Being Savvy: Activities, things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in New Orleans, LA

Selecting a Pre-K program: the maddness and the horror

by Kelly Leahy

This year I have undergone the daunting task of selecting a preschool for my daughter. Actually, I selected three preschools; a public charter school with free tuition and security for the next ten years or so, an expensive private school with the program that I desire and a reasonably priced Montessori school with great reviews. I've sent in application fees, taken tours, gone to festivals and ... Read more >

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Locked in: Making the first preschool payment

by Kelly Leahy

i wrote a few weeks ago about the frustration of choosing a preschool. Today I mailed off payment to our "sure thing." Even though I have now invested over $200 into this school, there is still a chance that I will be switching schools for my daughter. This concept is absolutely nuts to me.Our first choice was the French PreK3 program at Audubon Charter. Since we are not French nationals, we had ... Read more >

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Learn Vietnamese at The Intercultural Charter School

by Kelly Leahy

Even though schools are just starting a new year, it's not too early to start looking into where to send your kid next year. There are a plethora of new charter schools popping up and it's hard to tell which ones are will be a good fit for your child without a proven track record. However, many of the schools are trying new and innovative techniques and teaching styles that can benefit your ... Read more >

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School Day: Blogger conference addresses NOLA education system

by Kelly Leahy

It was easy to say that the New Orleans school system was a "mess" before but now I have to navigate my way through that "mess" in order to get my kids an education. I had my first experience with it this year as my daughter starts Pre-K. At the third annual Rising Tide conference this weekend, I learned that my experiences are not unique. Everyone who cares about their kid's education is ... Read more >

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School Day: Audubon Charter

by Kelly Leahy

Every Monday we talk about the state of the New Orleans school system. For the next few weeks we'll be looking at preschool options and highlighting area schools. Audubon Charter ranks high in leap test scores. There are two schools within this charter; Montessori and French Immersion. Both schools offer PK3 through eighth grade. There is currently no high school affiliated with Audubon ... Read more >

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First Day

by Kelly Leahy

Today was Adelaide's first day of preschool. The start date got set back a bit because of the hurricanes. I'm sending her to a small private school across town. This whole preschool application business was so stressful on me that I haven't had much of a chance to think about the implications other than the fact that she's probably going to pick up a lot of bad habits.We are so used to taking ... Read more >

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Little Ladies and Gents Who Lunch

by Kelly Leahy

I have given a lot of thought to packing preschool lunches. I've invested in reusable containers and consulted other internet moms about healthy, appealing lunches. Here are a few of my favorite sites and tips:Reusablebags.com offers adorable insulated lunch bags. Built NY Munchlers come in four styles. Each animal pack unzips and turns into a placemat.The Laptop Lunch Kit uses a system based ... Read more >

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School Day: The Master Plan

by Kelly Leahy

Last Thursday the first meeting was held to hear public comments regarding the new Facilities Master Plan -- the bluprint set forth by the Recovery School Distric and the Orleans Parish School Board to restore our education system. Christian does a great recap of the evening here. I glanced over the 116 pages document today and admitted that I didn't have the time to digest the complete ... Read more >

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School Day: The Master Plan

by Kelly Leahy

Last Thursday the first meeting was held to hear public comments regarding the new Facilities Master Plan -- the bluprint set forth by the Recovery School Distric and the Orleans Parish School Board to restore our education system. Christian does a great recap of the evening here. I glanced over the 116 pages document today and admitted that I didn't have the time to digest the complete ... Read more >

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School Day: Benjamin Franklin Elementary Mathematics and Science School

by Kelly Leahy

**Please sign this petition to extend the School Facilities Master Plan review. I don't typically sign online petitions but I have met the people organizing this and trust them in their efforts.**Every Monday we talk about the state of the New Orleans school system. For the next few weeks we'll be looking at preschool options and highlighting area schools.Benjamin Franklin Elementary ... Read more >

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School Day: October Open Houses

by Kelly Leahy

Every Monday we talk about the state of the New Orleans school system. For the next few weeks we'll be looking at preschool options and highlighting area schools.Only a few weeks ago, thousands of three-year-olds shuffled off for their first day of preschool. Now it's time to start making plans for next year. Fall brings open houses across the city as private and parochial schools vie for your ... Read more >

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School Day: The gifted what?

by Kelly Leahy

Last year around this time as I was looking for public preschool programs for my daughter, I kept running into the words: Gifted Program. In a nutshell, this means that certain programs accept only children who have been determined to be "gifted" after evaluation by a child psychiatrist. Sometimes getting such a certification can help to get your child into some schools. Both Baby Ben and ... Read more >

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School Day: It could be worse

by Kelly Leahy

I went Uptown today to visit with a frine of mine. She gave birth to quadruplets last December; all girls."What are you doing about preschool?" she asked me. I then rattled off my regular list of dilemma's and complaints about picking a school and trying to go the public route. Then I listened as she informed me that the biggest discount that she had been able to secure for her FOUR girls was ... Read more >

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School Day: Review your kid's preschool

by Kelly Leahy

Savvy Source is a great online resource for finding information about your preschooler's education. The editors have pulled together a wealth of information about development and enrichment. Part of this site's goal is to offer reviews of local preschools to often desperate parents. Since I only have one kids in preschool right now, I only know how good her school is. I can't give reviews of ... Read more >

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School Day: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's education

by Kelly Leahy

It's that time of the year again. Time to start applying for NEXT YEAR'S preschools and kindergarten. I don't know about the rest of you but the past year has been difficult for me from not only picking the perfect school but then choosing two or three backups. I suppose if I was looking only at private schools it would all have been a lot easier but I'm not. I am looking at public schools for ... Read more >

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