Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Posted by tatuka



Are we still talking about NURSERY SCHOOLS I am so confused after reading this whole thread

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Posted by tatuka



Are we still talking about NURSERY SCHOOLS I am so confused after reading this whole thread

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Leslie, thank you for that. This topic speaks close to my heart. My mother sent me to an elite yeshiva in Manhattan. I struggled At 7 years old to keep up with the curriculum. I stayed up late doing hw and studying for exams. I had to write essays in Hebrew. I cried myself to sleep. My progress reports described me as an anxious child who would cry in school. I would zone out At times and would anger my teachers. At 6th grade, they called in my mother for a meeting and delivered news that apparently is the equivalence of cancer to mothers like her who wanted her child to fulfill dreams she could never achieve. Little Liza isn't making it here. Time to look elsewhere. I met her in the office already in tears about a test I failed, having no idea of the news she received. She had to take home her fat little failure of a daughter. For the rest of my childhood this failure was thrown in my face. I went to another private school that was much easier. I loved it and excelled. But carried many anxieties and behavior issues. The kids At my school were over privileged spoiled brats who thought they were better than they were. Looking back, I see what my stepdaughters do and see how much I missed in my school experiences. I wish I went to public school. One of my school graduates was lizzie grubman! I see how smart Cailen is. He makes me proud everyday. The best gift I can give him is a supportive and successful education experience.

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Since this is not about our opinions on private elite school vs. public schools, I will only address the OP question.

I think some people are confused with the word "elite". A higher tuition rate would mean it's a "better" school. Especially on LI. Sometimes it's about "bragging" that your child goes to x,y,z school. It's about status. Just like you MUST belong to a particular private club, go to a particular spa. I lived and worked on the North Shore. Different crowd!

Yes, there are some very good private schools on LI. And they are $$ and you must excel to stay in them even if daddy has lots of money. I am not aware of one for nursery though.

But it's not Manhattan. You don't need your child to go to a particular elite nursery school to be accepted in better school later on. Especially if we are talking about a nursery school here.

But there are a few schools for pre-K and up.

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

i am glad i live in brooklyn

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

I just dont get how anyone can put a parent down for their choices or wanting the best for their child.

Everyone has opinions but have some respect for the choices that are different then yours.

Its no ones right to judge what the O/P or anyones REASONS for wanting this School are, thats their decision.

A conversation, even debate can be had about elite schools vs "ordinary" schools without putting either side down.

I admit I want my son in the best school there is. If I could afford the best NYC school, why wouldnt I want that? Someone mentioned how the pressure is too much. Well thats where GOOD parenting comes in to me.

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Message edited 4/23/2009 10:38:02 AM.

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Posted by stickydust

Posted by lipglossjunky73

.

I am sorry that you had to go through that - it must have been really difficult as a child. That being said, and I hope this does not come out the wrong way, I think in most instances - whether public or private - it all comes down to parenting. If as a parent one provides a nurturing and supportive environment then, I think, regardless of whether they are at an "elite" school the child will be more emotionally able to withstand the pressures or at least speak to you about the pressures that he/she is feeling.

I think both Public and Private schools have their problems. I am a product of public schooling and excelled and had a good experience. However, I was fortunate enough to be in all honors/AP classes. In my experience, my friends who were in "regular" classes often got lost in the shuffle. This may not happen at every school but it happened in mine. My DH and his brothers went to a well known private school on LI and really liked it and I feel they had greater opportunities to get into certain Colleges, etc.

The bottom line is that not every child excels in the same environment. My brother needed to go to private school as he needed a more structured environment. I think the best that any of us can do is to be in tune with our child and direct their schooling based on those individual needs.

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

lipglossjunky...... write essays in hebrew at age 7? OMG that sounds like a lot of stress.... even for many adults when Hebrew is not their first language.
I definitely would have crumbled under that pressure.... likely in an identical manner as you did....

I had some classes like that in public HS.... it was like boot camp.... but it was much later in life. While I think a little bit of that is good to establish discipline in a 16 or 17 year old, younger kids shouldn't be exposed to that IMO...

while I suspect DS will be bright and very curious (since his parents both were as kids), and I want to 'feed his curiousity', I do not want him to have any formal structured lessons at a young age... I just want to encourage the 'wow cool' factor (like going to museums, and possibly attending an unstructured school... but no bootcamp!)

then again, to me 'elite pre-school' doesn't say bootcamp... it really says 'expensive' more than anything else.

Message edited 4/23/2009 1:00:18 PM.

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

Re: Does LI have elite private nursery schools like in Manhattan?

It irritates me that people are making such rash assumptions about different kinds of schools.

Alex's preschool is probably considered one of the "elite" schools in our area, probably because it is one of the most expensive, and has a well-known, highly ranked infant center.

Does that automatically mean I'm pushing my child beyond her means? That I'm putting undue pressure on her to succeed at the ripe old age of 3.5? Or that I want to have bragging rights to my friends about the "Elite" school she goes to?

HELL NO. My decision to send her there involved a whole hell of a lot more than the pricetag, bragging rights and rankings. I went to about 10 schools, did drops-ins every week, talked to parents, did my research, and ultimately I went with my gut instinct.

Yeah, so her school costs more than most - but you know what? It is an absolutely phenomenal school with a phenomenal program that suits her needs to a T. It probably isn't the school for every child, particularly because it has such a focus on hebrew immersion, and the curriculum is rather structured, by comparison to some of the Montessori programs in the area.

But I know what my daughter needs, what kind of environment she flourishes and thrives in, and I also know that enriching her with her culture is something that both DH and I prioritize, so that's why we sent her there.

Just because a school has a higher price tag, doesn't mean that the teachers are less worthy, and that all of the parents who send their kids there are pressure-filled mongers who only care about bragging rights.