You Can Tell A Lot About A Private School By…



…the school’s events.

 

 

When I was looking at private elementary schools for my daughter, one of the clues that helped me decide whether my family would be a good fit for a school were the type of annual events the school held. All private elementary schools hold special events throughout the year. These events reflect the culture of the school and its families. I was interested in schools that were progressive/developmental and modern. Anything old fashioned didn’t interest me. If the campus, the teachers or the curriculum had an old fashioned vibe, we didn’t apply. I felt that my family would be happiest at a school where kids didn’t wear traditional uniforms and one that was in an urban area. My husband, a college math major, didn’t want any schools with “fuzzy math” as he put it. I wanted diversity and the dynamic energy that comes with an urban school.

 

As soon as I walked into The Willows School, it had me from “hello” as they say. That being said, there was one school that I wasn’t expecting to love, but I came away from the tour in awe of the school. Unfortunately, this school, Brentwood School, was way too far from our house for elementary school. Still, I have it in mind for high school.

 

Here are some typical private elementary school events that will give you clues as to the type of school it is:

 

  • Ice cream social – fairly traditional
  • Golf extravaganza-traditional. If it’s at an exclusive, pricey country club, very traditional
  • Eco-clean up -progressive/developmental
  • Book Fair– fits into any category
  • Annual tennis tournamenttraditional
  • Annual, mandatory camping trip-progressive/developmental
  • Large percentage of students involved in Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts– traditional
  • Any school event at a private country clubfairly traditional
  • Event with a “star spangled banner” theme- traditional
  • Annual event to honor diverse cultures from around the world-progressive/developmental/traditional
  • Salute to the flag-traditional
  • Charitable events like feeding the homeless- Fit into any category
  • Events that are green, global, organic – progressive

 

 

 

Learn the Secrets of K-6 Admissions Process on May 25th


Determined To Succeed Presents:

Admissions into PRIVATE Elementary Schools:

What You Need to Know

Tuesday, MAY 25th, 2010

7:30 – 9:00 P.M.

Presented by:

An Esteemed Panel of Admissions Directors

Get insight and advice directly from Admissions Directors to help you calmly navigate your way through the process.

Admissions Directors:

The Willows School-Kim Feldman (Moderator)

Brentwood School-Mary Beth Barry

The Center For Early Education-Deedie Hudnut

Laurence School-Laurie Wolke

Temple Israel of Hollywood-Glenda Saul

The Buckley School-Carinne Barker


SOME TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED:

Preparing for the Process (i.e., how to find out what a school is really about, the need to tutor or not, whether there is a “feeder” or “right” preschool, the best way to prepare for the interview, whether or not to hold back a child);

During the Process (i.e., the extent of follow up, whether to state a first choice, whether board member assistance or letters of recommendation are essential, whether it is acceptable to apply to both traditional and developmental schools); and

After Letters Are Sent (i.e., how a wait list works, what to do or not if on one, process of learning about a decision, what options remain if not accepted).

Luxe Hotel, Brentwood
(Located at 11461 Sunset Blvd, near 405 freeway)

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED – Please reserve early; space is limited.
$40 per person person; $75 per couple

To reserve a spot, register online at: www.dtsla.org

Lecture Chair/Founder: Stacy Marks; Lecture Vice-Chair: Melody Smolkin; Committee Chairs: Carla Liber and Andrea Guth
Determined to Succeed Founders: Sara Hahn and Hank Azaria, Board Member: Mary Beth Barry

All Proceeds Donated To: Determined To Succeed
Determined to Succeed is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing an exceptional group of lower socio-economic children with comprehensive year-round support. Students are guided from the critical middle school years through high school and the college acceptance process. The program tutors and mentors these students, empowering them with more confidence, stronger self-esteem, and a better education. http://www.dtsla.org/

I attended the DTS Middle Schools event last Thursday evening. It was incredibly informative and if you’re planning to apply to private elementary schools, don’t miss this event!

Twins: Will Schools Accept One Twin, But Not The Other?

We received these two questions below from a reader. Anne Simon, Co-Author of Beyond The Brochure and the former head of Wildwood School, offers these answers:


Question: Will a private elementary school ever accept one twin but not the other?


Answer: In regard to the acceptance issue – the answer is yes. There are a couple of situations that come to mind. We actually did this at my school last year (Anne’s school is in Virginia). One of the twins in this pair is autistic, and while we consider ourselves very much a family school, we did not feel we could serve his needs in our program. We did consider having him repeat K and tried to see if that would work with a full time assistant with him at all times, but in the end he was not ready for our program emotionally – too much pressure – and we did not feel it fair. His sister is still with us and having an opportunity to be her own person, which in her case is very important given her brother’s challenges.


This brings me to the second point. Sometimes schools have a policy of not having twins in the same class, in order that they be able to develop their own identity. Sometimes this is what the parents desire. It is obvious, therefore, that small schools with only one class per grade level will not work for these families.


Question: If twins are VERY different, should the family apply to one group of schools for one twin and another group of schools for the other twin?


Answer: It is possible for twins to be so different that a family might think that different types of schools are appropriate. I return to one of our basic premise, which is that there is as much of a value in the family fit as there is in the child fit. This is a situation where the parents need to think long and hard about both the practical and philosophical differences of the schools they think are right for their children.


I think it’s preferable to find some middle ground and keep the family together in one school community if possible. If it is abundantly clear that one child thrives on structure and competitive challenge and the other is a free spirit, then the parents might need to make the difficult choice of looking at different sets of schools. In a school where there is a strong value in differentiation of instruction and methodology, it is less likely that this will be necessary. I would suggest that they look for a school with a strong academic program AND an exceptional arts curriculum and see if both children’s needs can be met there.

Interview With Jaime Nissenbaum, Educational Consultant Extraordinaire

We’ve received questions from several of our readers recently about the role educational consultants can play in helping families get into top LA private elementary schools.

I thought it might be useful to interview one of LA’s top educational consultants, Jamie Bakal of Jamie Bakal Consulting. Jamie is the co-founder of LA School Mates, an educator and a graduate of Oakwood School. For fall 2010, 26/27 of Jamie’s clients have been accepted at their top choice schools!

Here is my interview with Jamie:

1. Who are your typical clients?

I have a wide variety of clients. Some of my clients are families with two working parents who just struggle to find the time to sort through the private school maze. Some of my clients are families who just aren’t familiar with all of the independent schools in Los Angeles and want to know what their options are. Some of my clients are families who want more individualized attention than their preschools can offer and want some hand-holding through the process.

2. What services to you provide to your clients?

My services are completely individualized to meet each clients needs. Just like the independent schools in Los Angeles, my services are not one size fits all. I usually start with a general consultation with the parents to find out who they think their child is and what they are looking for in an education for their child. Based on that consultation, I come up with a list of schools that I think would be a good fit for the child and the family and create an individualized tour chart. Some families feel that the consultation was enough information to get them started and proceed on their own. Other families would like help through the whole process in which case I manage their schedules of tours, applications, and interviews, I help them with their applications, I prepare parents for their interviews, and I spend time with the child to make sure the chosen schools for each family are the best fit for the child. In the best case scenario, come March when letters go out, families have options and I help them choose the best fit for the child and for the family.

3. What are your fees?

There are two different fee structures. If families work with me hourly (meaning they only need an initial consultation or they want to call me for questions as needed), I charge $350/hour. If I am managing the entire process for a family, I charge a flat rate of $5000 (regardless of how early a client hires me).

4. What do private elementary schools look for in a family and how can you help schools get to know your clients?

While each school may be looking for something a little different, overall, they are all looking for good, inclusive families who make their children’s education a priority. They want families who are going to be involved and they are looking for children who are going to be successful at their school. I think many families get caught up in wanting to send their child to a “popular” school but lose sight of finding a school where their child will thrive. I provide additional insight to admissions directors for the families with whom I work.

5. What do you think are the biggest mistakes parents make during the application process?

There are many mistakes parents make during this process. Many families apply to schools that are not a good fit for their child. Just because parents like a school, doesn’t mean it is the best environment for their child. Parents also like to tell every school that they are their first choice hoping that they will increase their odds of getting in. The admissions directors do talk. And if they find out you have made every school your “first choice,” it will likely result in the family not getting in anywhere. Parents also apply to too many schools. I tell all of my clients to think of each school this way…if this were the only school you got in to, would you and your child be happy there? If the answer is no, then don’t apply. Lastly, make sure that the schools to which you apply are at least similar philosophically. Schools want to know that you believe in what they have to offer and if you are applying to very progressive schools as well as very traditional schools, the admissions directors might think that you either don’t understand what their school is all about or you are just applying to increase your odds as you don’t know what it is you want.

6. Have any of your clients been accepted from wait-lists?

Generally speaking, most of my clients get in to their top choice. That being said, I do have some clients that get wait-listed. It depends on the year and the school, but I would say about 75% of my clients that are wait-listed at a top choice end up getting in.

7.Can you tell us a few of the schools where you have helped place your clients?

I have placed clients at Archer, Berkeley Hall, Brawerman, Brentwood, Buckley, Campbell Hall, Carlthorp, The Center for Early Education, Crossroads, Curtis, Echo Horizon, Harvard Westlake, Hollywood School House, John Thomas Dye, Laurence, Los Encinos, New Roads, The Oaks, Oakwood, PS#1, Temple Israel, UCLA Lab School, Village, Westland, Wildwood, and The Willows.

8. Does hiring an educational consultant “guarantee” acceptance to a private elementary school?

Absolutely not. In fact, I have clients sign a contract that explicitly states that I cannot guarantee placement at a school. That being said, my clients do very well because I set them on a path towards schools that are a good fit and I help them present themselves in the best way possible.

For more information, please visit Jamie Bakal Consulting

Parent Volunteers and Private Elementary Schools

I’ve been very proud to help our school over the past four years by volunteering in various capacities. To give you an idea of some of the many volunteer activities for parents at private elementary schools, here’s a quick summary of my volunteer work at The Willows School:

The Book Fair: When my daughter started kindergarten, I volunteered to solicit and coordinate the food vendors for the Book Fair. This is my favorite Willows School event. It was a lot of work, but also really fun!

Annual Giving: Our first year at the school, I helped raise money for the school during the annual Phone-A-Thon, a parent-to-parent evening of fundraising.

Auction Co-Chair: The next year at the school, I served as co-chair of the school’s biggest parent-run fundraiser, the auction. This was a full-time volunteer commitment. The other co-chairs and I started work in August for an event that was scheduled for March! I worked with some really great parents and learned so much about the school in the process. Would I do it again? No way! It’s a TON of work and a huge time commitment. There are also a lot of strong personalities involved with an event like this. Despite a few glitches and some unforgettable personality clashes (involving me, in case you were wondering), our auction was a big success.

I also co-hosted two really fun auction parties with a friend. Ours was a jazz dance party at Swerve on 3rd St. with lunch from Joan’s on Third. Parents sign up for the party and the cost to attend benefits the school.

Annual Giving Class Captain: When my daughter was in second grade, my husband and I became co-captains for the Annual Giving Campaign, which means that we were responsible for raising money from parents in our child’s class. I really liked this work and have continued in this role for 3rd grade.

I’m much better volunteering behind the scenes with fundraising or other activities that don’t involve the kids. I’ve never volunteered to read to the kids in the library or chaperone field trips. I don’t decorate the classrooms for Halloween or work in the school garden. I just don’t have the patience to work with a class full of kids! And, there are always so many other parents who want to volunteer with the kids that I never get asked to do it.

Just Do It! You’ll probably try out various volunteer activities before you find something you really like to do to help your school. Some of you are working moms and dads. You’ll probably find different volunteer activities than parents who stay at home. That’s great. I think one of the most important things is to volunteer, no matter how big or small the project. There’s a lot to be done and you’ll be needed. My advice? Start slowly. Make sure you’re reliable and you’ll be asked to take on larger projects.

We discuss this in our book, but it’s worth repeating. Parent volunteers are a much-needed commodity at private schools. If you can lend experience in areas that are needed by the school, you should definitely mention this in your written application and your parent interview. For example, computer skills, graphic design skills, artist, year book experience, fundraising, event planning, restaurant owner, program coordination (i.e. after school program), landscape design for gardening are just a few of the many needs private elementary schools have. If you have any of these skills, let the schools know!