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February 4, 2009 at 11:16 pm #589683
OliverMemberI’m interested in hearing about people’s actual experiences with south cluster schools. There are a lot of reputations or urban myths about schools in W.S. I’m trying to find out whether poor and good reputations have persisted fairly or unfairly (e.g. assumptions based on which side of 35th the school is on).
February 4, 2009 at 11:39 pm #657225
QueMemberMy daughter is at Gatewood and we adore it. Her teachers really “get her” and her learning style. I love the community of parents that I get to work with at the school. I feel like there is a very collegial relationship that I have with the teachers, that they are my partners in teaching her.
There are going to be a lot of changes at the school for next year (and at Arbor Hts and Highland Pk too for that matter) and we don’t know what all of them will be yet. The School Board’s decision to close Cooper and divide the students amongst these three schools will mean that all these schools will be larger than they have been in past years. My opinions about the SB’s decision aside, I know that we at Gatewood are looking forward to joining together with the Cooper students and parent community to make this transition as smooth as possible and to create a learning community that works well for everyone.
February 6, 2009 at 4:25 am #657226
OliverMemberThanks for your comments, Que. I really appreciate it. We apparently have lots of neighbors that like to post about bacon and dogs, but unfortunatley not schools. :-)
February 6, 2009 at 5:05 am #657227
QueMemberWow! Sure looks that way doesn’t it… I will say that we looked long and hard at schools before we chose one for our kid. We strongly considered Sanislo and Arbor Hts, they both have very interesting programs as well.. I am actually kind of surprised that there aren’t parents up here singing their praises, since this is “Kindergarten shopping” season…
Anyway, the best advice I have is to go and visit the schools that you think might be interesting. I found that talking to parents that had kids already in the programs was helpful, but it was difficult to talk about with other parents that were also looking, as the things that I saw, and the things that they saw (or thought were important) were sometimes quite different than what I saw.
February 6, 2009 at 5:20 am #657228
GenHillOneParticipantSorry, we were in north cluster for elementary. Big fans of Denny if you’re talking middle school though. Other than thinking the school board is insane, I’ll have to stick to bacon when it comes to specifics…
February 6, 2009 at 5:26 am #657229
QueMemberI mean, don’t get me wrong, I love me some bacon…
mmmmm…. bacon….
I am just surprised that there aren’t more people wanting to help Oliver out with information gathering…
February 6, 2009 at 5:29 am #657230
GenHillOneParticipantlol, no worries!
I’m surprised myself, but maybe there’s still some fatigue from the school board process? I’m not there, but I imagine it has been draining.
February 6, 2009 at 5:35 am #657231
QueMemberGlad to hear that you like Denny though! We are not quite to the point where we are looking, as that is a couple of years off and things seem to change so quickly, depending on the whims of the School Board… but I keep hearing really positive things about Denny, people really seem to like it there. Nice to hear.
I personally would rather be fried in bacon fat than attend a middle school again though… Wow, those are hard years. Nice there is a good place for our kids to survive those years…
February 6, 2009 at 5:40 am #657232
OliverMemberThanks. I appreciate the comments about Denny, too. We’re obviously a long way from that decision but that’s still a source of anxiety!
February 7, 2009 at 12:03 am #657233
BonnieParticipantMy son goes to Arbor Heights and we love it! My daughter will be going there next year for kindergarten. It’s a nice neighborhood school. I live right outside of Arbor Heights so I drive my son to school but I notice lots of parents walking their kids to school. Also lots of parent involvement.
February 7, 2009 at 12:58 am #657234
swParticipantWe are in our 6th year as Gatewood parents and 1st year at Denny – and love both schools. We are all fortunate to have school choice and a diverse group of schools to choose from.
Like other posters, I highly encourage you to visit the schools you’re considering, with return trips to the ones on your short list. Most of the schools will welcome you to drop in and get some time in the classrooms. You’ll most likely develop a good vibe with one and make it an easy choice.
That said, you should also have a backup (or two) you’re comfortable with as the school closures will have an impact. Gatewood had a wait list for Kindergarten last Fall, and as noted by a previous poster we will have an influx of Cooper kids this coming year.
February 7, 2009 at 1:05 am #657235
angelescrestParticipantOliver,
When we moved here unexpectedly summer of 2006, I needed to find a kindergarten for my daughter. I was told to ask a pre-school teacher (and long-time resident), who told me (this is purely what I was told) that Schmitz Park was a gem. She mentioned the program at Pathfinder. My neighbors love Alki Elementary, and Lafayette has been a great fit for others I’ve met. Also, Arbor Heights. We settled for private because of my daughter’s health needs.
February 8, 2009 at 10:43 pm #657236
jackrycecMemberMy daughter is in kindergarten at Arbor Heights and she just LOVES it! Both kindergarten teachers are incredible and the parents at the school are really involved. Arbor Heights is not our neighborhood school but already we feel very connected.
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