[-]parents who have done this before. do you get any vibe from these ongoing schools about how things are going? i feel like we are, but they all seem so nice and i tink i may be reading too much into this. tia
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[-]Live near PS 158 on York and 78th. After school I see all these kids around who look like teenagers - no way can I believe they are maximum of 5th grade. Has anyone else walked past and seen these kids? Do 11 year-olds really look this old now or is there a junior high nearby or afterschool program for teens?
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[-]How much do you spend on your high school DC's clothes if they go to a nyc private school?
11 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]Maybe $400 a year, mainly shoes, basics. They work on day a week to earn money for clothes.
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np: if they are working too then they are adding to the OP's 400. budget, right? That's not bad.... say the dc babysits for $10/hr one day a week, that could easily add $200./month.
[ Reply | Options ]Actually, gets paid $15 an hour, 5 hours a week, and I give them $200 twice a year at beginning of season to get shoes and basics. That goes quite far.
[ Reply | Options ]I think that's a great model actually. May I ask an indelicate Q? Are you on a tight budget or do you have means but have chosen this structure for education purposes? I ask because we have $ but I don't ever want my dc to be over-privileged in that they expect everything handed to them. My dc are younger but I think your plan might work for them when they're old enough to work.
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ds will not wear anything but Levi's (preferably old), sneakers (preferably Converse) and dark-colored t-shirts from old rock bands. In other words, exactly what I wore to public HS in the '70's. I couldn't be happier with the style--just hope this keeps up when dd gets to HS! (Though Target and Loehmann's are her favorite stores, so I'm not too worried.)
[ Reply | Options ]We are very MC & struggling to pay tuition. DD is not clothes obssessed & dresses less well than other students. She wears women's sizes so her clothes cost the same as mine. It's like dressing another parent except that she continues to grow out of them every year so she needs new stuff.
[ Reply | Options ]So, jeans are $130 ea, boots $150, fall jacket, winter coat, sneakers, ballet flats, 1-2 skirts/dresses, sweaters, gloves/mittens/scarves/hats, bras, tops...The brands are 7"s, Free People, North Face, just what other kids wear but I must spend $2-3k because she grows out of things so each year we start from scratch. It's killing me.
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[-]BTDT moms: Does everyone who interviews at Friends get a letter thanking them for parent-child interviews? We got one, and while it looks like a form letter, I wondered if it has any significance other than general politeness.
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[-]how is the parent interview at Grace Church? Who is it with?
6 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]doa - margery. ours was very typical stuff. what is dc like? what kind of school are you looking for. nothing more probing or specific. then she pitched the school to us (for what seemed like the majority of the interview). I would say it was one of our worst interviews. we felt like we didn't connect with her about anything substantive. but maybe she wasn't interested in us.
[ Reply | Options ]np--Asking what kind of school you are looking for can be answered in very specific ways. Perhaps your answer was vague. Grace is a religious school that focuses on the whole child. Kids being nice is as important as kids learning to read. It is a traditional school, with the belief that kids learn specific sets of knowledge. There's a video on the website in which the head of school talks about the school's philosophy.
[ Reply | Options ]^^^ Grace has around 50% male teachers--another good point to touch on if that is important to you. Also, there are school exchanges with schools in China, India and Japan. Do your homework before you visit a school and interviews can have a lot of interaction.
[ Reply | Options ]or: believe me she told us all about this (and we had just heard it all on the tour and seen a presentation from the head). We knew loads about this school but still thought the interview was blah. We have had other good interviews at schools we liked less. The chemistry was not there.
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[-]oman's kid goes to the same school as my kids. I had no clue she had breast cancer-- thought she was doing some short hair trendy thing! GOD I feel like an ass...http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/nyregion/08routine.html
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Don't feel bad, she probably just wants to do her thing. My sister just finished chemo for breast cancer and she just wanted to keep participating in her kids' lives. After a while, she got tired of wearing the wig, but she wasn't looking for attention, she said it was hot and uncomfortable.
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[-]Did anyone see the piece on ABC News tonight that Goldman Sachs and Citibank received swine flu vaccines before many doctors and hospitals had enough for their practices, particularly pediatricians. If that's true, that's an outrage and we moms need to speak up about it. It's one thing to take our money and then hand out fat bonuses, it's another to risk the health of our children.
30 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]GS received 200, for their high risk employees. Other large employers also received vaccines - NYU, Time Warner, Sloan Kettering, NY Presbyterian, to name a few.
[ Reply | Options ]GS did NOT and i repeat did NOT receive it for their high risk employees. they are giving it to everyone. they even had so much of it, they gave it to certain pediatricians to vaccinate GS employee's kids since GS could not give it to the kids themselves. But nice try.
[ Reply | Options ]Nice try? I don't even necessarily like them. But this was the news story as of this morning (Business Week). Do you have a news story about it since then?
[ Reply | Options ]i have this straight from a GS employee, who obviously was told to keep it hush hush but couldn't. Not sure who is trying to spin it in the media to make it look better for GS and for the government that this happened. but if that is what Business Week said, they did not give all the facts. I was livid. not because my DC are at risk but because i know several who are who are not able to find the vaccine right now.
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I take a med that suppresses my immune system so am high risk and have an under year baby. Neither of us have been able to find it. This pisses me off.
[ Reply | Options ]I don't get upset about much but that does piss me off. I'm pregnant and I've been trying to find it for myself and my 3yr old and feel like I've been on a wild goose chase with calling various doctors and pharmacies. Frustrating to know that so many non high-risk ppl are getting it. What was the point of the cdc even having those guidelines if it's not being adhered to.
[ Reply | Options ]My guess is that like most companies, the makers of the vaccine fill orders in the order in which they were received. I'm guessing GS and Citi ordered first, received first...but it's just a guess. what are the suppliers saying is the reason THEY delivered it to these companies first? it would be their error, not the error of the company who received it.
[ Reply | Options ]Have the outraged people been calling the weekend vaccine centers for appointments? What have they been saying?
[ Reply | Options ]I tried finding a clinic to get 2 dcs vaccinated. Live on UES and Ped doesn't know when they're coming. There are NO clinics on ES between 16th street and 122nd street to get kids vaccinated. Have gotten intouch with elected official in district to look into it. Lots of clinics on UWS, downtown and Uptown. Should be just as easy for Upper east siders to get high risk group vaccinated as it is for GS and Citibank, Public school kids etc.
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My son's preschool said the NYC DOH wouldn't vaccinate kids under 4 years old at the school and that the clinics around the city won't vaccinate kids under 4 either. I've got a three year old. His pediatrician doesn't have enough supply. I'm just trying to protect my child and I feel like I'm in bureaucratic hell. It's just ridiculous.
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[-]i went to the Speyer open house last night. I didnt know much about the school before going. I really do think those teachers and Connie have the passion to create an amazing school- I think they will do it. Unfortunately their stength isnt in the marketing of the school and its mission. If I were them I would hire someone better able to communicate what makes the school special.
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Seems like it is some crazy lady with nothing better to do than to lie about the school Probably only one poster. I gotta say, she is one evil bitch. This site could be so useful for an informed discussion about the school, but instead she poisons the well. Ultimately, it hurts the children who would be the ultimate beneficiaries of the better educational choices that would flow an honest discussion of the pros and cons of the school. That someone would put a personal vendetta (that's what it seems like to me) ahead of the interests of kids is just terrible. I posted elsewhere on this site that her fanaticism actually motivated me to go to a speyer open house.
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I was there too and was very impressed by the approach to differentiation and building the curriculum around the abilities of the children. We are definitely going to apply. I just don't think this board is capable of a rational conversation about the school for obvious reasons.
[ Reply | Options ]OP I think you are right. Do you agree that the 'sales pitch' could have been clearer?
[ Reply | Options ]for sure, they are educators through and through, not marketers or traditional administrators. I also learned that they have decades of experience training teachers to teach gifted kids and I think that is very important. I was surprised that Lindy Uehling didn't speak -- she was the DOD standing that front. She used to be TV spokes model for Hunter. She was effusive in her praise of Connie and faculty.
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wow... that is telling isn't it? I have no horse in this race but the fact that the OH was so lightly attended speaks volumes that either there is a real lack of effective marketing &/or the school is truly not well respected.
[ Reply | Options ]I don't know if there were other OH available but you are right. It really is down to poor marketing I think. A school of that calibre should have a much higher profile. I think it will but it will take a few years.
[ Reply | Options ]Actually it was full - we have to go to next one because they want to keep them small.
[ Reply | Options ]I went at the end of October and it was full. Not too small, not too big...something like 30-40 people. What I found interesting is that people asked real questions. When I went to the tt interviews, people just asked softball questions :-) Very different crowd. Much more "economically diverse." Some people were in jeans, others in a suit and tie. Not sure that matters, but just an observation.
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The people who post on Speyer reveal themselves in later responses to be incredibly ugly, insulting, and mean-spirited. Is this the kind of people, like OP, the school attracts?
[ Reply | Options ]What are you talking about? Everyone on UB seems to be insulting and mean-spirited. Look at the post from the OR who cried spam above.
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You must be joking. The unmitigated hostility on this board toward Speyer and anyone who mentions it is perhaps the most predictable thing on UB besides the slavish devotion to the so-called "TT" schools. If I had anything to do with Speyer, I might share a few choice words with some of the posters here.
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The UB gods should really create a separate board for discussion about gifted kids and the options for them in this city. I have a 2-year old that has just started reading and dh and I are scared. After doing some searches on this board, the one thing that I have learned is not to talk about my ds with other moms and not to ever ask questions about Hollingworth or Speyer on this board. So how about it UB?
[ Reply | Options ]I think you're right not to talk about it with other people, especially parents. You can find lots of info if you search internet. There are many helpful books out there as well. Most people don't know much about issues surrounding gifted children anyway. It's better to do your own research discreetly.
[ Reply | Options ]yes, I realize this, but most parents support each other and share parenting advice. I'd like to find others who have btdt and can help us make good choices for her. It's not just that she's an early reader, there's other stuff too and we'd like to find other parents with similar kids.
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I know how you feel. It is definitely scary and a real responsibility (but a high-class problem to be sure). You won't get any support from a normal school, even (or particularly) a tt. Play dates will be difficult...just not that many kids out there like yours. Good thing you recognized it early and can go for hollingsworth and some of the citywide gifted programs. We got into a tt and thought we were set. Not even close...no accommodation for very gifted kids. Thank god for the internet--you can learn a lot and not feel alone or without guidance. Also, I highly, highly recommend immediately reading "Gifted Children, Myths and Realties" by Ellen Winner from 1996. It is by far the best book on gifted kids out there.
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Honest question from someone with no connection to Speyer = why do so many UBers HATE this school?
[ Reply | Options ]I think some reject the Speyer/Hollingworth premise that gifted kids are more likely to thrive in an educational setting with other gifted kids and where the curriculum is more individualized. Others like to believe that TT schools (which are hard to get into for reasons having nothing to do with test scores) cater to gifted kids when that admittedly do not. Still others are repulsed by any parents who believe their kid is gifted.
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Marketing alone cannot sell a product that isn't really there. It's like the U.S. trying to "market" to the Islamic world that U.S. is a true friend and we're not biased. They're not going to buy it no matter how we market. Speyer probably will be a good product in 5-10 yrs but for now, most people don't want to gamble no matter how great they are. They want proven track record. That's why the product is not selling. Not yet.
[ Reply | Options ]I agree with you that some, or maybe even most people want a proven track record, but my view is that everyone of the most impressive and accomplished people I know or admire is a risk taker and I think Speyer will perhaps succeed and be exceptional because it will attract more interesting and daring families. I wish them luck.
[ Reply | Options ]I partially disagree. Most parent want a good and suitable school experience for their child and a track record helps convince them their child will get it. It isnt all parent rely on though. If the school did a better job at presenting its mission, values etc then parents would be more comfortable making their decsion to send their child there.
[ Reply | Options ]I was at the open house last night and I thought they were very clear about their mission and what kind of child they are looking for. We have a friend whose dc attends and loves it and that's why we are inquiring. Comparing the Speyer open house last night to other ones we've attended was very telling. Perhaps because they are new, they gave a great deal of detail about curriculum with examples of how their individual approach is implemented. Speyer is being held to a much higher standard because it's new, but imho, it passed with flying colors last night.
[ Reply | Options ]it took until the question session for the mission to be clearly spelled out. I like the school a lot but it wasnt 'very clear' to me prior to that.
[ Reply | Options ]We were there, too, and there were about 50 people there, not including Speyer staff and a few current parents. Clearly, it does take a big leap of faith, but they sure seem to know what they're doing with the kids. Agreed about not-so-hot marketing campaign, but maybe they're concentrating their efforts on just getting the school going. I doubt that any of the families there care two cents about what UBers post, and those first families REALLY had to take a big leap because there wasn't even a school last year. So, they must've known something. Everyone we met seemed very genuine and concerned and involved.
[ Reply | Options ]Can anyone describe the facilities at Speyer? We have heard about it from another parent, and were curious. Also, are their requirements different from other private schools? Do they have ERB cut-offs or mandate IQ tests?
[ Reply | Options ]They will be moving next year, and will know where in 4-6 weeks (said HOS at OH). Currently, 2 classrooms, big gathering room, offices, gym. They use the facilities of Gateway school also, right next door, and use playgrounds across street at PS??, and public playground down the hill. The rooms are very airy, with almost floor to ceiling windows, lots of bright modern colors (thankfully NOT red, yellow, blue), and kids artwork everywhere (what school doesn't have that?). There are no rows of little desks, looks like kids sit in small groups or in circles.
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np: St.Ans' doesn't have cut off. Does that make that school ridiculous as well?
[ Reply | Options ]These constant cutoff comments are so uninformed and stupid that it's hard not to think that the posters are people who prepped their kids for the tests and are now hanging on to the scores as proof that their kids are brilliant. I've actually met parents who've argued that the test scores are meaningful even if the kids are prepped because some kids don't do well even with prepping
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[-]PAC or STMPG and why? Would love to hear about type of parent body at each, type of kid who would thrive at each and ongoing admission suppot/help at each. TIA>
3 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]To each his own, but I had one friend at each and the PAC mom felt the teachers were lovely but the program did not push pre-writing/pre-reading/pre-math at all. She felt it was alot of money just for free play. Friend at STMPG loves it, although she said it's a bit formal. Also feeds into mostly ss schools.
[ Reply | Options ]I'm a mother at STMPG and we really do love the school- can't speak to PAC. The parent body at STMPG is great, but definitely not diverse (UES/UWS, white, mostly Christian/Catholic). Tons of very wealthy people but they tend to be down to earth. Mostly SAHMs. My ds thrives at STMPG, but I feel like most of the children there do. The director at STMPG is very involved with the school and with the exmissions process- definitely feeds to the SS schools. The STMPG curriculum is relatively academic, but it's done in a fun, play-based way. I am happy to answer specific questions if you have them.
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[-]Applying to nursery and just got assigned at playdate at 1:00 time slot. Ugh, right when dc usually naps. This should be a nightmare
3 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]i swear all of our preschool playdates were like that. since we had advance notice, we adjusted for it the day before so that dc would either wake up late and nap later or wake up early and nap earlier. do the best you can, all dc are in the same boat. did not turn out to be nearly as bad as we'd anticipated.
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[-]anybody know the nice rolex watch that is kind of larger with the flatter band that i see around sometimes? i have an opportunity to buy a watch for myself as an xmas present for like 50% off retail and i'd like to purchase this watch i have always liked from afar. but i dont know the name of the watch. went to rolex site and couldnt find it. tia.
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[-]If you could live anywhere in NY, and your dc could get into any school you wanted, what would that be? Public and private.
17 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]I'd live in Carnegie Hill bc dc is at Dalton - I'd live in the part below 90th st so we could be zoned for ps 6 in case private didn't work out for #2 or finances changed.
[ Reply | Options ]Is ps6 very good? I know they say nice things on inside schools, but they say nice things about most schools.
[ Reply | Options ]Most UES publics as good if not better than 6 eg- 183 consistently rates/scores higher than 6.
[ Reply | Options ]or: i have friends w dcs at both 6 and 183 and all are happy with the schools so i think you can't go wrong with either. my friends w dcs at 158 and 290 have issues w the schools. my point was that carnegie hill in ps 6 meets both my current and potential future school needs. the 183 district is too far from dalton.
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If I could take my house w/attached garage and .8 acre lot with my pool and magically plop it in manhattan, I'd put it in north west Tribeca. Also, all 3 of my kids would be super smart and get into Stuy (they'd go to 234 and then Lab for MS) and they would all be in the top 2% of their respective classes, that is what I would do.
[ Reply | Options ]Bay Ridge limestone with a large back yard, BSI followed by Mark Twain followed by Stuyvesant. I have the living arrangements, now just need to make sure the DCs get into those schools.
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[-]How would you handle? I have a wonderful nanny of five years. Today when she is leaving I overhear her say to my 6 yo, "If you are nice to me next week, I won't tell Mommy and Daddy about the secret from the playground." She has never complained that ds is not nice to her. Of course, I asked ds about it and he said "I have no idea."
22 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]I would fire her ASAP. She's teaching the DC to lie to his parents and have secrets. Next think you know her boyfriend have her DC jerk him off (aka Michael Jackson) and that's a "secret" we don't tell mommy. Iwouldn't even call her, I would fire her ass
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It is extraordinarily inappropriate for dc to have secrets from parents. Ask her first thing Mon. And ask dc now. It may as simple as an extra ice cream but it sets a bad precedent. YOU are the gatekeeper NOT the nanny. Do not allow her this power of him and you and your relationship with your child.
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I would guess she is from another time/culture and not in-tune with certain safety issues today. I would explain to her why encouraging a dc to keep secrets from parents is potentially dangerous thing. I would also take the opportunity to sit down with ds and her and reiterate that there is nothing that DS could do that would make you not love him and that he should feel like he can tell you anything.
[ Reply | Options ]Just talk to her! Was it said in a threatening way or in a playful way? You can say,
[ Reply | Options ]^"if you're nice to me..." to someone who is always nice to you. The "secret" might be a lucky penny, a girl that's in love with him, or an extra cookie. I agree that even in play the child should not be encouraged from -- should be discouraged from! -- having secrets from you, but if this is your "wonderful nanny of 5 years", then that's what I'd focus on and just work through this hiccup. If you find out that it is something serious, then take the appropriate action, but in all likelihood, it'll just come down to a talk about secrets. Call her today so you don't stew about it all weekend, or talk about it first thing Monday ("I've been wondering about something I heard you and X talking about...")
[ Reply | Options ]Ittta with this poster. If she has been with you for 5 years, then she has a definite relationship with dc, and these are things that are said between a trusted caregiver and a parent. I am not saying that it is ok to have secrets, but that can be explained to nanny and dc without ruining the caregiving relationship which you think is positive. The fact is, when we go to work (and I am a WOHM) we do cede some control to the nanny. You can redirect in a positive way.
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[-]Re: Fieldston openly gay guy who resigned to hang out with his lover in the country: I think a Head of school is also a role model for the students. Any school who has a head that's not in a stable, married relationship (preferably with children) living a moral life is not fit.
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[-]My ds is in preschool here. We love the preschool. He is in a 3's program. I know that some ongoing schools have pre-ks. Is this something i should look into. How do I know what school (ethical culture, horace mann, c&c) is good for my son? I overheard some moms talking about applying now for a 4/5s program. Should we just stay at our preschool until k? thanks.
9 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]You have more options if you apply out for K. Also, pre-k programs at ongoings tend to be FULL of sibs--very hard to get a spot if you're not connected.
[ Reply | Options ]i would tour a few pre-ks and if you like them apply to a few. it's hard to get into pre-k but if you luck out and get into one you like you'll avoid the k apps process. it's true that you have more choice but if you don't have good erbs, connections, etc., apps are hell. Worst case, you'll have a better feel for what the schools are like when it comes time to apply to k.
[ Reply | Options ]It might be a moot point, anyway. Isn't it too late in the year to be starting the application process?
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[-]The Head of ECFS just quite (after only 16 months). The place is crumbling...run!
14 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]Don't be ridiculous. The school has been around since 1878, it is not crumbling.
[ Reply | Options ]You're right, but this school is for a very specific family...way progressive and not parent friendly.
[ Reply | Options ]schools that are not parent friendly, as you call it, are happier places for the children.
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don't be so certain of yourself. the poster is right in some contexts--"parent friendly" may simply mean that a school is more or less dictated by a volunteer group of parents who tend to come from the same particular socio-economic situations, and don't have any training or education in education. So I agree. let the school teach the kid, and don't let the parents decide, say, what foreign language will be taught at a school--which is the case, say, at some PA-heavy schools.
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No one says this about Dalton, and they have had quite a lot of changes in terms of HOS's. So stfu.
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[-]If you consider yourself a down-to-earth person with enough money to send your kid to a private school but not exceedingly weatlthy, or from money, do you think it possible that your kid will ever fit in at a tt ss school? Isn't the culture of all the other families just too much to overcome?
28 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]That's us and we are fine. But it might depend on the particular school? or maybe it's harder in HS? But right now, in elementary, money is not an issue at all. I don't even think my kids realize who the really rich kids are, and who the FA kids are and who is in between. The parents do, but my kids still seem oblivious to this stuff.
[ Reply | Options ]We are in the same situation and our dc is thriving. It is academically great. DC does notice certain things like the number of terraces in friends homes (we have none) but also equally notices who has pets and who does not. Most parents are friendly and nice (even the extremely wealthy ones) and dh and I have done socializing outside of school with some lovely people.
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i'm not really interested in my child "fitting in" - anywhere. i'm looking for the best education our money can buy
[ Reply | Options ]op: my point exactly. We are interested in best education and I am afraid that my kid will try to "fit in" (or be superficially excluded) b/c we may not be the same as many of the other families at tt ss school. I want dc to be comfortable not fitting in, and not be penalized for being different. Worry that this won't be possible.
[ Reply | Options ]your children aren't robots..."fitting in" is a crucial part of growing up...not in the sense of following the herd, but in the sense of social development/having friends/being part of something outside of their family & academic lives...i feel bad for your kids if you really don't care about whether or not they fit in
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I think that's weird. Don't you want your child to be happy and comfortable? School is about so much more than academics. The best education you can buy is really not thta important in 5th grade if you are miserable and feel like an outsider.
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I went to a Hill School in the 70s/80s with parents who were scraping together the money to pay tution and sacrificing a lot. I always knew that a lot of other kids had more money, although not sure if I was aware of the concept of FA and that there were probably kids there w a lot less. My parents were different from the other parents and I fit in well enough, had friends, did well there. I think it's a matter of being comfortable with who you are. If the parents are and they raise their kid to be, then it's fine. I think a lot of parents are NOT comfortable with being one of the least wealthy - in any environment - and they pass that on to their kids.
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actually I agree with OR. I think a lot of people just don't want to be the poor one. Need to be at the top. or avg.
[ Reply | Options ]or: and i understand that. a lot of people prefer to be surrounded mostly by people just like themselves. and there are always those who like to be a little superior (richer, more successful, more attractive, better house, whatever) versus their peers. I just think that this idea that the culture of wealth is going to leave dc on the sidelines is bc it makes adults feel badly. i mean if your kid is more affluent than all the other kids, do you worry about that too? i think that can sideline them just as much.
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this is us and we've been in the private school "scene" for a couple of years now with no regrets. our child is thriving both academically and socially with regard to friendships. we find the parent body to be a friendly one, as a general rule. and we have established relationships over the years with a number of families whose economic situations are all over the map. i do know that there is a soemwhat large contingent of families who socialize together in the hamptons and on fancy vacations and the like, and we will never be a part of that. but we truly don't care. we don't covet anyone else's life but our own, so i don't expect that our son will ever feel like he doesn't fit in or is missing out on something. we have always said that for...
[ Reply | Options ]hidden in the body of the post above: we have always said that for every person with more than us, there is someone with less, and he gets it. he has a busy, full, happy life with good friends (middle school). and he is having a wonderful experience at his school. don't know if this helps. but it's been our experience.[
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I may be the minority here but we're at a private, we're wealthy and I swear you would never know it. We live in the same apartment I grew up in & haven't updated it (out of laziness more than anything else). We go to weird places like Panama for vacation, not the usual NY field trips to paradise. Kids wear ON and H&M clothes. We do have a weekend house but it is a farm upstate not in the Hamptons. Most of our dc's school friends are similarly down to earth and not flashy. There are some of those of course, but it really isn't as obvious as you're imagining.
[ Reply | Options ]Sorry, Panama isn't a "weird place"; It's full of fantastic "paradise" vacations.For a Panamanian(which I am), New York may be a bit of a weird place for a "vacation".I'm not sure you're as "down to Earth" as you believe.We haveen't got $$ worries, are well educated and shop at H&M and other places which make $en$e. What are the other weird places??
[ Reply | Options ]I find it so amusing that despite there being like 10 people who frequent this board, whenever I post something medical related I run into an MD that specializes in whatever specialty is relevant, psychologists up the wazoo whenever advice is offered and now I've been to Panama & lo-and-behold there's a Panamanian handy to flame me.
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My SIL went to a tt school. At first she tried to fit in by hanging out w the equestrian crowd, but basically she is a science nerd and so that was a bust. In her senior year she excelled in science and in some classes there were only 6 other students. Her initial trepidation was more than compensated by an excellent education
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[-]What's a great kids' place to take a ds for his 7th birthday for lunch/dinner and cake? TIA!
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[-]does anyone know if LREI is harder to get into at preK or K?
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I don't know but the fact that regular nursery is about $18K and ongoing pre-K is about $30K probably keeps some people away. Also, some people don't realize that some schools start at pre-K until they apply for K and it's too late by then. This happened to us at some schools (town, Grace, etc)
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There are less spots at K because of all the preK kids moving up. And siblings often wait until K to enter.
[ Reply | Options ]I have been told the opposite. That most of the sibling/legacy/and board-connected people get in at the pre-K level. Not that this makes K easy, but it may be slightly more so just because those people are *mostly* dealt with by the time K admissions happens. To give you a sense, one close friend of mine (the principal of one of these schools--not LREI, another uptown) told me last year that they had 28 sibling/legacies for something like 18 spots...so they took half of sibling/legacies, and that left only 4 spots for other pre-K's. crazy odds.
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Several years ago, when we considered applying to LREI for preK, they actually sent out a letter to prospective applicants warning that preK slots were almost all taken due to sibs and legacies (the message being, you are welcome to apply if you're unconnected, but don't hold your breath). We applied for K the next year and got in (but did not take the spot). I think this means that if you're connected, you've got a better shot at getting in if you apply for preK, but if you're unconnected, your chances are better if you apply for K.
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