Considering how a diverse school community impacts who our kids are becoming, and why GreatSchools rankings should not be our only criteria in choosing an elementary school
There are many moments that could bring me to tears - one of the most meaningful is simply watching the girls play freely in a park.
It always takes me back to my childhood—digging in the dirt with neighborhood friends, not having to worry about dinner time, homework, or piano practice. Those were the best days. :)
We face this same issue in Singapore. Here, there is that same temptation (or rather, anxious push) to send your kids to as many enrichment classes/tutoring as possible to make sure "they can keep up" and "not lose their self-confidence". (It's hardly ever pitched as "getting ahead" anymore!) Other than brand-name schools, we also have brand-name tutoring centers, some of which are multi-million dollar businesses.
I don't think these classes are all bad; in fact I think some of them do a good job of encouraging curiosity and helping the children grow in different ways. But invariably many of the children in these classes tend to be from the same socio-economic class as well...
We live in a gentrified neighborhood, where there is a diverse mix of middle-upper income and poorer families, as well as many poor elderly living alone in their flats. There is great opportunity for community service and learning about diversity. But yet it is not something that many (us included) naturally gravitate to.
There are many moments that could bring me to tears - one of the most meaningful is simply watching the girls play freely in a park.
It always takes me back to my childhood—digging in the dirt with neighborhood friends, not having to worry about dinner time, homework, or piano practice. Those were the best days. :)
🫶🫶
We face this same issue in Singapore. Here, there is that same temptation (or rather, anxious push) to send your kids to as many enrichment classes/tutoring as possible to make sure "they can keep up" and "not lose their self-confidence". (It's hardly ever pitched as "getting ahead" anymore!) Other than brand-name schools, we also have brand-name tutoring centers, some of which are multi-million dollar businesses.
I don't think these classes are all bad; in fact I think some of them do a good job of encouraging curiosity and helping the children grow in different ways. But invariably many of the children in these classes tend to be from the same socio-economic class as well...
We live in a gentrified neighborhood, where there is a diverse mix of middle-upper income and poorer families, as well as many poor elderly living alone in their flats. There is great opportunity for community service and learning about diversity. But yet it is not something that many (us included) naturally gravitate to.
it really is hard to step back and discern what is right for our kids in the wave of how everyone else does things!