N KY PRIVATE SCHOOL G U I D E 2 0 1 9
Finding the Right Fit Local private schools offer advice for those looking for the right school for their family BY CORINNE MIN ARD
I
f you’re considering private school for your child for the first time, the process can seem overwhelming. Northern Kentucky has more than 30 private schools— how do you choose which is right for your child? To help guide you on this journey, we spoke with several of the region’s private schools to get their advice on how to make this decision just a little easier.
KNOW WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU According to local schools, families should head into the process knowing what’s most important to them when it comes to education. “I think that if private school is a priority for you and your family, for whatever reason that might be, … it’s OK for that to be your priority and follow through with that and find the best fit for your family and where your child is going to thrive,” says Tessy B. Krebs, recruitment and admissions director for Newport Central Catholic High School. A family’s priority could be a specific sport, faith formation or a science program—whatever that priority is should be guiding the family as they look at schools. For example, Villa Madonna Academy, a Catholic coed kindergarten-through-12th grade school in Villa Hills, is focused on the student as a whole person. “We’ve got one of the highest ACT scores, one of the highest average composite score on standardized test at the elementary school level, but we focus more on forming kids’ identities, building character, helping them discover passions, helping them to create friendships and relationships, and preparing them for collegiate success,” says Janet Baugh, director of admissions at Villa Madonna Academy. “The academics are one thing, but all of those other things really stand out as being that super exclamation point that you get when you come to a school like this.”
Newport Central Catholic High School is a coed Catholic high school that prides itself on being socioeconomically diverse.
Notre Dame Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school in Park Hills, also focuses on holistic education, but with a different model. “The single-gender environment at NDA empowers young women to become fearless, curious and enthusiastic learners both in and out of the classroom,” says Katie Caccavari, director of admissions at Notre Dame Academy. “Graduates leave NDA with a strong ethic of service uniquely prepared to manage leadership positions in society.” Knowing what is most important to you and your student can guide you both as you learn about the region’s schools.
sizes. “There’s a buzzword: differentiated instruction. In the smaller class sizes, teachers are able to differentiate their instruction that they do in the classroom to meet the needs of each child,” says Baugh. There are other environmental factors to take into consideration, too. “I think it comes down to a feeling for the student and the parents. They need to do their homework, they need to go to open houses, they need to shadow, the student needs to come during the school day and get a feel for it. Not just classes, but what it feels like socially in the cafeteria, in the lunchroom, those kinds of things,” says Krebs.
LOOK FOR SCHOOLS WITH YOUR IDEAL ENVIRONMENT MAKE DECISIONS AS A FAMILY Another thing to keep in mind is what kind of classroom environment your child does best in. “I think you have to know what your student’s comfort level is. Are you looking for a smaller environment, are you looking for a bigger environment?” says Krebs. Villa Madonna Academy and many other private schools specialize in smaller class
Local schools also recommend that prospective families make the final decision together—parents and child—to ensure the right decision is being made. “It has to fit your family well,” says Krebs. “To be in an environment where [the student is] uncomfortable for six, seven to eight hours of the day… a miserable teenager is nothing to have.” www.BestofNKY.com
63
NKY PRIVATE SCHOOL GUIDE 2019 Caccavari says that the parents she’s spoken with recently are taking this advice to heart. “The parents I’ve been speaking with over the past year or two are certainly looking at academic quality but also at the overall experience their daughter will have at NDA,” she says. “Prospective students have to believe that they fit in well at a school in order to be successful there.”
EVERY SCHOOL HAS ITS OWN CHARACTER Each school has unique qualities that can help guide your family. For example, Villa Madonna Academy was founded on the principles of the Benedictine sisters, and those principles can be felt throughout the school. “It’s a Catholic school but around 40% of our students are non-Catholic. And the Benedictine traditions, they support that because everything about these sisters is about hospitality, welcoming everyone,” says Baugh. The school also hosts international students, creating a diverse student body. And Newport Central Catholic High
S chool i s s oc ioeco nomically diverse, an unexpected trait for a private school. “We have wealthy families whose parents are doctors and lawyers and architects and engineers, we have a whole lot in the middle and then we have a lot of students that are from the inner city and their families struggle. We have an excellent tuition a s s i st a nce prog r a m in place and several scholarships available for students who want to come to school here. It’s been the philosophy of Villa Madonna Academy is a kindergarten-through-12th grade coed our administration that Catholic school that was founded by the Benedictine sisters in 1903. if a student really wants to be here, we’re going to work with that family to figure out how we these four things in mind as you make your can make it happen,” says Krebs. decision. “I think they just have to listen to Deciding on a private school doesn’t have themselves and what feels good, what feels to be painful—just make sure that you keep right for them,” says Krebs. n
Holy Cross
District High School
WANTS YOU! S
OUR HOLY CROS N I JO COMMUNITY Faith
Family
Learning
Leadership
WHERE ALL STUDENTS THRIVE HCHSCOV.COM
Holy Cross District High School 3617 Church St Covington, KY 41015 859-431-1335
Open House Wednesday November 6, 2019
• Customized, Tiered Curriculum • Dual and AP Credit Classes • Academic Enhancement Program • Over $500,000 Awarded Annually in Scholarships and Financial Aid
3617 Church Street, Covington, KY 41015 859-431-1335 • hchscov.com 64
NKY MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Find your new favorite restaurant at
www.bestofnky.com
N K Y P R I VAT E S C H O O L G U I D E 2 0 1 9
PRIVATE SCHOOL RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Holy Cross District High School
Notre Dame Academy
St. Henry District High School
3617 Church St., Covington, KY 41015 859-431-1335 • hchscov.com Grades: 9-12
1699 Hilton Drive, Park Hills, KY 41011 859-292-1829 • ndapandas.org Grades 9-12 • Religious Affiliation: Catholic
3755 Scheben Drive, Erlanger, KY 41018 859-525-0255 • shdhs.org
Holy Cross District High School strives to provide a quality Catholic education for all of the students through our deeply rooted commitments to education, diversity, family and religion. As a Catholic institution, Holy Cross District High School exists to provide each student with an atmosphere of responsible freedom in which they can develop and thrive while learning skills and abilities, enabling them to prosper and live as a good Catholics.
Notre Dame Academy is Northern Kentucky’s ONLY Catholic college-preparatory high school exclusively for young women. Sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame, NDA provides a premier education empowering young women to become intelligent and compassionate leaders who strive to make a difference in the world. NDA graduates are poised, confident, loving and intellectually competent young women prepared for a life of service to others centered in the Catholic faith.
St. Henry District High School (SHDHS), a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School, is Northern Kentucky’s largest Catholic, co-educational high school. Guided by faith, scholarship, athletics, arts and leadership, students are provided with a comprehensive, college-preparatory education and a wide range of extracurricular and community service opportunities. SHDHS faculty and staff are invested in student success and are dedicated to developing well-rounded men and women of strong character and integrity in the Catholic tradition who are prepared to meet the demanding challenges of the future.
www.BestofNKY.com
65