ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø

By now, two decades into the 21st century, it is obvious even to the most jaded, cynical people out there that we must rethink how we live and function on this planet, which we call Earth. We are discovering that Earth's resources are finite. We are finally realizing that we must conserve energy. We are rethinking the cost of goods and services regarding their carbon footprint. Sustainability is no longer a theory. It is a concept that is being put into daily practice.

That's why it is very encouraging to see so many private schools making progress towards developing sustainable schools. For schools, sustainability involves the wise use of energy and foodstuffs, the prudent management of a school's fiscal resources, and more. The National Association of Independent Schools published an excellent white paper, Sustainability: Creating 21st Century Sustainable Schools. Let's look at the five areas of sustainability that this document puts forth. The NAIS calls these 'dimensions,' which is an apt description. 'Area' implies a confined space. 'Dimension' speaks to the challenge's vastness and the solution's scope.

Financial Sustainability

Financial sustainability is all about drawing a line and setting responsible limits. It doesn't matter whether you have $100,000 in the bank or $900 million in your savings account. Schools need to use all the expertise and tools available to them to control expenses and maximize the use of every dollar of income. This is no easy task, but one that can be accomplished with creativity and thoughtfulness. This

We took our eldest daughter off to boarding school in 10th grade. That was back in the 80s. While the times were most certainly different from the 21st century, our motivation for making such a major decision would be the same today as it was back then. Let me tell the story that I hope will give you the courage to send your daughter (or son, for that matter) off to boarding school. It's well worth it.

Our Rationale

We were busy parents with careers and two children. The girls were five years apart. One was in junior high. The other was in elementary school. We lived in a little town in northwestern Connecticut. You had to drive ten miles to get to anything. Literally. While the regional high school was doing a good job, the number of academic courses and extras it could provide for our daughter was limited. Not only that, she had to be driven everywhere to participate in sports or extracurricular activities. With those factors looming large, we sat down one day with her and asked: "What do you think about going off to boarding school?" There was a rather enthusiastic acceptance of the idea. Probably because she realized that she would no longer be trapped in her circumstances. She would have a chance to see something different. To experience something new.

Our ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø School Exploration Process

Looking back, I cannot honestly call it a school search process. There was no Internet to search. You

By Shari Bunks Geller, parent of Blair Academy alumni

I survey my son's room. High school graduation is just two weeks away. College is no longer on the horizon but our next step forward. I am looking to see what he will need to take with him and what he will leave behind. Looking around his room, I am keenly aware of how our world has expanded more than we could have imagined just four years ago when we applied Michael to high school. ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø school was consciously not on our radar when we began our high school search.

At the start of his eighth-grade year, our son said he would like to apply to boarding school. My husband and I seriously discussed boarding school as an option. We both attended good public schools growing up. We had decided against our public high school as an option for our four children and were committed to sending them to an independent day school. While neither my husband nor I came from families with a boarding school culture, we had many friends whose children attended boarding schools across the country. We have frequently cautioned that once a child visits a boarding school, all-day schools will pale in comparison. The facilities, the campus, and the notion of a different level of independence are alluring to a fourteen-year-old. Although our conversation was serious, we quickly agreed that we would not consider boarding school.

We investigated our local day schools. We toured,

Chances are that if you went off to boarding school for three or four years, May is a very special month. AP exams are over. IB work is complete. You probably have your college acceptances in hand. Finally, you can focus on graduation and leaving the school which has been your home away from home for these past several years.

You will most certainly receive graduation gifts to mark this very special occasion. With that in mind here are some suggestions which you might want to email to that favorite aunt or uncle. You know that mother and father will give you something special to commemorate your achievements. So I will leave the pens, watches, and pendants off this list. To make things even easier, copy and paste the suggestions below in an email to your favorite relatives and family friends.

A Tablet

There's a tablet for every budget. These lightweight, portable devices allow you to do just about anything your graduate needs to do. Watch movies? Listen to videos? Play a game? Shop? She can do all that and so much more. Best of all, she can store all of her sensitive files such as term papers, applications, etc., in the cloud. Tip: read the reviews of the models you are considering, unless, of course, your graduate has specified a particular brand and/or model.

This video offers a review of a poplar tablet.

A

One of the most important considerations in choosing a boarding school for your son or daughter is what goes on in the classroom and in the larger school community. In other words, what are they teaching, and how are they teaching it?

You must never assume that, just because a school enjoys a solid reputation, has been there forever, and looks wonderful on the surface, it will provide the kind of teaching you want and expect for your child. Doing your due diligence with respect to the curriculum and how it is taught has to be one of the most important parts of your school evaluation process.

This video compares what is taught in private schools with what is taught in public schools.

Here's how to proceed.

• Observe
• Question
• Research

Observe

When you visit the school for your admissions interview, try to do so while the school is in session. Summer visits are often more convenient for all of us, but you won't be able to observe any classes. Summer sessions do not usually offer a typical classroom experience. So you cannot judge the teaching or what is being taught by what you see during the summer. The teaching staff is frequently not the same as the faculty who teach during the year. Because it is summer, the whole atmosphere is much more relaxed.

When you visit the school and observe a class, is the class size small?