Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2udlh wrote on November 4, 2022 at 9:22 PM

Reply to comment by ellemenopeaqu in Relocating to Hartford with kids by Kitchen-Spray-1984

> They elementary schools have a real community feel.

Can you elaborate?

ellemenopeaqu t1_ivfbmy3 wrote on November 7, 2022 at 3:43 PM

Can only speak from experience at Wethersfield. At least in elementary, there's a lot of parent involvement in the schools, so you see familiar faces (or at least names over email). There are maybe 40 kids per grade (2 classes) so they all know each other too.

If you live within a mile of school (except for kindergarteners) you are supposed to walk/bike to school, so at least at my daughter's school there are a LOT of walkers. You see the same faces every day and walk by each other's houses. I think with so many walkers it helps keep things safe, everyone kind of keeps an eye out for things that could be a danger, even those with older or no kids.

There are a number of school events with great turn out, which mean meeting all the other parents as the kids run around. There is a program called Keane on Kids with extracurriculars - same story. You meet the other parents when you go for pick up.

And there are a lot of town events, so the kids who know each other will spend the time running around having fun, and again, us parents are stuck being social.

Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iwa2ckk wrote on November 14, 2022 at 2:18 AM

> there's a lot of parent involvement in the schools

All of that sounds good but can you elaborate on parents involvement in school? I have lived in south and there the parent involvement in school is synonymous with them trying to control what is being taught in schools.

ellemenopeaqu t1_iwc4wmm wrote on November 14, 2022 at 3:34 PM

Oh, not at all controlling! It's much more supporting the school & teachers. PTO fundraisers, attending school sponsored events, showing up for meet the teachers & conferences, stuff like that. The teachers ask for kleenex and boxes appear like magic. Room parents coordinate gifts for staff. It's a community centered around the school i guess is better phrasing?

The high school basically axed the dress code this year and while there were some unhappy voices, most of them were people who last had children in the school system 40 years ago. There are a few loons angry about SEL or CRT, but they are generally ignored except on FB.