After this last snow storm and bitter cold temperatures, I can't help but think about summer!!!
SSSAS has a Summer Program called SummerTimes and we just opened our enrollment for the 2014 Camp Season! They have traditional day camps (starting at age 3!), specialty camps, summer studies, and sports camps.
Whether or not your child attends an independent school this fall, enrolling your child in a summer program can be an incredibly rewarding and fun experience for them. Your child will follow a schedule (this will prove helpful in the fall), make new friends, and participate in new adventures.
A few tips:
Enroll your child in a week of camp and see how it goes. You can always add a few more weeks if it is going well.
Traditional Day Camp is wonderful, especially at the school your child will attend in the fall. What a great opportunity to get comfortable with their new setting! At SSSAS, many of our camps are staffed by current teachers and alums.
Consider a specialty camp or summer studies program! Trust me, they have a lot of fun. One of the rising 1st/2nd grade camps writes about "The History of Ice Cream," along with, of course, a taste-test to see what ice cream tastes the best.
When children are exposed to new environments they become better at acclimating to new experiences - something they will all have to do this fall. Sometimes this can be hard for little ones, as they are so used to their routine. As they become more familiar with adjusting to a new adventure, they will have smoother transitions down the road.
Stay warm out there!
Sincerely,
Katherine
Originally from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where she attended an independent school from preK-12th grade, Katherine Carbo earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a law degree before returning right back to the independent school world. With experience at four different schools from coast to coast, she writes insights and observations from the front line of independent school admissions. Mrs. Carbo is the Director of Lower School Admission at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia. She may be reached at kcarbo@sssas.org.
Happy New Year!
If you have not toured yet, but think you might want to apply for the 2014 school year please call the school's admission office. Some schools have open houses and some will schedule you for an individual tour through the middle/end of this month.
Check the school's application deadline! If you have any questions about whether you can still submit an application, be sure to call the school.
If you have not submitted your teacher recommendation form or release of records (transcript release form) to your child's current school, please do so. (hint: Giving your teacher a return envelope with a stamp on it could help get it in the mail!)
If you have not scheduled your child's WPPSI-IV testing, please do so. Our testers are still testing!
If you are applying for financial aid be sure to keep up with the deadlines. If you have not received financial aid information (from the schools you are applying to) be sure to contact them this week. The FA process is a parallel process with the admission process.
If your child has not attended their school visit and it has not been scheduled, feel free to call the school. Very likely the school is just about to send out their next set of invitations. (hint: See the School Visit blog entry for more details!)
I know that is a lot, please know we are grateful you are on this admission journey with us! You might be wondering why do we have to finish everything up in January?
My first admission committee meeting is in January. I can only present files once they are complete. Our school will notify families if something is missing, typically around the third week in January. We do this to make sure parents have a chance to track down that final rec or transcript.
I cannot speak for the other independent schools, but our admission committee is made up of teachers and administrators. I feel very fortunate to work with a team of educators who are looking out for your child's best interest.
Stay warm out there!
Sincerely,
Katherine
Originally from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where she attended an independent school from preK-12th grade, Katherine Carbo earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a law degree before returning right back to the independent school world. With experience at four different schools from coast to coast, she writes insights and observations from the front line of independent school admissions. Mrs. Carbo is the Director of Lower School Admission at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia. She may be reached at kcarbo@sssas.org.
