How do you know when the school you’re sending your child to isn’t a good place for her?

1. When she asks you if she can go to another school.
2. When the school and/or teacher has acted in such a way that you fear for her safety — physical or emotional or both.
3. When, 2 days into beginning a new school, she still shows no separation anxiety or sadness about the transition.

This isn’t a trick question, and, yes, all three apply in our situation.

Kelsey now goes to a school where learning takes place. Where, instead of countless repetitive worksheets and daily homework, she is taken for walks in the woods and learning to speak Spanish. Instead of being punished for acting like a child, she is encouraged to develop skills appropriate to her understanding. This doesn’t mean it’s a discipline free for all. They are accountable for their actions, but they aren’t being asked to perform tricks for candy. Making peace and negotiating situations are taught — just as they are in our home. Good behavior isn’t rewarded with plastic trash from a treasure chest. It’s just… taught.

I can already see her self esteem shooting back up to the level it was before we began public school.

The kindergarten class is called Sunrise, and her classroom is filled with montessori-type learning materials. They learn through hands-on exploration. They do experiments and are encouraged to express themselves through always accessible art supplies. And they are learning how to treat one another, to form a community and learn how to interact with each other. It’s really what kids should be doing in kindergarten, not trying to satisfy the politicians and learning to perform well on tests so that the number crunchers can measure and judge if adequate yearly progress has been achieved or not.

Most importantly, the teachers get to teach. When Allen and I toured the classroom and saw the dynamic process of teachers teaching and students learning, we both ended up in tears. This is what kids are supposed to be getting at this age.

Learning at this age is a spontaneous, messy, explosive act of discovery, not a regimented, structured thing that can be easily graded.

We are so happy to have found this school. And truly lucky that there was a spot available. This was the right thing to do, and we have no regrets. Here’s what Kelsey did this week. Look at the “Of Note” section to read about our welcome.

I’ll be returning to work shortly, and I can feel comfortable knowing that K’s in a good place.

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