{"id":2988,"date":"2014-01-31T00:55:37","date_gmt":"2014-01-31T05:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/?p=2988"},"modified":"2014-01-31T10:25:15","modified_gmt":"2014-01-31T15:25:15","slug":"school-in-the-woods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/01\/school-in-the-woods.html","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Springs School “Choice” Drama Part 1: School in the Woods"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Making<\/a>

Making the right school decision in Colorado Springs can make you lose your mind.<\/p><\/div>\n

Earlier in January, Timmy came home from school and asked if he could apply to the “School in the Woods.”<\/p>\n

I hadn’t really heard of “School in the Woods” (I saw a girl at the boys’ school wearing a “School in the Woods” hoodie every day and that’s it), so I had to interrogate Timmy a little more about what it was.<\/p>\n

“It’s a school for 4th graders and you spend all your time outside studying nature.”<\/p>\n

Hey — outside is good, right? We went to the school’s website<\/a> and read its mission statement and it turns out it’s a fantastic program for the 4th graders in our school district:<\/p>\n

The Mission of School in the Woods, dedicated to the study of natural sciences in a natural setting, is to inspire our students to be critical thinkers as they pursue lifelong learning through direct interaction with living systems, integrated into an academically challenging curriculum in a safe environment. Our naturalists will share their deep appreciation and stewardship of the natural world with the larger community.?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Timmy’s my little “naturalist”. He enjoys learning about animals and has been on quite a gardening kick since we moved here. In fact, he’s already helping me plan our backyard garden (that’s for another post).<\/p>\n

I think this school would be a great fit for him. And it’s on Vollmer Road<\/a>, too, double bonus word score!<\/p>\n

To apply your child for a special school such as the School in the Woods, you have to go to the school district website and fill out a “Choice Form”.<\/p>\n

“Choicing” is the term used in the state of Colorado regarding having your child go to a school other than the one your home address is assigned to<\/a>. In other states you might hear it as “open enrollment”. For some states, it’s pretty liberal, in others, it can be more stringent. In Colorado, any student living in the state has the right to apply to *any* school in the state, regardless of whether you’re assigned to it or not. Whether the student gets into the school will depend on the space available, and not all school districts have transportation plans to get your child to\/from his\/her “choiced” school.<\/p>\n

Here’s how it works for School in the Woods. Current 3rd graders’ parents have until February 21st to apply for “choice”. Put “School in the Woods” on the form. For the School in the Woods, the district will randomly draw 78 students to attend the school.<\/p>\n

I had to make very clear to Timmy that his chances of getting into this school are contingent on the number of 3rd graders who apply. Timmy and Jacob sat down one afternoon last week and attempted to estimate the number of 4th graders in the school district with the help of the district website.<\/p>\n