u/Dummies4Dummies

Hi everyone,

We are preparing for our child to start Kindergarten this fall, transitioning from a private school with a heavy academic focus into the public school system here in Redmond. We'll be zoned for Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary.

I’d love to get some insight from local parents on a couple of things:

1. How is Wilder Elementary overall? If your kids go there or recently graduated, what has your experience been with the teachers, community, and the general vibe of the school?

2. Transitioning from private to public (Kindergarten): The private school program our child was in is quite rigorous. I know public K can be a bit more relaxed and play-based initially. For parents who made a similar jump, how did you handle keeping their academic edge sharp without causing burnout?

Our eventual goal is to test into LWSD's Quest (Highly Capable) program down the road, so we want to make sure they stay challenged and keep that momentum going while adjusting to a new school environment.

Would love any tips on after-school enrichment, local math/reading programs you swear by, or just general advice on navigating Wilder and LWSD.

Thanks in advance!

Hey Redmond neighbors,

I wanted to share a pretty upsetting experience my friends and I had at 60 Acres Park today to see if anyone else has encountered this individual or to just vent about some seriously un-neighborly behavior.

I was at the park with a friend’s family, including two 5-year-old kids. They were playing with one of those super flimsy, lightweight plastic flying discs. One of the kids accidentally tossed it over the fence, and it landed near a car parked right by the perimeter. I went and grabbed it, told the kids to be careful, and we went back to playing.

A few minutes later, while I was at my trunk getting some supplies, it happened again—but this time the disc tapped the side of the same car.

The reaction from the driver was insane.

The guy jumped out of his car, grabbed the disc, snapped it into two pieces, and started yelling directly at the 5-year-old child. By the time I got over there to confront him, he was ranting about "what if they were throwing stones" and "damaging private property."

I’m all for respecting people's property, but the leap from "a toddler's toy touched my car" to "I'm going to destroy a child's toy and scream at them" is a massive red flag. It’s a park—kids are going to be kids, and mistakes happen.

The worst part wasn't even the broken toy; it was seeing how much it rattled my 5-year-old. He was completely shaken up and scared by a stranger screaming at him over a mistake. We spent the rest of the evening trying to calm him down and explain why that man acted that way, which is not how any 'fun day at the park' should end.

To the guy who snapped the disc:

If you happen to see this, I hope you’ve had a chance to calm down. We teach our 5-year-olds that when you're frustrated, you use your words, not your hands to break things. It was a flimsy plastic toy, and your reaction was completely out of proportion.

It’s a park, not a private driveway. If a lightweight piece of plastic touching your car causes you to lose your temper at a toddler, you might want to consider parking further away from the play area next time. Breaking a kid’s toy didn't protect your car; it just made you the neighborhood bully