The Open Classroom

OC
Jory and I went on a school tour yesterday morning at The Open Classroom.  It is a public, charter school located downtown, near the capitol.  We were both really impressed and we're going to apply for Ana to start at that school for kindergarten in the fall of 2011.

Originally Jory and I wanted to home school the girls.  We had several different reasons for that.  We wanted to be able to give the girls the absolute best education possible.  We want to be able to design a specific education for their strengths and not limit them to the curriculum that is available in a public school.  We want them to be mature kids that can interact well with older and younger kids as well as adults. 

Recently I had a few opportunities to observe Ana in a classroom at church and I was amazed at how her interaction is so much different than it is at home.  She was really benefiting from the kids around her and following instructions really well.  First and foremost, Jory and I want what is best for our girls and we both think that Ariana will benefit most from a classroom setting...at least at this stage in her life.

The Open Classroom is awesome.  You can read more about it by going to: http://ocslc.org/ochome/
It is a school run by committees of teachers and parents.  Parents are required to volunteer in the classroom for about three hours per week, per child that is enrolled.  There were no less than three parents in each classroom we visited yesterday making the ratio of students to adult/teacher about 6:1.  The tour parent said that the largest classroom in the school had 25 students in it.  Like all public, charter schools there is a lottery system to get in. We would really like to have Ariana attend this school, but we want what is best for her so we're praying about this decision. Siblings are automatically accepted so that's good for Amelia, but we will be home schooling her for kindergarten either way.  The state of UT has a rule about having to be five years old on the day that school begins.  Amelia will turn five two months after school starts in 2012.  I do not want for her to be a year behind just because of her birthday so we'll home school her in 2012 and she will start first grade in the fall of 2013.

I encourage you to read more about the OC on their website, but I can answer many of your questions too.  There is so much that we love about this school I could go on for hours!  If you are the mother of a school aged child, get online and ask around about what options are available for your kids.  These are some of the most important decisions we will make as parents.