Education Matters

Considering an independent school for your child? The area’s choices are many.
By Angelina Sciolla

In Bucks and Montgomery County, parents have an advantage. The “choice” often hotly debated during political campaigns already exists here with well-performing public schools sharing accomplishments with a number of highly-touted independent schools in the area. Choices in education do not necessarily have to be perfunctory. And different schools can offer different things to students based on their talents, goals and areas of interest.

The National Association of Independent schools reports that there are approximately 2,000 independent (use of the word “private” has fallen out of fashion) schools in the country with about 800,000 students from pre-K to high school attending each year. The benefits of an independent education are well-circulated: smaller class size, diversity of course offerings, specialized after-school programs, concentrations in arts and music, and a solid pathway to postsecondary education. Institutionally, independent schools offer an academic flexibility to teachers, many of whom are experts in their academic field and have chosen to impart that expertise on students for what is often a modest salary.

In the Bucks/Montco region, there are over 150 independent schools, from elementary day schools to pre-K to 12th grade day and boarding schools. There are sectarian and nonsectarian, Montessori, Quaker, Jewish, Catholic and non-denominational Christian.

Barbara Kraus-Blackney is the Executive Director of the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS). Most, but not all, independent schools in the area are members of ADVIS. Of the 137 member schools, all are accredited, nonprofit, and independent of government support.

Kraus defined the advantage of independent schools this way.

“They have the freedom to determine their mission and the students they serve,” she said. “Another benefit is that as a child moves through a school, he or she will get to know all the adults in the school, not just their individual teachers….and most kids engage in extracurricular activities of various concentrations.“
We’ve assembled a short list of schools to profile. They represent a fraction of what exists in the area, but demonstrate the diversity of academic philosophies and grade ranges.

“Blossoming”
Newtown Friends School, Newtown, PA www.newtownfriends.org

There may not be many elementary schools that send 6 year-olds home for the summer with a reading list, but Newtown Friends offers suggested reading for children as young as 4. Not “Anna Karenina” or “Pilgrim’s Progress,” mind you, but still a carefully selected list of books designed to help children develop their reading skills at any level in between summer play dates with their friends.

But then most schools don’t begin language instruction at the pre-kindergarten level either. Newtown Friends, a co-ed Quaker school for students from pre-K to 8th grade, introduced Spanish into the pre-k curriculum three years ago.

“The children love it,” said Betsy Rendall, Director of Admissions and Publications. “There is a lot of value here placed on the foreign language experience.”
By the sixth grade, students are taking one term of Spanish and one term of Latin. That is in addition to their math, science, computer, arts and social studies courses. Rendall described the teaching environment as interactive, interdisciplinary and collaborative. Teachers are encouraged to infuse their own styles and interests into the development of their curricula.

“On a day-to-day basis we try to engage children in the learning process,” she explained. “We want to help children celebrate their own gifts. That’s part of the Quaker foundation of the school—to find the uniqueness in each child.”

Financial aid is available and is based on need. Students come mostly from upper Bucks County, with some traveling across the river from Ewing, Trenton and Hamilton, New Jersey. The lower school accommodates grades pre-K through five and the 6th through 8th graders learn in the uppers school. The average class size is 15 students and any class over that (although the maximum number is 18 students), is taught by a teacher and an assistant.

Rendall said that the impact of the learning environment at Newtown Friends is often most poignantly and effectively seen during graduation, when a small (35 students) class graduates from 8th grade.

“Each child stands and speaks in what are called ‘small moments,’” she said. “And he or she speaks about something in their experience at Newtown Friends that was meaningful to them. We get to see how the child really blossomed.”

“Exploring, reinforcing, revisiting”
Trevose Day School/Neshaminy Montesorri, Trevose, PA www.trevosedayschoo.com

If ever there was an example of school choice for parents, it would be Trevose Day. The school was, quite literally, the dream of guidance counselor Lee Katzoff, who, while searching for an alternative elementary school her son could attend, realized other parents might have also been seeking an alternative for their children.

Katzoff founded Trevose Day and its partner, Neshaminy Montessori, in the 1970s.  From the school’s inception it has offered both a more traditional approach to learning as well as the Montessori method.

Trevose Day and Neshaminy Montessori are divided into two separate schools, although they share space and resources. Within Neshaminy Montessori, the academic approach includes an incorporation of sensory awareness and a kind of organic, common sense pace for learning. The practical life area of the curriculum creates a connection between home and school and concentrates on social, motor and personal development. The teaching of academic subjects such as math, language, culture and science include a tactile approach. For example, reading is taught phonetically, with sandpaper letters used to identify sounds and shapes. By tracing the letters, children develop the muscles needed for writing. The approach to mathematics is similar. Children begin with materials such as beads so that numbers of are quantifiable and qualifiable units that can later be manipulated as fractions and equations.

At Trevose Day, a combination of center-based and Montessori learning techniques are incorporated. With center-based learning, children can move on to explore other areas of learning once they are finished required assignments. They are not bound by the limitations of classroom learning that maintains the intensity of work with the corresponding grade level.

“Students are working in an environment and exploring in that environment. The teacher isn’t directing as much as guiding the student,” said Gwen Frischmann, Director of Communications for the school.

“Children also get one-on-one instruction with a teacher,” she added.

Such an approach allows the student to drive the learning process, with an appropriate level of guidance from the teacher. Frischmann believes the school’s unique style of teaching, combined with the small class size (9 students on average) really distinguishes Trevose Day from other independent elementary schools in the area.
“When you only have 105 children,” she explained, “it’s a very personal space. The older kids work with younger kids and it feels like a family.”
In addition to music, art and gym classes, French is mandatory and is introduced at the pre-K level.  About half of the children who attend Trevose Day/Neshaminy continue on to independent secondary schools.

“One heart, one mind”
Holy Ghost Preparatory School, Bensalem, PA www.holyghostprep.org

Holy Ghost Prep is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary although, technically, it opened its doors in 1897 to young men studying for the priesthood.
Today Holy Ghost is an all-boys high school with the same mission—to “challenge, inspire and develop each student’s unique gifts.” Fewer graduates choose religious life nowadays, but all of them choose postsecondary education. All of the 117 graduates in 2009 are off to college in the fall and 92% have received some form of merit-based scholarship in academics, athletics or leadership and service. Among the schools Holy Ghost grads will be attending are the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Loyola and Duquesne.
Ken Ferrara is the Executive Director for Institutional Advancement. He graduated from Holy Ghost in 1989, and instantly recalls the prevailing motto of the school when asked to describe its overall environment and philosophy.

“It is a brotherhood,” he said. “Cor una et anima unum…one heart, one mind. The boys really bond through their studies and their service. They really look to pull each other up.”
That community has succeeded in winning 15 out of 17 state championships in forensics and is ranked by the National Catholic Forensics League among the top five schools in speech and debate.  During the 2008-2009 year the sports teams racked up seven league championships.

The school challenges young men with a rigorous and diverse academic program and an engagement in community service. Students come from over 100 towns and from all socio-economic backgrounds. Application to the school is required. Need-based financial aid as well as scholarships is available.

“All about the girl”
The Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr, PA www.baldwinschool.org

Baldwin graduates are “confident women who know their own minds,” said Director of Communications and Marketing, Leslie Pfeil. “We really feel the joy the girls take in intellectual rigor and academics and the kind of collegial competition.”

Towards the end of the 19th century, Florence Baldwin succeeded at what others considered a “preposterous extravagance.” She founded a school that would prepare young women for the challenges of higher education. Over a hundred years later, Baldwin invites girls from pre-Kindergarten up to 12th grade to meet and exceed Ms. Florence Baldwin’s original challenge.

In 2009, 49 young women graduated. All are headed to universities. The University of Pennsylvania is a popular choice among the students, with Princeton coming in as a close second. One woman received a full scholarship to Swarthmore, while another will be attending the United States Naval Academy in the fall.

The advantage of attending an all-girls school is manifold, Pfeil stressed. “At this point in their lives they get to be everything—the class president, lead in the play, captain of the team. This gives them a chance to be leaders.” The typical social distractions of co-ed environments are absent at Baldwin as girls bond and work together towards athletic, academic and creative goals.

Prospective Baldwin students must apply for admission and, once accepted, must prepare for a challenging academic schedule. Extracurricular involvement is stressed and Pfeil says that the students are highly engaged in their communities as well as political pursuits.

“We find there is an interest among the students in really being a global citizen.”

One student took that interest seriously when she started Girls Learning International, an organization that supports women’s education in other countries. As a result of her efforts, Baldwin now has a sister school in Pakistan, the Khanott School.

There are about 600 students at Baldwin and the student body is diverse geographically as well as ethnically, with students of color making up about 30% of the population. Girls come from about 79 surrounding towns and many travel by train each day. The school is one block from the Bryn Mawr station.

“Teaching moments”
Malvern School, Glen Mills, PA www.malvernschool.com

An independent school for children from 6 weeks to age 8, the Malvern School is actually sixteen schools spread across the Bucks and Montgomery County region, with three in South Jersey and two more due to open in Montgomery County this year. Each school offers a dynamic mix of learning programs compatible with a child’s stage of development.  At such young ages, children are discovering their strengths and interests through the various activities at Malvern.

“At this early stage, we are encouraging every child to develop and explore what they enjoy for their future,” said Malvern administrator Diane Morgan. “We do our best to expose them to arts, sciences and cultural activities, along with their academics. We focus on a specific artist each month, include a variety of music in the daily experience and include science in each day’s curriculum plans.”

The average class size is 20 children, who are led by a teacher and assistants. Five Malvern schools are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Morgan said the focus of the school is to stay current with best practices of the organization. The remaining schools are actively pursuing accreditation.
In addition to group learning, children are encouraged to explore on their own. Toddlers may visit the “Fascination Station” and older children can spend time in the “Discovery Room.” These independent moments of exploration are where children really begin to find their special talents and interests.

It’s a nurturing and engaging environment at Malvern. That’s what Diane Morgan hears all the time when she’s out and about in the community. “I frequently run into people who may see me in a Malvern or hear me talking with a peer about where we work and they invariably comment about our great reputation or the positive experience they had in sending their child to one of our schools,” she said.

“And those are wonderful moments!”

Angelina Sciolla is a freelance writer from Philadelphia, PA.

The following schools represent a small sampling of independent academic choices for parents in the Bucks and Montgomery County regions. For a more comprehensive list that includes most of the independent schools—both sectarian and nonsectarian—in the area, visit the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools Web site, www.ADVIS.org.

BUCKS COUNTY
The George School–Newtown, PA www.georgeschool.org

Celebrating its 115th anniversary this year, The George School was founded in Quakerism and has maintained one of the most cited reputations for academic excellence among independent secondary schools (grades 9-12) in the area. Personal enrichment and a commitment to the community are stressed as part of a rich and demanding academic regime. About 530 students attend, with a little over half of the student body boarding. Average class size is 13 students.

Solebury School–New Hope, PA www.solebury.org

Retired Solebury faculty member Alan Taback said: “In everyone there is an artist, an athlete and a scholar.” His statement more than adequately summarizes the academic focus of the school. Solebury opened its doors in 1925 with just four students and continues to provide the kind of environment that develops and encourages the individual talents if each of its 220 students, an equal split between boys and girls, grades 7-12. The day school accommodates grades 7 and 8 while grades 9 to 12 include both day and boarding students.

Villa Joseph Marie–Holland, PA www.vjmhs.org

Situated on 72 exquisite acres of what was once Maple Lane Farm, this Catholic girl’s academy is known simply “Villa” to students and alumni. Villa Joseph Marie was founded by Lithuanian immigrant and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Casimir, Casimira Kaupas. Rigorous coursework in arts and sciences for grades 9 to 12 as well as a focus on community service help prepare women for college life and beyond. Villa Joseph Marie is a recipient of the Blue Ribbon of Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Abington Friends–Jenkintown, PA www.abingtonfriends.net

Founded in (yes!) 1697 by local Quakers, Abington Friends is a day school for students from pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade. Its emphasis is values-based education and a commitment to service. Abington Friends is staffed by a faculty with demonstrated accomplishments in their fields of study. More than half have advanced degrees, and from top universities, many of which later become the alma maters of their students. Average class size is 13 students and the school supplements its college prep offerings with summer academic and specialty camps and a robust after-school program.

Germantown Academy–Fort Washington, PA www.germantownacademy.net

The oldest nonsectarian day school in the United States, Germantown opened its doors in 1759 and its history coincided with the struggles of a new nation. In 1793 President Washington held cabinet meetings there during the Yellow Fever outbreak in Philadelphia. In 1961 it went co-ed and today, students talk glowingly about their academic experience at Germantown. College admittance for seniors is 100%. Average class size is 12 students, who come from over 90 nearby towns, often commuting by public transportation to the historic campus situated along the Wissahickon Creek.

LaSalle College High School–Wyndmoor, PA www.lshs.org

Founded by the Christian Brothers in 1858, LaSalle is a Catholic college preparatory school for boys.  The school has graduated numerous leaders of industry, academia and politics and strives to build “men of service and justice,” through diverse and rigorous course offerings as well as a focus on athletics and service to the community. LaSalle once shared a campus in Philadelphia with its academic partner, LaSalle University, but re-opened its doors in Wyndmoor in the mid-1960s. Both the debate team and the lacrosse team achieved championship status in 2009 and in 2008 nearly 100% of students went on to college, with 79% receiving merit based and/or athletic scholarships.

Perelman Jewish Day School–Wynnewood and Melrose Park, PA www.pjds.org

“The love of learning is intertwined with the joys of Judaism.” That is the motto for Perelman, an institution that features an academic approach based in values and ethical living. The school integrates a secular curriculum with a parallel concentration in Jewish studies for students from kindergarten to 8th grades. Nearly 700 students are divided among three campuses, two in Melrose Park and one in nearby Wynnewood. While rooted in Conservative Judaism, the school welcomes students of varying levels of religious observance and stresses family involvement with cultural outreach and events.