I never knew that it was such a big deal to figure out kindergarten. I, along with countless other parents, figured when kids turn 5, they go to their neighborhood school; this is not necessarily the case! Not only do yo have to decide when a child will enter kindergarten, but you have to decide where.
In Colorado, it is common practice for kids (especially boys) to be held back if their birthday falls after late spring. Quin, having an August birthday (only a month prior to the cutoff), was advised to be held back. After a lengthy discussion with Quin's preschool teacher, we decided that the right choice for Quin is for him to enter Kindergarten this fall.
In today's society, there are more options than you can possibly consider. Some of these options are prestigious, come with high cost, long waiting lists, and offer highly superior education to public schools. Other options actually preform at a level below the public schools, but are still sought after with great competition. The school that we hoped for Quin to get into is a charter school in Fort Collins. Ridgeview Classical School ranks #15 in the nation and fills the open spots by a lottery system. Every spring, there are hundreds of applicants for only 30-40 kindergarten spots. This year, Quin was chosen for one of those spots!!
The schedule is a little different than most kindergartens, as he will go two full days each week and half of a day on Friday. This schedule works out well for me, since I will have to drive 20+ minutes each direction to take him and pick him up from school! I am happy to only drive up there three days a week, for now. The drive is worth the education though. We couldn't be happier that Quin got into such a great school!
