Published
May 15, 2013
Here are a dozen or so boys' schools' public thoughts about themselves and their missions.
"As a boys' boarding school, our programs are designed specifically to help young men focus on their development at a time in life when distractions abound. Although numerous opportunities exist for our students to interact with girls from Miss Porter's, Ethel Walker's and other nearby schools, boys are free to live and learn in our structured, supportive environment. In an all-boys context, our students embrace scholastic challenges and compete in the athletic arena while feeling safe exploring the arts, experimenting with poetry, expressing school spirit, and just being themselves."
"MUHS has evolved with each passing decade to meet the changing needs of the young men in our community and like our 17th Century namesake, Father Jacques Marquette, students, faculty and staff members share a passion for exploring uncharted territory, whether it’s in a textbook or their own hearts."
"Bellarmine knows boys.
* We see how they negotiate their way through the different stages of development, and use that insight in engaging them, counseling them, mentoring them and teaching them.
* We teach boys the way they learn best, using specific strategies that motivate young men to learn, and modifying standard approaches to align with their unique needs.
* We encourage them to be competitive - and with the understanding that we are all learning - to discuss,...
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Published
April 15, 2013
I thought it might be instructive to gather a dozen or so girls' schools' public thoughts about themselves and their missions. The words which I have quoted can be found on each school's web site. Hopefully if you are thinking about sending your daughter to an all girls' school, you will be inspired to explore the opportunities available to you in these fine educational environments committed to educating your daughters to be all they can be.
"Founded by two bold, visionary entrepreneurs in the same year that women won the right to vote, the Nightingale-Bamford School has helped generations of girls to become strong, independent, confident women. We offer a rigorous, college-preparatory education from Kindergarten through grade 12 in a caring and attentive school community."
"Saint Mary’s School has developed curriculum and employed strategies that capitalize on the strengths of girls on their journey to college and life. Girls’ schools support a culture, climate and community that together generate high levels of personal and academic self-confidence and a can-do attitude. Research shows that girls in single-gender environments move on to advanced courses more often than do girls in co-educational classes. They earn better grades and report that they have greater confidence in themselves and feel more positive about their learning environment."
"Our Mission: Miss Porter's School educates young women to become informed, bold, resourceful and ethical global citizens. We...
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Published
February 15, 2013
When you think of single sex education as a choice or an option, the subject becomes a little easier to understand in the 21st century. Private schools have offered single sex education for decades. Indeed many of our older schools were founded with the purpose of educating boys or girls separately.
Characteristics of Single Sex Schools
What grades do they offer? Typically single sex schools are high schools offering grades 9 through 12/PG. There are a handful of single sex schools which offer the middle school grades 6 through 9. Even fewer schools offer PK-12. You will also notice that middle school grades go up to grade 9 and high school begins with grade 9 as well. Actually grade 10 is probably the most common entry point for private high schools. That’s one reason for the overlap.
Single sex schools come in both boarding and day versions. There are single sex religious schools, military schools and so on.
The Advantage of Single Sex Education
The proponents and opponents of single sex education have firmly-held views. I think it is fair to say that the actual research into the advantages and disadvantages of single sex education is pretty meagre. I list the primary sources for you to read in depth. That’s why I concluded long ago that single sex education needs to be thought of as a choice. It is not better than coeducation in my opinion. Nor is it worse. It is simply an option for us parents to keep in mind as we...
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Published
October 13, 2012
Perhaps you are just starting to think about private school for your middle schooler. Or perhaps you have started the process of choosing the right private school and have some questions about how to proceed. These five 'must haves' will hopefully help you focus on the things which are really important when it comes to choosing a private school.
1. The best fit
Always number one on my list is the fit. Fit trumps everything else simply because fit is all about how your child and the school mesh. If they are not in synch, the result will be an unhappy child. Keep this in mind as you visit schools on your short list. Your child will know instinctively whether or not she likes the school.
Now, having pointed out how important fit is, it makes good sense to engineer the visits so that she likes all the schools on your short list. How do you do that? You hire an educational consultant who will identify schools which will be a good fit. That's what an educational consultant does. Consultants take time to get to know you and your child. They know their schools too. As a result the list of schools which a consultant presents you will be on target. Any or all of the schools will potentially be a good fit. One will be the best fit. Visiting schools on a list of schools carefully selected with your needs and requirements in mind will be a pleasure because almost all of...
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Published
January 10, 2012
Actually there are many more things to know about private school than the four items I have chosen. But this will get you started. For most of us the idea of sending your child to private school begins with that nagging feeling that she's very bright and needs the very best kind of schooling possible. So you start exploring your options. That leads you to web sites. And it also raises many questions. So the four points I am going to expand on below are really affirmations of what you probably already knew anyway.
Private schools are not ranked. As you explore schools on the web, you quickly realize that there is no way to rank schools. It's perfectly normal to want to send your child to the 'best' school. But how can you identify that school if there is no ranking system? First of all, let's deal with the reality of private schools and ranking. They cannot be ranked. Why? Because they are unique. Take the 400+ boarding schools we have in the U.S. Each one is different. Not better. Not worse. Simply different. Their locations, their facilities, their curricula - all different. The commonality is that they offer an excellent education.
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Published
May 15, 2013
Here are a dozen or so boys' schools' public thoughts about themselves and their missions.
Marketing the Small Private School
Some marketing resources and tips for small private schools with limited marketing budgets.
Academic Excellence: Any Future with a C Average and No Skills?
A challenging academic program combined with training in life skills is your best weapon against mediocre results.
More articles:
Choosing a Private School,
Paying For It,
High School Issues,
Jobs in Private Schools,
Opinion
