Feeder Preschools

[rosiev]

Re: Feeder Preschools

thank you, we'll apparently need it Btw, thank you to all!

[jkpescador]

Re: Feeder Preschools

There is a book ...
http://www.amazon.com/Parents-Guide-...5070595&sr=8-1

[rosiev]

Re: Feeder Preschools

Thank you - I just got the book - it is excellent, but does not have a lot of information about feeder preschools. They list the typical private schools, but nothing on the Early School, KCAA schools, The Cole Academy and other feeder preschool except a few Montessori schools. I feel so confused about the entire preschool process and a big part of me just wants to homeschool my kid and forget about all this nonsense. Seems like getting into Punahou, Iolani or Mid-Pacific is almost harder than trying to get into Harvard or Princeton Universities. I feel sorry for our kids and at the same time, this is the reality... (sigh....)

[cynsaligia]

Re: Feeder Preschools

Thank you - I just got the book - it is excellent, but does not have a lot of information about feeder preschools. They list the typical private schools, but nothing on the Early School, KCAA schools, The Cole Academy and other feeder preschool except a few Montessori schools. I feel so confused about the entire preschool process and a big part of me just wants to homeschool my kid and forget about all this nonsense. Seems like getting into Punahou, Iolani or Mid-Pacific is almost harder than trying to get into Harvard or Princeton Universities. I feel sorry for our kids and at the same time, this is the reality... (sigh....)

again, as an iolani grad--why are you so stubbornly stuck on getting your kid to iolani or punahou, when your kid is as young as s/he is? to me, that's like insisting on buying a dress from chanel and forcing yourself to fit into it instead of trying on other dresses and maybe finding that the frock from macy's is not only a better fit, but is more comfortable and more flattering. why not just wait and see how your child develops, gain an understanding and appreciation for your child's personality, talents, and intellect as they are, and find a school which will best enhance your child's special imprint? i know of enough kids who were miserable at iolani or punahou and left or were, for academic or behavioral reasons, forced to leave, then went to another school (public or private) and then blossomed there.

p.s. again, as i've said before, going to iolani or punahou doesn't guarantee anything about anything. if you think getting your kid into a certain preschool, elementary, middle, high school or college is going to guarantee success of a certain kind, you're foolish.

[infinitypro]

Re: Feeder Preschools

Thank you - I just got the book - it is excellent, but does not have a lot of information about feeder preschools. They list the typical private schools, but nothing on the Early School, KCAA schools, The Cole Academy and other feeder preschool except a few Montessori schools. I feel so confused about the entire preschool process and a big part of me just wants to homeschool my kid and forget about all this nonsense. Seems like getting into Punahou, Iolani or Mid-Pacific is almost harder than trying to get into Harvard or Princeton Universities. I feel sorry for our kids and at the same time, this is the reality... (sigh....)

I understand your concerns, but am more concerned about your child. Children will succeed, fail, disappoint, excel, take initiative, procrastinate...all the things other humans do. Providing an environment that accepts them unconditionally, and praises their best realistic efforts are far more important than fulfilling your agenda.

If you're stressed about feeder preschools, how will you handle it when your child lies to you for the first time? How will you feel if you pay for your child to attend that precise feeder preschool and he/she tests, and still doesn't get in? Will you love your child any less if he/she were an average person?

I wish you all the best, but there may be other issues at hand causing this stress.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Feeder Preschools

I do believe a good preschool education is essential however I also feel that if your child has that under his/her belt that child will do much better in ANY school they will attend whether it be public or private.

I have six boys all have gone thru or is going thru preschools. Three have graduated from Kamehameha, one is in a public charter school, another is in a DOE public school.

I have no issues with the latter three attending public or private schools. I was fortunate to have my first three boys be able to attend KSBE at all but am not going to go insane if my latter three make it there or not.

Like some have said earlier, private schools aren't the definative answer to a successful child's career as an adult. BUT early childhood education is. That sets the standard for which that child will build their academic achievements upon as they enter the more structured levels of public or private schools.

[rosiev]

Re: Feeder Preschools

It's first of all ridiculous to imply that I would love my child any less if he did not get into Punahou, Iolani, or Mid-Pacific. Second, I am very much aware of how difficult life can be without a good education. It's easy to say some of the things that people have said, but I know that most parents want to provide the best there is available out there for his or her child. I certainly don't have to worry about it if the public schools were doing their jobs. In addition, I have SEEN what the "que sera sera" approach does to kids intellectual development - NADA!!!! Private schools like Punahou and the rest (didn't feel like listing them again), seem to provide at least some of relief from the terrible schools Hawai'i provides the public. So, if I ask, please respect my decision to preoccupy myself with trying to get my son the best education possible - I don't really think what I'm doing is so terrible.

[rosiev]

Re: Feeder Preschools

BTW,
I'm not such an idiot that I'd FREAK out on my child if he lied to me or did typical kid things. However, I know for a fact that like Craig said, early education is important in HELPING build the foundation the child needs to succeed in learning.

[kamuelakea]

Re: Feeder Preschools

Like I've said, I am a 100% product of Hawaii public schools. When i went to college, I met lots of Punahou kids. Most wanted to drink and do drugs. They were smart and could get through classes with less effort than I did, but they also seemed like they had burnt out by the time college started.

I have many family members that went to Punahou, Kamehameha, Saint Louis and just about every public and private school in Hawaii.

You know what I see in the results (meaning the adults?). No difference. I see happy and productive public and private school grads and I see worthless public and private school grads.

I think the genius types need to go to Iolani, Punahou etc. Also the socially awkward types to protect them from psychological attacks. The rest waste their 15K in annual tuition if you ask me.

Look at Obama. Perfect example. He’s now having to dodge the Hillary goon squad by admitting that he was a high school dope head while his parents paid his outrageous tuition. Roosevelt was free and just up the street.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Feeder Preschools

Roosevelt was free and just up the street.

But the dope was inferior to Punahou's

Rosiev I'm glad you want the best for your child but just be aware that private schools demand much of the student's parents involvement. Many times private school parents are working professionals burning both ends of the candle to get that project or report in on time. That means working late and the weekends.

In public schools, parental involvement is very optional and in most cases parents choose not to get involved. I've been on school boards enough to see the bright kids in both public and private schools. Those parents that get involved with their child's school tend to have higher achieving children.

Is that the rule? Of course not. I was the product of Kalani High school and did it with no parental involvement but I managed to compete intellectually with my school peers with no problem. But my time at Kalani was by no means the norm but more the exception. There are students that are self-motivators and will take advantage of what a school will offer regardless of their parent's lack of participation.

In private schools, parental involvement is not an option. It is a requirement because private schools understand this very simple concept of how a parent can influence the outcome of a child's academic success or failure in a particular school.

With that said if a child has a solid ECE (Early Childhood Education) foundation, as long as you as a parent stay involved with your child thru school both in and out of it, that child stands as good of a chance of becoming the next president of the United States of America as anyone who attended high Maka Maka schools, whether that child attends public or private. Parental involvement and private schooling will almost guarantee success...parental involvement and public schooling will almost guarantee success...the common denominator here is...parental involvement.

[Kailua Mom]

Re: Feeder Preschools

Thank you for the post and all your thoughts. They are very insightful and an interesting read. I'm new to Hawaii Threads so thank you for allowing me to join in on this conversation.

I'm also looking at preschools for my daughter. Has anyone had any experiences with Pali Preschool, Queen Emma, Waolani Judd or Le Jardin?

Any other suggestions?