The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Montessori Disco

Did you know that Lefferts Gardens has Montessori school for the wee ones? Then I'm larnin' you. It's one of the super options for toddler to pre-K in the neighborhood. Little Miss Clarkson FlatBed goes to the Maple Street School, but the way parents talk about both LGM and Almond Tree (a daycare on Ocean along the park) makes me think we would have been just fine had the Q Jr. not gotten into popular MSS (over by the "other" train station). And while it may seem a little bit "Penny Saver" for me to do this, I'd like to formally urge you to support LGM by taking your family to what's sure to be a great time - Kiddie Disco, Flatbush style.

To my mind, the best part about it will be checking out Crystal's Bar and Lounge, which looks from pictures to have a lock on the Electric Slide TM (choreographed by Ric Silver). If you've got little ones in your charge that day, why not support the school and celebrate the true diversity of the 'Bush?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope this isn't too personal but do you have plans for your Little Miss once she's ready for kindergarten? I'm not familiar at all with schools in the neighborhood.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Happy to share what little I know. PS 92 on Parkside and Jackie Robinson (PS375) on McKeever seem to be making progress on many fronts. I'll surely be visiting schools starting next year, and if I'm still a-bloggin' I'll be surely a-sharin'.

However, I will point out one thing I know for certain. I have never heard of a parent not finding a workable solution. There is obviously a lot of uncertainty early on before doing the legwork, but the doomsday scenarios never seem to materialize. If someone wants to share thoughts to the contrary, please do. But I've been continually surprised by the positive experiences parents have had with the public schools and getting into ones that work for them and their kids. So call me a cautious optimist, both for the future of our zoned schools and the various other options that people seem to work out for themselves. Were you to listen to the naysayers alone, you'd get the impression that NYC children are not getting educated, and I just don't buy that premise - with the caveat that, of course, the NYC public schools serve, on balance, a challenging, but excitingly diverse, population of more than 1,000,000. Plus, I know lots of public school teachers personally, all of whom I'd be proud send an apple along with my precious baby every morning.

babs said...

LGMS also has kindergarten - I have a neighbor who just finished it there last year.

Two good resources for school information are insideschools.org and GreatSchools.org - in addition to DoE statistics they contain actual parent reviews, which can be more telling than just going by the numbers.

Also, this being NYC, there are actual "education consultants," who will help you navigate this maze (for a fee, of course). Here's a clip on one from NBC news (that's Amanda Wiss, owner of Urban Clarity organizing services, who's being interviewed and whose house and kids are shown): http://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Education_Nation_New_York-130596978.html

Good luck in any case!