please help, public school after homeschooling

[StephManietta]

I have been homeschooling my 4 kids ages 8, 5, 4, and 3, pretty much since birth in some form or another. This year we have just moved from CA to FL, and alot has changed over the last year (divorce, move accross country, DX of epilepcy for my 4-year-old) I love the idea of having the kids home with me, but it is just to much right now. My 8-year-old has been struggleing for some time. I am pursuing a DX of Aspergurs but for now they have said ADHD, bipolar, and learning disability.

So this year I will be placing the 3 and 4 year old in Headstart, They were both preemies and with DS's epilepcy it seems best to get him help early.

My 5-year-old DS tested into a 1st grade program last year when I was thinking of charter school, he has been exposed to the material since a very young age.

Here in florida the cutoff is Sep 1st and his Bday is in Nov. accoriding to the district website any students moving from a state were they fit into the cutoff, and having completed a kindergarden program can be addmitted to 1st grade.

In CA homeschooling is done by creating a home based "private" school. So my question is to give verification of kindergarden completion to the new school should I make him a report card from out "private school" or should I write a letter saying that he comepleted a homeschool program?

Apparently the school gets final say on placement and I want to be honest and it seems a bit deseptive to turn in a report card from a private school and just not mention that I was the teacher. But he is so bored with the kindergarden material at this piont that it would be very hard for him to sit thru a whole year of materials he mastered 2 years ago.

Any suggestions? Any idea on a form I could give to the school stating that he has completed Kinder?

Thanks for any input,

Steph

[grisandole]

Personally, I would just tell them that he went to a private homeschool and completed and passed Kindergarten. They may take him, they may not, you could always ask if they have an assessment test. Here in CA, they will place the child in whatever grade they are supposed to be in, regardless of if they went to a homeschool or public school (some friends and I have put our kids into public school after being homeschooled, it was easy). Hopefully Florida will be the same. Worst case scenario would be they make him go to Kindergarten and then realize he knows it all and should be in first grade. I would just be assertive and try to get him into first grade by explaining that he did complete a kindergarten program, if they want an outline of the curriuclum then you can give them one. Unless the wording states that the child must have attended a specific type of school or program, I would definitely argue that he did, indeed complete kindergarten and is eligible. Good luck!

[edwardsmom]

Depending on the school, kindergarten may be a better transition to public school than 1st grade.  Many 1st graders are expected to do a lot of seatwork and worksheets, whereas kindergrten may have more hands on activities and movement.  So, unless your 5 year old likes or is accustomed to that type of schooling, a relaxed kindergarten class may be more enjoyable for him.