Head of the class
Know your school options, plus 3 family-friendly outing ideas in Raleigh + Cary
Good morning and solidarity to the parents reading this while their kids climb the walls or play indoor hockey (just mine?).
Our pumpkin patch plans for tonight were scrapped but we used the Halloween spreaders inherited from my childhood to slather pumpkin spice cream cheese on mini bagels this morning.
How do you handle canceled plans or school for your kids? I’d love to hear your creative coping wins.
Keep scrolling for…
A family-friendly patio in Raleigh with kids menu snack boards
How to save on trips to a fall fun park in Cary 💸
How to look at your school options with Wake County public schools (yes, it’s already magnet school info time)
A monthly parents poll!
PS: Stay safe today! —Sarah Day
FOR THE PARENTS GROUPCHAT
Exploring your school options
🧲 Considering a magnet school? Info sessions are already starting next week, with an in-person Wake County Schools System magnet event on Thursday at 10 a.m. There’s also a magnet and early college fair Oct. 26.
The magnet and year-round schools application period is opening soon, Oct. 14-Jan. 23. [magnet schools page]
🧠 Learn with other moms about school selection: If it seems overwhelming — traditional, year-round, magnet, charter, private schools — you’re not alone. If you’re a mom, there’s a School Selection Workshop with SchoolUp Wake organized by a moms community group, Thrive Motherhood, on Oct. 10.
🔎 How to scope out schools: North Carolina gives schools a letter grade based on school test scores, but test scores are a limited view of a school — even the current state superintendent proposed changing it (where it sits now).
There’s another tool you can use to see what a school is like: The WCPSS progress reports, which published Sept. 11 from the 2023-24 school year.
It includes basic testing and school performance data, but you’ll also see the levels of teacher experience and retention, faith in school leadership (or lack of) and more about a schools’ climate.
Here’s a video overview:
🏫 Private school vouchers update: Predictably, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill to expand private school vouchers. Republicans have a supermajority and could override his vote, but the legislators haven’t yet.
Wake County Public Schools System leaders spoke out against the Opportunity Scholarship expansion on Thursday, this story from WRAL outlines the points.
🎓 Have older kids? An HBCU College Fair is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Cary Academy, a partnership between Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., Sigma Tau Omega chapter and the private school. It will include representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It’s free, and no pre-registration is required.
BRING THE KIDS
3 family-friendly ideas
Postino’s patio
Postino is the new (small chain) wine bar in the Village District. I know, a wine bar, but hear me out — it’s central for friends coming from different neighborhoods and they’re clearly accommodating kids.
Why it’s fam-friendly: There are cute kids menu snack boards (like ‘the picnic’ with sliced chicken, cheese, chips, grapes and apple slices) and there are changing tables in the bathrooms.
Order up, for adults: I enjoy a meal of snacks, so I recommend a combo of four bruschetta and whatever else looks good to you.
The patio is shaded with bright yellow umbrellas and shrubs help absorb some of the road noise. The indoor decor is fun, too — think bright colors, vibrant patterns and mixed media art.
Besides wine, there are zero proof cocktails and flavored lemonades.
Phillips Farms on Thursdays
If you have some flexibility 4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays, you can get a deal on taking the kids to the Phillips Farms Family Fun Park. Kids age 6 and younger are free with a purchase of an adult parent or chaperone ticket ($20).
The fine print mentions this runs through Oct. 31 and limits three free admissions for kids ages 2-6.
You can’t reserve online to get the deal, you must purchase at ticket booth.
IBMA Bluegrass Live! Festival free stages
Happening today and Saturday, the stages at the street festival on/near Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh are free; Red Hat Amphitheater main stage events are ticketed.
Keep checking back at their online schedule for set time adjustments, though Saturday’s forecast is much better than today’s.
Introduce your kids to different styles of music, and since it’s free, it’s low stakes!
PARENTS POLL
I want to know more about you to tailor the content to you early adapters!
That’s it for this month’s Just Bring Yourself + The Kids edition! Is there something else you’d like to see? Reply to this newsletter! —Sarah Day
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