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Schools Offer Boarding, Alternative Methods / Individualized Approaches Provide Educational Options

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 12:01 CST

By JOAN TUPPONCE

Each student learns at his or her own pace. Some do well in traditional school settings while others excel in classrooms that feature more individualized teaching methods. Some enjoy the independence and confidence-building they find in boarding schools.

Boarding schools as well as schools that take an alternative approach to teaching provide students with different learning options, everything from riverfront studies to critical thinking models and leadership training. Independence and self-confidence is an emphasis in these learning environments.

Listed below are just a few of the boarding schools and other schools that provide this type of alternative approach to teaching.

Boarding school options:

Benedictine High School is the only Catholic, military, college- prep day school in the Richmond area and one of the few such schools in the country. The school serves 268 students in grades 9 through 12. Teachers utilize a variety of teaching styles proven to be successful with young men. Classes maintain a 9-to-1 student/ teacher ratio with an average class size of 16. The small classes allow teachers to focus on individual students.

"Benedictine offers a traditional college-prep education in an atmosphere that promotes strong emphasis on moral values and a theological education based on Catholic-Christian teachings," said Headmaster John McGinty.

Blue Ridge School is a boarding school for 170 boys set on nearly 800 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The school's small classes, the student/teacher ratio is 7-to-1, allow staff to focus on students' individual needs to build success, self- confidence and independence. Additional support for students who may have academic difficulties or learning differences is available at the Fishburne Learning Center.

"We are unabashed about nurturing the mind and the spirit," said Dr. David Bouton, head of school. "We study, play and work together as a family. We are not just a college preparatory school; we are a life preparatory school."

Fork Union Military Academy is a college preparatory, military boarding school for 550 young men. Affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia but open to those of all religious denominations, Fork Union has a rich tradition of promoting character, leadership and scholarship. The academy teaches cadets responsibility, leadership, discipline and pride by providing an atmosphere in which spiritual, mental and physical growth can flourish.

The school's mission sets it apart from other traditional boarding schools, says Maj. Bob Grant, director of guidance. "A military academy offers an environment rich in those qualities and values missing in the daily lives of many young people."

A college prep boarding school, Christchurch School is located near the Rappahannock River in Middlesex County offering 230 young men in grades 8 to 12 unique opportunities such as sailing, crew and marine science.

The school provides an intimate, nurturing community environment for students. Located just an hour from the greater Richmond area, the school is both close enough and far enough to allow students to learn independence and discipline in a structured environment.

"Our students receive a well-rounded education that includes solid college-preparatory curriculum. We address the whole student - social, cultural, academic, athletic needs," said Nancy Nolan, director of admissions.

Stuart Hall has a unique learning environment with a boarding program for 155 girls in grades 8 to 12 and a coed day program for students in grades 5 through 12. Stuart Hall attracts a diverse student population to the traditional college-preparatory atmosphere. The school focuses on developing the whole child.

"Perhaps the most compelling reason to pursue an education at Stuart Hall has to do with our faculty's commitment toward teaching traditional subjects in nontraditional ways," said Dave Taibl, assistant head of school. "It's common to find our teachers discussing the contemporary political and societal implications of a class topic in biology, for example."

Schools using alternative teaching methods:

An independent girls' school, Orchard House School is committed to the authentic development of each girl in grades 5th to 8th by tapping into individual talents to ensure the success of each student. A leadership program helps students learn everything from developing volunteer projects to organizational and study skills. Classes for the 180 girls are hands-on and feature cross-grade work.

"Our rigorous academic curriculum emphasizes how to think and process information. We look at cultures across time," said Nancy Davies, head of school. "We promote critical, analytical and intuitive thinking with emphasis on math/science and the arts."

Seven Hills School prides itself on creating learning environments at the heart of the middle-school boy's academic journey, offering grades 5 to 8 for 60 students.

Classroom methods include hands-on learning, rotation centers employing the many intelligences and instruction for gifted learners. Held monthly, River Days provide students opportunities to study math, science and literature as linked to the James River. In its five years, Seven Hills has demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity in all its forms.

"What I love most about Seven Hills is that time at the beginning and end of day when boys show on their faces a love of learning," said David Dorsey, head of school.

A Richmond Waldorf School education awakens a child's mind and imagination through a traditional academic curriculum fully integrated with the visual and performing arts. It enrolls 95 pupils.

Active, hands-on daily lessons connect meaningfully across the curriculum, developing in students a deep awareness of the forms and patterns that weave together art, science, music, mathematics, language, history and culture. These lessons inspire in them a reverence for the wonder of the world around them, and true passion for learning as the work of a lifetime.

"Without the imagination, we are dependent. With it, we are independent, free thinkers," said Augusta Perez-Morales, one of Richmond Waldorf School's teachers.

The Stony Point School in Bon Air serves 100 children from pre- kindergarten (PK4) to 8th grade. The independent school's small class sizes help teachers accommodate the individual needs of all students and lay the foundation for continued academic success.

The school's faculty offers a nurturing, inviting and engaging learning environment that emphasizes critical thinking skills and a commitment to community service. Students receive a well-rounded education with instruction in Spanish, music, art, physical education, computer science and a variety of sports teams.

"Students experience the love of learning and our commitment to the Stony Point community," said Suzanne B. Mong, head of school.

In the Richmond community since 1965, Richmond Montessori School serves 300 children from the age of 2 1/2 through the 8th grade.

The school's approach to teaching is to "teach children the way children naturally learn." Multi-age groupings, hands-on and multi- sensory learning, with specially designed materials and an integrated curriculum, are part of the school's unique educational approach. The school is dually accredited through the American Montessori Society (AMS) and Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) and is the only accredited Montessori School in central Virginia.

MEMO: SPECIAL SECTION: PRIVATE SCHOOLS

ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO

Source: Richmond Times - Dispatch

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