Thoughts on Admission Season--Implications for Children in Private School Settings

March 2013




I want to reflect on this season that is so very much a reality for children and families of the private school world: Admissions Season.  It takes place right in the heart of the school year and often brings with it a premature sense of the upcoming school year being right around the proverbial corner.   But for every child,  and for every teacher, although January is the month when parents are sending in applications and renewing contracts, the current school year is by no means exhausted.  In fact, it seems that that is the time when everyone is truly  "getting into the groove" of the current year.  Things are in full swing. Holidays are past.  The child knows that the teacher knows her very well;  significant academic growth bursts out in many wonderful ways, all the way from the renewed focus of January to the excitement of upcoming spring break.    Children are at ease with one another.  Relationships grow more solid and new friendships occur.  A hesitant child begins to find a strong voice.  The one who was worried is relaxed.  And in the middle of all this wonderful budding and blooming, relationships between adults and between the children and about the projects and animals and skill sets,  here is that interfering next year's calendar imposing on all of this natural ease and productivity a burden, albeit, a necessary one.

How to make the most of this year to maximize the experience for everyone:

Thus, whether your child is enrolling in Lake and Park for the first time, has been to many schools for admissions visits, is moving out of a beloved familiar place and worried about a new place, or if your child is conscious of friends moving on, or of herself or himself staying behind without the comfort of a good friend, you as parents can help make the situation work for everyone by doing the following:

Wait, if you can, to mention any real upcoming changes unless they are very much in the child's awareness.  A preschooler doesn't have to know now which kindergarten he will attend.  A first grader who has been on school visits is usually happy just to wait to hear when the transition is eminent.

Allow this year to have full play--emphasize the here and now.

Help your child's current teacher keep the class focused on that here and now by not discussing the possibility of friends making changes.

Wait to answer your child's questions about next year until they are asked

Remember:  six months in a four or five or six year old's life is a significant fraction of time.

A great time to think about the next school year is after goodbye's have been said in June, after summer has had a chance to sink in and the child is curious about the next step.  Then it would be time enough to walk by the new building, check out the playground, take a look around.  For those arriving at Lake and Park for the first time,  it is usually perfect just to wait until school begins.  We have a purposeful Slow Start to allow everyone to "get on board";  if you visit a classroom at the tail end of August, you will often find it in disarray, with the teacher preparing for the beginning. Wait to actually enter the room until the teacher has it ready so that he or she is able to properly welcome each child.  And, do not worry about having your child meet children in the new school beforehand.  It is easiest, I have found from many years' experience, to wait for that potluck or picnic or get together until the child has met children in the neutral setting of the shared classroom rather than to try to create a friendship on a play date.  Teachers know how to welcome the child and facilitiate connections.


Please post any thoughts or tips you may have regarding this conversation.

Thanks,

Camille