Janet Dunn, Director of the Akin Learning Center at Kents Hill School chats with us about the center’s new building and the story behind it.

Kents Hill (a coed boarding school in Kents Hill, ME) has been on the fore of learning differences programs having had a program (that started in Dunn’s living room) for 32 years.  The new building is the latest step in the center’s journey from living room, to library, to dedicated, purpose built facility.

A seven year process brought the Akin Learning Center from idea to realization.  Like all good architecture the process began with the students and faculty who use the building and worked outward toward design.  The center’s new home provides students a comfortable setting into which kids want to come, collaborate, and be proud of what they accomplish.

Kents Hill alumni carry a structure and routine into college and adulthood that they’ve absorbed from the KHS experience.  They know how to keep a schedule and when to study and they are comfortable and secure in their interactions with teachers and adults.

Additional resources:

Akin Learning Center

Kents Hill School – www.kentshill.org

Boarding schools in ME

Learning differences boarding schools

“…’ADHD is a chronic condition. We can provide symptomatic treatment, but it doesn’t cure the condition. Treatment has to be an ongoing process. Symptoms may change over time, and there needs to be consideration for change in treatment as a child develops,’” Dr. Mark Wolraich, CMRI Shaun Walters Professor of Pediatrics and the Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City told Healthday.(HD)

Quietly present in the study but not garnering the lion’s share of attention is that the doctors are now recognizing ADHD as chronic condition to be managed over a lifetime and for which no cure exists.

Establishing ADHD as a chronic illness raises a host of issues around life-long management/treatment.

• What kids of treatments/interventions come first- behavioral therapies? Medication?
• Can an individual outgrow ADHD? Funding?
• Can classrooms be modified to work effectively with young ADHD students?
• Is ADHD simply part of one’s nature?
• Does ADHD as chronic condition mean a lifetime of cognitive and/or drug therapies?
• Will the ADHD patient be able to self-manage?
• Can we teach ADHD students to self-manage in preparation for adulthood?
• Along with the larger, are we looking at a condition/illness that’s real or something we’ve constructed to explain what we see and can’t fully address or cure?

Dr. Wolraich again:

“I think the most significant changes are expanding the ages from preschool through adolescence. The original guidelines were from 6 to 12, because that’s where the evidence was. We’ve been able to broaden the scope of the guidelines because there was more evidence available for preschoolers and adolescents…

…Although there is less evidence [on outcomes for this age group], the hope is that starting treatment in preschool if a child has serious problems will lead to better outcomes.”(HD)

Behavioral therapy stands as the first line of treatment in the newly included 4 to 6 year old group with medication as a second line alternative.

There is of course an opposing viewpoint and that’s the topic the next post.

“ADHD: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents”

“New ADHD Guidelines Include Preschoolers, Older Teens”

“Kids As Young As 4 Can Be Diagnosed, Treated For ADHD”

Boarding School for Students with ADHD

St. George's School, Newport, RI

Two notes before talking about my visit to St. George’s School- the first- a note of full disclosure- St. George’s is not new to me. My daughter graduated in 1988.

The second, an acknowledgment of the shool’s physical setting and beauty- the campus is one of the most beautiful locations for a boarding school imaginable. The school sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean– breathtaking!

Much has changed since my time as a parent- with new and updated buildings and physical plant upgrades. However, St. George’s still has the same traditions (Honor Code, Pep Rallies, Pie Race, Christmas Festival, Senior Faculty Basketball Game, Prize Day and Graduation) and a rigorous curriculum in a supportive residential community.

St. George’s physical location on the Atlantic provides opportunities and programs found only along the Atlantic coast.

The “Geronimo” a 69-foot cutter-rigged sloop is home to the school’s marine studies program that cruises summer, fall, winter and spring. Students and faculty sail the greater Caribbean Basin and the United States waters tagging sea turtles and sharks not to mention learning seamanship, navigation skills and allowing students leadership responsibilities while they are sailing and continuing their academics onboard the Geronimo.

On campus in Newport, strong visual and performing arts, wide range of sports teams, Speaker Series and laptops are required today.

My tour guide had only one change he would make to this wonderful campus and that would be a “turf field”.

Here’s a collection of comments I heard from my tour guide, students and faculty on my visit:

“At St. George’s I was able to explore, enjoy and wonder…You can try new things I never ran track or played football and I found out there is a bigger world out there!… I went out of my comfort zone and tried new languages and took outstanding science courses…Gained a love for words!…Excitement, family, school community…Having a sense of belonging in all areas of school life. The door is always open!”

Photo credit: pvsbond via Creative Commons

Photo credit: The Williston Northampton School

I was very impressed with The Williston Northampton School (a co-ed boarding & day school in Easthampton, MA).

Students were happy, engaged and eager to tell me what they like about Williston and why they chose it over other schools. I felt an energy everywhere, with everyone, I saw and met on campus from, staff, faculty and especially the students!

Common threads I heard were: diversity, academics, athletics, superior college preparation and broadening academic and cultural opportunities through collaboration with the Five Colleges (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, U Mass Amherst). Students and faculty utilize this unique learning environment that provides them with daily opportunities to engage and explore outside of the classroom.

I found Williston to be ‘a breath of fresh air’ in all areas from academics, visual and performing arts, athletically with 63 teams and the facilities that are beyond great.

My tour guide was a senior who only had positive comments about her experience at Williston. Of her Williston time, experiences she explained, “Williston gave me the chance to be a leader and have a purpose on the field and in the classroom.” She will be attending Penn next year and playing ice hockey for them – very excited and is ready to have a great senior year.

There are no shortage of opportunities for Williston students to explore new ideas and begin personal discoveries.

Additional resources:

www.williston.com

AQ Educational Consulting

Suffice to say, he’s skeptical; not a fan; and his piece can serve a foundation on why it’s important to approach many types of rankings with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Dodge’s thinking certainly applies to any family engaging in a private or boarding school search.

Of course schools at, or near, the top of the U.S. News rankings will be happy. Social climbing schools will be envious and strive to improve their rankings; and, those confident of the work and role in the market will ignore the goofy exercise and get on with their work.

The problem, though, is that too many people with pay heed to U.S. News, and similar, rankings imbuing them with perceived accuracy and looking at them as guides- of sorts.

Just as with college searches, too many people weigh a boarding or private school’s reputation and perceived ranking too heavily in their school search.

Cure yourself of the ranking and reputation ills

If you don’t already bring a healthy dose of skepticism to such ratings, Dodge can help you cultivate it. He challenges the ratings system on several reasonable grounds.

I’ll leave most of Dodge’s criticism up to you to read choosing instead to highlight one.

The U.S. News rankings in no way, shape, or form take into account the quality of their work with the kinds of students they teach. Dodge encapsulates his thinking using this example:

“…An institution in my back yard, Delaware County Community College, attracts a wide age range and a stunning diversity. Students speak a ton of languages but many don’t have a very good command of English. Many work full time. Many are single parents. A fair number never finished high school but have earned a GED. Many have to scrape to come up with any money at all, let alone tuition and essentials for classes. In other words, for most, college is an uphill struggle. And this college does a remarkable job of putting these students on track, keeping them there, and turning them into professionals or readying them for four-year colleges.

Should I rank DelCo above or below Princeton, Michigan, Harvey Mudd? I submit that the answer depends not so much on data or on how U.S. News might massage them as on what I value. And that’s what a college search should be all about: deciding what things are important to you and then go looking for colleges where you’ll find them.”(IECA)

Choosing a school is a value proposition based on how the program fits who you are and where you are in life. In order to produce the best possible fit this kind of thinking must guide any school search.

College/Private School/Boarding School: Fit Matters Most

The best school, or college fit begins with the student:

• understanding who he/she is
• where he/she stands in their personal development
• what is the educational goal for the student
• then, working to find the school that that meets the student where he/she stands and can, then, grow them the furthest

I’ll extend Dodges thinking using a thought that we share with families all the time.

In America, there’s a school or college for everyone. What’s the best one? The one where you can grow the most.

And, most of the time, the best fit has nothing to with ratings, rankings, or reputation.

Our work on boarding school rankings:

1. Boarding Schools: Don’t Rank Them, Understand Them
2. Boarding School Rankings: Ignore Them!

Photo credit: FrenchKheldar via Creative Commons

The quick interview draws on Chapman’s experience as new parent facing the cost of saving large sums in her family’s effort to plan for two future collegians.

The projected tuition bill for young parents is enormous and there’s no better time to start planning than today.

You think you’re too late to apply to a boarding school in July. You’re wrong. You can still apply.

Applying late, or, coming to the admission process late, doesn’t mean “don’t apply.”

It simply requires some different thinking and processes a little different from the traditional admission calendar.

Your family’s education choices don’t end at the end of the school year and boarding school admission didn’t end with graduation. Many great schools continue accepting applications and admitting students throughout the summer.

A number of admission offices work through June, July, August, and September

Our new reference book is designed to help families understand what coming late to the admission process means and helps each family craft a shortened admission plan.

Topics covered include:

• Where to find a list of boarding school still considering and admitting applicants
• Admission testing
• What not to do or expect in the late admission process

Applying to Private School After the Deadline will provide families with a plan and process for a successful summer admission.

We hope this book helps answer many of the questions that we receive from families every day and a ‘thank you’ to the families who send their questions and make us think, and write, about their questions.

Fun with leaves at The Fessenden School

Yesterday, a mom called the office asking about junior boarding schools in the south- a quick straightforward question that quickly grew from the practical to philosophical.

The family was new to the notion of boarding school and, within that, working to come to terms with an eighth grade daughter who might be best served in a middle school boarding setting.

We talked about some of the concepts of junior boarding schools- why, who goes…concluding with my offer to put together some references that that would give her a place from which to begin reading and learning.

The proverbial “Ah, ha.” moment from a customer- why haven’t we written this before?

Here are some thoughts and references that can help a family begin researching of junior boarding schools:

Generally junior boarding schools serve grades 6-9. Some upper schools, have junior boarding programs that begin in about the 7th grade. Junior boarding schools can be coed or single gender.

If the student is an eighth or ninth grader, there are two ways you can go. You can consider schools that with a 7th through 12th grade program; or, you can consider schools with lower school programs where 8th and 9th graders are the oldest students. In this latter setting the student will be in a older leadership postion. The decision here lies mostly with the student/family goals and student’s maturity.

• A video interview with Kim Laughlin, Bement School admission director: “Why a Junior Boarding School?“
• Our directory of Junior Boarding Schools. Also, you can inquire directly to any AdmissionsQuest member schools directly from their profiles with us.
• All of our blog posts connected to junior boarding schools
• The Junior Boarding Schools Association web site
• You might also consider using an educational consultant to direct and support your school search. We offer services through AdmissionsQuest Educational Consulting and you can find a nationwide directory of educational consultants on the web site of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

Photo credit: The Fessenden School

Last night, a reader submitted the title question and it makes for a great post this time of year. Here’s our answer:

There’s no guarantee that a private school will have an opening and move to accept you from their waiting list.

The first order of business is not to close the door(s) at any other school or schools to which you’ve been accepted. These schools are ‘in the bag’ and you should make sure you decide which one you’d like to attend.

That said, if you’re committed ot pursuing a waiting list opportunity, we suggest some basic waiting list strategies.

• Follow-up with the school that has wait listed you.
• Let them know that your first choice is to attend their school and that you will commit to them if extended a place for next year.
• Ask where you stand on the waiting list? Near the top or bottom? Are you likely to be offered a spot? If acceptance is unlikely, you’re better off putting your energy toward choosing a school that has offered you admission.
• If financial aid is part of the equation, you need to find out if an aid package will arrive with a possible acceptance. Acceptance with no financial aid can be an admission deal breaker.

Call or send a note to the admission officer working with you and begin a conversation. Stay realistic and understand that a school that has accepted you- outright- possibly with a financial aid package- might be the best school fit for you.

Preparing for the verbal section

The verbal section of both tests relies heavily on a strong grasp of vocabulary. This means understanding definitions and usage. Below are some ways to prepare:

• Make flashcards of suggested vocabulary words you get from a teacher, tutor or the internet. Include synonyms and antonyms on the flashcards
• Seek out word games and puzzles. The World Food Programme has an online test tool at freerice.com that tests your vocabulary. There are lots of other games, including crossword puzzles, board games and more that are fun ways to incorporate the new words you are learning
• Start early! Just like your math skills, vocabulary is not something you can successfully cram the week before the test. Start early and set yourself a goal of new words to learn each week. Always review the previous words and use as many of the words you are learning in your writing and your speaking.

Reading comprehension strategies

The reading comprehension section will include 6-7 short passages and 40 questions about the content. Below are some strategies to use when taking this part of the exam:

• Do a first read of the passage quickly. You want to get a general idea of the passage without spending too much time trying to remember specific details before reading the questions. A good way to do this is to focus on the beginning and the end of the passage. These sections often contain the central points of the piece.
• When answering the questions, refer back to the passage. You want to choose the answer that is given in the passage, even if there is another answer that you know is factually correct. Remember that the answers to all the questions are in the passage – your challenge is to use context clues and inference to find them.
• Pace yourself. It’s important that you read carefully enough to get the main details of the passage and understand completely what each question is asking. However, if you get stuck on a difficult question take your best guess and then move on to the next one!

Essay writing strategies

The essay will be judged based on the ability to answer the question, the organization behind the essay and your ability to write clearly and coherently. It’s important to remember that the readers know this is a first draft essay, they are not expecting perfection but they are expecting raw good ideas and a demonstration of composition basics. Below are some strategies to use when taking this part of the exam:

• Make a plan. Jot down an outline or some notes on how you will structure and approach your answer to the question given.
• Choose subjects you are comfortable and prepared to write about. Don’t necessarily structure your essay on the truest answer or the one you think will impress readers. Instead, choose something you can write well about. A well articulated example is better than one that is impressive but poorly written.
• Use the beginning and the end to structure your essay. Make sure that your essay has a beginning, middle and an end. Use the beginning to outline what you are going to talk about, the middle to back up your point and expand on examples. The end of your essay should reinforce your main points and be consistent with the beginning of your essay.

Photo credit: roswellsgirl via Creative Commons