Today we spent most of our time talking with the Richfield Superintendent, Steve Unowsky. He shared information regarding the Richfield Public School opportunities as well as general information regarding school choice.
Richfield has four public elementary schools: 1) Sheridan Hills (busing west side of Nicollet) is a community school meaning there is more focus on family engagement through after school activities such as movie nights or family fun nights. This school has 524 kids, 66% students of color, and runs from 8:10am-2:40pm 2) Centennial (busing east side of Nicollet) is also a community school. The school enrolls 492 kids, nearly 90% students of color, and also runs from 8:10am-2:40pm 3) RDLS (busing across the district) is a magnet school, which means there is a focus point on dual language. Dual language differs from language immersion in that it is for both English and Spanish speaking students to gain fluency in both English and Spanish. RDLS has 427 kids, 77% students of color, and runs from 7:40am-2:10pm 4) STEM (busing across the district) is also a magnet school with a primary focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This school has the highest enrolled student body of 785 students, is 61% students of color, and runs from 7:40am-2:10pm. Richfield offers full and half day preschool in each of the aforementioned buildings and in the Central building. The Central building also houses the only 3 year old preschool option. Applications for 3 and 4 year old preschool through Richfield Public Schools open in January for enrollment in the following September. Children must be 3 (for 3s PreK) or 4 (for 4s PreK) before September 1st to be admitted. More information can be found here. Dr. Unowsky also talked about the importance of touring these schools and any other schools you might be interested in. When you tour, he suggested you bring your child along so you can get a feel for how your child responds to the environment. While it is ultimately you and your co-parenting team's decision where you send your child, it can be helpful to read your child's reaction as well. Before going on the tour, think about the things that matter most to you. What do you value? What values are you hoping to impart on your child? Be sure to take note if the tour guide brings up those values and be sure to ask. For example, Richfield Public Schools highly values diversity. In the schools and on the tours, you will see a very diverse student body and teaching staff. You will see cultural exploration activities. You will meet teachers who were specifically hired for their dedication to working with students of various backgrounds. Other ideas for questions to ask include: -before and after school care/programming -transportation options -teacher turn over (how long have teachers been in their position) -social emotional education and bullying practices -disciplinary practices -enrichment opportunities -lunch options and payment -how often are kids outside -What is the communication between the school and family like -how often is there homework It might seem premature to be thinking about kindergartens now, but it comes faster than you would expect! It will make for a less stressful experience if you schedule some tours in the next year and begin having those conversations. Thank you for being part of such a dynamic conversation with our Superintendent!
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AuthorEmily Barstad Archives
February 2020
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