Fall 2014 Advantage

September 2014

An Informational Newsletter about Collegiate’s Kindergarten Admission Process

K

evin Spacey is a phenomenal actor. I knew this before watching House of Cards this summer, but spending hours lost in the corrupt world of politician Francis Underwood has surely confirmed it. What I didn’t know – or at least want to acknowledge fully – is just how dishonest, ruthless and manipulative people can be.

Yes, I do realize that House of Cards is a work of fiction. But let’s be honest – there’s a lot of crazy behavior out there for real. It’s all around us: in the news, on social media, on reality TV and YouTube.

I enjoy good entertainment and great acting as much as anyone. But as a parent, the profusion of unethical behavior going on in the world is anything BUT enjoyable. And I don’t think any of us want our children thinking this kind of behavior is ok.

What to do? As a parent, I’m sure you (like me) spend countless hours reminding your children how to behave…explaining what is right, what is good, and why. You steadily enforce good manners and responsible behavior. And (like me), you desperately hope your children will hold on to these early lessons as they grow, mature and head off into the world, regardless of what they see going on around them. We do everything we can to empower our children with a solid sense of strong morals and values, so they can succeed honorably and with character. We want them to make smart, ethically sound decisions based on wise judgment and strong values. We want our kids to be good.

A great school can help you raise good kids. Not just smart kids. Good ones.

As you set off to find the right school for your child, I encourage you to look beyond academics, college placements, class sizes and rankings. These things are certainly important, but equally important is discovering what is at the heart of each school.

What makes it tick? What are its values, its mission, its character? Consider the type of community you see, the quality of the people, the kind of spirit the school embodies.

A great school will work to partner with you in everything. A great school with passionate faculty, who live by a strong set of time-tested values, can make a difference in who your child grows up to be. A great school will graduate smart kids who are also kind and well-mannered, who are more often selfless than self-centered, who are kind and good. Who will not simply mirror unethical behavior, but will choose to act differently.

We are lucky in Richmond to have many wonderful schools ready to partner with you on this parenting journey. Collegiate School is one of them. Thank you for considering us for your family. We are eager for you to visit and learn more about the values we believe in, which give us a sense of community and spirit that have been a part of our school for 100 years. Values that can empower your children not only to be great – but also to be good.

Anne Bruce Ahearn Associate Director of Admission

COLLEGIATE’S SHARED VALUES honor love of learning excellence respect community

Admission Overview The kindergarten admission process formally begins one year prior to entry, though we welcome new applicants at any point during the year.

A child must be 5 years old by Sept. 30 of the kindergarten year. We encourage children with summer birthdays to go through the process. Many children will be socially, emotionally and academically ready to begin school. Others may need to wait another year, in which case they will be candidates for admission in the following year. Our primary objective is to make a decision that is in the best interest of the individual child.

Admission decisions are based on the child’s profile, which consists of three different components of information: 1. Individual testing with a qualified psychologist 2. Group readiness testing with our Lower School teachers 3. Preschool report We know that the assessment of young children is imperfect and that it is difficult to predict a 5-year-old’s potential for success. We strive, however, to place children at Collegiate when it appears that our academic programs will meet particular learning needs and capabilities.

Individual Testing and Assessment Individual Testing Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) This is an individual evaluation. Each child spends approximately one hour with a psychologist. The activities range from informal conversations to visual motor activities. The session is child friendly.

This assessment can be conducted at Collegiate and is offered to all kindergarten candidates between October and late January.

The cost is $115. Appointments are scheduled in the morning when your child is alert and well rested.

Your child should eat a good breakfast and wear comfortable, casual clothing. No preparation of any kind is necessary!

Even if you are applying to more than one Richmond independent school, your child will take this test only once. The scores will be shared with other schools as you specify on the Request for Testing form.

Group Readiness Testing Small groups of children (4-5) will work with our Lower School teachers in January.

There will be individual and group activities designed to assess your child’s social, emotional and cognitive readiness for kindergarten.

The activities are very similar to your child’s preschool experiences.

Preschool Report We will send a confidential form to your child’s preschool in December so that we may incorporate the observations and insights from his or her current teacher. The Admission Committee may observe children in their own preschool settings, if necessary.

At the conclusion of the admission process and after notification letters are mailed, parents are encouraged to schedule an appointment to review the results of the admission assessment.

Collegiate’s admission process is designed to let children be children.

The assessment is gentle, and children enjoy both individual attention and small group work. It is through this journey that you are able to learn more about your child’s social, emotional and cognitive readiness. The feedback you receive will enable you to make an informed educational choice for your child and for your family.

Character at Collegiate One day last May, I was walking to lunch when I heard a 3rd Grader frantically calling my name. Expecting a problem, I turned and she breathlessly said, “Let me open that door.”

I was struck by how often that happens, but small moments like these are visible signs of a culture that goes very deep.

Values and helping children develop strong character are important at Collegiate.

Because of this, each month the entire Lower School selects a specific value on which to focus. Stories, poems, or a Bible verse might be used to help explain that value. Our teachers spend time helping students identify core values through their interactions and the events that are simply part of life in the Lower School. Many are reinforced in those “teachable moments” that present themselves throughout our daily activities.

These values are lived each day in many ways both large and small. Perhaps a library book or an incident on the playground will tie in to one of these values, and the class will discuss it in a Morning Meeting. One day I stopped to visit a 2nd Grade class that was discussing courage. After reading a piece about Rosa Parks, the students had a fascinating conversation about how she showed courage in her actions that day in Montgomery.

All Lower School students and teachers attend a Town Meeting every month where a 4th Grade class leads the program with a skit to remind us all of that month’s particular value.

We also have chapels during which classes present different themes, such as kindness or doing your best. We see our students making strong connections between their actions and our values because they are reinforced in many different ways.

Opening a door for a student or an adult, as my 3rd Grade friend did for me last spring, is only one example of how respect for one another is part of the Collegiate experience and has been for nearly 100 years. Collegiate’s strength is looking forward, yet in the midst of change, our commitment to developing character remains firm. This is the cornerstone of who we are. – Jill Hunter, Lower School Head

Meet Steve Hickman We are delighted to welcome Steve Hickman as our Head of School. We are thrilled to have found such an exceptional leader who is so well-matched to Collegiate’s values and aspirations.

Steve has extensive leadership experience, having served as a head of school for the last 13 years. Prior to Collegiate, he was the Head of Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Previously, Steve served as head of school at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, South Carolina. Steve’s warm personality and strong sense of integrity complement his impressive range of skills.

Steve is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and he earned degrees from Loyola University in New Orleans (B.S.S.), George Mason University (J.D.), The Johns Hopkins University (M.S.) and Brenau University (M.Ed). He and his wife Mary have three grown children.

Admission Calendar 2014 – 2015

Request for Testing and Permission to Release forms due by Monday, Sept. 22

Parent Admission Programs Wednesday, Oct. 22, 9:00 – 11:45 a.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 9:00 – 11:45 a.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.* *Tours of our campus will not be offered during the evening program.

Admission Testing Dates 1. Individual Testing October 2014 through January 2015 (beginning Tuesday, Oct. 7) Appointment schedules are generally mailed two weeks prior to your child’s testing.

2. Group Readiness Testing Your child will be assigned to one of the following dates: Saturday, Jan. 10

Saturday, Jan. 24

* Snow make-up testing, Saturday, Jan. 31

Financial Aid Forms In early January, forms will be mailed to families who have requested information. Forms must be returned by the specified date in order to receive aid information prior to the contract due date.

Take a Tour Visit our campus! It’s the best way to learn about Collegiate. Spend time in a kindergarten classroom; observe passionate teaching and children excited about learning; check out the art, music, science and world language spaces; talk with our Lower School faculty; ask questions.

Give us a call (741-9778) anytime to set up your private tour. We look forward to seeing you!

Notification letters will be mailed on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015.

Kindergarten contracts are due by noon on Thursday, Mar. 5, 2015.

Financial Aid Collegiate strives to make its educational opportunities available to students without regard to financial circumstances. Several different payment schedules and financing options are available to families. In addition, Collegiate has a need-based financial aid program. The amount of financial aid granted is based upon an annual assessment of the financial ability of the student’s family. Collegiate seeks to make its program accessible to families who demonstrate need as determined by the School and Student Services (SSS) in Princeton, NJ, along with its own institutional discretion. The school will safeguard the confidentiality of all information provided by a family.

Families interested in applying for financial aid should indicate this on the admission application. In early January, you will receive the necessary forms and instructions. Provided that all of the information is submitted by the dates indicated, you will receive your financial aid response shortly after the admission decisions are made and before enrollment contracts are due. A request for financial aid has no bearing on admission decisions.

For more information or to ensure that we know you want to be considered for financial aid, please call Taylor Kell at 741-5471.

103 North Mooreland Road, Richmond, VA 23229 804.740.7077 / www.collegiate-va.org The Collegiate School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin in the administration of its educational, admission or financial aid policies, or any other programs administered by the School.

How Collegiate Approaches Coeducation As parents considering various educational options for your child, you probably have been intrigued, and occasionally confused, by conflicting information in the single-sex versus coeducation debate. In the midst of all of the competing research and resulting opinions, one important lesson emerges: children learn more effectively in schools that pay attention to the role of gender both in and out of the classroom. At Collegiate, we take the differing developmental needs of boys and girls seriously. Our Lower School program fosters healthy cross-gender friendships in a coeducational setting as children learn how to establish relationships with peers. The onset of early adolescence in the Middle School dictates a single-sex environment as students experience a time of rapid and unsettling physical and emotional growth. Finally, a coeducational setting in the Upper School is enhanced by designating leadership opportunities for both boys and girls through all grade levels. Of course, neither a single-sex nor a coeducational structure can guarantee results for any child. At Collegiate, we are committed to meeting the individual needs of each of our students. It is this commitment, together with a deliberate approach to issues of gender, that we believe provides the optimal setting for learning and growth.

“Schools, teachers and parents need to recognize that there is, on every available measure, considerable overlap between males and females. Some girls are more competitive than many boys, some boys are more nurturing than many girls.

In striving to become aware of educationally relevant gender differences, educators must not lose sight of all that is gender shared.”

– Anne Chapman’s A Great Balancing Act, a publication from the National Association of Independent Schools