Dear Beautiful Ones,
I just wanted to give an update, for any parents who may be looking at private schools. At first, I thought, “Where are my peeps!!!” I am so used to the parent groups I’ve had since Jake was born. And I realize that the parents who find New School West, or Tandy Parks’ mommy and Me group, are in many ways very like-minded, and have a shared world view. So at first, I wondered if we’d fit. I started yearning for something more progressive, farther to the experimental side, as I thought I might find people more like me there.
HOWEVER, now that I have been at the school three weeks, I am starting to understand why this has been such a great choice, and what lead me to it to begin with. Willows is a really interesting blend of the progressive and academic. It truly walks that middle line. And Jake is thriving. THRIVING. It is a kind school, and is marked by an incredible open-ness to new ideas. They are always looking at what new ways to teach are being explored, and they are not dogmatic in any way. The teachers are so supported and empowered, and they seem incredibly turned on. On the spectrum of places that are incredibly experimental, it reads like a “normal” school. Jake is learning phonics, and math, and they have lots of sports, and choir, and a lot of interaction with technology. But the ways in which these things are taught are so much fun, and they are using methods that are exciting and forward thinking. Jake loves that he is learning to read. I think for him, having some academic challenges has been the best possible thing. I think he gets really excited by teh accumulation of knowledge, and talks to me about math problems and spelling with glee. But it is a developmental school, and they do everything in a completely unpressured way. They also have spoken to our whole class about how impressed they were by NSW, and how they are hoping to learn and incorporate things they saw there. Another thing I was struck by in doing our school visits, was how CALM and Organized Willows feels, and that is absolutely true. They manage to be structured, without being rigid.
Also, in terms of the feel of the school, though it is private and so costly, there is a very lowkey vibe. It is not cool and hip, and you are not aware of a celebrity presence. The student body has an innocence about it.
Also, putting him in OT 6 months ago changed his life. His teachers at Willows are already in communication with his OT, a fantastic woman named Nicole at The Launch Station in Ocean Park. His teachers sang her praises to me, saying that Jake is in such good shape, that he’s been fantastically prepared. His grip is great now, and as a result, at home he is actually asking to draw and write. Clearly this was so difficult for him that he never showed interest before. His teachers say he is just a model student– that he’s completely engaged, and happy. And he seems really happy to us, telling us about all the things he’s doing.
I cannot thank you all enough for the way you began his education. I am so grateful every day for having found NSW, and I know the relationships we made there will last a good long time. He still plays with his NSW friends on a regular basis, and I also think that having those firm friendships has made his transition so much easier. As for us, we just burst with love for the parents and teachers we got to spend the last 2 years with.
I could not have fantasized a better educational beginning for Jake, and I think it is an incredible foundation for what is happening now. His ability to think in complex ways, his sense of himself, and his ability to express everything is so distinct to us. In moments when I wish he were in a more progressive environment, I remember that he WAS. That he couldn’t have had a better place to start, and that his foundation is so strong in that way.
Now, we are just about 3 or 4 weeks in! I will keep you posted if my feelings change. But at this point I can say absolutely that I think this is a very very very good place for Jake.
We LOVE you all,
Kathe Sugarman (class of 2012)