Eleanor Munson, PhD

Dallas Educational Consultants

Miscellaneous

Semester Schools

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semester school consultant
*updated July 2019

Once I learned about Semester schools, I wished I could go back in time and attend one though I’d have a tough time choosing the one.  Semester schools for students are a relatively new phenomenon, the first, the Mountain School in Vermont, opening in the mid-1980’s.  There are eleven schools that make up the Semester Schools Network.  Semester schools offer students, typically juniors (but some accept freshmen, sophomores, and seniors), experiential learning with a unique focus, ranging from studio art in Napa (Oxbow School) to conservation and sustainability on the island of Eleuthera (The Island School).

Students continue their college-preparatory academic curricula, complete with Honors/AP courses, PSAT testing, etc.  Math and foreign language classes use the same syllabi from the student’s sending school.  Despite their different offerings, a common goal of all the semester schools is for students to come back to their campus at or ahead of where they need to be.  Independent schools in Dallas like Hockaday, ESD, Greenhill, Parish Episcopal, and St. Mark’s have sent students to a variety of Semester schools, including The Island School, The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, and Oxbow School.

Though leaving an independent school for a semester during the late high school years may seem questionable with all of the pressure surrounding the college admissions process, the experience, along with being life-changing, provides excellent preparation for going away to college.  Many Semester schools offer college counseling and if not, students stay in contact and continue to work with the college counselor from their sending school.  All Semester schools are boarding schools, so students learn self-reliance, time management, and important group living skills.  And the experience is a catalyst for personal growth on many levels.  Students may come home more in touch with the type of college they are interested in, as well as what they want to pursue academically.  For all of these reasons, colleges look favorably on students that attend Semester schools.

Tuition ranges from around $29,500 to $34,000 for a semester, which includes room and board.  All schools offer financial aid.  If a semester program doesn’t work for your family, most semester schools offer summer programs.

Here are some bare-bones facts about popular semester schools.  Click on the logo to link to the school.

– located in Chile and Idaho

– 35 sophomores and juniors

– emphasis on international outdoor leadership

 
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– located in Dobbs Ferry, New York

– 30 juniors and seniors

– emphasis on the study of New York City

 
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– located in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin on a 1,200 acre wilderness camp

– 60 juniors (and advanced sophomores)

– emphasis on environmental stewardship

 
HMI Logo Small in Bitmap

– located in Leadville, Colorado, five weeks spent on skiing and hiking expeditions in the Rockies

– 45 juniors, seniors & gap year

– emphasis on wilderness exploration

 
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-located in Eleuthera, Bahamas

– 52 sophomores and juniors

– emphasis on island living

 

– located in Wiscasset, Maine on a 400 acre peninsula

– 45 juniors

– emphasis on environmental studies

 
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– located in Vershire, Vermont on the school’s farm

– 45 juniors and seniors

– emphasis on living and working on the farm

 
Outdoor Academy

– located in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains

– 28 freshmen, sophomores & juniors

– emphasis on environmental education and leadership

 
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– located in Napa, California

– 48 juniors, seniors & gap year

– emphasis on visual art

 
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– located in Washington, District of Columbia

– 24 juniors

– emphasis on ethical thinking skills, leadership development, and international studies

 
traveling school

– location varies each semester

– 16 sophomores, juniors & seniors (girls only)

– emphasis on overseas exploration, expanded outdoor skills, and global culture

 

© Eleanor Munson, PhD. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Eleanor Munson, PhD is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eleanor Munson, PhD with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

When the First Days of School Don’t Go So Well…

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Eleanor Munson ConsultantYou sent your child off on his first day of school with high hopes for a great year. You held your breath all day, fingers crossed. Then, when it was pickup time you heard the words that no parent wants to hear, ‘It was horrible and I hate it.’ That night you talked him through it, all the while remaining calm and positive, and hoped for a better day the next day…which for most kids it was; however, for your child it wasn’t. Things didn’t pick up the next day either, and here you are days later with an unhappy child. What to do?

For children in Dallas, school has been in session for a week or so. Most are adapting well to the new classroom, schedule, teacher, and peers. However, some children just have a tougher time making transitions and so for them, the adjustment to school can be more difficult. These students need a little more from parents and teachers at the start to help them get settled. Here are some suggestions about how to help if those first days of school don’t go well.

For a younger child:

Let the teacher know and listen to her advice
Send your child’s teacher a quick email or note letting them know your child is struggling. Teachers have experience and training in how to help students make the transition to the classroom. Hopefully, the teacher will make a point to spend a little extra time getting to know your child and engage them in classroom activities.

Take the lead
Does your child feel connected to the kids in the class? If not, take the lead in planning an outing over the weekend or after school with one of the children. It doesn’t have to be a fancy play date to a costly destination. Think about where your child will be most comfortable (home or neutral ground) and make plans accordingly. You might need to plan a couple of playdates in the first weeks of school to help your child feel more comfortable with his classmates.

Give your child a little extra attention and love
For the next few weeks, make a point to spend some extra time with your child. Go to the bookstore together and pick out a book that you can read out loud to him. Start a jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table.

Reassure your child
Be sure you convey to your child in your words and actions that while you know it may take some time for him to get used to school, you believe he will make the transition and eventually enjoy the year.

For an older child:

Listen, listen, listen
It’s easy to make suggestions and try to ‘fix’ your child’s problems. However, what your child really needs is to be heard, to have a place to let it all out safely. Listening to your child, empathizing with their pain and struggle, and purposely not interjecting your wisdom may leave you feeling drained and down; however, your child will likely feel lighter, even a bit happier, because they’ve vented. Listening is truly a gift you can give to your child.

Brainstorm
Be your child’s sounding board first and foremost. At some point later when he’s regrouped, go back to him and talk about one of the challenges he’s facing. Encourage him to come up with some possible solutions. Don’t overwhelm him by bringing up every struggle. Just focus on one at a time.

Let your child’s advisor know
Send your child’s advisor a brief email and let them know your child is having difficulty adjusting. The role of an advisor is to be your child’s advocate and help guide them through tough times.

Give your child a little extra attention and love
Though your child is on the cusp of young adulthood, he still needs your love and support. Make time to do something he likes, whether it be playing a video game, perusing the latest app’s or going for an end-of-summer snow cone.

If it takes your child longer to settle into the new school year, don’t fret. However, if time (and some of these suggestions) don’t make things better, consider a face-to-face meeting with your child’s teacher, advisor, or counselor. Don’t give up…it will get better!

© Eleanor Munson, PhD. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Eleanor Munson, PhD is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eleanor Munson, PhD with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Taking Stock

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Munson private schoolWith the end of the school year coming to a close, I thought I’d pause and take stock.  When I started writing this blog several years ago, I wasn’t sure what direction I’d take.  While each Dallas private school had its own website, additional information about those schools, the private school admissions process, and other educational information specific to Dallas couldn’t be found on the internet.  So that’s where I started.

Three years later, I still feel that there is a myriad of topics left to cover.  I find myself thinking about potential blog post topics often…as I wander through Central Market, chauffeur my children to their activities and watch the latest “Good Wife.”  I’ll have some free time this summer to tackle some of these, thankfully.

Before I get started, though, I’d like to gather a little information about the blog from you all, the readers, whom I so appreciate.  If you wouldn’t mind following the link below to a 10 question survey that will only take a few minutes of your time, I would greatly appreciate it.  It’s completely anonymous too, so feel free to be honest.  Thank you and have a wonderful summer.

Click here to take survey

© Eleanor Munson, PhD. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Eleanor Munson, PhD is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eleanor Munson, PhD with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Swimming Upstream

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fish upstreamAs a parent and a professional, I was struck by a podcast of Think I listened to this week.   Krys Boyd interviewed Dr. Madeline Levine, author of Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success.  Dr. Levine is a psychologist with over 30 years experience and co-founder of Challenge Success, a program at the Stanford School of Education that provides families and schools with tools to raise healthy, capable kids without undue stress and pressure.  The topics raised in her book and discussed in the podcast are compelling, and I want to share them now in case you don’t have a chance to listen and while there’s still a little time to reflect before school starts.

“Does the focus on our children’s early achievements get in the way of the real work of childhood?”  Krys Boyd opens the discussion with this provocative question.  In today’s world, the unspoken expectation has been placed on kids that they need to be great at everything, says Dr. Levine.  She is incredulous that silver and bronze medal winners at the Olympics are saddened and upset by what they consider their ‘sub-par’ performance.  Being 2nd or 3rd in the entire world is not good enough?!?  The intensive training and competitive spirit Olympic athletes practice is filtering down to middle and high school (and in some Dallas private schools, it’s going as far down as elementary school).  It is not unusual in our area for 3rd or 4th graders to have private trainers or coaches, along with the coaching they get at their regular sports practices.  Levine cites research that 3% of high school athletes will play in college while only .03% will make it to the Olympics or the pro’s.  That’s something to consider when you’re driving your child to her select team soccer practice.

But it’s not just sports where kids feel compelled to be the best.  For many families, an A is the only grade that is acceptable, Levine notes.  It used to be that C was average; B was above average, and A was special.  There were plenty of B and C students and that was fine.  Those kids went to college, embarked on their careers, and have rewarding and enriching lives.  In fact, ‘those kids’ refer to many of us (me included).  Think back to your life growing up.  Were you exceptional in all you undertook?  I know for me the answer is a resounding NO.

In Dallas, as with other places in the country, the parental peer pressure to have high-achieving children at the best schools can be intense.  I see it in my educational consulting practice when prospective clients ask me for my record of getting students into the top private schools.  There is steep competition for these prestigious spots.  When I’m asked such a question, I know I am not the right consultant for that family.  My focus is finding the school that is best for each child, so he or she will be in an environment where they feel comfortable enough to open up and take risks.

So back to Krys Boyd’s initial question.  What is the real work of childhood?  Levine believes that childhood is all about crafting your internal self.  Kids need time to explore, reflect, and imagine their future selves.  When parents are over-invested in their children and micro-manage their lives, it denies kids the opportunity to get to know themselves.

Levine says that parents have the mistaken idea that if they can get all the external things about their children just right (straight A’s, stellar SAT scores, team captain, etc.) that their children are ‘set’ for life.  Unfortunately, though, being a successful, exceptional child does not predict success and happiness in adulthood.  Instead, people who do well in life find something they love and become great at it, but the amount of time it takes to do this is highly variable.

The best thing parents can do, Levine suggests, is allow kids to explore their world with love and support, but without hovering…to let them grow up.  Levine believes that one of the most important factors in raising happy, healthy kids is non-interference.  Have faith in yourself, your child, the system, and trust that since it worked out for you, it can work out for your children.

© Eleanor Munson, PhD. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Eleanor Munson, PhD is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eleanor Munson, PhD with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.