Private Education
Forget financial aid — that’s old school Tech-savvy
teens still need help on the internet
Gordon School overhauled its tuition model, wiped ‘financial aid’ from the books, and began changing a culture that goes back generations
New information literacy course at Providence Country Day School to help students become experts in web credibility
BY SCOTT PICKERING
spickering@eastbaynewspapers.com
Gordon School is one month into a groundbreaking, new tuition program, and everything is different. Except, it isn’t. Except, it really is. The ‘not so different’ part is the diverse student population in an elite East Providence school with a top tuition price of about $34,000. The ‘different’ part is everything else having to do with tuition — what it’s called, how it’s talked about, what it means and how it defines or classifies students in the school. It’s one thing to say Gordon School is FIT! — it looks great on a bumper sticker — it’s another to understand what that means. To begin, FIT stands for Family Individualized Tuition. It’s the new program that went live this month after three years of planning. As of the 2018-19 school year, none of the 350 Gordon families is receiving financial aid. The entire financial aid structure is gone. Even the terminology is gone. You can’t find “financial aid” on the school website, pamphlets or admissions materials, nor can you find
Tom Cicatiello, the school’s chief financial officer. “We’re not window-dressing here, so we didn’t want to have people pull back the curtain and see the same, old thing.” The new concept is relatively simple. Instead of charging every family the
It’s a cultural norm that teenagers today spend hours online each day engaged with games, music, shows and social media. What’s largely unknown, however, is most youth lack the critical skills needed to navigate information on the internet, according to a recent study led by Stanford researchers. From social media feeds to search results, students have trouble judging credible sources from unreliable ones and confuse original and sponsored content across news outlets, blogs and other digital channels, as reported from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. “When we Google, there could be 10 million results that address a search topic, all from different angles or opposing viewpoints.
See FIT Page 4
See TECH Page 12
Gordon School replaced the traditional tuition-financial aid model with a system of individualized tuitions for every family. it on the digital portal used by parents to apply to the school. Since Gordon’s longtime software vendor could not create a platform without the words “financial aid,” they went out and found a new vendor to write a custom program. “Financial aid is not something that’s in our terminology or our reality,” said
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Schools use ‘mindfulness’ to help students cope, transition and learn PAGE 2
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Page 2 Private Education Guide 2018
Calm ‘mindfulness’ is a hot topic in schools
Schools like Pennfield incorporate ‘mindfulness’ to help students with school and life
us.” Some key aspects of this definition are being present, not stuck on the past (or what happened 15 minutes ago at recess) or worrying about the future (who will I sit with at lunch) and not being overly “reactive” and trying not to be “overwhelmed” or distracted by what is going around us (holding on to the frustration from recess or shutting down when the lunch room is so loud you cannot think straight and then you don’t eat your lunch and have a headache for the rest of the day). These are very real minute-to-minute issues for students; the type of issues that can throw off their focus and ability to concentrate and/or ruin their whole day. At Pennfield, they start the day in Pre-K with a group breathing exercise. Sometimes they use a Hoberman Sphere (or breathing ball) and as the teacher expands the sphere, students breathe in through their noses; as the
Mindfulness has become a hot topic in the educational world in the last few years. Many schools, including The Pennfield School in Portsmouth, are incorporating mindfulness practices with all of their students. At Pennfield, mindfulness techniques and yoga practice have been a part of the preschool, Pre-K, and kindergarten programs for several years. Students participate in weekly yoga practice, and use breathing and meditation to help support learning, relationship building and self awareness. Mindfulness can be an important tool in the classroom. According to Mindful.org, mindfulness is “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around East Bay 09_18 .qxp_Layout 1 8/17/18 12:39 PM
Page 1
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KARYN JIMENEZ-ELLIOTT
Pre-K assistant Jenny Williams and student Greyson Elliott practice a mindfulness exercise at Pennfield School.
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Private Education Guide 2018 Page 3
Students learning to let go of the past, navigate the present From FACING PAGE teacher pushes the sphere back together, the class breathes out through their mouths. This short (maybe 2 to 3 minutes) breathing practice is huge in preparing for the day. The children have a focal point with the Hoberman Sphere. They are also, as a group, aligning their minds with their bodies (their bodies have showed up at school but sometimes their minds are still somewhere else). This is a form of self-regulation — getting all the parts of yourself together and ready for the day. After this, they usually give a brief run-down of what the day has in store and they find children retain the schedule so much better when their teachers take a few minutes to mindfully prepare them in this quiet way.
Transitions can be very difficult for children (and adults), so they have found that ringing a chime, putting a finger on their noses, taking a deep breath, and then listening for the next instruction really helps. Once the teacher rings the chime, all of the children know to stop any activity they may be engaged in and just listen to the chime. As a group, the class then takes a deep breath so that minds and bodies are ready for the instruction. They also try to close their day with a focused mindful three-part mantra. Children gently touch their temples and say “kind thoughts,” then they touch their mouth and say “kind words,” and then put their hands on their heart and say “kind hearts.” Students have shared this practice with their families and the feedback has been very positive.
A ‘Mindful Minute’ at home If this sounds interesting to you, here is a simple way to try out a “Mindful Minute” in your own family:
Breathing “buddy” exercise Take a small stuffed animal (like a beanie baby) and place it on your lower belly. The goal is to inhale and fill up your belly and watching the stuffed animal rise and as you exhale the belly goes flat. The parent can count for the child like this “Breathe in, 1, breathe out, 2, breathe in, 3, breathe out, 4” trying to get to 10. And then the child can count for the
adult. This is a nice practice to use at bedtime or when a child (who may be too old to nap) needs some down time during the day. You could set the timer on your phone for a few minutes and work up in time each time you practice. When you are done it is important to talk about how you and your child feel. Many children will say they feel sleepy and as an adult you could help them come up with other words, like calm or peaceful. Together, you are cultivating awareness and noticing that when you
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Page 4 Private Education Guide 2018
FIT: New system has a different tuition for every student From Page 1 same tuition, with some paying 100 percent and others paying less based on their level of ‘financial aid,’ every family now has its own tuition. And they all pay 100 percent of it. Some pay a $34,000 tuition. Others pay a $25,000 tuition. Others pay a $12,000 tuition. The school campus is still the same. The programs and curriculums are the same. Staffing is pretty much the same. Overall, the operating revenue and expense budgets are basically the same. All that’s changed is how they talk about the price of a Gordon education.
A cultural shift “It’s important to think about what the culture of financial aid does to a school,” said new Head of School Dr. Noni Thomas López. “What does it mean to have this idea floating around that the wealthier families in the school are funding the participation of less affluent families? What does it feel like for the families that are on financial
aid? How they feel they belong in the school community, to express concerns and issues? … In schools I’ve been at in the past, families that were on financial aid felt like they couldn’t complain about anything, because they didn’t want to put their aid in jeopardy.” Ms. Thomas López began this year at the same time as the FIT rollout, after taking over for longtime Head Ralph Wales. She inherited FIT, as well as the school’s reputation as a national leader in diversity initiatives, and just a few months into her tenure, she sees deep connections between FIT and the school’s core beliefs. “We want to create a community where people feel a sense of true, authentic belonging,” she said. “This system really does a lot to create an authentic community.” She elaborated: “I think culture is not a small thing. I’ve been in rooms where financial aid is talked about as a burden, or it’s eating into a budget, and not being able to do things because we’re committing so much to financial aid.
on the program and the school?”
From ‘needy’ to investors
Head of School Dr. Noni Thomas López What kind of message does that send to folks that are on financial aid, because the support they’re getting from the school is somehow a burden
Mr. Cicatiello said he’s already seen the difference firsthand. “There are a lot of small things that create the culture around this,” he said. “In the old system, let’s say you received $10,000 of financial aid. Every month, we sent you a bill, and we showed you the full price, and we showed you the aid that you were getting, and every month there was a reminder that you weren’t paying the full price. Today, no more. Now we say, your price is, for example, $20,000. That’s a sizable investment your family is making to this school, and we appreciate that.” In effect, Gordon is abandoning a tuition system that goes back generations, where families demonstrate “need” in order to get “aid.” Said Ms. Thomas López, “If we’re going to espouse the values that we do, everything we do has to be in alignment with that, particularly if you’re talking about
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Private Education Guide 2018 Page 5
Gordon says new system is a ‘game-changer’ for community From FACING PAGE something like socioeconomic circumstances. And that’s something else that is sensitive for independent schools … They rest on their laurels, because they think, ‘well, we have financial aid,’ but they don’t stop to think about how that impacts families. “Every practice here matters, like the fact that when we’re in our finance meetings, we’re not talking about kids that are on financial aid. It’s important in terms of, when we walk out, how we view our families … Some schools may dismiss this as, ‘it’s the same thing with new wrapping on it.’ It’s a game-changer. This is what independent schools say they want to be, but if they’re not willing to look at how they manage and talk about their families, they’re not going to make the progress they say they want.” Mr. Cicatiello said he sees benefits on a daily basis. “To be able to sit down and say, ‘your family’s investment in Gordon is this, and here’s why’ … it puts everybody at the same table, at
the same level, as opposed to sitting down and saying, ‘what does your family need to be able to come here?’ ”
A great, unmet ‘need’ According to Mr. Cicatiello, nationwide research shows that the “old” system is not working well. Schools offering traditional financial aid programs only fund about 60 percent of the demonstrated “need” from applicants. In addition, he said, because families had to reapply for financial aid every year, they never knew what their tuition would be year to year. “We found that families were unable to fully commit to the school, because they never knew what was going to happen the following year. Is this the year where I get the full funding and I’m going to stay, or am I going to have to leave? So there were a lot of things about the old system that were ineffective. It really challenged us to rethink, to ask, ‘if you could start over, what would you do?’ ”
See FIT Page 6
Tom Cicatiello, chief financial officer, worked on Gordon’s new tuition model for three years before it went live this school year.
Knowledge & Grace
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Preschool (age 3) - Grade 8 | Tuition assistance available Extended Day School until 5:30 pm at no additional charge!
for students in grades 9-12, just seven miles north of Newport, Rhode Island
180 Rhode Island Avenue, Newport RI 02840
To register, call 401-643-1248
Please plan to attend our Open House on Saturday, October 13. www.portsmouthabbey.org
Page 6 Private Education Guide 2018
FIT: Tuition system matches with core values around diversity From Page 5 Mr. Cicatiello lived in the financial aid system for 21 years, since beginning at Gordon. In that time, he’s seen a major shift in the financial portfolios of Gordon applicants. “When I first got here, there were many more families paying for tuition through intergenerational wealth, or through trust funds, or through family support. Whereas today, partly because of our desire to diversify the student body, and partly because of changes in the country and the state, people are investing in education out of their household budgets. It’s pretty much off of their W2 … So we said, ‘what can we do about it?’ ”
FIT for three years Furthermore, he said, because family budgets don’t change very frequently, Gordon has chosen to create more stability. They tell families their FIT price for three years. And the families have to go through the process of
paperwork and documentation only once every three years. “It’s really a game-changer for families,” Mr. Cicatiello said. Skeptics have challenged the Gordon model as simply window-dressing on the old system, or worse. Said Ms. Thomas López, “I think there were questions about Gordon, whether we were taking this step to get that upper end, up higher.” It’s not. The top tuition of $34,000 is about 2 percent higher than it was last year. Ms. Thomas López argues that the new system has made Gordon more transparent in some ways. “When families in the traditional system get their financial aid model, some of them know that they can make a phone call and mess around with that number. There are other families, you can guess which ones, who don’t have the social capital, who don’t even know they can do that. The fact that we can hold our heads high, and everyone can know that’s their price, and there’s nobody making secret deals, is import-
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School
ant,” Ms. Thomas López said. The conversations are shifting inside the faculty as well, she said. “The onus is on us to demonstrate the value of a Gordon education. So when we’re with a family who’s feeling like the cost is too much, we’re not going into a dark negotiation where we’re talking about dollars. We talk about the program, and let’s talk about your child, and let’s talk about why this is a great match … So it’s changed things for us, because we’re not going to negotiate on the dollars. We have to make sure the program is top-notch.”
A much different application Mr. Cicatiello said the experience for perspective families is vastly different than it used to be. “In the old days, you inquired in September, we had you come to an open house in November, you brought your child for a visit, we got you to fall in love with the school, maybe you had a ‘come and play’ date in January, we accepted you in February, and we told you your price in March,” he said. “That’s
rare opportunities + supportive peers
a long way to go. Now, you complete the financial part of the application, and after your visit, we give you your FIT price. So that FIT price now is in your hand right after your visit. You can then decide if you want to continue with the process, and you’re certainly more able to fully invest in the process.” So everything changed at Gordon this year. But then again, it didn’t. “Gordon School wouldn’t be Gordon School if there were 350 students here all paying $34,000,” Mr. Cicatiello said. “That’s not our program. We know that in order to have the program we want, we need a diverse student population, and that includes a diverse socioeconomic student population … In the first year, we’ve enrolled a student body just as diverse as it was before.” “This program is in direct alignment with our values,” Ms. Thomas López said.
encourage brave choices
A Roman Catholic School in the Diocese of Providence
Academic Excellence, Catholic Faith Based Education, Community Service
Our educators provide ample opportunities for students to take wise risks, try new things, and investigate fresh interests.
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• Dedicated, long-serving faculty
Sunday, November 4 11:30am – 1pm
• Low student-teacher ratio (never more than 20 students!)
Pre-K3 through 8th Grade
• STEAM certified teachers
127 State Street, Bristol, RI | www.olmcri.org • (401) 253-8455
Open House Saturday, October 13 1:00pm register: standrews-ri.org
grades 6-12 & pg • boarding and day • Barrington, RI
Private Education Guide 2018 Page 7
GUIDE TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS School
Grades
Enrollment
Avg. class size
Tuition
Open House
All Saints STEAM Academy PK-8 135 15 Stop in anytime. 915 West Main Road $3,840 to $7,650 Middletown 401/848-4300 allsaintsacademy.org Antioch School PK-8 90 10 618 Rock St., Fall River $4,500 to $5,100 508/673-6767 antioch-school.org
Please call for open house dates.
Barrington Christian Academy K-12 205 18 Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 9 Old County Road Barrington $9,700 to $15,900 Barrington 401/246-0113 bcacademy.org Bishop Connolly High School 373 Elsbree St. Fall River 508/676-1071 bishopconnolly.com
Grade 8 250 16 $10,425 (L.E.A.P. program) and 9-12
Oct. 18, 5-8 p.m. Nov. 4, 1-3 p.m.
Bishop Hendricken High School 2615 Warwick Ave. Warwick 401/739-3450 hendricken.com
8-12 950 22 $14,750 (all boys)
Oct. 14 at noon-3 p.m. Nov. 18 at noon-3 p.m.
$10,400
Nov. 4, 1-3 p.m.
Community Preperatory School 4-8 142 18 $16,000 135 Prairie Ave. Providence 401/521-9696 communityprep.org
Nov. 4, 2-4 p.m.
Bishop Stang High School 500 Slocum Road North Dartmouth 508/996-5602 bishopstang.com
9-12
580
19
French-American School of R.I. PS-8 200 18 $13,600 to $19,800 75 John St., Providence 401/274-3325 fasri.org
Nov. 4, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friends Academy Early 210 12 $13,000 to $28,000 1088 Tucker Road childhood-8 North Dartmouth 508/999-1356 friendsacademy1810.org
Nov. 4, 1-3 p.m. Tours daily
Page 8 Private Education Guide 2018
GUIDE TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS School
Grades
Enrollment
Avg. class size
Gordon School Nursery-8 370 12-15 45 Maxfield Ave., E. Providence 401/434-3833 gordonschool.org
The Grace School K-7 120 15 1000 Eddy St., Providence 401/533-9100 Thegraceschool.org LaSalle Academy 612 Academy Ave. Providence 401/351-7750 lasalle-academy.org
6-12
1,500
20
Tuition Family individualized tuition
$9,400
$13,500 to $15,400
Open House Nov. 3, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Call for more info
Oct. 28, noon-3 p.m.
Lincoln School 1-12 (girls) 400 14 $25,000 to $36,700 Nov. 4, 1-3 p.m. 301 Butler Ave., Providence Nursery-K (coed) Jan. 12, 10 a.m. to noon 401/331-9696 lincolnschool.org The Montessori Centre of Barrington 18 months 75 Varies by age 303 Sowams Road through K Barrington montessori-centre.com 401/245-4754 Moses Brown Nursery-12 770 14 250 Lloyd Ave., Providence 401/831-7350 mosesbrown.org Ocean State Montessori School PS-6 100 20 100 Grove Ave., E. Providence 401/434-6913 oceanstatemontessori.com
$7,000 to $18,000 depending on program, hours and days
$16,900 to $36,600 Oct. 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
$7,500 to $12,000
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School PK-8 150 15 $5,100 to $5,600 127 State St. Bristol 401/253-8455 olmcri.org Pennfield School
PS-8
170
16
$7,600 to $22,300
110 Sandy Point Ave., Portsmouth
401/849-4646 pennfield.org Portsmouth Abbey School 9-12 360 12 285 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth 401/683-2000 portsmouthabbey.org
Call for appointment.
Boarding: $60,050 Day: $38,300
Nov. 18, 1-3 p.m.
Jan. 27, 11:30-1:30 p.m.
Oct. 26, 8-10 a.m. Dec. 7, 8-10 a.m. Jan. 25, 8-10 a.m. Call to register.
Private Education Guide 2018 Page 9
GUIDE TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS School
Grades
Enrollment
Avg. class size
Tuition
Open House
The Prout School 4640 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield 9-12 450 22 $14,700 401/789-9262 theproutschool.org 6-12
Providence Country Day
225
12
Oct. 14, 1-4 p.m. Nov. 5, 6-8 p.m.
$32,250 to $36,800
660 Waterman Ave., E. Providence
401/438-5170 providencecountryday.org
Nov. 3, 10 a.m. to noon Winter parent visit day, Jan 16, 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Rocky Hill School PreK-12 300 12 530 Ives Rd., East Greenwich 401/884-9070 rockyhill.org
$5,800 to $36,200
Oct. 21, 1-3 p.m.
Sacred Heart School K-8 160 20 56 Purchase St., East Providence 401/434-1080 sacredheartepri.com
$4,250
Call for details.
Sally Borden Program 3-8 45 8 $35,000 at Friends Academy 1088 Tucker Road North Dartmouth 508/999-1356 friendsacademy1810.org
Nov. 4, 1-3 p.m. Tours daily.
9
$20,800 to $47,200
Oct. 24, 9-11 p.m.
St. Andrew’s School 6-12 and PG 220 10 63 Federal Road, Barrington 401/246-1230 standrews-ri.org
Day: $40,200 Boarding: $60,400
Oct. 13, 1 p.m.
School One 220 University Ave., Providence 401/331-2497 school-one.org
9-12
80
EXCEL IN LEARNING AND IN LIFE Open House November 4 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Open House Friday, October 26
| 8 a.m.
To RSVP, call 401-849-4646 or email contact@pennfield.org financial aid and military discounts
Placement Exam December 1 or 8 8:00 am - 11:30 am
For event info visit bishopstang.org
preschool ( age 3) – eighth grade
www . pennfield . org
Page 10 Private Education Guide 2018
GUIDE TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS School
Grades
Enrollment
Avg. class size
9-12
370
10
Tuition
Day: $44,550 372 Purgatory Road, Middletown Boarding: $62,550 401/847-7565 stgeorges.edu St. George’s School
Open House Oct. 6, Nov. 3 Call to register.
St. Luke School PS-8 225 20 10 Waldron Ave., Barrington 401/246-0990 stlukesri.org
$6,600 to $6,900
Nov. 4, 12:30-2 p.m.
St. Margaret School PK-8 200 20 42 Bishop Ave., Rumford stmargaretsch.org 401/434-2338
$4,000 to $8,100
Call for details.
St. Mary Academy Bay View PK-12 750 18 $6,800 to $15,800 3070 Pawtucket Ave. (all girls) Riverside 401/434-0113 bayviewacademy.org
Oct. 14, 1-3 p.m.
St. Michael’s Country Day PS-8 200 12 $12,930 to $25,200 180 Rhode Island Ave. Newport 401/849-5970 smcds.org
Call for details.
St. Philomena School PK-8 430 25 324 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth 401/683-0268 saintphilomena.org
$3,930 to $9,425
Oct. 21, noon-2 p.m.
St. Raphael Academy 9-12 440 18 $12,650 Sept. 30, noon-3 p.m. 123 Walcott St. Pawtucket 401/723-8100 saintrays.org The Wheeler School Nursery-12 800 12 216 Hope St. Providence 401/421-8100 wheelerschool.org
$17,055 to $36,270
Oct. 20, 9 a.m. to noon.
The Wolf School K-8 60 8 215 Ferris Ave., East Providence 401/432-9940 thewolfschool.org
Call for more info
Oct. 21, 1-3 p.m.
Private Education Guide 2018 Page 11
Define your ideal school Every independent school provides a unique educational experience, so how do you decide which schools will be a good fit for your child? Think about: n School Type. Do you want a day school or boarding school? Coeducational or single-sex? If you’re not sure, search for articles and opinions or talk to an educational consultant about which environment might be best for your student. n Grade range. Do you want a school that focuses on your child’s age range, or one that can serve your child through elementary, middle, and high school? n Location. Convenience matters, especially if you want your child to take part in school activities. Time
the commute before and after school just to be sure. n Student body. Consider both average class size and total enrollment. A smaller population may mean fewer social opportunities, but more chances for your student to shine. Also consider the diversity of the student body. n Educational philosophy. Most independent schools fall along a continuum between traditional and progressive, but what does that mean? How are classes taught? How are expectations conveyed? How are students tested? Ask to sit in on a few classes to see how the philosophy plays out. n Curriculum. What courses are offered? Which are required and
which are elective? In what order are math, science, and humanities courses taught? Is there an interdisciplinary emphasis, so that what students study in English meshes with what they’re learning in history? Does the curriculum fit your student’s learning needs? n Faculty. Examine the faculty list (online or in recruitment materials). Where did teachers go to college? How long have they been teaching? Do their degrees match with what they teach? Is there much turnover? In primary grades, how many teachers are in the classroom? Watch a class to see how teachers interact with students and engage them in the learning process. n Facilities. In addition to the
overall condition of the school, look at the facilities your child may use. Is the art department well-stocked? Are sports facilities well-equipped? Are computers up to date? How extensive is the library/language lab? n Special programs and extracurriculars. Does the school provide programs that fit your student’s needs and interests? Consider academic support, language programs, arts, athletics, leadership opportunities, and service programs. Is the school a place where your child can blossom? Courtesy of the National Association of Independent Schools, nais.org
SAINT CECILIA SCHOOL Celebrating over 100 years of Catholic education!
SAINT CECILIA SCHOOL Does your child like?
Saint Raphael Academy
Celebrating over 100 years of Catholic education! Robotics • Google Chromebooks
Up to date computer room with fiber optic technology Wireless technology throught out the school and Instrumental Music Robotics • Google Chromebooks • Up to dateStrings computer room with Chorus • Drama • Smartboards • Sports
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fiber optic technology • Wireless technologyChromebooks throught out the school Robotics • Google Then St. Cecilia School is the only school for you! Strings and Instrumental Chorus • Drama • Smartboards • Sports Up toMusic date computer room with Accepting Registrations fiber optic Then St. Cecilia School is the only schooltechnology for you! for 2018-2019 throught Wireless technology – Grade 8 8 out the school Accepting Registrations for 2018-2019 •Pre-K Pre-K–Grade Where morals and values and Instrumental Music Where morals and valuesStrings meet academic excellence meet academic excellence
Chorus Drama • Care Smartboards • Sports Extended Care is available 2:30• p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Extended is available 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
755 Central St. Ave., Pawtucket, Rhode Island 401-723-9463 • www.scsri.org • mtetzner@scsri.org Then Cecilia School is the only school for you! 755 Central Avenue, Pawtucket, Rhode Island 401-723-9463 • www.scsri.org • mtetzner@scsri.org
Accepting Registrations for 2018-2019 Pre-K – Grade 8 Where morals and values meet academic excellence BISHOP CONNOLLY HIGH SCHOOL
OPEN HOUSE
Extended Care is available 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
A CATHOLIC, DIOCESAN HIGH SCHOOL
You are welcome. Literally! Join us at Open House: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, FROM 12-3PM. Learn more at saintrays.org or call 401-723-8100.
OCTOBER 18 NOVEMBER 4 Island 755 Central Avenue, Pawtucket, Rhode
Stop by, tour the college-style campus and meet our caring community.
THURSDAY 5 TO 8 PM SUNDAY 1 TO 3 PM
401-723-9463 • www.scsri.org • EXAM mtetzner@scsri.org PLACEMENT | Sat, Dec 1 & 8 | 8 am 373 Elsbree Street | Fall River, MA Jo-Ann Bettencourt, Director of Admissions 508.676.1071 x333 | jbettencourt@bchs.dfrcs.org www.BishopConnolly.com
WELCOME TO THE SAINTS FAMILY. WELCOME HOME. SAINTRAYS.ORG
Photos of events, people, etc. available for purchase at eastbayri.com
Page 12 Private Education Guide 2018
TECH: PCD and others teaching students internet literacy From Page 1 Learning how to make sense of all that information can be challenging,” says Matthew Mena-Landry, director of library and academic technology innovation at Providence Country Day School. To help students better find, evaluate and utilize information online, Providence Country Day School has introduced a new information literacy course beginning this fall. Led by Mena-Landry and formatted as a collaborative seminar, the interdisciplinary class incorporates information technology, journalism, civics and digital media production, focused on building students’ abilities to find and interpret reliable and accurate information online. In the class, students will practice verifying digital content by analyzing its timeliness, content origin and URL address, among other key factors. “With the recent surge of misinfor-
mation or what some might call fake news, the media and technology landscape is becoming more com-
plicated every day,” says MenaLandry. “Information literacy is the ability to think critically and make
balanced judgements about any information we find and use online.” The new course follows a national trend in secondary education to integrate new media literacy and digital citizenship curriculum aimed to expand students’ abilities to collect and qualify resources online. From traditional research publications to trending hash tags, strengthening information literacy knowledge for youth is crucial as daily screen time expands and students continue to grow as primary media consumers and content creators. “Whenever our students want to learn about anything, their first step is often Google. With our information literacy class, students will gain a new level of confidence in identifying reputable online sources, whether it’s academic research or a personal interest in news, videos, podcasts, or social media. Their ability to curate quality content and then share, produce or add to it effectively is an invaluable skill.”
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