At IPS We Guide and Advise Our Families Through the Exmissions Process
At IPS we work very closely with our families as they navigate the kindergarten application process. Knowing the children as students, we feel we are the best resource to advise our families. Our advising process begins in the second half of a child’s 3’s year. In late winter we hold a large group meeting for these parents to explain the process for both private and public schools. About half of IPS students continue on to public schools and half to private schools. Many families consider both options!
After the group meeting, interested families schedule a private advising meeting to take place in May or June. Before this meeting takes place, the child is observed in class on different occasions by members of the exmissions team (director/ongoing school advisor/location director). We note how their skills are developing and their readiness to interact with new adults, as they would in a testing situation or at a school play session.
At the advising meeting, we share our observations, discuss the child’s learning style, their strengths and interests, as well as any areas of concern for the application process. We go over a “tip sheet” that describes typical activities children are expected do at school application visits and suggests simple, fun activities parents can incorporate into their family routines to ready a child for the process. We also find out about the parents’ own school history, and the kind of education they want their child to have. The exmission team suggests a range of schools for each family to consider.
Families have the information they need to begin their research and decide where to apply well in advance of the process. We send out lots of reminders so that no one gets behind in the process. In the early fall, parents of our Pre-K and Jr.-K families are busy with their applications for private schools as well as scheduling testing for Hunter and G&T programs. Public school kindergarten registration begins in December.
We have a second individual meeting with parents after they have completed their school visits. That’s when we listen as families tell us which schools they prefer. Together, we brainstorm ways they can strengthen their applications at these schools. We advocate for our families at their top choice schools and hold their hand every step of the way. Here is a list of schools our most recent graduates are attending.