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Education News >> Primary and Secondary Education >> Private Schools
Private Schools News
Some schools are already on spring break. Others start their break this week. Daylight savings time began at 2 a.m. this morning. Easter is only a few weeks off.
While your children are home, be sure to schedule your activities so that you can spend some quality time with them. I know they have their friends. But you need to use the time they are home to deepen your relationship with your children especially if they have been away at boarding school. Find out what they are concerned about, their hopes, their fears and so on.
Travel is still problematic. So be sure to review safe travel tips and how to handle the inevitable emergency. Have a safe and wonderful spring break 2010.
Spring Break 2010 originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 08:04:30.
Private schools which educate talented students in the arts are few and far between. When I was in high school, Montreal had no dedicated performing arts schools. Instead I schlepped off to McGill University's Saturday morning theory and sight singing classes with Alice Posner, Kelsey Jones and others. Looking back, I wish I had had an Interlochen School in my back yard. Or a St. Thomas Choir School.
So it is with many fond memories of my musical childhood that I spotlight Schools for the Arts in my blog today. If you went to one of these fine schools, let us all know how the experience benefited you.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
Spotlight on Schools for the Arts originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 07:16:59.
In this morning's news were two very different stories about school enrollment. Middlesex School announced that it had received 1,025 applicants for 100 places for the class of 2013. The Kansas City Board of Education announced plans to close half its schools in order to close a budget gap of $50 million.
Not every private school is as fortunate as Middlesex to have 10 applicants for every place it can offer. Indeed you and I hear about private schools closing and/or cutting their budgets to make ends meet on a regular basis. But the depth and seriousness of our national economic situation continues to alarm me. Local schools are funded by local property taxes for the most part. Those revenues have shrunk at an alarming rate. Add to that changing demographics and fewer school-age children, and, in my opinion, more school boards are going to have to close more schools. Is this just market forces at work? Or are there wider implications to what's happening? What do you think?
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
A Study in Contrasts originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 07:08:06.
The admissions departments have completed their work. The long-awaited admissions letters are finally in the mail. Will it be an acceptance or a rejection letter? Perhaps your child was waitlisted. Here's what to do with the letter you received.
The acceptance letter requires prompt action as the school basically is holding a place for your child. You need to let them know whether or not she will be coming.
If your child was put on a waitlist, don't panic. Here are your options.
If your child's application was rejected, here's what to do next.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
Did Your Child Get In? originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 07:55:28.
Usually students attend private school because their parents send them there. It probably isn't something most children have much of a say in anyway. Having made that observation, I am interested in finding out from students who attended private school what they got out of the experience. I suspect many other parents would be interested as well.
So, whether you went to a Montessori school for your nursery and elementary years or attended prep school, please take a few minutes to record your experiences and thoughts using the form entitled How Did Your Private School Experience Benefit You? There's plenty of room for you to be as expansive as you wish. Recollections of memorable moments in class and on the playing field will be much appreciated by all of us. So ruminate away! I look forward to reading your submissions.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
How Did Your Private School Experience Benefit You? originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 22:03:25.
Read Benedictine's profile. If you went to Benedictine, tell us about your experiences and what you thought of the school. You can post your response here.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
Spotlight on Benedictine Military School originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 08:53:48.
It has been fascinating to watch how schools are using Twitter. I started following about 200 schools a year ago. Frankly not much happened until last September. At that point it became apparent to me that many schools had really discovered the power of Twitter. I began monitoring 50-60 tweets a day last fall.
What do they tweet about? I see tweets about sports scores (Wilbraham and Monson, Blue Ridge School, Rumson Country Day, to name just a few), sometimes even blow by blow updates (Culver).
Many schools report on guest speakers or other special events (Jewish Community High School of the Bay and St. Stephen's, Austin, either after the fact or beforehand as an announcement.
Every school's voice is different depending on who is doing the tweeting. Some tweets sound like mini press releases. Others must come from the athletic department. Still others sound like teachers are behind the curtain. A couple of alumni groups tweet about their gatherings.
If you have read this far, you are probably wondering why I am making such a big deal out of schools on Twitter. The reason is simple: Twitter gives us parents one more way to see what's really going on at schools. If you are thinking about private school for your child, it is worthwhile following schools in which you have an interest. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you might learn. Private Schools on Twitter has most of the schools with Twitter accounts. Not all schools are actively using Twitter. But more and more are using it as folks figure out how to use it effectively as part of their communications program.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
How Schools Are Using Twitter originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 21:51:16.
"Hello Mr. Kennedy,
Thanks for all the info you provide. I have a couple of questions. Do schools give, before March 10, any indication if they are interested in your child? After the interview is done, can your child keep in touch with the interviewer? Should you develop a relationship with an admission counselor and keep in touch by phone or email?"
After the interview be sure to send an old-fashioned, handwritten thank you note to the admissions staffer who interviewed you and your child. If you have any questions about the school, its program, financial aid or anything else which was not covered at the interview, then by all means call and ask those questions. It would not be appropriate to ask where your child's application stands. And, no, the school will not let you know in advance if your child has been accepted.
My best advice is to wait patiently until you receive the school's letter after March 10. Incidentally it is always a good idea to apply to at least three schools. One can be a stretch or very competitive. The other two should be schools to which you and your consultant are fairly certain your child will be accepted.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
Should I Call the School? originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 08:08:54.
This week's spotlight takes us to Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Andover, as this distinguished old prep school is lovingly referred to, was founded in 1778 by the same family which founded Phillips Exeter Academy a few years later in 1881. Andover is widely considered to be one of the top college preparatory schools in the country. It has over 1,000 students, an endowment in excess of $600 million and awards financial aid in the $15 million range. The array of academic courses, sports and extracurricular activities is vast, rich and deep. But be well aware that Andover is a very selective school. Have everything the school is looking for. You will have some serious competition for a place.
Read Andover's profile. If you went to Andover, tell us about your experiences and what you thought of the school. You can post your response here.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
Spotlight on Phillips Academy Andover originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 07:18:43.
A friend of mine has a sister who teaches math in a large Massachusetts school district. The other day I asked him how she was doing. I figured I'd hear about merit pay and budget cuts. Instead the conversation quickly turned to teaching to the test. His sister was very frustrated with having to make her students memorize the facts necessary to pass the various state tests. Most of her class time was being devoted to that task. I gather those tests in turn feed into No Child Left Behind assessments.
My friend's sister loves math and loves teaching it. But she had less and less time to actually teach her subject in an exciting, appealing way which would make her students enjoy the subject.
When you visit schools on your short list, take time to sit in on a class. Observe the teaching methods. Are the children just parroting back facts? Or are they learning? Now think back to when your daughter was a baby. Remember how curious she was about everything? Remember how she responded to your every laugh and look? You were teaching. You were guiding. She was learning. She was exploring.
Learning is an exciting process of discovery and engagement for which you personally laid solid foundations. Make sure that the school and teachers to whom you entrust your child's instruction continue the job you started. Make sure she continues to love learning.
You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.
Private School News | Private Schools on Twitter
Teach to the Test or Teach? originally appeared on About.com Private Schools on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 09:37:32.
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