Daughter and family moving to Boulder.

[efhmc]

If from the area, please, give some advice about good areas for school, etc. Thanks.

[SheilaT]

1. I used to live there, just over 20 years ago, and other than the population

growth, I doubt much has changed. The schools are pretty good. Boulder is largely populated by very well-educated people, many of whom are professionals, so they want really good schools. We lived in the Table Mesa area, which is on the south side of Boulder, and my son attended Table Mesa elementary for two years.

At the time, parents could actually choose which elementary school to send their kid to, at least in our part of Boulder. It had something to do with closing one of the schools and not forcing kids to attend a specific school. The down side of this was that some parents would send their kid to one school for a grade or two, then move to another school just to get or avoid particular teachers. It created certain problems, and rumor was that the parents really ran one of the elementary schools, and forced the resignation of the principal. It was a mess.

There are two high schools, and my kids would have gone to Fairview, which is newer and at least when I was there was considered more desirable.

The University of Colorado also had wonderful programs for kids, and I'd hope they still do. The two rec centers, one in south Boulder, the other a little north of the center of town, are both wonderful and have great programs.

They are lucky to be going there. It's really a great place. Plus, of all the places I have ever lived or visited, it is the only one that looks exactly like its postcards.

[efhmc]

2. Gsons have been in Montessori schools. Am wondering if they should continue or go into

pubic school. BTW, thanks for the the info.

[SheilaT]

3. I sent my younger son to a Montessori school in Boulder.

Don't know if it's still there, but he was the perfect Montessori child. After we moved to Kansas, I again sent him to a Montessori school. In both places the teachers told me he was the first kid they'd ever known who actually fit the Montessori model.

I slightly (but only slightly) regret sending him to a regular public school starting in 1st grade. I did so because any number of people told me, that if I were planning on sending him to regular public school first grade would be better than waiting a year or two. As it turned out, half way through third grade we moved him from an excellent public school to an even better independent school.

About the only problem I see with Montessori is that they don't seem to hang on to the kids after the first few years. I would love to have been able to send my kid to Montessori through at least sixth grade. But the Montessori school in Kansas City -- where we moved to from Boulder -- only went through 6th grade, and after about 1st or 2nd grade had maybe five or so students per grade level. The son I'm talking about is now 25, so things may be very different by now.

I will say that I totally loved the Boulder Montessori school, and probably would have kept that child there as long as possible, had we stayed.

The advice I was given, that moving my child into regular public school at first grade, while well intended, may not have been such good advice. Clearly, you will need to think very hard about the specific children involved, but kids make a move all the time, at every grade level. Do what seems right for the specific kids involved.

[efhmc]

4. They are in the 3rd and 5th.

Both have been there since 3. The school only goes through 3rd, so older is in reg school. Do you know the name of the school?

[SheilaT]

5. Boulder Montessori.

But I think it may only be a pre-school, or possibly only through kindergarten.

Not very many Montessori schools get past elementary, it seems. That's too bad, because the methods are absolutely amazing. I often wonder what my son would be like had he had Montessori through high school.

I did a quick Google, putting in Montessori school Boulder, and I also found one called Mountain Shadows which goes up through age 12. You might want to take a look at them, also.

[efhmc]

6. Thanks so much. I will pass along the information.