This post is sponsored by RCLS
It’s been more than 15 years since I dropped my oldest child off for his first day of school, but, as the saying goes, I remember it like it was yesterday. Like most parents, we put a lot of effort into determining the “right” school for our son. We had elected an alternative to our neighborhood school. Would it be the right place? Would he make friends? Would he do well?
By now, I’ve enjoyed (endured?) a number of milestones with my three kids, but that very first major transition––from being a family with very young children to a family with school-aged children––still stands out as one of the more significant. It’s a big deal to drop your firstborn off at school––for him, yes, but also because that milestone often marks a trajectory for your whole family. That school becomes the place your child spends most of her waking hours and, ready or not, where you spend much of your free time. Playdates in the park and movie nights at home are replaced by school concerts, parent/teacher conferences, and athletic events. Week days off of work are spent volunteering at the school rather than catching up on tasks at home. For your child, that school becomes not just the place she learns to read and write, but also the place to make memories that shape a life. Who of us does not remember a favorite teacher, a secret “passed” note, or a hard-earned scratch-n-sniff sticker from our elementary days?
After 21 years of parenting, I am enjoying the perspective that a little hindsight has granted me on such matters. School websites and social media are a wealth of information for parents facing the same school decision that my husband and I faced more than 15 years ago. Still, as the Enrollment Director at RCLS (Rochester Central Lutheran School), I can tell you that it’s easy enough for a school to claim that it offers a “rigorous” curriculum, and it’s not unusual for a private school in Rochester to report standardized test scores that exceed state standardized norms. To be sure, these considerations are exceedingly important. My children will testify that there is little that my husband and I value more than “academic rigor,” but what we’ve learned after having children in both private and public education settings is that there is much more to academic excellence than first meets the eye.
To that end, I offer a way of getting to know a school that offers a more comprehensive understanding of the value of an educational institution than I first had 15 years ago. If you find yourself examining educational options for your child, consider how answers to the following questions might reveal the “excellence” that your family seeks in a prospective school:
What is the school’s philosophy on learning?
Every school operates according to a set of ideals that serve as a foundation for its educational approach. In other words, an institution’s world view and educational philosophy inform what a school teaches and how it teaches it. This consideration is what led my family to RCLS, where students come together from nearly 40 local Lutheran, non-denominational, and other churches and homes to learn and grow in an academic environment that is explicitly Christian. We have been so grateful to find a school that wants to partner with parents in matters of faith, which we think does and should touch every other aspect of a child’s life.
Complementing that primary matter is a school’s philosophical approach to learning. RCLS, for example, values traditional instruction methods, which typically translate to solid, foundational skills; a whole-child emphasis, which we’ve seen result in some of the most confident, well-rounded teenagers we know; and differentiated learning, which means students get support in the classroom and from resource classrooms, whether they struggle or succeed with the curriculum. With slightly different emphases, some schools prioritize hands-on, project-based learning or student-led learning, while others, even in elementary school, prioritize the liberal arts or math and science. Each emphasis reflects the philosophy that drives it. To get at this philosophy, you might ask, What teaching methods do teachers use at this school? Why have you selected these? What is the student-teacher ratio? How do you meet the needs of a child that struggles in the classroom or challenge a student that breezes through the material? Ultimately, the answers to these questions may lead you to a better understanding of a school’s philosophical approach to learning, which will lend a vision for how your family might fit into the school.
What do current parents say about the school?
When you are considering a school option for your child, current school parents may be a rich resource for you. To some degree, current parents may have only good things to say about their school. It works for their family, why wouldn’t it work for yours? Adopting such a perspective may tempt you to take recommendations with a grain of salt, but if you know what to ask, you’ll get the information you need to make a decision for your own family. What do you like about the school? Does your child like to go to school? What do you wish were different about your school? Questions like these allow you to mine for information that is relevant for your family.
At RCLS, we are particularly concerned with what current parents say about the school because we know that most prospective parents arrive at our door upon referral. If you’ve heard anything about RCLS, you know that our current families love it here. A recent survey reveals why. In matters concerning safety, academic “rigor,” and spiritual and social environment, current RCLS parents are overwhelming pleased with what the school offers.What is most exciting to me is that current parents were initially drawn to the school, in large part, because of its reputation for offering a positive learning environment. We are thrilled with that response because we want to be characterized by grace and goodness. Again, this is a matter of philosophy, as we firmly believe that an encouraged child is an engaged, learning child.
How many students does the school retain year-to-year?
Related to the issue of what parents sayabout the school is what parents doabout the school. This question is pretty straight-forward: do current families stay enrolled at the school through the terminating grade? Any school can have an aberrant year, a year in which more than the usual number of students withdraw, or more than the usual number of students stay, but it might be instructive to note recent trends. What has happened at the school in the past 3-5 years? If it is a growing school, what has prompted that growth? If it is a school that has struggled to retain students, what has prompted the withdrawals? At RCLS, we have enjoyed a 5-7 percent increase in enrollment for each of the past few years, and we consistently retain more than 95 percent of our students. These metrics suggest, at the very least, that the school is worth a look!
What is your general sense of the school?
Finally, I encourage you to assess the general “vibe” of a school for yourself. Every family, every child is different, so there is no substitute for stepping into a school and getting a feel for the priorities, principles, and people that shape it. What materials do you see on the walls and in the classrooms? Do you connect with the teachers? What sense do you get from the school principal? Are students engaged and learning? Every school has a personality. Does a particular school’s personality fit yours? Do the school’s priorities align with yours?
At RCLS, our current student body suggests that the school’s “personality” appeals to a wide range of families, and our priority, like yours, is the intellectual, spiritual, and social well-being of every child in our care. Based on the feedback we get from current parents and our position as Rochester’s oldest, most distinctive, faith-based, Preschool-Grade 8 school option, we think there is a placefor your child at RCLS. We welcome you check this out for yourself, on the school’s website and in person. On Tuesday, November 13, from 5:30-7:00 PM, we will host our first Welcome activity of the school year: an Open Housethat grants you an opportunity to learn about RCLS’s priorities, principles, and people. You can register or drop in, but know that we’ll certainly look forward to answering your questions.
Fifteen years. Goodness, time does fly. Take my word for it: the days are long, but the years are short. The PS-8 days are a foundation for the years to come. Find your child’s place, then spend those days wisely.
