CRAIN’S CUSTOM MEDIA ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 2018 PRIVATE SCHOOL Planner CUSTOM MEDIA CRAIN’S A DIVISION OF CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS XX CATHOLIC • CO-ED • COLLEGE PREP | www.depaulprep.org | @depaulprep 2018 Open House 100% Thursday Sunday COLLEGE AND October 4th November 4th UNIVERSITY 6-8 PM 12-2 PM ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR THE 3633 N. California Ave. | Chicago, IL 60618 CLASS OF 2018 (773) 539-3600 ZIP CODES REPRESENTED IN 5 YEARS IN 163 THE DEPAUL PREP GRADE SCHOOLS OPERATION COMMUNITY: T IN CHICAGO EN REPRESENTED BY M L THE STUDENT L O BODY R N E 51 T N 500 E OVER R R U 10% C 10,000+ GROWTH SERVICE HOURS EACH YEAR VOLUNTEERED BY STUDENTS IN 2017-18 20% OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS RECEIVED 24 academic scholarships STUDENTS EARNED INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE CREDIT BACCALAUREATE 80% THROUGH DUAL STUDENTS HAVE EARNED OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ENROLLMENT AT COLLEGE CREDIT CLUBS, EXTRA-CURRICULAR DEPAUL UNIVERSITY IN SINCE 2016 13 ACTIVITIES, & ATHLETICS SUMMER 2018 CrainsPSP2018_DCP.indd 1 8/31/18 2:22 PM CRAIN’S CUSTOM MEDIA ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT MAKING THE GRADE PARTICIPATING SPONSORS The Avery Coonley School elcome to Crain’s seventh annual Private Bennett Day School School Planner, which is packed with intel British International School of Chicago - Lincoln Park W on great private school options in the British International School of Chicago - South Loop Chicago area, thanks to the fine sponsors who made Catherine Cook School this custom supplement possible. The Chicago Academy of Arts Chicago Day School Chicago Waldorf School This annual guide provides a wealth of information Daystar School for anyone making one of life’s most important DeLaSalle Institute parenting decisions. Private School Planner also DePaul College Prep provides a wealth of opportunity for anyone Elgin Academy looking to reach that audience. To learn more Francis W. Parker School about advertising in Private School Planner or other Frances Xavier Warde Crain’s Custom Media publications, please contact Fusion Academy Account Executive Amy Skarnulis at 312-649-5498 GCE Lab School or [email protected]. GEMS World Academy Guerin Prep Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart La Lumiere CONTENTS Lake Forest Academy Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools 2.................................Five Benefits of Private School Lycée Français de Chicago 8.............................................Big School, Little School Mt. Carmel High School 10.................................The Three R's Get a New Spin North Shore Country Day School 14..Schools take Broad Approach to Social Media Regina Dominican High School Rochelle Zell Jewish High School 20......................Schools Teach Kids Healthy Habits Sacred Heart Schools 24............................................................Athletics For All The Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart grades 9–12 Growing Global Citizens GCE Lab School students know what it means to make a difference as global citizens. They see the bigger picture from an education that’s grounded in real-world issues. NOVEMBER Join us at our immersive open house on Saturday, November 10th 10 from 10am–12pm gcelabschool.org/openhouse 01 CRAIN’S CUSTOM MEDIA ADVERTISING CRAIN’SSUPPLEMENT CUSTOM MEDIA ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT BenefitsBenefits of of aa PrivatePrivate SchoolSchool 55 By Jane Adler 2018 CRAIN’S PRIVATE SCHOOL PLANNER 02 CRAIN’S CUSTOM MEDIA ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT s a private school the best educational option for my child and my family? It’s a question parents often ask themselves. While there’s no one right answer, private schools do offer a number of advantages. Here are some of the top reasons why a private school might be the right choice for your family. I1. Small classes. Private schools often have small class sizes, typically of no more than 20 students. A class may even have more than one teacher. Parents see the advantages of a low student-to-teacher ratio. “Students get the attention they need,” says Ellen Meents-DeCaigny, whose son is a sophomore at DePaul College Prep, a Catholic high school with 500 students on Chicago’s North Side. “We appreciate that.” Parent Katie McMillan sends her three boys to Catherine Cook School, a private grade school in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. She picked the school, in part, because each class had just 21 students with a lead teacher and assistant teacher. “My kids like it there,” she says. McMillan also loves that the school has made technology and software coding an important part of the curriculum even in the early years. Chicago City Day School on the North Side offers junior kindergarten-8th grade and limits enrollment to 200 students. “Small schools mean big opportunities,” says Galeta Clayton, head of school. The small setting gives students the chance to participate in all programs, including drama and public speaking. “The world will belong to those who can defend their ideas,” Clayton says. Rochelle Zell Jewish High School, Deerfield, has 185 students. Small class sizes translate into students who know the teachers, and teachers who know the students. “The relationships between students and teachers are like nothing I have seen before,” says Dean of Faculty Roger Stein, a former principal of Niles West High School. “Students can ask for help and feel understood by their teachers.” 2. Individual support. Private schools are structured to provide students with the individual support they need to succeed. Because the schools aren’t bound by certain rules, they can be fairly flexible in their approach. “Students don’t fall through the cracks,” Stein says. Elgin Academy, with pre-kindergarten-12th grade, has a director of personalized learning, Anne-Elise Parker. She says her mission is to reach students where they are in their academic journey to help them grow intellectually. In practical terms, she works with small groups of students and individuals to define their goals and aspirations and develop a support plan to make that happen. 03 CRAIN’S CUSTOM MEDIA ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT “We bring the student into the equation rather A third campus opened in August 2018 in west than us telling them what they should be doing,” suburban Lemont. “Our students are bright,” says Parker says. As students get older, they take a Executive Director Casey Crnich. He explains bigger role in creating their own learning plans. that children with learning differences can thrive “Students hold themselves accountable and we in a school where they are grouped with other hold them accountable,” Parker adds. children with similar challenges. “They don’t have to hide,” he says. 3. Community ties. Parents like the sense of The student to teacher ratio is 5:1. The community that naturally comes with sending curriculum includes traditional academic subjects their children to a private school. Families often as well as social and emotional learning. Students pick a school for similar reasons that relate to are taught how to self advocate. shared values and common interests. What they find are like-minded friends. “We bring the student into the When parent McMillan first visited Catherine Cook School, she sensed a good vibe and equation rather than us telling them community feeling. “I genuinely felt it was a deep- what they should be doing.” knitted community and that was something I was - Anne-Elise Parker, director of personalized learning, looking for,” she says. “We’ve met exceptional Elgin Academy families and we adore the faculty and staff.” Families looking for a certain type of education are often drawn to the same school and form a Most students transition back to a traditional school tight community. The Chicago Waldorf School, after two to three years. “Students who come here pre-kindergarten-12th grade, embraces the learn what they need to excel,” Crnich says. philosophy of creative thinking, problem solving and learning by doing. • The Chicago Academy for the Arts is a high Festivals and ceremonies that bring the entire school for the performing and visual arts. It is community together are a vital part of school life. located in Chicago’s River West neighborhood and Notably, Waldorf opened its new campus this fall has about 150 students. They attend traditional in Andersonville in a renovated building that was academic classes from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. previously occupied by a school. Arts training is held from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students participate in more than 100 productions 4. Specialized education. Many private schools throughout the school year, including concerts, offer a faith-based education or a curriculum plays, readings, screenings, recordings and designed for a certain type of student. Here are exhibitions. several examples: “This is not a school for novices,” says Jason • Daystar School is a non-traditional faith- Patera, head of school. The application process based Christian school in Chicago’s South Loop. includes an audition or a portfolio review. But, he It currently offers pre-kindergarten through 8th adds, the first step is a “shadow day” during which grade with plans to launch a high school starting an interested 8th grader can visit the school and with 9th grade in 2019. determine if it’s the right fit. Daystar has 350 students and teaches through Kelly Boersma’s son, Evan, graduated from The the lens of Christianity, though it is not affiliated Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2017 and is now at with any one denomination, says Tami Doig, head age 19 the youngest member of the Joffrey Ballet. of school. Seventy percent of the students are “Evan always wanted to dance,” says Boersma, a Christian, but the student body is made up of a public school principal. Since education is very wide range of backgrounds of belief, she adds. “We important to Boersma, she wanted a high school want our students to know they are deeply loved for Evan that would combine arts and traditional and valued in God’s eyes and learn how to treat academic work.