DBurns
First I want to commend you, jellyfish, for taking parenting so seriously. School is an important part of our kid’s lives and it is definitely worth doing your research, paying attention and being an active participant in this community where your kids spend so much of their time. If only everyone cared so much…!
My message to you is to also try to keep it all in perspective. I have a middle schooler and high schooler and they have had generally great academic experiences here in West Seattle (and now Burien for HS). But school is just one part of their life, and like we, as adults, strive to keep a work/life balance, so should we for our kids. Commuting to Kindergarten seems like a bit much – I understand (and again, appreciate) your desire to place your child in the school that you feel best matches your family, I just hate to see your family time get cut into in this way. Not sure if I’m really articulating, and I really do not mean this as criticism – just another perspective. I did see that you mentioned thinking about moving close to your school so obviously yo have thought about this as well. Just want to put it out there that, especially as they get older and more involved and more social, their activities, school events, and much of their socializing will be done out of West Seattle and that will also include the commute!
I truly hope that you have a wonderful Kindergarten year – it’s exciting and I remember it like it was yesterday! But my wonderful, bright, intelligent 9th grade daughter would say that it was “totally not very important in my life, Mommm” and I just want you to remember that you have a long time of making these kind of serious, sensitive life decisions for your precious little ones!!
Best of luck!!