Your blueprint for private education SUPPLEMENT TO JANUARY 2011 [ 2] INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS GUIDE 2011 Private schools primer: How to decide First-class academics, strong school cultures across the board BY BARBARA PASH ligious system, the Catholic parochial The all-girls Garrison Forest School, Special to The Daily Record system is not among them. also in Owings Mills, has a current en- Each school has its own mission rollment of 672 students in grades pre- At The Bryn Mawr School, about and a demographic to which it appeals. first through 12th. Leslie Tinati, director What do the half of the students start in kindergarten Despite their differences, “in common of admission and financial aid, named and the other half in sixth grade. The they provide first-class academics and small class size, individualized atten- Baltimore City all-girls school antici- strong school cultures,” Goldblatt said. tion, extracurricular activities and an parents say? pates the bump in enrollment by in- Costs vary widely, although for emphasis on character development creasing the class size in middle school. many families, a private school educa- and leadership skills at the top of the Parents of sixth-grade applicants of- tion is a major financial commitment. benefits of a private school education. BY BARBARA PASH Special to The Daily Record ten give Talia Titus, director of admis- Goldblatt provided a ballpark figure: “We are like one-stop shopping,” sion and financial aid at the 720-stu- $12,000 to $30,000 per child, per year for Tinati said. “All the interests your child When her children were ready dent school, the same explanation: kindergarten through the upper grades. has are on the roster of independent to enter kindergarten, Cari Becker Their daughters liked the public ele- schools.” faced a tough choice. mentary school. They did well. But as Zipora Schorr, director of education Her Baltimore County neighbor- teachers were increasingly occupied at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community hood is home to a nationally recog- with disruptive students, the message to School, a 1,000-student coed Jewish day nized public elementary school. Ul- their daughters was clear — be nice, school in Baltimore County, offered a timately, though, Becker chose to be cooperative. different perspective. send her children to single-sex pri- That’s not what they want their “Academics are a given,” she said vate schools — her daughter to Gar- daughters to hear. All the interests your child of Jewish day schools. “If you don’t rison Forest, her son to the Boys’ “They want an environment where has are on the roster of have strong academics, you might as Latin School of Maryland. (He has classmates won’t snicker at their daugh- well close up shop.” since transferred to the coeduca- ters because they like to read, because independent schools. Schorr said parents choose Beth tional Friends School for the middle they’re smart,” said Titus, who sees Leslie Tinati Tfiloh for another reason: “You can get grades.) Bryn Mawr as providing that reassur- director of admission and financial aid high-quality academics in more than “I liked the idea of an all-girls ance. “Garrison Forest School one place. They send their children here environment, where she could feel The East and West coasts share a because of the Jewish education.” 100 percent comfortable, where the long history and a strong tradition of Like other Jewish day schools, Beth students are encouraged to be con- private school education, said Ron Tfiloh splits the day between general fident, to be leaders,” Becker said, Goldblatt, executive director of the As- academics and Judaic studies, which the same reasons she listed for sociation of Independent Maryland Why go private? include the Hebrew language, religious choosing an all-boys school. Schools. Of AIMS’ 115-member schools principles and ethics. High school se- Danny Krifcher said he sought in Maryland and Washington, D.C., 90 At McDonogh School in Owings niors spend their final semester on a excellent academics and a Jewish are in Maryland. Mills, Director of Admissions Anita Hil- trip that begins in Poland visiting the education. His four children attend “Parents have a lot of choices,” son said parents are not necessarily dis- Jewish historical and Holocaust sites Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. Goldblatt said. satisfied with their child’s current and culminates in Israel with touring “It gives the children a grounding Private schools in the state run the school, but seek a different experience and volunteering in a variety of settings. in core Jewish values and the Jewish gamut from traditional schools with for them. ” That also is the case at Charles E. traditions,” said Krifcher, a Potomac uniforms, structured academics and for- “They’re looking for what they feel is Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, resident whose children have been mal student-teacher relationships to ex- the best fit for their child for academics where demanding academics, a reli- enrolled there since kindergarten. periential settings with more relaxed and social growth. It could be opportu- gious curriculum and a values-driven Krifcher said he likes the diver- student-teacher ties. AIMS members in- nities in sports or extracurricular ac- approach all are part of the mix. sity of the student population, and clude faith-based schools, too, but be- tivities,” Hilson said of the nearly 1,300- Jonathan Cannon, headmaster of the that he appreciates the feeling of cause of the organization’s requirement student coed school offering classes community the school encourages. that the school be independent of a re- from kindergarten through 12th grade. See primer 4 “We are active and engaged Jews, so to be part of the Jewish community is important,” he said. Courtney Muller’s three children WEB RESOURCES all attend McDonogh School, in Bal- timore. Muller, a Ruxton resident Archdiocese of Baltimore who went to private school herself, www.archbalt.org said she did not consider a public Archdiocese of Washington school education for them. She www.CatholicSchoolsWork.org chose McDonogh for its academic quality, followed by the many ex- Association of Independent tracurricular activities offered. She Maryland Schools said she also liked the fact that the www.aimsmd.org school is coeducational. “The facility is a great place, and The Association of the teachers and administration are Boarding Schools fabulous,” Muller said. www.boardingschools.com Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust www.besttrust.org The Handbook of Private Schools www.portersargent.com Peterson’s Annual Guide to Independent Secondary Schools www.petersons.com/private Private School Review www.privateschoolreview.com INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS GUIDE 2011 [ 3] Much to consider when choosing a private school; Find the proper fit: we asked the experts for advice BY ELIZABETH HEUBECK Special to The Daily Record When Baltimore natives ask one an- other where they went to school, they’re not necessarily referring to where they went to college. More often than not they’re inquiring about where they spent their formative years — kindergarten through 12th grade. That says a lot about the pride Baltimoreans possess for their child- hood school days. It’s no wonder. “The great thing about Baltimore is that there are lots of different [inde- pendent] schools, for all different kinds of kids,” said Anita Hilson, admissions director at McDonogh School in Ow- ings Mills. But finding the right inde- pendent school can seem daunting, es- pecially to families unfamiliar with schools’ offerings and how they match their children’s learning abilities and interests. To demystify the process, we’ve done some of the legwork for you by culling insider information from the ex- perts: families who have recently com- pleted the search process, area inde- pendent school representatives, and an educational consultant who’s been see- ing families through the process for MAXIMILIAN FRANZ many years. The pros answered many Matt Micciche (left), head of the Friends School of Baltimore, and junior classman Ella Cooper (center) discuss the school with Terra Scott questions, such as how the area’s top- (right), a Baltimore resident considering where to enroll her child. flight independent schools choose prospective students, and what it takes to get to know what a school is really The great thing about Baltimore is that there are lots of different like. [independent] schools, for all different kinds of kids. Apples and oranges Anita Hilson To the untrained eye, independent admissions director, McDonogh School schools may appear fairly similar. Many possess attractive campuses, small class- es and bountiful resources. But beyond Here, students in each division of the Weekend open houses, once the pri- The Friends School also did away physical resemblances, each indepen- school — lower, middle, and upper — mary engine driving families to inde- with its traditional open house and in- dent school has its own educational phi- gather regularly for “meeting for wor- pendent schools for a closer look, are stead invites prospective parents to losophy, even its own personality. It’s up ship,”“ a Quaker tradition that involves no longer the only way to learn about an Lunch and Learn sessions, which take to prospective families to find out what quiet reflection. “In an incredibly fren- educational institution. Many indepen- place during the school week. that personality is, and whether it will zied world, we take time each week to dent schools have begun either to move “It’s a chance for people to sit in the work best for their children. sit in silence and reflect,” said Matthew away from this traditional venue alto- classroom more than ”just passing Consider Friends School of Balti- Micciche, Friends’ head of the school. gether or to supplement it with other through, to talk to administrators, teach- more, which boasts artificial turf playing Parents may or may not find that opportunities to welcome prospective ers, students, the head of school.