BY NANCY SCHRINER
When choosing a school for your child,
be sure to practice due diligence in general. Open house attendance is just one
of those special efforts you’ll need to make to help your family make the best
choice.
Parents make
decisions on behalf of their children every day because they want what’s best
for them. For some parents, “best” includes which school they choose for their
child; and attending an “Open House” at a prospective school, whether public or
private, is an excellent way to help make this important decision. An open
house is an event held at an institution where its doors are open to the
general public to allow people to observe the physical environment as well as
to gather information. These are often held at schools and universities to
attract prospective students, familiarize students and parents with the
facilities, allow them to meet others, or to open informal communication
channels between school staff and students and parents.
These information sessions
provide the perfect opportunity to do hands-on research and determine what “gut
reaction” you have to the school culture. “Open houses are a great opportunity
to see a school’s campus and to hear about its programs in a low-pressure
environment,” says Lori Palmer, Associate Director of Admissions at
Stratford Academy. “Typically during an open house, all areas of the
school are open for viewing and the teachers and administrators are available
for one-on-one conversations. I am still a firm believer in families setting up
individual appointments to see a school while it is in session, but open houses
are an ideal time to get an overview of the entire school.”
While the format of a
school”s open house may vary from school to school, the intent is always the
same: to give prospective parents a sense of what the school is all about. Open
house at St. Joseph’s Catholic School offers parents a formal presentation that
explains the curriculum, dress code, after-school programs, available
extra-curricular activities, and financial assistance. Parents can speak to
other parents who have children enrolled in the school and speak with
administrators and teachers in an informal setting. “Open houses are an
excellent way to find factual information about the school,” says Head of
School Kaye Hlavaty, “however, to get the feel of the school, I highly
recommend parents to go back for a school day visit to see the school in
action.”
Before attending any open
house, parents need to know their child’s needs as well as the needs of their
family. A child’s learning style, his personality, and/or special needs have to
be carefully considered. How the school ranks in national test scores, tuition
costs, time transporting your child to and from school, and before- or after-school
programs are other things to bear in mind. Catherine Sheats of Covenant Academy
says, “The goal of a good open house should be to offer parents a glimpse into
the heart and life of the school. By honestly representing the school’s
purpose, open houses should provide parents the information needed to select
the school that best fits the needs of their family.”
A certain religious
curriculum, how a school handles learning disabilities, or special interests in
music, athletics, or a foreign language can be why one school is preferred over
another. Most private schools have excellent athletic programs because they
adhere to the philosophy of “mens sana in corpore sano,” which means a “healthy
mind in a healthy body.” Stephanie English, Marketing Director of Tattnall
Square Academy says, “Although we are proud of our programs and facilities, our
goal for open house is for parents to see the warmth, the care, and the
Christian environment that our college preparatory school provides.” The bottom
line is, look for a school whose philosophy of teaching and learning will allow
your child to thrive.” Other schools may concentrate on the fine arts,
math and science, or preparation for college. The bottom line is, look for a
school whose philosophy of teaching and learning will allow your child to
thrive.
Incidentally, public schools
also open their doors to parents, usually right before the new school year
begins and affords the same opportunities to meet teachers and administrators
while touring the school. Check out the individual school your child might be
attending a few weeks before the new academic year.
For more information about upcoming school
open houses, turn to the January listings on page 11 in TAKENOTE. GFM
QUESTIONS
TO CONSIDER
AT
AN OPEN HOUSE
Does the school have a
full-time counselor, nurse, librarian, and a well-equipped library?
Does the school have written
policies on discipline, homework, safety, grades, diversity, and bullying?
What is the
student-to-teacher ratio?
What is the availability of
teachers to students outside of class?
How does the school
communicate with parents?
Is there a teacher-parent
organization?
What sort of grading system
is used?
What is the daily class
structure like?
Is there an emphasis on
literacy by the teachers?
How is technology
incorporated into the classroom?
Are the students involved in
sports, the arts, or community service?