School decisions

Since Nate will be 5 in May, he will be going into kindergarten in the fall. Jon and I anticipate he will "graduate" from special education at his next IEP, or at least that they will recommend a "full inclusion" setup with minimal to no special help. Because he is doing well, we feel more freedom in choosing where we might want to send him to school.

The first and only place I've visited is Living Word Christan Academy. Cost is definitely a factor, and the tuition at this school is about one-third that of other Christian schools in the area. One third. I met briefly with the principal and also for a while with the kindergarten teacher. She is nice, young, and strict--all great attributes. And get this--this year, there are 5 kindergarten students. They expect close to the same number for next year. I can really see Nate thriving in a small environment like that and with a teacher whose discipline ideas and strategies mirror our own (i.e., parents and teachers should try to address the attitudinal/"heart" issues and not just behaviors; the reason we need to obey is because it pleases God). Both the size and Biblical discipline facets of the class would be impossible in a public school setting. In addition, it sounds like they always tailor the academics to each child (e.g., separating the kindergarteners during language arts/reading time according to ability, or even sending a kindergartener to the 1st-4th-grade teacher for reading or math, etc.). The school is very small, with one class for kindergarten, one for 1st-4th, and one for 5th-8th. If we can make it work, we are planning on sending Nate there in September! (Actually, they have a 3-day-per-week summer program we might send him to first.)
:)