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Kinds of Schools

Private schools are just as varied as public schools. From Catholic to progressive, military to special needs, private schools offer a lot of options. Take a comprehensive look into the many types of private schools, weigh the pros and cons of each, and get helpful tips on choosing one that works best for your child.

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Educating Your Gifted Child

Updated May 17, 2019 | by Robert Kennedy

Educating a gifted child can be daunting as there is no clear roadmap for your child's education. Some thoughts and suggestions here.

We parents worry a lot, don't we? From the time of your baby's first kick in the womb to her graduation from college, her marriage, and the birth of her own children, we just never stop worrying, do we? Now, of course, I don't mean worrying in a negative sense. I use worry to express that parental awareness or sixth sense which we parents remarkably seem to develop from the time we first hold our child in our arms. Worrying goes with parenting. But let's make it informed worrying. That's why organizations such as The National Association For Gifted Children are so important. This video discusses the parenting of gifted children.

As you begin to suspect that your child might be gifted, take time to review the information contained on an authoritative website such as the NAGC's. Ruthlessly filter information which you see on television, hear on talk shows or read in social media.

So what makes a child gifted? The NAGC lists the following common characteristics of gifted children:

Unusual alertness, even in infancy
Rapid learner; puts thoughts together quickly
Excellent memory
Unusually large vocabulary and complex sentence structure for age
Advanced comprehension of word nuances, metaphors and abstract ideas
Enjoys solving problems, especially with numbers and puzzles
Often self-taught reading and writing skills as preschooler
Deep, intense feelings and reactions
Highly sensitive
Thinking is abstract, complex, logical, and insightful
Idealism and sense of justice at early age
Concern with social and political issues and injustices
Longer attention span and intense concentration
Preoccupied with own

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Schools For Children Who Sing

Updated October 08, 2019 | by Robert Kennedy

If you have a child who sings, you might want to consider a choir school. In the United States, most of these schools are day schools.

What is a choir school? It is a private school serving the choristers of a cathedral, college or large parish church. The choristers can be boys or girls or boys and girls depending on the institution with which the school is affiliated. The United Kingdom enjoys a long history of this genre of private school. As the Choir Schools Association notes:

"Choir Schools are amazing places where young choristers enjoy learning and playing. Their work takes them into stunningly beautiful buildings on a daily basis. There is no better educational and musical training start for boys and girls aged seven years and up who love to sing."

Residential and day choir schools have seen a steady decline in their numbers since the 1950s for three reasons. Two devastating world wars in Britain drastically altered the social and economic landscape in that country. Changing values in modern society throughout the world have seen parents choose alternative forms of education for their children. Finally, the tremendous cost of educating children in a choir school has forced many sponsoring institutions to close their schools.

Why send your child to a choir school?

I remember a parishioner years ago asking me to support her son's application to Saint Thomas' Choir School. He was an only child and, frankly, she was the quintessential velcro mother. I was pleasantly surprised that they were keen on the residential choir school at Saint Thomas Church in New York City. It was a good solution to her circumstance of being

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Single-Sex Education: An Overview

Updated September 10, 2019 | by Robert Kennedy

Sending your child to a single-sex school is one of several options you have when it comes to private schools.

When you think of single-sex education as a choice or an option when you are thinking about sending your child to private school, the subject becomes a little easier to understand in the 21st century. Historically private schools have offered single-sex education for decades. Indeed many of our older K-12 schools were founded with the purpose of educating boys or girls separately. That's the way things were done back in the 18th and 19th centuries. Colleges and universities were also set up as single-sex institutions. For example, Harvard University was an all-male university until 1977 when its sister college, Radcliffe, merged with it.

Characteristics of single-sex schools

How do we define a single-sex school? By definition, a single-sex school is a school which educates boys or girls exclusively. As a general rule classes will not be co-educational. On occasion, neighboring boys and girls schools which have an established relationship will host co-educational classes.

What grades do single-sex schools offer? Typically single-sex schools are high schools offering grades 9 through 12 and a Post Graduate year where available. A handful of single-sex schools 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 of the grades.

In the following video the students of Marlborough School, Los Angeles, describe why they like their school so much and show us some of the activities.

There are several

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A Look At An Athletic Academy

Updated May 17, 2019 | by Robert Kennedy

Editor's note: I recently asked Bobby Bossman, Director of SPIRE Academy, to explain and outline the kind of athletic programs and training which the Institute offers. It is one of dozens of athletic institutes around the country which give young women and men the chance to see whether they have the right stuff to take it a step further. ~Rob

1. How does a specialty institute such as Spire Institute handle the balance of academics and athletic training?

By having flexibility with each student's time and the ability to create custom daily schedules, our staff can plan the most appropriate training day unique to each student-athlete. Some athletes may require more or less time in academic training based on progress. We have the ability to accommodate accordingly by infusing more academic time when needed and allowing those who are ahead academically extra periods of athletic training. This is versus the traditional high school setting that blocks students into a 7:30am-3:30pm structured school day before athletic activities even begin.

SPIRE also has the ability to condense the academic portion of the day by removing some filler blocks such as study halls and P.E. classes to allow athletes opportunities to train in the mornings as well when their bodies are physically the freshest.

How do you advise your young athletes regarding their academics?

All of our student-athletes are advised to complete all require core courses as per the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). NCAA schools require college-bound student-athlete to build a foundation of high school

Updated December 11, 2019 | by Robert Kennedy

Cristo Rey Schools: A Different Kind of School

The Cristo Rey Network of schools currently comprises some 26 schools in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Truth is they are just getting started.

Cristo Rey schools are unabashedly Roman Catholic. Through and through. They teach Catholic values and religious beliefs. But they do something more which is both unusual and significant. Cristo Rey schools serve students from low -income families in urban areas who could not otherwise afford a private school education. The way the Cristo Rey schools do this is to combine a work-study program with the academics, sports and extracurricular activities the schools offer. Simply put, the Cristo Rey schools offer quality education with a work-study component.

History

The Cristo Rey schools got their start back in the 90s in Chicago. The Catholic academic scene was a familiar though depressing one. The diocesan high schools were facing serious financial challenges. Those schools had always been the ray of hope for struggling lower-income families who dreamed of an education for their children. The Catholic schools run by the various orders were in good shape because they attracted a clientele that could afford the substantially higher tuition which those schools charged. The Jesuits met with parishioners in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago and asked what they needed most. "A good high school" was the unequivocal response.

This short video clip shows what the Jesuits did.

The Program

As noted above Cristo Rey schools have a work-study program which is an integral part of the life and rhythm of each school. Students work the equivalent of 5 days a month. The school arranges the students' work-study assignments with corporate and professional partners. As

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