in spite of the silence, a lot has gone on....

[kitsunegari]

ugh!

these stupid 'defined local catchment areas' when it comes to schools is a RIDICULOUS PAIN IN THE ARSE!

i've been researching schools for the monkey to go to, and so far i've just been hit with loads of annoying crap. because of where i'm located i can't send him to the primary school i want him to go to, despit the fact that it is only a 20minute walk from here. and the school just around the corner deals with multiage classes, WHICH I DO NOT LIKE HAVING HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT KIND OF EDUCATION WHEN I WAS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL. the real pain in the arse-ism about it is i'm only about a block and a half OUTSIDE this stupid 'defined local catchment' bullshit.
and when it comes to secondary school, unless he's brilliant and can score a huge pile of academic accolades wherein he can literally have the choice of which school he wants to attend, i'll be forced to send him to Grammar. i don't like the idea of being forced to send my kid to a private school, non denominational or not. i was already considering it, but if it were a case of finances, i'd rather send him to a state high school (BSH was my second choice, but again, it's a catchment thing).

and because of the introduction of prep, i probably won't be able to send sebastian to kindy until 2009, when in reality he should be allowed to go NEXT YEAR! but NO, they're phasing out preschool to introduce prep, and so they're changing it so kids don't need to go to kindy until they're 3 and a half. with the monkey being a 'first half of the year' birth, he'll be 4 before he starts any kind of schooling and socialising. THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO FOR THAT INTERIM YEAR! it's bloody stupid!

i want to get my kid some social skills as early as i can, so i think to myself, "i'll enrol him in kindy when hes three, that's the usual age" then i discover there's nothing i can do, unless "there are unfilled spots on the list. but we're presently honouring our waiting list. and even if there are kids on the list AFTER you, if they turn out to be 3 and a half, they get priority". grrrrrrrr.

i don't know what to do now. at this rate i'm almost better off trying to home school him i think, but then that's going to mean me getting motivated and being a full time stay at home mum. *shudder*

stupid.

til next....
~Kits~ (really wishing i hadn't done this today)

Comments

[c4c.livejournal.com]

By multi-age classes, do you mean composites? Like a combined 5/6? I was in those classes all the way through primary and loved it, as long as I was in the younger half of the class. That way whenever I finished the Grade 5 work I'd listen to what the 6's were doing, because it was usually more interesting. It was pretty shithouse to be in the older group though.

Also, by BSH, do you mean Brisbane State High? Learn by my experience and don't put him through that unless he's a jock, in which case he'll love it. If he's into music, debating, drama, etc it would be five years of misery.

[kitsunegari.livejournal.com]

yeah, composite. i was usually always in the higher. the one year i was in the younger, i ended up doing the higher level anyway.

i doubt very much that he'll be a jock... and i'm not sure about it's location anyway. i've almost been mugged by the musgrave crowd because i was at an audition there one evening.

i'm looking at kelvin grove atm, which caters for all years.hopefully i fall into their catchment, otherwise, i'm in debt about 65grand by the time he goes to uni....

til next....
~Kits~ (i picked a bad week to give up coffee)

[c4c.livejournal.com]

The location was just about the only thing about State High that I liked. Plenty of options for when you felt like wagging school - go into West End for a coffee, Southbank just down the road (although the security guards were told to throw out any kid in uniform) or hop on a bus to the city. :-P I never felt in danger there at all, even when I had to stay late for band practice.

I'm not really qualified to give advice on these matters, but it might be worth waiting and seeing what he ends up being good at before looking at high schools. If he loves music, send him to a school with a good music reputation. If he turns out to be academically brilliant send him to a school that offers the IB programme. If he turns out to be good at sport, send him to a School of Excellence for that particular sport. If he turns out to be a racist, homophobic arsehole, send him to State High. :-P

It'd be so much easier if he was a girl. St Rita's comes highly recommended by everyone.

In hindsight I think I would have liked Kelvin Grove. I haven't heard many bad things about it either.

YOU'VE GIVEN UP COFFEE??? ARE YOU MAD???

[kitsunegari.livejournal.com]

yeah, i need to try and sleep again, so i'm giving up coffee briefly to see if my abuse of it's substance was the cause.

if i thought he were a rapist, i'd send him to toowong :P
and i've heard that sort of thing from boys who went there...

til next....
~Kits~ (obviously i'm insane, i have a child!)

[c4c.livejournal.com]

Sounds good. And if he's a bogan who wants to impregnate teenage girls, send him to Aspley.

Also, as far as getting him some social skills, there are loads of weekly playgroups sort of things. A lot of them are based in churches but they'll give you a free cuppa and he can play with other kids.

[goblinqueen.livejournal.com]

Again I disagree. I strongly hold that state high has a fantasic music reputation. I met plenty of non racist, non homophobic arseholes at state high. I again reiterate - these people are prevalent in all societies, not just one particular high school.

[goblinqueen.livejournal.com]

I actually disagree. I found state high to be quite satisfactory and I had a great time, especially in the latter parts of my years. I found the learning culture to greatly motivate me to do my very best, and I was involved in one of the state's greatest high school music departments.
As for the jock culture thing, well, I think that you'll find it will be prevalent in all high schools, in fact, the entire nation.

I give BSHS the thumbs up.

[frazicus.livejournal.com]

I'm practically three. I can socialise with him!

How about Kresh? I went to Kresh before I went to kindy in victoria. I don;t know if there are any here, but I guess it's kinda like day care. Only this had lots of activities that were kinda like gym.

[kitsunegari.livejournal.com]

i've not thought about that, no. i don't know of any creche's nearby, but i've googled everything i've found so far today, i may as well do some more :)

and as for your age, i'll agree :P, but you also work and will be studying again, and that'll make your availability limited. plus, there's only one of you, and i want him to hang out with a few more kids his own age :)

til next....
~Kits~ (at least he'll look sensible around most of them)

[frazicus.livejournal.com]

*pouts* if you ask dylan, he's sure im practically 7-8 people.

[jagwire.livejournal.com]

What the fuck? Isn't "catchment" a term to describe an area of land that slopes down to a body of water? What has that got to do with schools?

Why the hell can't you send him to whatever school you want? Where do you live?

[kitsunegari.livejournal.com]

i thought the same thing as you. but they've defined areas within a border that's been drawn up by whatever beaurocratic numbskull in some government area to reduce classroom overcrowding or some such shit (i actually have no idea what it's about). and because i'm 'outside' of this invisible border it'll mean jumping through all sorts of stupid hoops in order to get him there.

I live in Paddington. i didn't think it was going to be such a hassle to send him to my school of choice, there are piles of the buggers around me, both public and private. i don't get it!
i don't recall my parents having to deal with this bullshit when i went to school. i just said "i want to go to that school" and there i went...*shrugs*

til next....
~Kits~ (who'd have thunk having kids would cause so many problems)

[aedia.livejournal.com]

O god, please dont homeschool him. I was homeschooled for six years, from grade 4 to grade 10, and it was hell. I rarely socialised, and everything was just textbook-to-notebook learning - nothing interactive or hands-on. Being stuck in the house all day was also just horrific - there was no chance to get a change of scenery or a feeling of perspective on the home situation. They were the loneliest years of my life.

Sorry to be dramatic, but I really dont think many people realise how horrible homeschooling can be.