lisajdubai

Hi all,i posted a while ago about moving to houston,we are getting nearer to moving but just been set back a month which means we will be moving at the end of jan instead of end of dec ( which was original plan so our 7yr old could start the beg of 2nd term ) anyway i was just checking if anyone knew if theres any rules about starting times ,im doing the online 1st grade with my son and will continue while he out of school so he still keeping up,hes a bright kid so not worried bout missing a month of school just whether any rules on starting times

thanks lisa

penguinsix

The exact specifics vary from school to school so you'll need to check the district where you'll be living, but basically when you move, you start. Kids come and go throughout the school year.

The only thing to watch for is too much of a break. For example, if the last day of school is Christmas eve and he doesn't go back to school until February 1, they might have an issue with him being out of school for 40 days or so and whether that is too long of a break.

Best to call the school where he will be going and ask them directly. Really no hard and fast rule applies to each situation.

lisajdubai

Thanks will email the schools and check with them

Mummy in the foothills

Not sure if it's of any help but we have had kids join my 1st grade daughters class/school at all kinds of odd times, one week/two weeks in and even mid way though the term. One left after 2 months moved out of the area and then moved back a couple of months later.
Different districts have different vacation schedules so that child may not have even gone to school while she was gone, no one seemed to bothered and she slotted back in with the same desk and everything. I wouldn't worry too much about the date he starts on, you can't start him till you get here so theres nothing to be done about it. Don't sweat it.
Our district goes back Jan 9th after 3 weeks off for Christmas.

N1cky

It seems very common for kids to just come and go mid term here. We moved last year and our daughter started at her new school in November, the school district didn't bat an eyelid. Lots of kids have joined her class throughout the year, she came home yesterday and said there was a new girl in her class, so even part week seems fine (yesterday was a Thursday)

Sally Redux

Kids come and go all the time, they do in England as well, you don't have to wait for the start of a term or anything.

LucyWoodhead

Hi,
we're hoping to be moving to houston early next year too and i wondered which area you were moving to, anywhere near the woodlands? also i have a 6 yr old in y2 in uk and 4 yr old in reception class, so interested in following items re schooling over there.

Mummy in the foothills

6 year old will probably be in either Kindergarten or 1st grade depending on the birthday and the school cut off date.
The other one will be home with you, or you could sign up for private preschool, here it's $22 a day, age 3-5

lisajdubai

Hi Lucy,we are looking at cypress and woodlands ,theres a lot of choice in schools so we have narrowed down to a few then just depends what houses are available,is your 6 yr old a boy or girl ,my son is 7 in november and will be in grade 1 ( hes currently in year 2 ) hopefully we can meet up when you get over

LucyWoodhead

Hi - my eldest is a girl, she will be 7 in July next year, my youngest a boy who will be 5 next July. We have family already in the woodlands area so will be looking to live there when we arrive (spent 4 weeks there this summer). Husband just in final stages of negotiating a transfer with his company there. His boss to be lives in Cypress by the sounds of it. Would be great to meet some fellow newbie brits in the area! Have you looked at particular schools in the woodlands by any chance? Lucy

lisajdubai

Hi Lucy, i have been concentating on Cypress for schools Hamilton elementary and Sampson also Lakewood ,but from when i looked i cant remember the names of schools in Woodlands but they were all 4* ,my husband spent time in Woodlands in the summer and loves it but not so many houses available there ,also for us depends on availability of houses in December as to which school,we have narrowed our list down to around 10 so just have to see,

LucyWoodhead

4* is good, right? I know what you mean about the lack of housing - we looked at new homes in Creekside and Imperial Oaks because of that reason. We are torn, but I suspect we'll end up renting a while in the woodlands and holding out for the right house there - I loved College Park High School, but we should probably have a good look in more schools.

do you know to look on www.har.com for housing? oh - and you mention online 1st grade work - could I ask what site you use?? Came across something yesterday and the level looks about the level of year 2 work eldest is doing now, but i think there will be other issues she comes across. example question: which unit of measurement would you use to measure the length of a burrito? (inches or ounces was the choice). Well, she wouldnt know what a burrito is for a start, never mind different terminology for measuring!

lisajdubai

Hi, yes im using har for housing,we are going to rent for a year then buy,im using IXL website which is the same as what my son is doing now in year 2 except they ask questions about dimes,quaters etc,although we are doing the British curriculum here we use dirhams as currency so my wee boy v confused tho as i have no idea about dimes ,nickles etc yet so have to get used to that over the xmas hols,we are hoping to go over in dec to see houses,as ive seen so many that have good schools so really need to see them,yes 4* is good

LucyWoodhead

Thanks for that, Ill have to take a look - ahh - are you in Dubai at the moment? I know a few people who moved to work in Dubai. Has your son ever lived in the UK?

Hope you enjoy your trip there, Im sure you'll find it very interesting. Although we were there for 4 weeks in August and Ive visited family tonnes of times there in the past, I came away still not knowing which village we'd prefer to live in! Think we just need to be thrown in at the deep end! Don't know anything about Cypress at all, but the Woodlands has a really good name for itself.

lisajdubai

Hi ,no my son was born in Bahrain ( Im English ,my husband Scottish ) hes never lived in the UK so hes very confused bless him,im trying to narrow my list of houses down as so many areas i like ,tho have to go and see for myself,im so looking forward to going over and seeing for myself