Every private school is different and that includes Christian schools. Though some of the foundation principles are likely to be similar, there are certainly going to be differences that reflect each school's priorities or way they carry out their mission. In many cases the differences don't mean that one school is better than the other - just different. Here are a few questions to ask that will help you identify the differences and decide which environment would best fit your family.
We get this question all the time. Parents with children just reaching school-age want to know the potential benefits and/or drawbacks of the different options. We've operated an elementary school for over fifty years and have experience with pre-kindergarten programs - ours and others. And, because we are a school that serves children through twelfth grade, we also see the longer term affects of this decision.
There's a lot for your senior to do to successfully navigate the college admission process. We've been ushering students through this for many years and have put together a checklist to help them know what they should take responsibility for. Parents, you might be tempted to step in and take over but we'd strongly caution you against doing these things for your child. Your child will be on their own in college - if they aren't able to take responsibility and complete these items themselves, then they probably won't be able to handle the responsibilities that college itself will bring.
If you have a child who is currently a senior in high school, you know that the application process is heating up, deadlines are approaching, and the school-work required for seniors at academically challenging schools continues. In many ways, the transition to college for your child starts during the senior year with the assumption of responsibility in the college process and can bring with it an added measure of stress.
The Washington Christian Academy Senior Thesis and Internship Program challenges our seniors to think critically and Christianly about a topic of particular interest to them and then to explore how that issue is played out in the workplace. All this is done in a friendly, challenging environment where faculty and students together pursue “the good, the true, and the beautiful,” all to the glory of God.
If I told you that spending mealtime together as a family is an important way to stay connected to your children and build family strength and unity, I feel like you’d give me the answer from the Geico commercial - “Everybody Knows That!!” But, not everybody knows how to make it happen - to actually be together during a meal. Here are a few thoughts that have helped my family and others to accomplish the goal.
As you head out to visit schools you are considering for your child, I'm sure you've got a set of questions ready to ask. I always encourage folks to visit and I believe that this is the best time to roll out your questions, as opposed to asking through email or over the phone. In person you will know who you are talking to and receive all of the non-verbal aspects of the question and answer interchange. I've listed below a few questions that might not be on your list and the reasons I think these are important.
So, you are considering private school as an option for your child and are (wisely) planning to visit one or more schools. If you are just beginning this process, you might be unsure how to make the best use of your time and get the most out of your visit. This post is the first in a two part series that addresses some things to consider and questions to ask that you might not have on your list.
The selection of a Kindergarten program can be the first significant educational decision parents make for their children. And if this is a family’s first child, parents haven’t had to make this decision before. The large number of schools and program options can make it seem almost impossible to find the right or best choice!
Step one is understanding which of the various elements of a Kindergarten program are the most important. We asked our Kindergarten teacher at Washington Christian Academy to tell us which elements she thought mattered most, and here they are:
I’ve made it to the final post in my series on the main four reasons I hear from Christian parents that choose not to send their children to Christian schools. The first post gave a quick summary and I’ve explored each reason in more detail through the series. The four reason I’ve been addressing are:
