The Private School Concern: Cost

Finance — you have discovered — is a fickle thing. Dollars come and go with alarming ease, never willing to settle into your bank accounts and collect the happy interest. Money is instead impermanent; and you’re not blessed with an excess of funds. You can’t always go to PaydayOne.com for help too. You’re shaped instead to the middle class concerns, and all expenses must therefore be understood (and countered). You save as much as you can. You spend only what you must. And the intention of each day is to still have pennies in your pocket.

You don’t always succeed with this but you never stop trying — and you wonder if those attempts will be enough to afford a better education for your child.

The notion of private schools is one that many parents consider. They wish to offer opportunities to their sons and daughters, allowing them to experience stronger lessons and art-enriched environments. Institutions that are not governed by the state are proven to provide an education of value.

They are also, however, proven to demand money for it.

The terrible truth of private schools is that they are not free — unlike their public counterparts. They instead require tuition payments and enrollment fees; and these numbers can be staggering. As of 2010 the average expense of such an organization is $6,600 dollars a year. This price reflects less distinguished districts, however. Along the eastern and western coastlines costs can rise dramatically: with some schools requiring over $20,000 dollars for one term.

For many families these prices are simply too high. Even with financial aid and scholarship programs (which are not always available), the requirements can still be thousands of dollars a year — and many cannot spare such amounts.

It’s essential therefore that all parents understand the specific district costs of schools and what assistance is provided. Recognize the limitations of a budget and do not exceed these. An education can easily form debt and recovering from that would be difficult.

Choose The Best School For Your Child

Queen Elizabeth High School (Halifax, Nova Sco...

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It’s essential that your child goes to the right school – a school that will motivate them to succeed, and give them ambitions and experience. Choosing a school does require plenty of research, to ensure you have the full story, especially if you are not familiar with the area your child will be going to school.

Look at school guides. Many states do this, such as the Washington State Post, and have page for each school giving some information. Some review schools on different areas, such as extra curricular activities, and you might find comments from previous students here too.

Look at the schools website. This should list important information such as what courses and activities are on offer, term times and any special points. You should also be able to see the latest score that the school was given under the ‘No Child Left Behind’ law.

Visit the school. Make sure your child is ready to ask any questions they have, and take a notebook to make notes. Talk to the principle, and find out about the schools aims, strengths and weaknesses. Consider whether you would have the principal as a friend, or if you would hire him as a colleague. If you can’t see the principle, or don’t get along with him, this should be a warning sign. This man will have a lot of control over the school.

Talk to other parents if you can, and the Parent Teacher Association. Find out what they think – would they send their child there again? Where else did they consider? Why did they choose this school? Their answers might help you to make up your mind.

Talk to your child and find out what they thought. Make a shortlist of schools, and talk about your gut feeling for each one. Allow your child to have their say, too. Then make the choice together, and get ready to go to school!

Staying Away from School Violence

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Bullying and school violence are on the rampage nowadays. It seems you can’t turn on the news or read a newspaper without hearing a story about a child, or even an adult, involved in violence at school. But it doesn’t have to be this way! There are ways to avoid violence at school. Take a look at these tips to keep yourself or your child out of trouble.

  1. It’s all about respect. Remember that the first step to avoiding violence is to respect other people. Try to understand the other’s perspective and that will go a long way in keeping you out of trouble.
  2. Try online school. Sometimes, a school really is too violent to attend. One way to stay away from the violence is to attend online school. Many college students choose this route. You can even get a master degree this way! Search for a master degree at earnmydegree.com to see the available options.
  3. Talk it out. If you are the victim of violence at school, talk to someone. Find a guidance counselor or someone else you trust to talk to about the problem. Avoiding the situation will not make it go away. You need to talk to someone and get some help.
  4. Report the situation. You absolutely need to report the bullying and the violence to an authority. Violence cannot be tolerated in any kind of circumstance. Report it to help stop the problem.

If you are a victim of school violence or if it is someone you love that is the victim, remember, there is help available.

 

It’s Better to be Silent Than Violent

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Violence can never be justified under any circumstances. There have been examples of wars being won without the use of force. Having said this, it is not an idealistic world that we live in. Violence is a common occurrence. Sometimes it is as dangerous for those who cause it as it for those against whom it is carried out. This holds true in the case of school students who indulge in any form of aggression or antagonism with fellow students. Such cases of violent behavior are highly perilous, as students might inflict fatal injuries on each other.

Students have a duty while in school, but the school also needs to keep the student’s requirements in mind. If, for certain reasons, students are unhappy, they might try and harm school property. School violence might be extended towards the staff and teachers as well. It is mandatory to provide all students with an education through a harmonious existence. Anger management workshops and activities can be encouraged among students and early signs of violent behavior must be nipped in the bud.

Violence is not limited to either a public education system or private education system and can occur in either scenario. In both cases, if it is severe, the students involved may end up facing legal consequences, which they will probably regret throughout their lives. This can also affect the mental health of the students, since they are in their formative years in school and are incapable of dealing with acute stress. This is why all possible means to discourage incidents of school violence must be implemented seriously in all schools.

Going Home for the Summer: Subletting or Subleasing?

Midtown Atlanta viewed from the Northwest. 

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Many students put time and effort into finding the perfect apartment near their college campus and don’t like giving them up when they go home for the summer, but what else can they do?

One option is subletting to another tenant. Here are a few things to consider when looking at subletting:

  1. Get permission from the landlords. Not all landlords allow subleasing, so make certain that you are meeting the legal requirements.
  2. Advertise online. Ideally when a potential tenant types in something like ”Atlanta apartments for rent” your listing should come up.
  3. Run a credit or background check on your potential tenant. Ask questions about the person’s previous rentals and past employment. Make sure you get permission from the person before you initiate background screening.
  4. Prepare a sublease contract. You can use a lawyer to help draw up the contract or find a subletting contract on the Internet. The contract should make the tenant responsible for payments and damages, as well as stipulating a deposit.

In order to assess the condition of the apartment, it is a good idea to walk through the apartment with the tenant. Make an inventory list that you both sign. Each of you should keep a copy of this list.

A sublease agreement may save some cash, however, it will not asolve you of responsibility. The original contract will remain in effect, and you are the person who will carry the responsibility should anything go wrong during the sublease.

Finally, make sure you have enough time for the tenant to move out before you’ll need to settle back in for the next semester.

How to Protect Children from School Violence

School violence is becoming very common in many schools. Recent years, there has been dramatic increase in school violence and it is a must for everyone to protect their children from such incidents. The cause for such violence can be anything and most common reasons are frustration, personal problems, depression, physiological problems, and family troubles. Here are few tips to protect children from school violence.

Group of children in a primary school in Paris

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Parents should create awareness among their children about the school violence and should encourage their children to watch television programs that discusses about such violence. Parents should let their children know that the violence in the schools are rare and do not happen all the time. Parents should check the security programs offered by the schools. Parents can obtain about the security information from the teachers, principal, or from the counsellors of the schools.

Most schools provide handbook of the school security programs and parents can read it carefully to check the measures implemented by the school to protect the children. Parents should attend board meetings and parent-teacher meetings in the schools so that they can interact with the teachers and know more about the security programs.

While attending meetings, parents can even suggest some new measures to improve the campus security. Parents should provide their children with some important phone numbers and this include fire department, police department, medical department, and other relevant department as this will be very helpful during emergencies. Parents can even train their children with some escape or survival methods. Finally, parents can provide their children with survival kits.

 

 

The Road to Being an Engineer

The road to being an engineer is a very long one, even for people as naturally bright and industrious as Canadians. Fortunately, the road is well trodden, as there are several great engineering schools in Canada where one can take up this noble profession. Among these colleges are the University of Waterloo, McGill University and the University of Alberta. Let’s take a quick look at each one.

The University of Waterloo is a very cooperative and hands-on university in Waterloo, Ontario. The emphasis at this school is on securing employment in engineering after graduation. Students do this by alternating between their classes and working, alternating a semester of each one.

McGill University is located in Montreal Quebec, and has an extremely diverse educational environment. Students there come from 150 different countries. McGill’s College of Engineering has been ranked 20th best in the world, which is pretty incredible considering how many of these programs there are in the world.

The University of Alberta is in the town of Edmonton Alberta, and is no slouch on the global stage either. With an engineering program ranked 55th in the world and having the second largest engineering school in Canada, this college also has the most active student body. There are actually eleven different student government organizations here, so students can get extremely involved in the world of their campus.

You can find these schools and others like them through Canada 411, which allows you to search for a keyword or category on anything. You can also search for the best pizza places, and the nearest bars and clubs, while you’re looking for things to enhance college life.

Waldorf Private Schools

Waldorf schools were developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919.  Steiner believed that the whole child should be educated: the heart, the mind, and the hand. The underlying goal of a Waldorf education is to develop each child into a lifelong learner.

The Teachers Credo

Waldorf teachers strive to answer three questions for every student every day.

  • How do we find each child’s highest level of academic achievement?
  • How do we instill in each child a zeal for learning, self-awareness, concern for others, and respect for the world?
  • How do we help each student find meaning in their life?

Students Grouped by Developmental Stages

Students are grouped into three developmental stages.  The first is birth through 6 years old; the second is 7 to 14; and the third is 15 to 18.  Fundamental to the Steiner method, is that age appropriate information should be delivered to the student in a way that nourishes healthy growth and learning.

Arts Focus

Waldorf schools emphasizing learning through art, writing, storytelling, and music.  Students are encouraged to use their imaginations, to think creatively, and to explore new solutions to old problems.

A Typical Day

Each morning Waldorf students are presented with a long lesson (usually around 2 hours). Subjects for the long lesson center around a theme that lasts for several weeks.  The long lesson allows teachers to present material in depth.  Following the lesson is a brief review.  Then the students have recess.  Afternoon sessions are active and involve all aspects of the child.  Some of these activities include dance, music, crafts, handwork, and gym.

Waldorf schools strive to prepare their students for a complete and grounded life.  Graduates not only master English, math, history, geography and science, but also know how to sing, draw, carve and act. Waldorf graduates know how to work with others and how to think independently.

How to Find a Tutor?

Educational surveys show that individual tutoring sessions can help children who are struggling in one or more academic areas succeed.  Students who have five or more sessions of one-hour tutoring sessions are the most successful.  So how and where do we find a suitable tutor?  While there is no one answer to that question, here are some simple guidelines in selecting a tutor and few places to begin your search.

Before you begin your search for a tutor, you need to ask yourself two questions.  First, what is my educational goal for the tutoring sessions? Second, how will I measure the effectiveness of the tutoring?

Where to look for a tutor

Your first and best asset is your school.  Ask your child’s teacher and principal for a list of tutors.  Your school district’s website is another source to find recommended tutors. Finally, the internet offers a wide variety of tutoring options.  Some of these include: kaplankids.com, kumon.com, sylvanlearning.com and tutormatch.com.  This is hardly a comprehensive list, but it is a place to start.

Things to ask a prospective tutor?

1.      What training do you have in the subject area?

2.      What experience do you have teaching children the same age as my child?

3.      How will you help my child master the skills they need? What methods do you use?

4.      Can you give me a list of five references?

5.      What are your rates?

6.      Are you willing to have an introductory session? (If the answer is no, move on to the next candidate.)

Always try an introductory session for your child and the tutor before committing to a contract for a specific number of sessions. After the introductory session, evaluate how your child feels about the session and about themselves and whether learning objectives were met.