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Christina Simon: Los Angeles, California, United States I'm the mom of two kids who attended The Willows School in Culver City and Viewpoint School in Calabasas. My daughter is a graduate of Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism ('23) and my son is a sophomore at UPenn/Wharton ('26). I live in Coldwater Canyon with my husband, Barry, and our dogs. Contact me at csimon2007@gmail.com

Radom Questions For Guest Blogger Jenny AND The New $1,600 Bugaboo Donkey Stroller

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Writing a blog doesn’t necessarily require the writer to share much about themself although many bloggers do.  I’m such a private person that it still amazes me that I even have a blog. Beyond The Brochure isn’t a confessional blog, so it’s not filled with stories about my personal life. But, a few months ago, it occurred to me that some of you might want to know more about the moms on this site who are offering advice about private school admissions and writing about what life is really like at some of these schools. 

So, I’ve posted some of Jenny and my recent blog pieces we’ve written for other sites, that offer more personal details about us (we’ve even told you our ages!). Who knows, maybe my co-authors, Anne and Porcha will tell-all too! 


My favorite blogs tell me enough information about the writer so I can identify with them, understand them, learn from them and laugh with them. I relate to my favorite bloggers in some intrinsic way and therefore keep reading their blogs. That’s one of my favorite aspects of blogging, which is more personal than reading a newspaper (which I like too!). Of course, with a newspaper, you rarely get to know anything about a reporter whose stories you read regularly and whose writing you admire. So, in the interest of Oprah-style full disclosure, here are a few random questions for our favorite guest blogger, Jenny Heitz. Oh, and she has a question for me too. 
What is your daughter Anna like (besides being super-smart)?
Anna is a very funny, very irreverent, high-energy person. She has always had precise likes and dislikes, and she’s pretty socially savvy. Anna will always find the work around in order to get what she wants, so it requires a certain level of energy to keep one step ahead of her. She’s also a nice kid. She’s sweet to animals and younger children, and tries hard to steer clear of mean girls. Overall, I’m very proud of her and can’t believe she’s my kid.

Are you a “Free Range” type of mom?
I think I thought in free range terms before there was a term for it. I tend not to worry about stuff like abduction and stranger danger, as it’s highly unlikely. Anna needs to learn how to function in the world on her own terms, and it’s my job to teach her how to do that, which means letting her do things on her own, away from me. This will be her third year at sleep away camp, which has always been a mixed bag, socially, for Anna. I’m hoping that this new camp will be different, even though I think she gained a lot out of the other camp experiences despite the mean girls in the cabin.

Is there anything about being a mom that makes you panic?
As I previously stated, I don’t panic about the usual stuff like abduction or the house catching on fire. The one thing about being a mom that I didn’t anticipate was the importance of sleep. I took sleep for granted until I was 34. Now, I feel like there’s this hopeless sleep deficit and I’ll never catch up. Going to bed has become the highlight of my day, and a chance to sleep in is the most luxurious thing I can think of. Seriously, I’m either regressing into an adolescent or fast forwarding into an old fart, and neither scenario holds appeal. Nothing fills me with panic more than realizing I’m going to have a crummy night’s sleep, that will effect every single brutal move I make the following day, until making dinner feels like the culinary equivalent of the Gulag. Yes, I know this is pathetic. 

Can you summarize Attachment Parenting in one sentence?
Attachment Parenting is a misguided and socially impractical attempt to compensate for one’s own inadequate childhood.

What does your ex-husband do? Does he read your blog posts?
My ex is a lawyer. I have no idea if he reads my posts on any kind of regular basis (creepy). But he has read some of my work, and greatly objects to my involving Anna in the process. Anna, on the other hand, was outraged when she found out I use a fake name for her, exclaiming “How are people going to know who I am? And I HATE the name Anna!” Kid, “go ask your father” is all I have to say about that.
How many Facebook friends do you have? Are you on Twitter?
I don’t have a lot of Facebook friends. I think it’s under 150. I guess I’m just not popular. And I just put a Twitter button on my blog to find out where all the LA food trucks are at any given moment, just in case I feel like having a Kogi taco on the fly. I also post items of interest for Find A Toad readers. 
Do you have anything in common with The Bloggess? (Gawker called her an “interesting psycho” because she stalked William Shatner on Twitter. She also rides a medical scooter at Disneyland)
Well, we share a first name! No, I have very little else in common with her. I would never stalk William Shatner, and I pretty much hate Disneyland (although maybe if you’re on a medical scooter, you get to cut ahead in line… I’d be in support of that). The Bloggess has occasional posts of comedic brilliance, and I enjoy her, but I think our humor is a bit different. 
Do you watch any reality TV shows?
I watch paranormal shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. I find them both horribly boring and amusing. And I don’t find them nearly as scary as anything involving housewives. 
Do you think Barack Obama is hot?
Yes, I think he’s hotter than any other president we’ve had, although that competition’s not that stiff. Mostly, I think he’s smart and interesting and has depth. And yes, I find all that very attractive.
Is French First Lady Carla Bruni trying to steal Barack Obama in lieu of her short, conservative husband?
God, I hope not. Michelle could so take her in a catfight.           
Do you have a favorite hobby?
I do trapeze at a circus school near my house. I’ve been doing it for about a year now and feel like I’ve made big improvements. It’s very very hard, but learning to do it has been incredibly rewarding. One of the great side benefits is that you get in incredible shape without realizing you’re exercising. The downside is that you’re covered in bruises and rope burns, so it look like someone’s been beating you.
Jenny, so you have a question for me? 
Christina, do you keep the BTB nasty comments you receive in a special file or spot? And do you reread them sometimes? We love reader comments! But, no, I don’t keep the nasty comments in a special file. I post them (or most of them, except for truly crude or inappropriate ones). If they’re mean, I hit DELETE as fast as possible and never look back. 

As I’ve written previously, having a blog requires me to be less sensitive and have a thick skin because not everyone will like what I (we) do all of the time. Beyond The Brochure is unique and growing pretty fast and I’m really proud of it. I won’t approve comments that personally attack me or our guest bloggers. What blogger would?  I rejected an anonymous comment because it was rude and demanded I remove an apostrophe from a word. It was a gratuitous comment that would add nothing to any discussion.  I’ll use whatever grammar I want! No, I’m not always perfect, but this ain’t the New York Times.  
Want to know what Jenny thinks about the new (gasp!) $1,6oo Bugabook “Donkey” Stroller? Click on her guest post on one of our favorite mom blogs, Sane Moms
Don’t Forget! Jenny is holding a fabulous Mother’s Day giveaway on her modern gift giving blog, Find A Toad. Winner announced on May 4th! You know Jenny has fabulous taste, so click on Find A Toad to enter to win (I won’t tell you what the prize is). Hint: The April issue of In Style called the items “so right now.”



Guest Blogger Jenny: What I Did (And Did Not) Expect About The Mirman School

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Mirman is one of those schools that has a certain mystique surrounding it. Because it accepts only highly gifted children, there are people who refer to it as “the freak school,” “the geek school,” or, in one stunning instance, “the Hitler school” (I have no idea what that means). While I took all these nicknames with a grain of salt, I had some apprehension about sending my daughter Anna there. I felt it was probably the right place for her, but I was worried that it would be too serious, too high powered, and, frankly, too dorky.

Happily, none of these fears manifested into reality. 

Here’s What Surprised Me:

 

  • The kids are not weird. Well, ok, there might be a few little boys running around speaking in monotone voices, but they are few and far between. One of the interesting things about Mirman students is how normal they actually are. They may be super smart kids, but they’re still kids, and they act like kids. The only difference is that the level of carpool conversation is suddenly elevated.

 

  • The parents are far nicer than I expected. I was worried that the parents would be way too into their super gifted children. But what I’ve found is that most of the parents seem sort of puzzled and bemused to have these kids. The parent body is, for the most part, very smart, very educated, a bit shy, and really not snobby in the least. The “not snobby” factor makes dealing with Mirman parents a pleasure, especially on field trips. As far as I know, there are no celebrities at Mirman. Interesting. You can draw your own conclusions about that.

 

  • The workload isn’t nearly as heavy as I thought it would be. Naturally, I’d heard horror stories about Mirman kids working constantly, even during carpool, and how “unnatural” the whole thing was. That turned out to be nonsense. Anna definitely has homework, and it’s homework she has to schedule for herself during the week. It’s made her into quite the little time management pro. And while the school works the kids really hard during the school day, Anna actually seems to spend less of her time at home doing homework than some of her public school friends. I would not say that she is overworked on any level.

 

  • Parents are not treated like royalty. Unlike some private schools, where wealthy parents get the kid glove treatment, Mirman generally treats the parents like idiots. I’m not kidding. I’ve even brought up this fact to other Mirman parents and they crack up as they agree. All the school’s emphasis and efforts involve the kids; it is the most kid focused school I’ve encountered. While Mirman wants parents to give money and be on committees and be involved, it will not brownnose you when you enter the front office. If you’re looking for adulation, seek it elsewhere.

 

  • The commute isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Commuting from Hollywood to Mirman seemed like a nightmare at first, but it’s turned out to be ok. It’s made ok only by the fact that I’m in a carpool that I’ll defend with my life. At the moment, we’re trying to get together enough kids on this side of town to justify a bus. I dream about the bus, and someday my dream will be made a reality.

 

  • My child is even happier at Mirman than I ever imagined. I had a feeling that Mirman was the right place for Anna, but her transformation over her first year there has been extraordinary. She came in at fourth grade, at a distinct academic disadvantage, and has still managed to get really good grades. It has focused her competitive instincts, but also emphasized good citizenship and kindness. Her self-confidence in terms of public speaking has skyrocketed. She’s making new friends. All in all, she’s a different child now, and I really credit Mirman with all the positive changes.

 

  • The kids are so nice. Really, they’re nice. The bullying problems that seem so prevalent at other schools are far less at Mirman. If there’s a problem, it gets handled. And one of the advantages of putting together so many highly gifted kids, who were so often the butts of jokes, is that they’re generally kind to one another. These kids have empathy for one another. While Anna has had some girl politics moments, they have been mild and easily handled.
  • It’s more diverse than I thought. The reality about private school is that it will never be as diverse as public school. So, while Mirman doesn’t resemble a microcosm of Los Angeles, diversity wise, it’s still better than I anticipated. And because all the kids share the trait of high intelligence (that’s the main criterion for entrance to Mirman), this seems to be what draws them together, not race. My daughter heard plenty of racial slurs at her old public school, but hasn’t heard one thing at Mirman. Good.

 

As Anna’s first year at Mirman draws to a close, I’m delighted with the school. It has exceeded every expectation I had for it, and my child is having a wonderful educational experience. It’s so nice when a school turns out to be such a pleasant surprise.

Jenny Heitz has worked as a staff writer for Coast Weekly in Carmel, freelanced in the South Bay, and then switched to advertising copywriting. Her daughter started 4th grade at Mirman School this year. She previously attended 3rd St. Elementary School. Jenny has been published recently in the Daily News and on Mamapedia, The Well Mom, Sane Moms, Hybrid Mom, The Culture Mom and A Child Grows In Brooklyn. She now writes about gift ideas and products on her blog, Find A Toad.
 

Learning With Nuggets Of Gold At The Willows School

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Cover of “The Willows Voice” Winter 2011

Sure the essentials are all there. Math, reading, science. But what always amazes me is the broader palette of sheer creativity brought into the Willows classroom. It’s what is taught AND how it’s taught. Just about everything the kids learn connects to other aspects of their work. Integrated curriculum is what it’s called. Really it’s an ingeniously creative curriculum. 

Lisa Rosenstein, The Willows Head of School says, “Focus on creativity, critical thinking and problem solving is central to who we are and what we do in every discipline.”

My daughter’s 4th grade class recently completed their study unit on the Gold Rush. What could have been a dreadfully boring subject was transformed into a fascinating and totally exciting few months for the kids.

Parents were invited to attend the end of the study unit culmination event or “culmination.” It consisted of a high-energy musical production that completely captivated the audience. My daughter doesn’t have an interest in musical theater, but there she was singing and dancing on stage, with a huge smile on her face.

After the musical, we went into the classrooms for an open-house. Our kids showed us their Gold Rush themed art work, awesome stories they had written, both individually and in groups, and a technology component with kids narrating Gold Rush stories. My daughter’s wonderful story received “5 gold nuggets” from the teacher. A perfect grade! I’m such a proud mom. 
My daughter was especially captivated by The Gold Rush Game. As she and her friend explained the game to me, kids were grouped into “mining groups” of four students. Over the course of the study unit, each team made group decisions and problem solved. The students wrote mining logs about activities that were taking place in their mining groups. They also participated in competitive question/answer classroom sessions where correctly answered questions were rewarded with gold nuggets and incorrectly answered questions received no gold nuggets. 

The reason I know my daughter was inspired? For the first time, she asked to take music (Guitar) lessons at Marlborough summer school. Worth its weight in gold!

Next up for 4th grade? A study unit on physics, the physics of roller coasters and a field trip to Astrocamp.  


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A Mom Rant’s About LA Private Elementary School Admissions

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I stumbled across this post on Urban Baby recently:


LA private school process sucks, and there are fewer schools than NY (at least within reasonable driving area of wherever you live) so there are fewer choices. They are full of siblings and celebrities and then a few diversity admits. If you are white and unconnected, good luck with the most popular schools. On the next tier, you can find spaces…


This mom writes what many parents in LA think: that it’s impossible to get into LA’s top private elementary schools unless you are a celebrity or sibling. While there is no doubt LA private schools are uber-competitive, it’s not impossible. Every year, all types of families get into the best private elementary schools in LA. We wrote Beyond The Brochure to help parents navigate the admissions process and understand what really happens behind the scenes, how decisions are made and what you need to do to get your child into a great school. Your positive attitude and a sense of optimism are an absolutely necessary component to getting in. A belief that your child will get into the best school possible will help sustain you through the process. And, it will certainly come across as you interview at the schools. 

LA Private Elementary School Buzz…

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  • We hear that a private elementary school located on Mulholland sent at least one mom an email telling her that her child was accepted. A few hours later, she got an email saying her child had not been accepted. Luckily, this family had other acceptance letters. A Big Oops!
  • According to one prominent Westside education consultant 2011-12 was one of the most difficult years to get into some schools. Why? At older, more established schools, alumni now have kids entering kindergarten who are legacies. That combined with concern about public school budget cuts helped spur applications to private elementary schools. Even second and third tier schools were sending out rejection letters, according to our source. 
  • Interestingly, we spoke to an admissions director at a top private elementary school in the LA suburbs. This AD told us that in the past, many ADs placed heavy weight on the writing and fine motor skills portion of the observation and testing process. Nowadays, more emphasis is being placed on the child’s memory skills, language proficiency in response to the interview questions and the child’s ability to organize his or her thoughts.
  • We hear that a very prominent private elementary school has a mess on its hands.  Apparently, at a 4th grader’s birthday party at a private home, a dad of one kid, after having a drink or two, headed out onto the basketball court to play with the kids. This dad collided with a 4th grader and the dad broke his arm in the collision. The dad is reportedly suing the kid and possibly the kid’s family. The kid involved in the collision and his siblings abruptly left the school–can you blame them?. Now, there’s a dispute over the family’s request that the school refund their tuition. The school is refusing to return the tuition. The dad is married to a member of the school’s board of directors.  Can you say bad horrendous dad behavior?
  • Please join us! We still have a few spots open for our Wed. April 20th, 7:30 p.m. event at the Beverly Hills Country Club: Demystifying The Private Elementary School Admissions And Financial Aid Process.  To register, click on link: http://www.getintoprivateschool.com/insiders-game.html
  • Check out The School Boards, an online message and resource site for all things school related. 
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