My Boarding School Blog
Archive for the 'trivia' Category
05 12th, 2008 The problem with middle schools
One particularly puzzling problem that plagued junior high schools and continues to plague middle schools is what Samuel H. Popper termed being “a school without teachers”. Because of the lack of teacher education programs and licensure that focus on the middle school level, the majority of young adolescents are taught by teachers who prepared for a career as an elementary or high school teacher. Fewer than one in four middle-grades teachers have received specialized training to teach at the middle level before they begin their careers. As a result, teachers who wind up teaching in middle schools, even those who discover that they enjoy teaching middle school students, find themselves woefully unprepared to work with this age group.
read comments (0)04 23rd, 2008 Private school traditions
The following are traditions that are handed down from class to class at some of the private schools around the country.
From Woodberry Forest School, Woodberry Forest, Virginia
Honor System – “When you first visit Woodberry, you may be surprised to find books, jackets, and scooters left around campus while their owners take care of other business. When the boys return, their items will still be there. That is because of our legendary honor system, which prohibits lying, cheating, and stealing. The honor system is not an empty pledge at Woodberry. It is a way of life and a means for educating students about what it means to be honorable men.”
From McCallie School, Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Origin of the Senior Leadership Name – “In 1907, following the trend of other prep schools, McCallie students and faculty created a number of nonsensical cheers. The most popular was: Keo, Kio, Sis, Boom Zee; Meo, Mio, Rah, Rah, Rea; Zipity, Zapaty, Zee, Zum, Zee; McCallie, McCallie, McCall-ee. This cheer was the inspiration behind the naming of the senior leadership organization Keo-Kio.” Read the rest of this entry »
12 26th, 2007 Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE)
The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) is a three-hour admission test for entrance into grades five through twelve. The ISEE has three levels: a Lower Level for students currently in grades four and five who are candidates for admission to grades five and six, a Middle Level for students in grades six and seven who are candidates for admission to grades seven and eight, and an Upper Level for students in grades eight to eleven who are candidates for admission to grades nine through twelve.
Q: How much is the test?
A: The online or mail-in registration fee for the ISEE is $78. There is an additional charge of $20 for phone or fax registration.
Q: Are walk-in tests available?
A: Yes, walk-in registration is available at a limited number of test sites and dates. Walk-in registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be assured due to limitations on test materials and staff. There is an additional $30 fee for this service. If you are a candidate for walk-in registration, you must call the test site directly to see if you can be accommodated. If so, you must bring the following to the test site:
• a completed Registration Form. • the test fee plus the additional $30 (check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express).
Note: Test site supervisors will not accept cash and scoring will be delayed if your Registration Form has not been properly completed. Allow two extra working days for score reports and telephone reports.
Q: Can I make changes to my registration?
A: Yes, contact the Operations Office at 1-800-446-0320 immediately to make any changes to your submitted form. Some changes, such as rescheduling a test date, may result in additional fees. Check the ISEE Student Guide for more complete information.
Q: Where is the test offered?
A: The test is offered in over thirty metropolitan areas across the country. The list of testing dates and locations is found in the ISEE Student Guide available through the school to which the student is applying or online.
Read the rest of this entry »
12 26th, 2007 Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)
The Secondary School Admission Test, or SSAT, is an admissions test administered to students in grades 5-11 to help determine placement into independent or private junior high and high schools. Despite its similarities, the SSAT is not related to the SAT Reasoning test and is not administered by the College Board.
There are two levels of the test: the Lower level for students in grades 5-7 and the Upper level, designed for students in grades 8-11. The SSAT consists of two parts: a brief essay and a multiple choice test that includes Mathematics, Reading Comprehension and Verbal sections. In all, there are five sections.
The test, written in English, is primarily administered in the United States and Canada at various test centers, which usually are independent schools. However, there are also test centers worldwide.
12 26th, 2007 What’s Up With Cate?
Cate School, established in 1910 by Curtis Wolsey Cate, is a four-year, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school in Carpinteria, California, United States.
In addition to an academic curriculum that features a combined thirty-eight Advanced Placement (AP) offerings and honors courses, all students participate in an extracurricular program that includes athletics, drama, music, dance, community service, and an extensive outdoor program. The class size averages between ten and twelve students.
The student body of 265 students (83 percent are boarders) comes from twenty-three states and thirteen countries and is both academically talented and diverse.
Some Quick Facts:
Cate’s student body is recognized as much for its talent—academic, artistic, and athletic—as it is for its warmth and vitality.
Admission
> Inquiries received yearly for admission: 2,000
> Interviews conducted yearly for admission: 450
> Applications submitted yearly for admission: 450
> New students enrolled yearly: 75-80
> General median SSAT total percentile of new students: 80th
Student Body
> Total students: 265 (220 boarders / 45 day)
> Boarding students from outside California: 43%
> Boarding students from abroad: 19%
> Students of color: 41%
> Students who receive need-based financial aid: Almost 30%
> Financial aid allocated for 2006/2007: $2,000,000
> Foreign Nations represented in student body (by home address): England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Macau, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand
> States represented in student body (by home address): AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, ID, IL, LA, MA, MD, MT, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, UT, VA, WA