The Fessy Den Blog

More Than Academics: Three Things to Look for When Evaluating Private Schools for Your Kindergartner

Leave a Comment | February 07, 2018

If you’ve started searching for a private kindergarten for your son, you’ve probably already realized, the differences between schools are not always very clear. Most private kindergartens have strong academic programs, especially those that are part of larger elementary and middle schools. So academics can’t be the only area you look at when you compare...
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2 Reasons It’s a Myth a Private School Will Coddle Your Son

1 Comment | January 24, 2018
Private School Will Coddle Your Son

Is a private school education too soft? If you enroll your son in a private elementary school, will he be too sheltered? Will he leave school lacking the toughness, the drive, and the street smarts to make his mark in the unforgiving outside world? As your son approaches kindergarten age, one of the first decisions...
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Private Schools and “Teaching to the Test”: Why Lack of State Testing is an Advantage

1 Comment | October 18, 2017

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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3 Reasons to Give Single-Sex Pre-K a Second Chance

1 Comment | May 03, 2017

Your quest to find the pre-kindergarten program in the Boston area that fits your son perfectly has stalled. Nothing seems quite right. Is it time to give up or compromise? Before you relax your standards, we suggest taking a second look at a category of pre-K programs you may have dismissed out of hand when you...
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A Parent’s Perspective: What an All-Boys Private School Is Really Like

1 Comment | April 05, 2017

When Newton MA parents Dave and Jen Visco started searching for a kindergarten program for their oldest son, they didn’t know much about private schools. They weren’t totally convinced on public schools, either. And, as Dave puts it, “We certainly didn’t know a lot about single-sex private schools.” Does this sound familiar? Every year as...
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How Some Schools Work Against Boys’ Natural Learning Styles

Leave a Comment | January 10, 2017

It’s common knowledge that many girls mature faster than boys, particularly with regard to social and physical maturation. When it comes to education, however, the immaturity of boys often expresses itself in them being less verbal and more active. These differences result in many boys — even those with a strong desire to learn —...
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