Category Archives: School

What to Expect With Elementary Boarding Schools

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Many parents are reluctant to consider junior boarding schools because they don’t want to send their kids away at an early age. Because of this, there aren’t many of such schools to be found in the US, unlike in other countries. These past few years, however, have seen a lot of changes in the way parents look at elementary boarding schools. Children as young as 7 or 8 years old can be sent to one, and sometimes they go home every weekend or on holidays.

One of the reasons that make it hard for parents to let their children go to an elementary boarding school is the anxiety of being separated. While it’s not easy for children either, kids have the tendency to adapt easily to different situations, especially if they’re looking forward to something that will not be harmful for their well-being. A lot of parents who have decided to send their children to junior boarding schools see that the benefits often outweigh the disadvantages.

If you’re wondering about what to expect with elementary boarding schools, here are a few of the many good things:

1. Safety – Students are monitored by school staff 24/7. These schools make it a point to put all effort necessary to make their campuses as safe as possible. Even in dorms, students stay with dorm parents, and most schools’ faculty members live on campus with their families too. While students are encouraged to cultivate their independence and to become self-sufficient, they are also taught to take responsible risks and there are always teachers and staff members on hand to make sure they are safe and constructively occupied during their free time.

2. Superb academics – If there’s one thing that boarding schools have consistently provided over the years, it’s their academic programs. These schools not only meets the minimum state requirement but goes well beyond that, offering courses that will better prepare students for high school as well as expand their knowledge on different subject matters. These schools often have the highest standards in their academic programs, giving students the edge they need as they take the next steps in their academic path.

3. Wide variety of extra curricular activities – elementary boarding schools also have a wide variety of extracurricular activities to choose from. Students can find new things to learn and get involved in, in addition to the usual sports offerings. There are even activities that are not traditionally seen in traditional public schools, like equestrian training. Students are given many opportunities to become leaders and to cultivate their interests in an environment that encourages personal growth as well as academic achievement.

4. Parent involvement – Parents are encouraged to play an active role in the progress of their children at school. They are encouraged to attend games and other school activities and receive consistent feedback about how their children are doing in their classes.

Children may have a bit of a harder time adjusting to being apart from their parents, but the independence they will learn and the caliber of education they will get makes it all worthwhile.

Orlando Schools Sue Parent for Blog Postings

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Orlando schools have been a victim of the information age. In a recent news item, it was revealed that the New School of Orlando is suing a parent for comments posted on the parent’s blog about her daughter’s treatment while attending kindergarten there. The school is alleging that the parent’s statements caused enrollment to drop and that the school should be compensated for damage to its reputation. This one case raises the questions of how personal opinions on the Orlando schools can and should be shared.

Can One Person’s Blog Make a Difference at Orlando Schools?

If enrollment at this school dropped because of statements made by this parent, how can the school prove it? Or how could any Orlando schools if it happened to them? It’s almost impossible to track how and why parents choose to enroll or pull their children from various Orlando schools. But the pressing question is really whether parents should be prohibited from sharing opinions of Orlando schools online.

By its very nature, a blog is someone’s personal observations and opinions posted on a website. Please note that I said “personal.” I have no way of knowing if what this parent posted on her blog was true or not. But she believed it. I would hope that no child attending the Orlando schools would be treated with a lack of respect, as was stated on the blog in question. I also hope that no person working at the Orlando schools would think it was appropriate in any way to threaten a parent who had something to say about the school that officials didn’t agree with. But reality is that when you have as many families in an area as there are in Orlando schools, someone’s going to be unhappy.

Freedom of Speech and Orlando Schools

One idea is that students at Orlando schools (and elsewhere) have the freedom of speech to express their opinions. They should also be discussing the concept of censorship and at what point it is appropriate to tell someone that they can’t express their opinion, or if this is ever appropriate.

If what this parent wrote in her blog is not simply giving her opinion about her child’s treatment at this Orlando school and her allegations are true, then shouldn’t the public be informed of these facts? The institution involved in this case was a private school not part of the public Orlando schools. Yet whether she is or not, her opinion may be helpful to other parents, and my even force Orlando schools to improve.

I don’t know whether this blog simply listed this parent’s experience with the school or whether she actively discouraged other parents from enrolling their children at this particular school. Maybe she lambasted Orlando schools in general. No matter what, she has a right to her opinion. And as an Orlando schools parent, I want to know what other parents have to say.

Other parents may send their children to this same Orlando school and be quite happy with how the place is run. This woman has the right to express her opinion about any topic she chooses, whether online or elsewhere. Anything else is censorship and has no place in a democracy.