One of the most frequent questions I get from parents is
about Kindergarten…which Kindergarten is best, is my child ready, should we do
public or private, half day or full day?
For most parents (usually with their first child), this feels like an overwhelming decision. Of course as parents, we all want to make sure we are making the best possible decision for our children!
I understand this completely, as I felt the same way with my
oldest! I agonized over making the
perfect decision for him! What I have
learned, after sending three kids off to kindergarten, is that, while
important, whatever you decide, your child will very likely thrive, and be
successful and happy!
It’s hard to answer this question for parents, when I get
asked where I would recommend they send their child, because each child and
family is different. I believe we have
so many wonderful choices in Leland! Of
course I am partial to our private Kindergarten program 😊 but I believe our public and charter schools in Leland are great
options as well. I encounter many
parents that are very happy with our local public and charter schools, and while no school is perfect,
I truly believe they strive to do their best and create a good learning environment.
For some reason,
public schools seem scary to many parents. I get the pleasure of working with amazing teachers everyday and really believe that the teachers at all our local schools love and care about their students and work hard to help them be successful, just like our teachers do here at CDS! Several
of our CDS parents are public school teachers and, just as we take care of our
sweet kids like we would our own, so do these teachers. The difference between the public charter
schools and the public schools usually comes down to teaching styles, curriculum,
and core values. If you want to know if a school is a good fit
for your child and your family you can always request a tour at a school so you can see the classrooms and get to know the staff 😊
Our private, half-day Kindergarten, is a wonderful option
and has the unique distinction of being the only half-day Kindergarten in
Leland. My daughter attended our
half-day Kindergarten last year and it was such a great decision for her! While advanced academically, she was on the
immature side and also has a birthday that missed the cutoff. The small class size was absolutely perfect
for her! She was able to receive a lot
of individualized instruction. Coastal
Day School’s Kindergarten certainly prepared my daughter to be more
independent, as well as, having good work habits that set her up for success at
the public charter school she is currently attending.
Our Kindergarten program has a class size of 12 students
with 1 teacher. Our small class size has several obvious
benefits, such as more one on one interaction with a teacher. However, there are other benefits that are
less obvious. What I have observed each
year, is a closeness and sweet friendships between the children in our
kindergarten. We have been blessed with
kids that love one another and work well in groups and treat each other with
respect. It’s a great environment to
grow and feel secure as your child starts learning to be independent in
schoolwork as well as in relationships with friends.
Another question that I frequently get is, is Coastal Day
School’s Kindergarten a “real” Kindergarten?
Yes! We are absolutely a real
Kindergarten! People worry because it is
a half day program that it doesn’t count.
Because of our small size we cut out a lot of transition times that
other schools spend much of their day on.
We are able to focus on learning and our time is used more
efficiently. Our Kindergarten teachers
have their degrees in Education and are dedicated educators. Much of the learning is able to focus on
where your child is academically. If
they need more advanced work or need to slow down we are able to provide
that. We meet all Kindergarten standards
and your child can leave us and go straight to first grade well prepared!
Whatever decision you make, take a deep
breath, it will be okay! We are here to support you even after your child moves onto big school so please let us know if you have any questions!
-Caroline
My son, Jack, on his first day of Kindergarten
My son, Luke, on his first day of Kindergarten
My daughter, Katie, on her first day of Kindergarten
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