working families. Another consideration is that extracurricular activities and sports are often emphasized in private schools. Most private schools offer dozens of activities that include clubs, interest groups, community service and sports. Because sports and extracurricular activities are such an integral part of a private school program, you rarely see cuts in these areas when budgets get tight. For example, Carden School offers enrichment programs in, “French instruction, music instruction, dramatic presentations at all grade levels, and competitive sports programs for boys and girls (beginning in 2nd grade).” If you are looking for a different Upper School experience, you might consider a same sex boarding school, like Santa Catalina where, “students are surrounded by a support network of trained and accessible resident faculty to assist with everything from study skills to baking a cake for a friend’s birthday.” “About half of the faculty lives on campus to assist with everything from study skills to field trips. There will be movie nights and pizza parties. Other evening events might include student government meetings, choir, dance, theater rehearsals, exercise, yoga, or library study,” they share.
BECOMING WELL-ROUNDED Sacramento Waldorf shares,“Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head.” Try one of the Waldorf schools if you are looking for more of a whole child, well-rounded approach. Children in a Waldorf school are also taught bodily coordination skills, posture, artistic and social activities, and listening skills. “Listening is particularly important since most of the curricular content is presented orally in the classroom by the teacher,” according to Sacramento Waldorf’s website. They also use Eurythmy—an art of movement that attempts to make visible the tone and feeling of music and speech. “Eurythmy helps to develop concentration, self-discipline, and a sense of beauty. Eurythmy lessons follow the themes of the curriculum, exploring rhyme, meter, story, and geometric forms.” sp The schools mentioned in this article are just a few out of many options. As mentioned earlier, visit several schools and do your homework—there are many options for families considering private school in the Sacramento area and we’ve got them listed starting on page 27.
January 2015 | www.SacramentoParent.com
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