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Many parents face the challenge of choosing a school that’s right for their child.
For Barbi Benjamin Levitt and Michael Levitt, the decision to move their daughter out of Hebrew school allowed them to take a broader look at their options. Yet looking back, the parents say that with the right help and careful research, they were able to find schools that fit perfectly with their children’s academic, social and emotional needs.
Understand your child.
The first step in choosing the right school is to determine what type of student your child is and what environment she or he will most likely succeed in.
For the Levitt family, this meant first recognizing that their daughter Jessica wasn’t doing well in her current environment.
To better understand their daughter and her learning needs, the Levitt family turned to an educational psychologist for help. “I can still remember the psychologist telling us that Jessica needed to be in a different school – now,” Barbi says. “She had an unidentifiable learning disability and she wasn’t absorbing information.”
Make a list.
Armed with a better understanding of your child, the next step is to evaluate both the child’s needs and the needs of your family.
Factors parents tend to consider include the child’s interests and talents and what co-curricular activities are available to address these; the values—religious or otherwise—of the school and how they mesh with the family’s values; and the educational tools (e.g., technology) that are used in the classroom and the overall school philosophy. It is important to isolate what isn’t working at your child’s old school as well. This will allow you to choose a school that won’t have the same problems.
Begin evaluating schools.
After you’ve figured out what you and your child want in a school, it’s time to look at specific schools. School fairs, such as Our Kids Private School Expos, provide an opportunity to explore your options, as well as school guides and the school websites themselves. Talking to other parents is also a form of research and can help you find out a school’s reputation, but is a slippery slope. What works for one child may not work for another!
Visit potential schools and involve your child in the decision.
Once you’ve come up with a short list of schools, you’re ready to begin touring. The admissions department is typically your point of contact at this stage.
It’s also a chance to ask questions directly and be an observer. Watching the students, teachers, and parents during the school visit can often tell you more than a website description will. Check if the kids are engaged, if the teachers seem helpful, what the atmosphere is like and even if you could see yourself fitting into the parent culture. Don’t be shy about asking questions about what you see – this is your chance!
Important questions to ask include what type of parent-teacher communication exists at the school, what qualifications the teachers have (especially if your child has special needs).
Letting children spend time in each school is an important part of making a decision. The Levitts took this to heart. “We visited both schools before making a decision,” Barbi says.
After touring the schools, it was time for Jessica to experience the new environment first-hand. In March of her Grade 2 year, the then seven-year-old spent an entire day at Crestwood School in Toronto.
By the end of the day, Jessica was adamant that she wanted to start at this new school immediately.
“We listened to her, and she started at Crestwood just after March break,” says Michael, Jessica’s father. Since then, Jessica, now in Grade 5, has excelled in this new environment and loves her school
“It really does come down to happiness,” Says educational consultant Judy Winberg. “If the child is happy, there’s a much better chance that he or she will be successful no matter what the curriculum is.”
About Our Kids Private School Expos
When you find the right school for your kids, you’ll see a big difference in their love of learning. Meet with top schools from across the country at the Our Kids Private School Expos in Montreal, Calgary, Halton-Peel, Toronto and Vancouver.
I really like your suggestion about visiting the different schools with your child. My family just moved to a new area and we need to find a new school for my daughter. I want to make sure we find the best one for her. I’ll have to do some research and find the best schools in the area.