Happy Holidays from Fessenden
Head of School David Stettler and the entire Fessenden community wish you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
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Fessy Blog
The Fessy Den Blog
Yearly Archives: 2017
International Take on an American Tradition
While Thanksgiving might feel like a distant memory, we thought sharing our international boarders’ impressions of this American tradition was in keeping with the spirit of this festive time of year. Many of us have treasured memories of gathering around the dining room table, as a parent or grandparent skillfully carved a carefully roasted turkey to...
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An Insider’s View: Getting Into the Best Private Elementary Schools In Boston
What steps must you go through to get your kindergartner or pre-kindergartner into one of the best private elementary schools in Boston? If you don’t have another child already in private school, the process might be a mystery to you. To help you understand it, we spoke with Margaret Kelly, Director of Lower School Admissions...
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3 Ways to Help Your Son Brave a Junior Boarding School Interview
Your son’s junior boarding school interview might be the most pressure-driven conversation of his young life. Your son is only 10, 11, or 12 years old. He’s never gone to a job interview. He’s never had to impress a date or charm a client over dinner. Most of the adults your son has spoken with...
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2 Developmental Areas The Fessenden School Looks at in Pre-K Applicants
At 3 and 4 years old, children don’t have transcripts to review. How can you possibly determine readiness in pre-kindergarten applicants? At The Fessenden School, the pre-K admissions process was designed not to judge individual applicants, but to create a class. As Margaret Kelly, Director of Lower School Admissions, explains, her team’s mission is to...
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You Are Not Alone: 3 Reasons Parents Like You Choose an All-Boys Junior Boarding School
A boarding school, in the 21st century? With all boys? And starting as young as middle school? Isn’t that a bit…old-fashioned? As families evaluate their son’s middle school options, many of them reject the idea of junior boarding school because of what their friends and family might think. But despite the somewhat anachronistic reputation boarding...
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The Truth About Academic Redshirting
Your child will turn 5 this summer. It’s not a bad time for a birthday party; the kids can run around outside, play in the pool, enjoy grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. But for many parents, the fun of a summertime birthday is overshadowed by an agonizing decision. Do you start your son in kindergarten...
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3 Insider Admissions Tips for Junior Boarding School Hopefuls
Your son’s report cards boast all A’s. His resume is brimming with volunteer experience. His elementary school teachers are standing by to make glowing recommendations. He’s shown prowess on the soccer field or a budding virtuosity on the clarinet. That should be enough to stand out to a top junior boarding school, right? Not exactly,...
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‘No Girls Allowed’: How Single-Sex Education Helps 5-Year-Old Boys Learn
Separating boys and girls into different classrooms may make a lot of sense at the middle or high school levels, where budding attractions between the genders can distract young pre-teen and teenage students from the work of learning. But in kindergarten, does it really make a difference? Many families who visit our all-boys private Pre-K...
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Private Schools and “Teaching to the Test”: Why Lack of State Testing is an Advantage
Standardized testing, to measure how well schools and educators are teaching children, is constantly under debate. Government programs, such as “No Child Left Behind” and “Race to the Top,” were implemented to give states a standard by which to hold our education system accountable. Instead, these programs have created divides among parents, teachers, and politicians....
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