Greenwich Sentinel
2019-2020 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL GUIDE
The Self-Driven Child
FEATURED OPEN HOUSES
[and Boarding School]
Please call to confirm.
School
Open House Dates
Berkshire School 413-229-1003
Call to schedule a visit!
Brunswick School 203-625-5800
Upper School Sunday, October 17th 12noon - 2:00pm All School Sunday, November 3rd 1:00pm - 3:00pm (Edwards Campus, 1252 King Street)
Carmel Academy 203-983-3503
Sunday, October 27th 10:00am - 12:00pm
Choate Rosemary Hall 203-697-2000
Call to schedule a visit!
Cushing Academy 978-827-7300
Monday, October 14th. Monday, November 11th Saturday, December 7th 9:30am - 1:00pm
Ethel Walker School 860-408-4467
Monday, October 14th Monday, November 11th Tuesday, December 3rd 9:00am - 12:00pm
Fairfield Prep. 203-254-4200
Sunday, October 6th 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Forman School 860-567-1802
Monday October 14th 9:00am - 12:00pm
Greenwich Academy 203-625-8900
Sunday, October 20th 1:00pm Lower & Middle School. 3:00pm, Upper School.
Greenwich Country Day 203-863-5600
October 22nd Grades 9 - 12 @ 7:00pm October 27th Grades N - 8 @ 1:00pm
By Peter W.E. Becker
The experience of trying to get your child to do something you know is important and which they, conversely, do not appear interested in doing (or overtly reject as a concept), is a universal frustration for parents. Just mentioning this scenario evokes memories of battles over everything from table manners to a Lego-strewn living room to SAT prep, last-minute homework,
and, of course, screen time in its many forms. In addition to being exhausting, parenting this way can lead to more serious issues down the road. It is ironic, sad, and disturbing that given everything we have learned about children and adolescents over the last three decades, as kids approach the point at which they should be able to navigate life with increasing independence, they struggle increasingly with anxiety and depression. As counterintuitive as it sounds, the answer to this might not be to hold even tighter to our notions of what a child must do, but to take a deep breath, step back, and let them go. We, as parents and educators, need to consider whether our white-knuckle efforts to care for our young people are, in fact, part of the problem rather than the solution. In their 2018 book, The Self-Driven Child, William Stixrud and Ned Johnson argue that the missing ingredient for most kids today is a lack of a sense of control over their lives. Most startlingly, the authors claim that this missing autonomy is often the root cause of the anxiety and depression rampant in young people from
Pre-K through college – and that even our most achievement-oriented and “successful” kids lack the sense of control that is a necessary precondition for their short and long-term emot iona l wel l-b ei ng. St i x r ud, a cl i n ic a l neuropsychologist, and Johnson, the founder of PrepMatters, one of the country’s most successful tutoring companies, want parents (and educators) to understand that “we can’t really control our kids – and doing so shouldn’t be our goal.” Most parents I know, including myself, are loath to accept this point, yet accepting it is our children’s best hope of leading the flourishing lives we want so badly for them. For parents and educators, the steps to relinquishing control – and giving kids ageappropriate control – are difficult and gulpworthy. It requires real risk – the risk that kids will, in the near term, fall short of their potential while we, their parents and teachers, resist the well-meaning impulse to insert ourselves and assert control. This could have real consequences: not making the team, not continued on page 6
Can You Afford It? By Anne White
continued in next section, page 6
Independent Schools - Private Schools in Connecticut range from annual tuitions of $1,050 to more than $79,000. This can seem out of reach for many families. As we struggle with other costs, like health-care, utilities, groceries, mortgages or rent, and other expenses, the idea of looking at a cost benefit analysis of sending a child to independent school may seem silly. Simply paying for everyday living expenses can be a challenge, and many families don't even consider the option of applying to private school, but they should not discount it. For s om e ch i ld r e n , a pr iv ate s cho ol education may be much more important and easier to achieve than you think. Greenwich public schools are some of the best schools in
the world. However, that does not mean they missions. Some look to develop individuals are right for every student or every family. and entrepreneurs. Some focus heavily on Most independent schools have very specific kindness, community, and giving back to others. Some focus on very bright students who learn differently. Many focus on developing leadership potential or academic excellence or athletic performance. There is no private school that we know of that’s focus is to make money. Once your student is at a private school, the goal of the school will not only be to shepherd your child through to graduation, but also focus on your child's entire future. They will, in effect, become an extension of your child's family. Most independent schools will work with families to afford tuition and will offer financial aid to applicants who cannot afford full tuition. In
It may be more affordable than you think.
continued on page 5
RYE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL www.ryecountryday.org
PLEASE JOIN US FOR AN ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE OCTOBER 6 & 20, 2019 - 1 P.M.
MISSION "... a co-ed, college prep school dedicated to providing students from Pre-K through grade 12 with an excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches." - Excerpt from the RCDS mission statement
COMMUNITY Rye Country Day has a diverse and inclusive student body. 912 students come from a 20-mile radius surrounding the School, representing 41 school districts from NY and CT. 34% of students self-identify as people of color.
CORE VALUES
FOUNDED
R ESPECT AND
1869
RESPONSIBILITY
C OMMITMENT TO
PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
DIVERSITY WITHIN AN
INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY
SERVICE
Not for Self, but for Service. - School motto
TUITION
$37,250 in Pre-K to $45,500 in Grade 12
FINANCIAL AID RCDS distributes $5.9M in need-based financial aid grants to 16% of the student body funded in part by the School's $56M endowment.
COLLEGE MATRICULATION The most popular college matriculation choices for RCDS students 2015-2019 (number of students attending in parentheses):
Cornell University (30) | University of Pennsylvania (28)
CAMPUS & LOCATION
FAST FACTS 8:1
Student/Faculty Ratio
25 Lower/Middle School Clubs
50+ 72
Upper School Clubs
15 2
Interscholastic Sports Teams
Avg. Upper School Class Size Dining Halls (serving healthy lunch and snacks to all grades)
The 26-acre campus features state-of-the-art academic, athletic, and creative facilities and is conveniently accessible by train and car. Students and faculty commute from Fairfield and Westchester counties and New York City.
New York University (18) | Harvard University (17) Duke University (16) | Brown University (15) | University of Michigan (15) | Colgate University (14) | Georgetown University (14) | Vanderbilt University (14) | Washington University in St. Louis (14) | Bucknell University (10) Stanford University (10) | University of Southern California (10) | Dartmouth College (9) | Yale University (9) Northwestern University (8) | University of Chicago (8) University of Wisconsin, Madison (8) | Wake Forest University (8) | Wesleyan University (8)