Urban Mamas

Greetings all, our daughter Mina will also be attending Richmond PreK this fall, and we would LOVE to meet up with others. We actually left a sign up sheet to start a playgroup in the office early this spring , but it was blank, and perhaps forgotten.

We will be in Japan for two weeks starting 6/16, but hope to have some playgroups when we get back! Please let us know when and where! We are in the SE (Brooklyn) but would happily meet anywhere in Portland.

We have a daughter starting K this fall! My kid tends to be a bit shy at first and I thought it would be helpful to get together over the summer for a few meet/play dates. We we also be taking the bus from Alameda, it would be great to meet some kids that utilize also!
Email me if your interested!
croberts716@yahoo.com

e,
thank you so much for all info! I have a feeling that if she does get a spot, we are going to do it!
I would love to have the girls meet before September. I will send you an email so that we can stay in touch...thank you!

collor,

My daughter rides the bus from Rigler, so same bus line, and she will also be in Kinder next year. If you want to email me with questions about the bus, the school, whatever, or just set up a couple of play dates before September so your daughter has a familiar face on the bus and in the school, my email is e.marie@mac.com. The benefit outweighs the cost (even when you're paying in sleep (-; )for Richmond, hands down. We have nothing but wonderful things to say about the school and our daughter has been thriving there all year. We absolutely love it.

e,
She would be getting the bus at Alameda Elementary.
That's a good idea about picking out an alarm clock...
She could probably adjust to it all. It's more me....I have 2 other younger children. Trying to figure out if I can manage my time. I get to usually sleep until about 7:30am!!! Pretty good for having 3 kids!

collor,

Our daughter has been in the pre-K for this year and gets on the school bus bright and early at 7:20 every morning. At the beginning of the year, we let her pick out her own alarm clock and it wakes her up every morning at 6. We do as much as we can to make the morning as smooth as possible; pick out clothes the night before, have quick breakfasts on hand like instant oatmeal, cereal, bagels and pre-made pancakes that we just pop into the microwave. She also has a way earlier bedtime now... Do you know which bus you're going to be on?

Our family applied to Richmond for K (2009-2010) school year. There is a pretty good chance (93%) that my duaghter will get a spot. I love that she will be learning a 2nd language. Does anyone have an issue with class starting at 8am? My child is not an early riser....and if she takes the school bus over, she needs to be at the bus stop by 7:25....ugh..... that just seems REALLY early! Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, any regrets???? Our neighborhood school starts at 8:40, and we could walk there, but NO language is offered k-5!!!!

Our 4 year old little girl will be starting pre-K this fall, and with a change in preschool as well as a change in neighborhood (we just moved from across the river) she could really use a friend who will also be going to preschool at Richmond. We live in inner SE. Any parents of little girls (boys are fine too, but she is a princess-type) in Hosford-Abernathy-Ladds who would like to be a buddy family? Please email me, jennifer.dethomas@gmail.com

My daughter is on the wait list as well for kindergarten. The revocation of approval for 8 additional spots is incredibly disappointing since we are really committed to Japanese language immersion for her and we had been told that our daughter was definitely admitted. The confusing part is that I've talked with the principal and she says that they have the capacity for the additional kindergarteners and that she and the rest of the staff want the kids to come to Richmond. Do we have to find another learning environment where she can get a second language? Anyone have any ideas?

Add me to the list Anna. I posted earlier about the pre-k child. We just found out about the repeal of approval of the 8 spots which now means my kindergartener would not be able to attend. My email is amyshall@comcast.net. Taylour, hopefully you have sent Anna your info.
Thanks,
Amy

Richmond recently requested permission to add 8 spots to the kindergarten class for next year but that request was denied. If you have a child on the Richmond kindergarten wait list (there are currently 9 children on the list), I would be interested in an e-mail exchange on the topic. I can be reached at ahroe@aol.com. If you know of someone with a child on the wait list and could forward this to them, that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks!

Will anyone have a little girl riding the school bus to and from Richmond from the Rigler stop or the Alameda stop in the fall? Our daughter will be riding the bus, probably within the first month or two of school and could use another girl (she's a bit biased towards girls at the moment) to buddy with. Our little girl will be just shy of five in September, but gets along well with older girls, if anyone has a Kindergardener, 1st or 2nd grader that wouldn't mind being bus buddy with a pre-Ker.

Thanks!

Hi there,
We also have a spot in pre K, plus it looks like we will have our older child in the kindergarten program this Fall as well. I feel like I don't have a strong sense of the pre K since I was mostly looking at the kindergarten and was on the tour for that age group, since my older child needed to move on from preschool. My youngest can wait one more year if needed and stay at his preschool.
Thanks for the info in your post Angie, I'll try the list server as well.
For the person who posted, we live in NE too, and are a little bit on the fence. The pre K is actually more expensive than our montessori, and if our older child is in, then the youngest should be able to go next year but if the pre K is great, that is good to know.
We're very excited about the school in general!

Congratulations on getting a spot in the Pre-K at Richmond (I have heard that it is a pretty rigorous process). Although my daughter did not attend preschool at Richmond, she is in the 1st grade right now. You probably already know that Richmond is part of the PPS Japanese Magnet Program (JMP) that stretches into Mt. Tabor Middle, and Grant. Oya No Kai is the Japanese parent association that has parent members from all 3 schools. They have a list server by grade that most parents belong to. You could send a message to Richmond-preschool@oyanokai.org to request an invitation to the list server. That could help you with communication with other parents from the preschool.

Our family is very involved with Richmond, because we like it so much there. There is a very high level of parent involvement, which creates a very close knit community at the school. There are also lots of opportunities to communicate and socialize with other families. Our principal is very involved with all the different committees and does a great job of advocating for the school.

Richmond’s Spring Festival http://www.richmondjmp.org/whatsthelatest.html#springfestival will be the last weekend of the month. It is really fun, and will give you a great taste of the community at Richmond and the JMP. There will be performances by the children of all grades, and information tables related to most of the activities.

Feel free to email me (angiet@bes.ci.portland.or.us) if you have other questions. I do have friends with children in pre-k that could also give you more information. Welcome to Richmond!

PS There are many, many families from NE Portland.

Congratulations on getting a spot in the Pre-K at Richmond (I have heard that it is a pretty rigorous process). Although my daughter did not attend preschool at Richmond, she is in the 1st grade right now. You probably already know that Richmond is part of the PPS Japanese Magnet Program (JMP) that stretches into Mt. Tabor Middle, and Grant. Oya No Kai is the Japanese parent association that has parent members from all 3 schools. They have a list server by grade that most parents belong to. You could send a message to Richmond-preschool@oyanokai.org to request an invitation to the list server. That could help you with communication with other parents from the preschool.

Our family is very involved with Richmond, because we like it so much there. There is a very high level of parent involvement, which creates a very close knit community at the school. There are also lots of opportunities to communicate and socialize with other families. Our principal is very involved with all the different committees and does a great job of advocating for the school.

Richmond’s Spring Festival http://www.richmondjmp.org/whatsthelatest.html#springfestival will be the last weekend of the month. It is really fun, and will give you a great taste of the community at Richmond and the JMP. There will be performances by the children of all grades, and information tables related to most of the activities.

Feel free to email me (angiet@bes.ci.portland.or.us) if you have other questions. I do have friends with children in pre-k that could also give you more information. Welcome to Richmond!

PS There are many, many families from NE Portland.

For what it's worth, I live very close to Richmond, and have met the principal several times. She seems really wonderful and very committed to the school! I attended their cherry blossom festival and it was so sweet, lots of families who seemed very committed and affectionate toward their school. They are putting in a new perennial garden in the playground and had all new, nice, safe, equipment installed last year. I don't know if this says anything about the school or not, but it does seem like a very involved, nice community to me!

We too got into the preK program there, but are still deciding if we are going to take the spot! Her current preschool is very and right by my work, while Richmond is in the opposite direction from our house AND our other child goes to a different elementary school. I'd love to hear what others who attend Richmond say.