questions to ask potentiol schools

[Thursday Girl]

so it looks like we might have to move ou kids out of their school. we love their school, but it won't be possible to keep them going there and we will need to send our almost 7 year old to public school. there are some magnet schools that look promising, but i want to get a list of questins to ask before we choose one.

this is what i have so far

1) how do we qualify her for the gifted program?

2) What grade will she be in? (she is in 2nd grade right now at her school, by age she should be in 1st)

3) Do you have foreign language, art, PE, and music? All year or just part of the year?

4)How much time do they spend outside?

5) What is your method of dealing with bad behavior?

what other questions?

[spalaura]

What reading and math curricula do they use? If they give you the names of the methods and/or publishers, you can Google them and find out if the methods agree with your child (and you).

Good luck in your search

[ollyoxenfree]

Some of these may or may not apply well to primary grades, but by the mid-to-upper elementary grades, I think they are just as important (if not more) than curriculum delivered in the classroom:

How are bright students challenged and engaged in the regular classroom? How do the teachers expand/deepen/modify the curriculum for them? Are there special projects or learning opportunities for them?

What extra-curricular programs are offered? Theatre club, chess club, robotics, debate club, orchestra/band/choir, sports (running club, various team sports etc.)

How are parents involved in the school? Is it a cohesive parent group or is it divisive (you may have to ask different parents about this rather than the school). What are the top 3 issues that parents have dealt with in the past 3 years? If it's fundraising for the new school playground, great. If it's lobbying the board to deal with a mold infestation or asbestos in the ceiling, or if it's getting rid of a bad teacher or principal, not so great.

How is the community involved in the school (and vice versa)? Does the school visit retirement/nursing homes, take part in community garden/park clean up, offer special assemblies to mark community occasions (Thanksgiving, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, etc.)

What are the safety procedures at the school - is there a sign-in policy for visitors, do visitors where badges to identify them, are the doors locked during school hours, is there a safe arrival program that has parents notified if their child is absent after the morning bell and the school hasn't been alerted by the parents to expect the absence?