Whether you are entering the January Kindergarten Lottery or trying
to decide between schools that have openings you may want to spend some
time researching your options.
The Schools at a Glance brochure contains an overview of each school as well as charts comparing some of the special features available at each school.
Each school’s website
contains both general information and an inside peek into the life of
the school community in the form of parent newsletters, calendars, and
recent news stories posted to the site.
Here is a listing of Family Liaison's for each school:
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Word-Of-Mouth
Many
families wish to send their child to a school where they will already
have friends or family. When weighing advice from other parents, it’s
helpful to speak with parents inside the schools you are considering.
While well-intentioned, parents may have misperceptions about schools
they are not personally familiar with.
Most schools have a parent
group, PTO, or “Friends” group that can be reached via their school
website or family liaison. Or, you may wish to post to a local parent
listserv asking for feedback from parents whose children currently
attend a particular school. Since schools change over time, weigh the
responses of current parents more heavily than parents who left the
school several years ago or more.
Differences Between Schools
All
schools have strengths and weaknesses, so while some schools may be a
better match for your child than others, there are no “best” or “worst”
schools in Cambridge. Parents base their selection of schools on a
number of factors, and you should base your decision on the values that
are most important to you.
Differences between schools may
include: location, schedule, structure of the day, length of day, style
of instructional approach, school demographics, whether grades are 1
year or looped, after school childcare options, arts or athletic
programs, foreign language instruction, discipline approach, number of
recesses (1 or 2), community celebrations, and approach to creating
positive peer culture.
As you get to know a variety of schools
you will find that there are happy parents, bright students, academic
challenge and academic support available within all of our schools. All
schools follow the same core curriculum and build community partnerships
that enliven and enrich their school community. All of our schools
offer music, art, library and computer classes and provide physical
education twice per week. All schools have a CitySprouts garden, and all offer a school lunch program that includes nutritional menu items prepared in a full kitchen on site.
The school choice process is the first step in building a lasting
partnership between parents and schools, so choose your partner wisely.
No matter which schools you choose, our teachers and staff stand ready
to work with you to provide your child with the tools they need to
realize their full potential.