Education Advice

In this section you will find advice and tips about:

The Process

Kindergarten

Middle School

Looking for advice about Daycare or Preschool? Go HERE.

To Red-Shirt or Not? Includes updates from 2013 policy change [Updated 2017]

Details: Category: Advice - Childcare and Education, Education Advice ( The Process), Kindergarden/ PreK Advice

In light of changes to “red-shirt” changes in 2013 – Park Slope Parents have updated all you need to know. With advice updated January, 2015 and again in May, 2017

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School Report Cards

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice

An interesting thread in response to school report cards.

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Daycares, Preschools, and Pre-K: the Difference

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice, Preschool/ Daycare Advice, Kindergarden/ PreK Advice

The difference between preschools and daycares has become increasingly blurred. There is now a lot of similarities in programing, structure, and childcare. Many preschools mirror play based learning typical of daycares. Vice versa, daycares now offer more educational structure. Throw Pre-K into the mix, and it can get even more confusing - especially in Park Slope where early child care centers line the city’s blocks.

Here, PSP breaks it down for you.

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Thinking about Homeschooling?

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice

Read what some of our members are saying about homeschooling...

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Middle School Mayhem!

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice, Middle School Advice

Here is a list of websites, resources and schools to help start your process. Bookmark these sites and refer to them often.

January 2014 Kindergarten Admissions Update

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice, Education Advice ( The Process), Kindergarden/ PreK Advice

From NYC.gov:

If you live in New York City and your child is turning five years old in 2014, your child is eligible to attend Kindergarten in September 2014.

Below are important dates and resources to guide you through the application process.

Middle School Interview Questions

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice, Education Advice ( The Process), Tween Advice from Parents, Tween Resources, Middle School Advice

Based on member experiences & online sources, PSP found that typical interview questions include things about the school itself, what are the academic interests of the applicant, how they are involved with the community, what are their aspirations for the future & what interests they cultivate outside of school.

The Tradition of Out to Lunch at PS 321

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice, Tween Advice from Parents, Middle School Advice

PSP members talk about the benefits (and the few potential drawbacks) PS 321 of off-campus lunch.

School Lunch Ideas

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Education Advice, Eating

As one PSP Member wries: "my son is starting Kindergarten this fall after having been in a preschool / day care that took care of all of his meals every day. He's used to having hot, healthy meals which basically consist of rice / noodles and a protein and a vegetable (like a stir fry type of thing). Now I have to start making him lunch and I'm not sure where to start..."

Middle School Applications

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process), Middle School Advice

Information about the middle school application process.

Prekindergarden & Kindergarten Application Process

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process), Kindergarden/ PreK Advice

Important links to Public School Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade information.

Saving For College

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process), Financial Advice

Tips on how to start saving for your child's college education.

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Ready to Apply to High School?

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

Joyce Szuflita, our own "Brooklyn School Lady" has important new information about starting the application process to High School.

Too Early For Back-to-School? Think again.

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

Here are Eleanor Traubman’s top ten tips for staying cool and collected when the lazy days of summer give way to the panic of the new School year.

Greener Alternatives for Back to School

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

An eco-friendly shopping list of all those back to school must haves.

New (school) Year’s Resolutions

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

Some resolutions to keep for the new school year... or at any time of the year for that matter!

Let's (Re)Do School Lunch

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

More ideas on what to give your kid to take for their school lunch.

Rezoning & Other News From District 15

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

Joyce Szuflita, our own "Brooklyn School Lady" has important new information about the zoning of District 15

Ready or Not: Thinking About Middle School

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process), Middle School Advice

Tips and website relevant for your application to Middle School.

How to ease a school transition for a child with special needs

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process), Special Needs Resources

Tips for transitioning your special needs child into a less (or more) restrictive school setting.

Elementary School Admissions

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

The NYC Department of Education website maps out all the steps to applying to Elementary School HERE.

Applying to Kindergarden or PreK? Check out the PSP page HERE.

Parent Experience of Holding a Child Back a Grade

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

From the parents who had their child held back - for development reasons, academic struggles or otherwise - the consensus is the pros outweighed any cons. Here are the voices of experience.

Tips for the First Day Of School - Are you more nervous than your child?

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process), Advice - Childcare and Education

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The first day of school is coming up in the next few weeks. With that comes first day of school jitters; your child may be nervous, heck, you may be nervous. Big changes are afoot and they can be scary for the whole family.

Here's a song called "Forever Friends" from the Bright Sides about starting school.

Back to School Serenely

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Education Advice ( The Process)

Tips for going back to school and how to combat that crazy feeling.

Credit: Brandy Shaul

Now is the time to put everything in place to make the transtion to the new school year run smoothly. That's why we're reblogging Eleanor Traubman's tips for an organized autumn.

Here are Eleanor Traubman’s top ten tips for staying cool and collected when the lazy days of summer give way to the panic of the new School year.

The Middle School Appeal Process

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Middle School Advice

Here, parents in the PSP Tweens group talk about the middle school appeal process...

Holding off on Kindergarten? Advice from the Brooklyn School Lady

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Kindergarden/ PreK Advice

School districts outside of NYC have earlier age cutoffs for kindergarten. Why can't NYC parents whose children have late fall birthdays request that their children wait a year to start school if they feel that their children aren't ready and they will be the youngest in the class?

2012-2013 Pre-Kindergarten Directory & Info Sessions

Details: Parent Category: Education Advice; Category: Kindergarden/ PreK Advice

2012-2013 Pre-Kindergarten Directory

The 2012-2013 Pre-Kindergarten Directory is now available online. The Directory includes a list of all public school and community-based organization (CBO) pre-kindergarten programs, and information about how to apply.

Preschool Deposit and Tuition

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Preschool/ Daycare Advice, Kindergarden/ PreK Advice

Whether it's a layoff, a sweet PreK spot, a move, or a new job schedule, circumstances change. So what do you do when your chosen preschool isn't an option anymore - and you've already put down that killer deposit? Park Slope Parents members talk about their experiences with preschool tuition deposits and tuition.

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Dealing with After School Guilt

Details: Parent Category: Working Parents; Category: Working Mother Topics, Education Advice ( The Process), Childcare Advice, Childcare and Working Parents

Parents talk about putting their children in after school programs, and how to help a kiddo who might feel lonely or left out because of it.

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Make Up and Middle School

Details: Parent Category: Parents of Tweens; Category: Raising Tweens Tips, Tween Advice from Parents, Middle School Advice

A summary of another lively thread on the Tweens Group - this one is about when you should let your Middle Schooler wear make up - and is that even your decision to make?