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The Benefits of Tutoring
How does tutoring work? When should you engage a tutor for your child? Answers to these questions and more.

Editor's note: I asked Noodle Pros to explain how tutoring works and how it might benefit private high school students. Their professional tutors provided the answers to the questions below. ~Rob Kennedy

Noodle Pros is an exclusive group of experienced, professional tutors who work in all tests and subjects from pre-kindergarten to graduate school. Tutors are available in 11 major U.S. cities, internationally, and online.

1. At what age should parents consider having their children tutored? What are the warning signs that some remediation is necessary?

Kalen Lister, Pre K-8 Expert: Parents can begin tutoring their children at four years of age to prepare their youngsters for the Pre-K admissions exams and interview readiness. While it seems surprisingly early to some, it can be a positive experience, one that helps kids forge an enthusiastic relationship with learning. Most children enjoy the special time and attention that the one-on-one format provides. Furthermore, they will be more calm and confident on test day if they have been exposed to critical concepts and the various test formats which they will encounter. This usually translates to better scores. Also, a good tutor can provide guidance to the parents about the types of games that will help deepen spatial, phonetic, arithmetic, and aural reasoning.

Many families, however, start incorporating tutoring when their children are in elementary school for any range of remedial needs, test preparation, executive functioning skills, application and interview coaching, and enrichment. If your child exhibits any of

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What About A School For Gifted Children?

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What About A School For Gifted Children?
As you begin to think about sending your child to private school, be sure to look at all your options.

Editor's note: I asked Melissa P. Earls, Head of School of Academy Hill School in Springfield, Massachusetts several questions about teaching gifted children. She very kindly offered the following answers. (I will disclaim that my youngest grandson attends Academy Hill School.) - Rob Kennedy

1. Why should parents consider sending their child to a school for gifted children?

Not every school is right for every child. And, even if a child is academically advanced, or gifted in any number of ways, a school that offers an enhanced, enriched curriculum with high expectations and increased rigor might not be the right fit. I would never push any school on any student. But, for our learners, and other students like them, Academy Hill is a terrific fit. We offer several programs that set us apart.

When looking for a school for a gifted child, it is critical that parents seek out an environment that will continuously engage the child in creative, student-driven tasks. It is important that the school allow core curriculum time and opportunities for students to pursue areas of interest in depth. It is imperative that the pace of instruction matches the student's ability to comprehend content, apply knowledge and acquire skills at faster speeds and with high proficiency. Because these children are usually eager learners, formative assessments, while necessary in any educational setting, may not be as frequent and certainly do not look the same as they would in other environments. For example, monthly, quarterly,

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13 Can't Miss Tips to Get Into Your Dream School

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13 Can't Miss Tips to Get Into Your Dream School
This guide offers 13 essential tips for students aiming to secure admission to their dream private high school. It covers everything from academic preparation and extracurricular involvement to crafting standout applications and acing interviews, providing a roadmap for success in the competitive admissions process.

Getting into your dream private high school requires careful planning, determination, and preparation. Suppose you're a teenager who values good academics, robust sports programs, and exciting extracurricular activities. In that case, this article will guide you through the essential steps to increase your chances of admission to your dream school. Let's dive in!

1. Research and Identify Your Dream School

Begin by researching different private high schools in your area that align with your academic, sports, and extracurricular preferences. Consider location, reputation, curriculum, facilities, and student life to narrow your choices.

2. Understand Admission Requirements

Thoroughly examine the admission requirements of your dream school. Check if it has any specific academic prerequisites, standardized test score expectations, recommendation letters, or portfolio submissions. Understanding those requirements will help you plan your high school journey accordingly.

3. Build a Strong Academic Foundation

Focus on maintaining excellent grades throughout middle school. Private high schools typically consider academic performance as a crucial criterion for admission. Therefore, aim for consistently high grades and challenge yourself with advanced courses whenever possible.

This video offers an overview of Westchester Country Day School in High Point, North Carolina.

4. Prepare for Standardized Tests

Many private high schools require standardized test scores as part of the admission process. Familiarize yourself with the required exams, such as the SSAT or ISEE, and create a study plan. Consider taking test prep courses,

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How To Search For Schools

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How To Search For Schools
Private School Review has a robust search engine which will make your private school search process much easier to do. Here are some tips on how to use this tool.

As I prepared to write this article about searching for private K-12 schools, I had a flashback to the fall of 1986 when we started looking at schools for our eldest daughter. There was no email or internet back then, at least that the general public had access to. We knew friends who had gone to private school. At one point I had interviewed to be the Music teacher at a New England boarding school. But that was it. That was all we knew about private high schools. Reaching further back into my memory bank, I remember enrolling our eldest daughter in the now-defunct St. Peter's by-the-sea Day School when it first opened in 1971. When we moved to Garden City, we enrolled her in the Waldorf School of Garden City. These two decisions were fairly easy because we knew the schools which came highly recommended by family and friends. No email or web searches were possible, nor were they needed.

Back to our 21st-century private school search. We have some very powerful tools available to us. Unfortunately, these tools can produce results that can be misleading, confusing, or, at worst, useless. Search engines require us to filter the data carefully to eliminate information that we don't need. Useful results depend on the manner in which you word the search terms. Happily, this is not the case with the Private School Review search engine. Our programmers have set up the fields you need to search our

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Understanding Enrollment Agreements

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Understanding Enrollment Agreements
Attorney Sara Goldsmith Schwartz answers my questions and provides some general guidance regarding best practices for enrollment agreements.

Editor's note:

I asked Attorney Sara Goldsmith Schwartz, whose "practice is focused on the critical issues facing school administrators and leadership," to answer my questions and provide some general guidance regarding best practices for enrollment agreements. This article is intended for the information of owners, administrators, and trustees of small to medium size private schools. ~ Rob Kennedy

The relationship between parents, students, and the school is determined by contract law. Can you tell us what that means?

The relationship between parents, students, and the school is based on a lot of documents, including the student/parent handbook, the code of conduct, the enrollment agreement, and more. The enrollment agreement, however, is the only legal contract, and it memorializes the relationship between the parents, students, and the school, binding the parties to the terms and conditions laid out in the agreement. The agreement assists schools in collecting tuition and fees in cases of non-payment and in assessing late fees in cases of late payment. However, a comprehensive agreement addresses far more than tuition and fees.

This short clip explains why contracts are important legal documents.

How can a professionally written enrollment agreement prevent litigation in the future?

A properly drafted enrollment agreement is a cornerstone of a school’s risk management strategy. For instance, it can help deter parents from bringing claims against the school, as well as help the school prevail on such claims.

An enrollment agreement

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