mostly with just one teacher.  It was in response to that teacher that my
parents decided to send me to Emerson instead.  It ended up taking a year to
get into Emerson, since more people wanted to go there than could, , but that
was fine because in the mean time I spent a year with a very good teacher at
Burns Park.
        My year at Emerson (sixth grade) was a very good experience in a lot
of ways, and I really enjoyed it at the time.  Still, I have a lot of trouble
justifying it now.  It seems to me that while I probably got a lot out of the
academic side of things, what was neglected was just learning about how to
deal with people.  I don't know what Emerson is like now, but at the time it
consisted of a bunch of mostly upper middle class people from very well
educated families, with parents who could afford the tuition.  In addition,
all of these people were "good enough" to qualify as the kind of students that
Emerson wanted.  There was a constantly reenforced idea that were were the
smart and superior people because we went to Emerson, and that anybody who
didn't must have been inferior.  Getting back into the public school system
-- Tappan -- a year later was a much needed reality check.  Looking back at
my Emerson years, as much as I enjoyed it at the time I'm now very
uncomfortable with the idea of priavate schools, and I don't think I would
send any of my future hypothetical kids to one.

response 5 of 14:

Dec 13 21:45 UTC 1995

Becca, kids from Steiner often go to Community...
Seriously, I am a bit concerned that there is not more of a racial mix; there
are a few asian, indian, and black kids, and a number of religious 
backgrounds, but no handicapped kids that I know of.  As a matter of fact,
one teacher claimed that they just couldn't meet their needs.  I like the
fact that some of my boys' kid and adult friends have special needs; it
teaches them to be attentive and considerate, and not to judge people
superficially.  
What are the kids like?  Creative, independent, generally helpful and kind,
the 7th and 8th graders are often neo-hippies with funky clothes and braided
or purple hair.  I've had the usual trouble with a few kids in each class-
yankin' the sub's chain, mouthing off, etc. but mostly they are great to
deal with.  I really love the fact that they expect *everyone* to be able
to draw, do music, write, etc. I've never noticed the kids running down
their classmates' abilities, either, even in gym although everyone knows
who is *most* talented.
Why does the doctor think David would not do well there?
Timothy can be a difficult child to direct, which is one of the major reasons
I sent him to Steiner- a sort of gentle inflexibility which does not give
him opportunities to engage in head-to-head conflict and does engage him,
perforce, with materials and activities which he would not choose.  Now, in
this second year of kindergarden, he has begun to sing, choose art projects,
and even allow other kids to be leaders now and then.  I'm thrilled.

Of course, this time of year we have to deal with issues of religion; they
celebrate a cycle of festivals throughout the year, which I really love, but
in many ways they are based on the Christian calendar, so we talk about the
fact that (sorry Grace) the Christ child is just *one* sun-child reborn in
the time of darkness, etc.  Still, it's the closest thing I'm going to find
to a "pagan preschool", with the reverence for nature, sense of magic and
imagination, and delightful traditions.  And no worksheets...;)  Dunno, we're
happy.  Don't know what we'll do when Gareth comes to school- very different
kid, I think he'd do very well in an open school atmosphere; child centered
so he'll be forced to rely on himself more.  He'd also do fine at Steiner,
and they'd be gently supportive of him when he's timid, but it's very
expensive to have two kids in private school, I don't know if my dad will
go for it.  For that matter, he might be able to handle public school, since
as a second child he's more of a "team player".  We'll see.

response 7 of 14:

Jan 19 03:34 UTC 1996

Yea!!  Which class?  Timothy did not mention a new "Bluebird", but then he
wouldn't.  He tends to be involved with his own thing.

I wonder if we can find homeopathic remedies for the ears, or something.
Antibiotics are not ideal, nor particularly effective.

I hear good things about Concord.  By the way, every so often I see an
"open house" sign at the church which houses Concord, if I remember correctly.
Do you know why?

Oh, if you don't care for Concord and have the money or can get some sort
of scholarship, Gareth is at Child Care Connection on Miller- about 5 minutes
from Steiner.  Timothy went there.  It's quite good (although the teacher I
thought was most amazing has moved on, sadly), and Gareth loves it.  They
do not permit bullying or roughness, and work hard to encourage cooperative
play.  Also, they run a charter school, as I said- Honey Creek, so their
kids get first refusal of spaces there.  One good reason for me to keep
Gareth on at CCC even when I'm having money troubles.

Gee, we should get together with the boys after kindergarden some.  Want
David to come riding with Timothy on Friday afternoons?  I'm putting together
a group for that.

Best of continuing luck.  
Kami

response 9 of 14:

Jan 20 01:53 UTC 1996

Thanks, Dave.  I suspected something of the sort.

response 11 of 14:

Jan 29 06:57 UTC 1996

Oh NOOOOOO!  Has Geoffrey "turned David into a dragon" yet?  It's going
around.  Timothy informs me that he is now a blue dragon, and he's made
Gareth into a brown dragon.  Cute, but annoying.  Fortunately, no one
seems to be as into it as Geoffrey.  And I think Timothy started the
airplane craze.  And he expects me to keep *all* of them.  I think NOT.
Why do his airlplanes require tape and scizzors?  Mine don't.  But then,
I'm not a six year old boy <g>.  Mrs. Black is super!  

We ride pretty much every Friday- I pick Timothy up by 2, in the hope (yeah,
right) of riding by 2:30, and more often than not, I do his lesson.  I'm
rather tougher on him than Kathy would be, but I'm very proud.  As a matte
 of fact, I've been telling everybody this story; Tim had his first real
fall on Friday.  Becky found something to shy at (I think she was tired
of the lesson.  We were nearly done), dodged slightly, picked up a canter
and put her head down.  Timothy grabbed her neck, rolled off her shoulder
and onto the ground, got up and stood there.  I said; "Whose holding your
horse?" and he went and grabbed the rein.  *Then* he started crying.  He
said "I think my whole body hurts to much to get back on."  So I asked him
to walk once around his horse so I could see.  He did, and remembered to
touch her as he went around behind, so she'd know where he was.  No limp.
So I gave him another hug and tossed him back up, handed him the reins and
told him to walk out on the "rail" (edge of the arena) once around.  THen
I had him pick up a trot one more time.  No problem, and no complaint. Yea!
And he only started last summer.  I'm so proud of him.  He's really getting
it.
Timothy will be in first grade next year.  I'm really glad he had two
years of kindergarden.  They are so right about the confidence it gives the
kids.
See ya!
Kami

response 13 of 14:

Jan 30 21:50 UTC 1996

r
Becca, my phone # is 761-1137.  I wonder if I'd recognize you and/or David
if I ran into you picking him up at aftercare?