Congratulations to my girl!

Yesterday Erin was accepted to Carrollwood Day School, and I am so proud of her.

We knew at the completion of her kindergarten year that public school would not be enough for her. They could not keep up with her pace, and in kindergarten alone she completed her K, 1st, and part of 2nd grade curriculum. We love the school that she went to (and Sean and Bren attended for elementary), but in their attempts to "leave no child behind" they just were not able to maintain a pace that kept Erin challenged.

So at the recommendation of her teachers and faculty at her previous school, and a friend of ours (Lars's dad, LT) that is a child psychologist, we took Erin to have an educational analysis and IQ test done by one of the best in this area. The testing, which normally takes 3-4 hours, was finished in two. It was no surprise to find that she is significantly above average for her age.

Having been given the recommendation by teachers, LT, and the educational psychologist, we applied for admission for Erin to attend Carrollwood Day School. We toured the beautiful campus, visited the elementary classrooms, and Erin met with the admissions director, Dawn. Normal procedure calls for Dawn to then meet with an Admissions Committee to determine acceptance, but Dawn notified us on the spot that there was no need, and that Erin was definitely welcome to become a part of their family. She said that she was "blown away" by her reading and math skills (she administers an educational analysis of her own during the meeting that she and Erin had), and agreed that CDS would be a place where Erin can be challenged and grow.

This entire process has taken several months, and Erin has been so excited with the thought of potentially attending CDS. When Dawn told her while we were there yesterday that she was accepted she was so happy, and she got the biggest smile on her face.

I know that many who read this will take it as bragging (yeah, so I am), and that's alright. My girl deserves the recognition for her hard work, and I am very proud of her. CDS is one of the best K-12 schools in the country, and I know that she is going to thrive there.