Copyright: Gunnar Pippel

It’s not often that you come across something that triggers one’s “why doesn’t everybody know this?”

But, I did ask myself that question after my interview with Mike Szydlowski, Woodberry Forrest School, financial aid director and independent tax preparer.

Is Private School Tax Deductible? Your Tuition Questions Answered

I asked Mike about tax implications of grandparent, or anyone’s, gift contributions toward private school tuition and learned something completely new to me.

BF: Many families now have grandparents contributing toward a grandchild’s private school tuition. Are there any rules of which they need to be aware?

MS: Yes, a current feature of the tax code allows a grandparent (or anyone) to sidestep the $14,000 annual gift exclusion when paying tuition (tuition only, not room and board) or medical expenses for a grandchild.

The grandparent can pay the tuition directly to the school and not trigger the $14,000 exclusion amount or the need to file a gift tax return (IRS Form 709).

An important reminder: if Grandparents take advantage of this direct payment of tuition, they cannot claim a charitable deduction…they are not making a gift to the school; they are paying tuition.

Disclaimer: This is general information in reply to these questions. Each family’s situation is unique. You need to check with your tax preparer when working through these questions on your own.

The post Private School Tuition: Contribute without Triggering Gift Tax Limits appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

Private boarding and day schools, like colleges, often include a test component in their admission processes. Standardized tests help the school understand where a student stands in his/her education no matter what school, or where he/she comes from. The Secondary Schools Admission Test, or SSAT, is often the test of choice in this process.

As with its collegiate cousin, the SAT, knowing how the SSAT works, and using certain strategies, can help improve your test score. Take advantage of the following tips and strategies in this SSAT presentation, courtesy of LA Tutors, as you prepare for the test.

The post An Impressive & Informative SSAT Presentation appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

What we found not only showcases the cool ways schools celebrate their teachers, but also how many school incorporate faculty into their school’s marketing efforts. We recently talked about how “people matter” — sometimes more than fancy facilities or luxurious landscaping. And it certainly matters in the classroom. Teachers spend more time with students than anyone else during the course of a high school education – especially at a boarding school. By showing off one’s teachers, you’re showing off your best resources.

The post Celebrating Teachers appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

The Times article addresses many valid reasons why teachers can move their students further in math than English annually, but few of the challenges in English teaching and learning, nor the achievements in mathematics test scores, surprised me.

It is ‘easier’ to move students further, faster in math vs. English.

Here’s why:

Mathematics is a consistent, coherent language. In fact, it is a nearly perfect language which is why it is often called “The Universal Language”. (Music and Love are universal too, but those are subjects for different posts.) Math seems to follow the rules 96% of the time whereas English seems to follow the rules only about 70% of the time.

There have been several valiant attempts at spelling reform over the past 150+ years; some have been successful. Personally, I think we should banish the letter Cc. I would be Ms. Kornelius and the sirkumferense of a sirkle would be… you get the point.

As a country, we hold our students to lower standards for math than we do for English. The bar (sadly) is simply lower for math achievement in the U.S.

Since math teachers have fewer objectives to cover at a lower level than their English teacher colleagues, it makes perfect sense that math teachers can show more student growth than English teachers in a given time period.

With the upped rigor of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), this is likely to change. However, states are starting to opt out of the CCSS, so it’s anyone’s guess what will really happen in the next 5-10 years.

Culturally we don’t find math as important as English. As parents and caregivers, we don’t do nighttime math with young children. Instead, we spend our time reading bedtime stories, teaching letter recognition, and helping them to write their names. So when 5-year-olds enter school, regardless of socioeconomic status, they are all at about ground zero in math. Thus, districts with strong math curriculum and instruction can move students forward en masse. Basically, our culture asks schools to install less math on a student brain that comes to school holding far fewer mathematical concepts and practices vs. English concepts and practices.

Math teachers get greater credit for doing less. Moving up from zero makes us look good.

I could go on and on, but 3 is magic number so now I must sign out and pack for the AP Calculus reading –

Yours in math, Virge

The post Math Gains Come More Easily: And I’m a Math Teacher appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

Purposeful growth and activity are the common thread through all of these considerations.

Summer Boarding Schools

Summer, certainly, provides a break from the academic year. But, we also know, that an inactive summer spent on the couch, without focus, or purpose, is not the strongest preparation for the fall. In fact, it can cause stagnation and regression.

In many cases, an academic, purposeful summer can be a great option for many students. Yes, it’s school during the summer. But, almost to a “T” summer boarding school programs provide a great balance between summer fun and academic experiences.

If you’re a parent exploring summer options for your student, I offer these five reasons to consider a summer boarding school experience.

Enrichment- Trying something new, taking on a new subject, taking on a new sport- all are great ways for student to stay active and grow.

Improving Academic Weakness - Math, English, history, science, or SAT preparation all are available in the summer boarding school setting.

Preparing for Transition to New School - Maybe you have a student who’s moving to new school in the fall? Maybe you’re just beginning your school search? Summer boarding school can help a student solidify his/her academic foundation

Exposure to the Boarding School Experience - Perhaps student and parent are interested in boarding school but aren’t ready for a full academic year commitment, a summer boarding program offers a great way to get your feet into boarding school life.

English as a Second Language - Boarding school is great language immersion experience for non- native speaking students looking to improve their English skills.

The post Five Reasons to Consider Summer Boarding School appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

May 2013 Final exams

I know. I know. Everybody gives advice from all different directions when it comes to taking exams. I can still instantly riff on the exam advice I’d give to my classes.

My attitude – you can almost, always, find something valuable in a knowledgable person’s exam advice.

A few things I like in this Summit piece:

• Why exams are important? (Not something we think about much.)
• Make a plan. (A personal favorite of mine.)
• Reduce anxiety.
• Exams are valuable; you will see them in college.

Even if you’re comfortable with your exam planning; you know the material; your anxiety is minimal; give it a read. You might find a little piece you can use.

The post Preparing for Spring Exams appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

Photograph: iStockPhoto

Many families arrive to the admission process deep into the school year—even into the summer. This later, compressed, admission timeline carries a few potential pitfalls of which families need to be aware.

As we remind families, very good schools continue working with families and admitting students deep into the summer and early fall. Every type of student can most likely find a good fitting school during the summer admission season.

Summer admission is no reason to panic.

For a complete reference around the summer application season, download “Applying To Private School After The Deadline.”

The admissions process is still a process. You’ll just work through the steps more quickly, in less calendar space. Your goal is still to find the best fitting school for your student.

Here’s a quick take on pitfalls that might surface during a late admission process.

• Dismissal from the previous school – admission officers will want to know why. Parents should be ready to present a compelling, honest account of what occurred.
• Shopping for a better offer – admission officers and schools do not look kindly at a family currently enrolled in one school but shopping for another. Make sure that you can explain your situation and reasons for inquiring.
• Overreaching – insisting on applying to the most popular, most selective, schools after the traditional admission season can take you to many closed doors. Slowing down your admission process with the folly of an unrealistic application could cause you to lose a great opportunity at another school.

Concentrate on schools that fit and have openings.

If you find yourself bogged down or in need of expert advice in your school search, you might consider working with an educational consultant to help with analysis and placement in finding the best fit between school and student. The expertise of an educational consultant can help you find the match between your student and school.

To learn more about educational consulting and how a consultant can help with your school search visit AQ Educational Consulting.

The post Spring and Summer Admission: Potential Pitfalls appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

Full disclosure, I verified that this story is, indeed, true.

We talk, and write, continually about school fit. Find the school that meets you where you stand on opening day and will grow you the furthest during your time there.

Most often we frame, and predicate, the discussion around programs and opportunities – minimizing the ‘people’ part of the equation.

This vignette provides the chance to revisit the importance of the ‘people’ part of the school fit equation.

This student believed he had found his dream school. Great tour. Solid interview. Great program opportunities. Doing well in the school would have opened some top-notch college options.

Applied. Accepted. Student is completely upbeat and excited about his acceptance. This where I want to go. Pretty much all set.

Accepted Student Re-visit.

Our student is paired with current who ‘ditches’ him.

Rather than being welcomed into the community and guided through the school, his revisit host treats him as pariah. Our accepted student describes the experience as thoughtless, mean, and insensitive.

Accepted student changes his mind and chooses a different school after his accepted student revisit experience.

The driving variable behind hour student’s change of heart? People – specifically, the way he was welcomed and treated by one community versus another.

People matter.

When you’re considering a school, or making your final school choice, keep in mind that it’s not the facilities – the art room, the dining hall, the turf field, the recital hall, the gym, or the hockey rink – that will have the greatest affect on your learning and growth; people will – in amazingly large part, your peers, your fellow students.

The people with whom you will build relationships will have the greatest affect on your learning and growth as human being.

Let’s add another piece to the school fit equation. Consider and look for the school full of people – faculty, administrators, students – that you believe will positively affect you in all ways. (Even when they tell you ‘no’ or set a limit for you.)

Our student in in the vignette realized that negativity and unhealthy relationships were not for him. So he chose a school where he believes he’ll have the greatest potential to grow through positive relationships.

When someone visits any of our campuses, we’re all messengers.

The post Choosing the Boarding School That’s Right For You: People Matter appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

Teacher Thank You © 2009 Cameron Blazer

Today, I’m going to lobby for connecting the boarding school internal to the external.

As were fond of observing, boarding schools work so well because they do such a good job of focusing internally — while the the rest of the world can go on unconnected. Great faculty make a boarding school hum and make those sometimes unnoticed contributions to each students growth and education.

It’s teacher appreciation week.

I know that in my boarding school life (as student or faculty member), I never had any idea about teacher appreciation week.

Well there’s your clue and here’s your queue:

We want you to share your teacher appreciations. Stories can come from any angle — a student reminiscence; parent-faculty; faculty-faculty.

Go to our facebook page and show us how boarding school faculty are more than teachers. Show us what their affects on you as mentors, friends, dormitory parents, coaches, and advisors means to you.

The post Teacher Appreciation Week: Share Your Stories appeared first on Boarding School Blog.

I visited a few minutes with Shawnigan Lake student, Rosa about how she chose Shawnigan Lake, one of Canada’s largest boarding schools, as student coming from California’s Bay Area.

Boarding school, and Shawnigan’s international student experience, in particular, offered Rosa opportunities that stretched her beyond her comfort zone. Rosa concludes her interview offering three things that a family should know about Shawnigan.

Her work at Shawningan has prepared her well for college back in the U.S. She will be applying to several fine American colleges and universities.

The post Three Reasons an American Student Chose a Canadian Boarding School appeared first on Boarding School Blog.