Island private schools work together

GALVESTON — For the first time, island private and charter schools are banding together to boost kindergarten enrollment.

Six schools — East End Preschool and Kindergarten, Galveston Catholic School, Magical Journey Montessori School, Odyssey Academy, Satori Elementary School and Trinity Episcopal School — will hold open houses from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 19-22.

Parents are invited to visit classrooms and observe teachers during lessons.

“Parents will really be able to see what it is they really do there,” said Stephanie Thomas, an island parent who organized the roundup. “The schools are also so unique, and parents will get a chance to see them firsthand.”

Thomas, who has one child at Galveston public school district, one child at East End Preschool and Kindergarten and another child at Satori Elementary School, said parents often lack all the information they need to choose a kindergarten that fits the needs of their child.

Different parents have different priorities for their children, Thomas said. While some parents value schools that foster academic skills in kindergarten, others want early childhood programs that are focused solely on socialization, Thomas said. It’s important for parents to know all their options before deciding where to place their children during their first years of schooling.

“This will give parents exposure in the way different schools approach kindergarten,” she said.

The kindergarten roundup is also an opportunity for private schools to try to keep families from leaving Galveston. Parents who are unhappy with the public school system need to know there are other options on the island, Thomas said.

“We need to do everything we can to keep people on the island to help it thrive,” she said.

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Schools participating in roundup

• East End Preschool and Kindergarten, infants through kindergarten, 1903 Church, 409-762-8638

• Galveston Catholic School, pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, 2601 Ursuline, 409-765-6607

• Magical Journey Montessori School, two years old through kindergarten, 1527 21st Street, 409-762-1064

• Odyssey Academy Public Charter School, prekindergarten through eighth grade, 901 13th Street, 409-750-9289

• Satori Elementary School, kindergarten through sixth grade, 2503 Sealy, 409-763-7022

• Trinity Episcopal School, two years old through eighth grade, 720 Tremont St., 409-765-9391