UrbanBaby Asks...
Do you 'enjoy' spending time with your kids?
- Yes, most of the time we really have fun together
- Sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's really dull and aggravating
- Honestly most of the time it's not fun at all, but it's not supposed to be fun
- I really don't enjoy it at all, and wish I could spend less time with them
Already voted? View Results
Stay Connected with UrbanBaby: 
Flashback
UB Like it's 1776!
Posted September 13, 2007(191 replies)
More reminiscing about laughs on UrbanBaby »Inside UrbanBaby
UrbanBabyBuzz
Snowy Valentine by David
Meet Jasper, he’s a little bunny on a mission to surprise his wife for Valentine’s Day. He wants the perfect present, so trudges out in the snow looking for inspiration from his neighbors. When no gif ...
More »
UrbanBabyNewYork
GoClifftord’s Heart-y PartyCuddle up and listen to the Big Red Dog’s favorite Valentine’s Day books, make holiday cards and take a picture with the lovable pup.When: Sat. 2/11, 3pm; Ages 3+; Free.Where: The Scholastic Store, ...
More »
Any one in the PS3 or PS41 zone? What are you all going to do if you don't get your kids into one or the other? The talk is of sending them to PS11 or a Chinatown public school. Are these schools any good? We don't really have a backup because privates have already done admissions and we can't afford them anyway. Anyone else in this situation and stressing?
55 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreWhy would we get a spot for first grade in 3 or 41? I assume the same students will go on to first grade at those schools and they only have a few more spots that open up right?
[ Reply | More ]K is not required in NYC - which is why they get to play fast and loose - First is - yes, there is attrition.
[ Reply | More ]Oh. OK. And the first classes are slightly larger, right? I COULD keep my child in his Montessori preschool, but honestly I think he is getting bored with it. And we were banking on saving that tutiion (his younger sib. will be attending next year as well). Don't know much about the Chelsea Piers program though? Is that sports plus some academics? He would LOVE that. Would love to hear more about it if you know, OR. And if I did keep him home then I guess I would have to do some homeschooling (at least alphabet and reading,etc.)?
[ Reply | More ]-
-
As much as I don't believe in teaching 5 year olds how to read - 41 will teach all the K children (0r most) - so if your dc doesn't do anything academic - in the first three months of the year - s/he will be a bit behind. That wouldn't bother me or my child - but it might bother you and/or your child - so you could work on letter/sound recognition. I would just get the leap from dvd's that should do it. But, again - you may very well get in - they will lose some children to the g&t programs (more in 41 than 3). Good luck!
[ Reply | More ]Thanks so much for your suggestions. I am trying not to stress, but I tend to be a planner, and this limbo is driving me nuts. I heard last year they didn't tell parents in our zone til June, so I want to be proactive and check out other options. Thanks for the Chelsea Piers idea, btw. I may try to schedule a tour to check it out. I also don't agree in teaching kids to read in K, but I don't want my child to be "left behind" either. Thanks again.
[ Reply | More ]You are very welcome - last year - every child got a seat - just keep that in mind. Now, have you heard from 41 that you are indeed on the waiting list? Because they have that information.
[ Reply | More ]the parent coordinator at 41 was quoted in the times as saying applications are up a third over last year, so i wouldn't assume what happened last year will happen again this year.
[ Reply | More ]you can look at it from an informed pov (mine) or an uninformed one (yours). i can certainly see from your posts you have no idea how many people applied to ps41 this year, thus i am able to see you don't have the facts when you tell op not to worry, everyone got in last year. my day is going just fine, thanks.
[ Reply | More ]
-
-
If your child skips K in the NY public schools, they will be pretty far behind in 1st unless you teach them to read and do some math. K is so academic now. When I was a kid, it was playtime, but not any more. Why wouldn't you just send your child to PS 11? What harm do you think will come of it? PS 11 looks fine, though not quite of the caliber of 41. And I have not heard about Chinatown schools for 3/41. Which school did your child get?
[ Reply | More ]Now I see you are talking about next year. This is really not worth worrying about now unless you are considering a move. Are you really going to stress for a whole year when the majority of kids in the zone will get in? Odds are in your favor, though not as highly as you would like. What are you really going to do?
[ Reply | More ]
np. while i think it's right to remain optimistic, i am not so sure that 75 dcs will take a spot at private or g&t or move out of the city before k starts so that everyone else will have a spot at 41/3. the doe has said the options are 11, tweed or chinatown schools for the overflow (if there is overflow). while there is attrition before 1st starts, i wouldn't count on that, either if i were op. chelsea piers is a preschool program aimed at toddlers and it is not academic. sports-based. i would check out manhattan kids club before i would cp. but i assume op has dc in some sort of preschool that she can repeat. i would not yank dc out to do a year at some other program then a year at 11, then possibly a year at 41/3, etc. finally, op, the reading program at 41 is great. dcs learn at their own pace and those who have trouble are given extra learning sessions. the dcs don't feel pressured at all and are paired with dcs reading at their level, etc. i know what you mean about starting so young, but it's been great for our dc.
[ Reply | More ]np: I think some people with DC accepted at private also signed up for 41/3 (as a hedge in this uncertain economic climate). Those people who do not lose their jobs between now and September will keep their DC in private.
[ Reply | More ]-
When I inquired a few years ago about starting my DD in 1st grade at PS41, the office grilled me on whether DD could read fluently. If she could not, they would not have let her go into 1st but would have insisted that she start in K.
[ Reply | More ]odd. these days there is a strict age cutoff. it doesn't matter if dc can read or not.
[ Reply | More ]-
-
-
-
np: not true. Lawyer here, I've read the new regs. It says that child age 6 will go to first "or other appropriate placement". VS for age 5, where it states child will go to K. No "or" there. So, in other words, as it always was w/older child, Principal discretion which means that if a particular school wants to tell you No, and no exceptions, that's their discretion. They can feel that is "appropriate".
[ Reply | More ]
-
-
-
-
41 can get really weird - they were probably just trying to get you to go to 3 instead - but - schools don't really have that much power anymore. The DOE has cracked down over the past few years about the age/grade thing.
[ Reply | More ]-
I don't know but when I asked the PC for 41 at the tour about my fall birthday boy that we are holding back in preschool another year, she said he would have to go into 1st and could not start K in sept 2010 like he will if we put him in private.
[ Reply | More ]^^^she said nothing about being "ready" (academically or otherwise). she said it might be possible to talk to the principal about putting DC in K but that they rarely make exceptions to the calendar year rule.
[ Reply | More ]Well my conversation was with the school office as opposed to the PC. Not sure I'd really trust the PC's opinion (especially when she might be trying to scare you in to not applying).
[ Reply | More ]you misunderstood me i think - she wouldn't be trying to scare us away. private is our first choice so we have to hold DC back b/c of sept 1 cut off but if it doesn't work out next year, we needed to know whether DC could go into K (as DC is staying in preschool) and was told no, DC would have to go straight into first grade. this is a big concern of mine and others will late summer and fall birthdays because these kids will end up skipping K because of the public/private cut off issue.
[ Reply | More ]
-
-
Can you refer me to where the DOE has said that overflow from 3/41 can opt for Tweed and which Chinatown schools they have chosen. I thought all overflow was at 11. If they go to tweed, that would mean they would attend Peck Slip when it is open which seems very far away. Where are you getting your info?
[ Reply | More ]
-
My twins were wait listed at PS 41 when the lottery was first done. They were spots 13 and 14. When the kids that accepted private school left, they went down to # 2 and #3 on PS 41's wait list. And then last week, we received a letter telling us they are accepted at PS 3 and we have until June 10th to decide. I spoke to the PC at PS 41, and she said the wait list was split between PS 3, and PS 11 (out of zone). The kids that were pushed to PS 11 are now at the top of the PS 41 wait list since they are technically out of the school zone. Kind of backwards, but that's how it goes. So however many people leave for G&T, will open up those spots for a number of kids who are now in PS11. What are everyone's thoughts on PS 41 vs PS3?
[ Reply | More ]
