Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in new orleans, LA

School Day: New Parent's Guide Released

by Kelly Leahy

March 23, 2009

The new 2009 New Orleans Parents' Guide produced by the New Orleans Parent Organizing Network has been released. This is your complete source for public schools in New Orleans. It not only tells you how to enroll your child but lists various statistics for each school. Whether you are looking for a school under the Recovery School District or New Orleans Public Schools this guide is enough to get you started.

This new edition did offer some encouragement. Though there are still plenty of charter schools with an unproven track record, there are more test scores and statistics about their students available this year compared to last year. There are also more preschool programs available than previous years.

School Day: Practically Painless Gifted Testing

by Kelly Leahy

February 09, 2009

As I wrote a couple of months ago, if you opt for gifted testing, private is your best bet statistically though you will pay for it. However, if you are curious and want to go through the New Orleans Public School System, I am here to report that it's pretty painless (except for the part about wondering if a few more puzzles would have pushed my daughter into the gifted zone).

Building Your Garden and Watching it Grow

by Kelly Leahy

February 02, 2009

Let me just start off with the disclaimer that I am completely new to gardening. I'm also a little obsessed with it at the moment. The girls and I have a great time in the dirt and I'm pleased with the method that I've chosen as it's great for my small, urban backyard. I put off growing a garden for so long because I didn't want to dig up my turf. I have a pristine plot, no trees, shrubs or  Read more...

Acceptance Letters

by Kelly Leahy

January 30, 2009

So you've gone through the arduous task of selecting a preschool. You've sent in your application with accompanying documentation that may include proof of residency, medical records, psychiatric evaluations, letters of recommendations and a check. You might have even applied for financial aid, laying out all of your monthly bills for some unseen entity to review. Then you sit back and  Read more...

School Day: Division of Labor

by Kelly Leahy

January 26, 2009

I am the one who looks into preschool and kindergarten options in our house. My husband has the luxury of sitting back and second gues my choices and ask me questions that I don't or can't get answers for (i.e. the statistical odds for the Audubon Montessori programs verses the French immersion class). This is why when a mandatory curriculum meeting came up on a Saturday, I asked him if he'd  Read more...

School Day: Hynes' Open House

by Kelly Leahy

January 12, 2009

I think that my freak out last week has settled for now. I've thrown my hands in the air yet again to let the chips fall where they may. That said, I'm still bettering my chances the best that I can. Last week I called Dionne George the New Orleans School Board (359-8154) to make an appointment to get Adelaide tested for the gifted program. [Thanks, Enjolie!] I know she's bright but I'm certain  Read more...

The Big Picture: What really matters

by Kelly Leahy

January 06, 2009

I consider myself a fairly laid back parent ... maybe too laid back at times. The whole preschool thing is freaking me out a bit if only because competition for good public schools in this city is fierce and I don't want to have to pay private tuition for the next twelve or so years. There are times when I have to take a step back and consider whether the points that I am obsessing over really  Read more...

Twelfth Night Musings

by Kelly Leahy

January 06, 2009

Happy Carnivale! Mardi Gras Season begins today with the Phunny Phorty Phellows who have completely changed their route to encompass the Canal Street line rather than their old route along Carrollton. Boo. Regardless, it's a good time and a great way to herald in the 2009 season. They begin at the Canal Station at White Street at 6:30 pm. The Storyville Stompers will be there playing live  Read more...

School Day: Get those applications in

by Kelly Leahy

January 05, 2009

I know that you probably have a lot on your plate right now but I just wanted to send out a friendly reminder to ge those preschool applications in. Deadlines for early admissions are fast approaching as are deadlines for general admissions to charter schools. By applying for admissions now, you can settle your mind early on in the year instead of scrambling in August. If you are interested in  Read more...

Farewell 2008 -- 10 best posts of the year

by Kelly Leahy

December 30, 2008

Boy, what a year it's been. With my second child born towards the end of 2007, 2008 was about keeping my sanity, surviving the preschool application process for my eldest and treasuring every moment (even the mind numbing tantrums). The year culminated in a live television interview yesterday on ABC's Good Morning New Orleans . Since this year has been all about keeping my head above water, I  Read more...

School Day: How to pay for preschool

by Kelly Leahy

December 29, 2008

So you've found a preschool that you like. How are you going to pay for it? For some parents, preschool is a welcome change as it can be even less expensive than day care. For others where the child has been cared for at home for the first three years of life, it can be an added expense. There is not doubt that the cost of preschool factored heavily into my decision when I made a final  Read more...

School Day: Part or Full-Time Preschool

by Kelly Leahy

December 22, 2008

I am a stay-at-home mom (or work-at-home mom depending on the hour) so my recent dilemma, if you can call it that, is particular to me being at home. Adelaide's preschool used to have a part-time program before the storm but now all kids attend it full time -- with the exception of Adelaide. I pay for full time care as it is still less than many other part-time schools in the area. When I first  Read more...

School Day: Gifted Schmifted

by Kelly Leahy

December 15, 2008

There was a not-so-surprising article today in the Times Pic today discussing the disparity found in the testing that goes on for the gifted children program at area charter schools. Last year when we were looking for PreK programs for Adelaide, we looked into getting her tested as "gifted" just so she could apply for Baby Ben or get an edge at Audubon . What it came down to was waiting for  Read more...

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

by Kelly Leahy

November 17, 2008

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...

School Day: Review your kid's preschool

by Kelly Leahy

November 10, 2008

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...

School Day: It could be worse

by Kelly Leahy

November 03, 2008

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...

School Day: The gifted what?

by Kelly Leahy

October 20, 2008

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...

School Day: October Open Houses

by Kelly Leahy

October 06, 2008

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  Read more...

School Day: Benjamin Franklin Elementary Mathematics and Science School

by Kelly Leahy

September 29, 2008

**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...

School Day: The Master Plan

by Kelly Leahy

September 22, 2008

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...

School Day: The Master Plan

by Kelly Leahy

September 22, 2008

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...

Little Ladies and Gents Who Lunch

by Kelly Leahy

September 17, 2008

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  Read more...

First Day

by Kelly Leahy

September 16, 2008

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...

School Day: Audubon Charter

by Kelly Leahy

September 15, 2008

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  Read more...

School Day: Blogger conference addresses NOLA education system

by Kelly Leahy

August 25, 2008

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...

Learn Vietnamese at The Intercultural Charter School

by Kelly Leahy

August 20, 2008

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...

Locked in: Making the first preschool payment

by Kelly Leahy

July 24, 2008

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  Read more...

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

by Kelly Leahy

June 13, 2008

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...

New Years Resolutions for 2009

by Kelly Leahy

January 01, 2008

I think that having kept my children alive thus far makes me a pretty good parent but there are certainly ways that I can improve. Here are my list of resolutions for 2009. Survive the "Terrible Twos" with my second daughter with a lot less yelling than the first (on my part ... I can't expect as much from her). Allow Adelaide to help me garden even if it means losing an entire crop. Turn off  Read more...