Dean Vachon, Dean of Faculty and Curriculum, emphasizes a diversity of learners when talking about Dunn School’s academic program.

More than just a varied curriculum, Dunn (a coed boarding school in Los Olivos, CA) recognizes and serves a diversity of students with courses that fit different kinds of learners.

The fact that each Dunn student learns differently drives Dunn’s academics. Dunn teachers teach every lesson in different ways.

Dunn alumni graduate knowing how to learn;  how to ask for help and interact with faculty; and with an ability to seek and grow relationships with their teachers.

Katie Isaacson talks about the role that Midland School’s organic garden plays in the school community.

Midland (a coed boarding school in Los Olivos, CA) cultivates 10 acres for both production and education. The school eats seasonally from the farm bounty putting-up by freezing or canning the surplus. A chalk board in the dining hall charts produce seasonal availability. Livestock are also part of the Midland farm production. The farm raises eight pigs and 10 steers annually for school consumption.

Students are involved in the farm daily in activities ranging from food harvesting, to composting, to livestock husbandry. Students interested learning and exploring the farm in-depth can elect farming as their afternoon sport/activity which puts them working on the farm four afternoons weekly.

Stevenson School junior J.J. shares his insights into the strengths of a Stevenson education. The school’s a coed boarding school in Pebble Beach, California.

Academics at Stevenson (www.stevenson.org) are second-to-none with multiple advanced, and Advanced Placement, classes in all subjects. Tennis, golf, swimming, water polo, volleyball, soccer and track are the strong athletic programs. Music features band, jazz band, orchestra, and choir.

Opportunity, freedom, trust and responsibility are the themes that surface again and again throughout the tour. Whether it’s practicing one’s instrument, signing out to go on a trip, taking an off campus class, or, going into Monterey, Stevenson requires a great deal of responsibility and good judgement from its students.

As J.J. relates, Stevenson is a cornucopia of opportunities and it is the Stevenson students job to grab those opportunities and take them as far as they can. J.J. is an athlete, prefect, violinist, and outdoor education leader- in short, a Stevenson student.

Brentwood College School

There are over 40 boarding schools west of the Mississippi River; on both sides of the US-Canadian boarder. Virtually all of these schools are part of the Western Boarding Schools Association (www.wbsa.net).  These ‘western’ schools offer a wonderful alternative to the more traditional boarding schools found in the eastern part of North America.

My school, Brentwood College School, like many of the western schools, attracts students from all over North America and across the globe.  Diversity, natural beauty, successfully post-educational placement and caring communities are features of our western schools.

So if you are looking for a boarding school, please check out these amazing schools in the west.   You will be amazed at the quality of the choices available.

Directed toward younger students, HPA will offer one day and one boarding scholarship in grades 6 and 7, and two day and two boarding scholarships for grade 9.

Recipients will receive 50 percent of HPA’s day tuition – or 75 percent of the boarding tuition. Additionally, qualifying students who demonstrate financial need will receive an additional scholarship that will meet their family’s full demonstrated need, less $2,500.

HPA Head Lindsay Barnes commented:

“We’re thrilled that our Board of Trustees has made a commitment to this scholarship opportunity…We’re looking for students who will positively influence our world. By taking finances out of the equation, we believe this scholarship will help make it possible for the best students to attend HPA.”

As strictly merit award, families are not required to demonstrate financial need in applying. Recipients will earn scholarships by demonstrating academic potential through their Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) results. Minimum scores for 2012-2013 qualification are:

Grade 6: 2040
Grade 7: 2080
Grade 9: 2250

The game was a rematch and avenging win with S-SM having lost to Finland earlier in the tournament.

S-SM’s Willie Raskob tallied a hat trick to lead the win.

My thanks to S-SM for sending this along. I had never heard of the World Sports School Challenge so of course I had to do some digging. Hockey Canada put together the WSSC to provide a showcase for their high level prep hockey programs.

“The World Sport School Challenge will give students attending Canadian sport schools the chance to play at a higher level, refine their skills and show the country they can excel internationally…Having Hockey Canada proactively work with sport schools to make this happen adds much to the development of many up-and-coming young players, who may one day end up wearing the maple leaf on their jerseys,” explained Andy Oakes, event chair and president of Okanagan Hockey Academy.

Additional resources:

Shattuck-St. Mary’s hockey program

Boarding schools with hockey

Prep School Hockey: There’s a place for you to play

Boarding school in MN

View from Brentwood College School

My school, Brentwood College School, is one of the largest boarding schools in Canada.  10% of our student population is from the United States of America.  They come here because they have heard that we are special; different then the choices available in the USA and elsewhere.

This ‘brain drain’ to the northwest is something I am proud of and, to be honest, something every American family associated with our school is immensely proud of.

The Americans at Brentwood tend to be willing to see beyond borders.  They are keen to see their own country from a new perspective and they enjoy interacting with other cultures.  Our American students tend to dream big, explore widely and live boldly.

Ironically, these very core elements of American culture are what drive many of our American students to Brentwood.  They are willing to step out of a comfort zone and proudly pronounce their independence in their own thinking; they are willing to show their courage as individuals.  Because of this, many of our American students go on to do great things in life.

Stereotypes are hard to live down. There are many about Canadians and Canada in general; some of these aren’t too far from the truth.

I myself love hockey, maple syrup and have been known to say ‘eh’ on occasion. However, not many people outside of Canada know about our amazing school and the fundamentally sound and globally recognized education our students receive

This brings me to Idylwild Arts Academy president Brian D. Cohen’s response to two recent articles, “Chinese Students Lose as U.S. Schools Exploit Need” and “The China Conundrum,” each of which skeptically calls attention and raises issues about the number of chinese students in American boarding schools.

As Cohen’s title implies, “The Chinese Are Coming: Another Perspective,” he offers a broader, more positive, view with special emphasis on the contributions that Chinese students bring to their schools and the perspectives and adaptations that schools need to make in order to practice international education well.

Liang Wang, an Idyllwild Arts alum and principal oboe of the New York Philharmonic, suggests that American flexibility and creativity might lay behind Chinese pursuit of American secondary education:

“America has the best system overall for music education. Europe is a bit more rigid, but America is the land of imagination and individualism.”(HP)

Specifically of Idylwild, Liang added:

“The environment I felt was extremely friendly and highly individual. The teachers…lead you on how to think, not what to think.”(HP)

Cohen argues that in the end, the addition of variables and perspectives make a diverse education fundamentally stronger.

“We all have much to gain — the influx of Chinese students enhances the diversity of all viewpoints at schools, producing interculturally aware young people, and enhancing the compatibility and appreciation of difference among all students. Cultural fluency – comfort living and working in a diverse community; an understanding of international perspectives and political and economic interdependence; and acquisition of a second language – is an essential element of a strong secondary education.”(HP)

Additional resources:

Idyllwild Arts Academy – www.idyllwildarts.org

Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen (Silver Medalists)

London 2012 is only a few months away.  Astonishingly, Brentwood College School (a co-educational boarding school in in British Columbia, Canada) already has 4 athletes that have been selected to try out for the 2012 Canadian Olympic rowing team.  Over the last 30 years, Brentwood has consistently developed national and internationally recognized athletes, many of whom have gone on and represented their nation at the Olympics.  In fact, there have been 23 Brentwood graduates who have participated in the Olympics.

There are many reasons why Brentwood College School, a Gr.9-12 school of only 445 students, can compete so effectively on the world stage, particularly in crew.  One main reason is its spectacular oceanfront campus.  Since the temperate climate of British Columbia allows rowing year round, Brentwood’s crews can train throughout the year without having to only do land-based training during the winter months each year.  Brentwood’s facilities, including an indoor rowing tank, two ergometer centers,  a Centre for High Performance, and exceptional coaching and training staff, all combine to offer those interested in crew to get the best possible access to the latest training and hands-on experience.

Success breeds success.  Just being in a culture of success creates an enthusiastic and motivating environment for our athletes, scholars and artists.  While Brentwood is equally recognized for its spectacular academic tradition and its unrivaled fine arts opportunities, there is a certain pride and tradition of success athletically (last year the school sent 7 different sports teams to Provincial championships – the equivalent of a State championships);  this confidence and pride resonates throughout the campus each year.  Brentwood students tend to believe anything can be achieved through effort and commitment.

The following Olympians attended Brentwood College.

1. I will make a habit out of checking in on Admissionsquest and other valuable sites for great insights into  independent schools.
2. I will consider a boarding school (you will be blown away by the value-added options they provide).
3. I will arrange for some campus visits (compare and contrast- highly important).
4. I will consider Canada as well as the USA (again, you will be blown away by the value-added options many Canadian schools can provide).
5. I will ask a lot of questions before, during and after each campus visit.  I will ask to speak with current students and parents.  I will find out the truth and not just listen to the ‘sales pitch’ about the school.