Why Leave Public School for Private School?

10 Things To Do Before You Graduate

As you journey through high school, it's easy to get caught up in the daily routine of classes, homework, and extracurricular activities. However, there are certain experiences and skills that can greatly enhance your educational experience and prepare you for success beyond graduation.

Have you seen some of those lists with titles like 50 Things You Must Do Before You Graduate From College?

• I like the idea of lists. It keeps me focused. However, some of those lists I read made me wonder what on earth they were thinking.
• With tuition and fees running $80,000 or more at a private college, I thought that most of the items were a total waste of time and effort.
• Consequently, I offer the following 10 worthwhile things to do before you graduate from private school.

1. Earn strong SAT scores.

This assumes that you are attending a school that prepares you for the SAT, one of the standardized tests that you take as part of getting admitted to college.

• The SAT, just like other standardized tests, tests your knowledge gained over several years.
• While you can certainly take a couple of practice teststo get a feel for the test and work to the clock, really, the best preparation for the SAT is your day-by-day conscientious learning.
• You cannot cram preparation for the SAT.

This video offers some strategies for critical reading.

As you research private schools, you will find yourself coming back to a handful of websites again and again. Why? Because they are informative, useful, and easy to use. Here are my picks for 'must have' websites when it comes to finding out about private K-12 schools.

The Association of Boarding Schools
http://www.boardingschools.com/

The Association of Boarding Schools site is dynamic and clean. I want to find information quickly with as few clicks as possible. The TABS site is one of those well-designed sites which allows you to do just that. You can drill down to member boarding schools, learn about recruiting fairs, financing, boarding school life, and just about anything to do with boarding schools. This site is a 'must have' for parents living outside the United States who are thinking about sending their children to American boarding schools.

Google Maps
maps.google.com

I included maps.google.com on this list of 'must have' websites because it allows me to zoom in and look at the street view. That is not important for schools and locations I know. But when I am researching a school in another state, Google Maps allows me to get the lay of the land quickly and efficiently. Also, because it is available as an app, I can plug the address in on my smartphone and get directions to the campuses of the schools which I am visiting.

SSAT
www.ssat.org/

Standardized admissions testing is an important component of your child's admissions profile.

Many parents search for an answer to the question "How do I provide the kind of religious education I want for my child?" Religious education is a very personal, subjective matter. When it comes to religious education one size most definitely does not fit all. Each of us has a very clear idea of what we expect. Much of our thinking is driven by the obvious reality that religious education is not an option in our public schools. Religion and Public Schools from the Center for Public Education explains the legal reasons why. So, with this requirement in mind let's explore your options.

Three Categories of Religious Schools

I have been in your shoes when it comes to deciding what kind of religious education our children should have. We are Episcopalians so we wanted schools which embraced that denomination's teachings. Kent School fit the bill for eldest daughter. Youngest daughter attended Westminster School which again fit our needs at the time. Our sons attended St. Anne's School in Nassau, Bahamas when we lived there. That was an Anglican school, Anglican being the British version of the Episcopal church.

To make things a little easier for you I have divided religious schools into three broad categories or strengths if you will: light, medium and strong. Essentially all I am doing is categorizing the intensity of the religious instruction and observances which schools in each category offer. Obviously there will be some overlap because private schools are intrinsically unique. That's

Myths, urban legends, and just plain misinformation abound concerning private schools. That doesn't help parents who are thinking about sending their children to private school. So, let's shed some light on the facts you may not have known about private schools.

1. Private schools existed before public schools.

That's right! Back in colonial times, education varied from colony to colony. The common thread that I was able to find is that education was stratified along class lines. Children from poor families were taught skills so that they could do a manual job and survive. Children from the upper classes received a basic education in literature, mathematics, and religion. If their families could afford it, the boys might be sent off to boarding school in England. This stratification of education persisted until the late 19th century.

This video looks at the beginnings of Colonial education: dame schools, Latin grammar schools, church schools, and pauper schools.

In those times upper-class girls were given enough education to be able to run a household. But amazingly enough colonial families did have daycare. They could leave their children at Dame schools, so-called because a dame or lady would teach their children the basics such as their letters and some prayers while she tended to her household chores.

2. Private schools are set up in three main ways.

Many parents assume that all private schools are set up in