It feels like I've been doing nothing but visiting schools lately... (Which isn't too far from the truth, since we're looking at several schools - most of which require a parent interview, student interview, and a tour). But it's important to feel comfortable with a place that Jemma will be spending so much time next year, so I'm putting in the hours...The tours are tedious - and sometimes feel entirely unnecessary. You usually get a feeling for a school right away, and the rest is just killing time. It's amazing how quickly you get a gut reaction to a place. So far I've seen a lot of nice schools, as well as a few - some with great reputations - that I wouldn't consider sending my daughter to. However, I went on a tour yesterday that was absolutely fabulous. The school itself is lovely, and the atmosphere is one in which I imagine children would flourish. It's just a nice place to be - which made the tour much more palatable. I ended up feeling like if they would have let me apply for a spot in their kindergarten for myself I probably would have. The location is a little out of the way for us... but it's worth considering because it seems like such a special place.
I still have several more schools to visit. I won't be able to make any real comparisons until January, when I'll have checked out enough of them to make an informed decision...
You are smart to visit so many schools. When we were going through this process many moons ago, someone was kind enough to tell me that our child would end up at the right place. It gave me a sense of calm hearing it. And thankfully, it turned out to be true.
ReplyDeleteJemma is a GEM, and where ever she ends up going, that school will be all the better for her being there.