SB Public Input meetings
Did anyone attend one of the SB schools public input meetings that were last night, tonight (and one more tomorrow)? The point was to get public input on switching Hamilton and Lafayette to Traditional Magnet schools. I was at Hamilton for last night's meeting and there were a lot of Hamilton parents, but after watching the news tonight there were only 12 people present at tonights meeting which was at Lafayette I think.
I just wondered what your thoughts are for switching to more traditional magnets. My oldest son goes to Kennedy but my youngest has 1 year left until Kindergarten and Kennedy is turning away 200 students per year so I know he doesn't have a good chance of getting in. I live in Hamilton district so I am OK with the traditional magnet if he can't get into Kennedy. However if he can't get into Hamilton either because it is full then he would go to Hay. Hay is certainly not the worst school but I don't know if I would be comfortable with it or not.
low turn out
low turn out last night was because of the snow. It was just plain bad out near lafayette school. I was going to go but I was told I'd have to walk because dh wasn't having me drive the van. traditional magnet is fine but im pulling for the art magnet at marquette for my daughter.
does the traditional magnet school work like the art magnet is going to? children within that district will have first dibs???
Katrina Mommy to 3:
Sabrina (4/9/02), Aja (6/13/05), Osiris (10/05/07)
Different entry rules
The traditional magnets will be different from Perley Arts Magnet/Marquette Montessouri. Those schools are keeping traditional boundaries and then whoever else wants in is first come first serve. Perley will only have about 70 seats left, and Marquette will fill quickly because they start at age 3 so it is like free preschool.
The traditional magnets will allow current kids who are currently enrolled at Hamilton/Lafayette in automatically the first year but after that you have to apply to your local magnet school (out of the 3 traditionals) and if they have space you can get in.
makes sense now
as to why the school corporation wants to build another 5 new primary centers if they get the traditional schools approved.
Katrina Mommy to 3:
Sabrina (4/9/02), Aja (6/13/05), Osiris (10/05/07)
Hay
Julie,
My children are at Hay and I am satisified with the results and the kid's teachers. They care about the kids over there and are willing to work with parents and communicate with you. The student population is of a good quality for the most part. They are not exempt from problems, but things certianally seem to be under control and a safe enviroment for the kids.
other notes:
I have mixed emotions on the magnet schools. They don't provide for equal opportunity for all kids in the corporation and the corporation can get themselves in a pickle.
Marquette may be in a bind in a few years. The corporation does not have funding past the grant to contuine with the monisorri school over there, nor are they sure that they can get the student population to migrate to the school--there are saftey issues with the flight zone and the airport--if they are going to build a new school they should find another location to do so.
The best thing the corporation can do is to make all schools educationally the same. Expect the same and provide the same. It doesn't make sensen to put kids on a bus for over a hour to get to middle school, this city is not so big that they have to do that.
Its really funny because all the magnet schools have to teach the same things that the other schools are teaching. They have to teach to state standards and cover the same material that all the schools must. They just expect more extra stuff from the kids. Think hard. Do you want to stress the kids with hours of homework to end up in the same place at the end. I had to think hard about this. I did alot of investigating. My kids are high honor roll kids with high istep scores. I have heard stories about Lasalle and the amount of homework required to end up with the same educational material covered. Enrich you children in other activies instead of overloading them with homework. They will come out a better person with more life experiences.