High School - Frequently Asked Questions
FACULTY
CURRICULUM
ATHLETICS
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY
COLLEGE COUNSELING
FACILITIES
OTHER TOPICS
FACULTY
Q. Who will be teaching Village Upper School students?
A. Academics are the bread and butter of a rigorous college preparatory program, and hiring a great faculty is an essential step to delivering the bread and butter. Searching nationally, locally, and from within the Meritas Family of Schools, The Village School will spare no expense in identifying and hiring the very best teachers we can for our students. They will be both expert in their fields and passionate about connecting with kids. Furthermore, they will be life-long learners, continuing to seek new opportunities to advance their own best practices of teaching and learning.
Q. Will Village Middle School teachers be a part of the new Upper School?
A. Indeed, some may. This will depend both on faculty interest/desire and our institutional needs. [back to top]
CURRICULUM
Q. How will the curriculum be chosen – what courses will be offered?
A. As a college preparatory program, The Village School will adopt curriculum which prepares its students to succeed academically at the best and most highly competitive colleges and universities in the world. Students can expect four years of core coursework in English, history/social science, mathematics, science, and foreign language.
Q. What levels will be offered?
A. At this time, we can anticipate two levels: “advanced” and “general college preparatory.” The advanced level will be for students accelerating through the curriculum and perhaps preparing for AP exams or other rigorous diploma programs and projects in their junior and senior years.
Q. What Foreign Languages will be offered?
A. At the outset, both Spanish and French will be offered. As student interest/demand grows, more languages may be added including Chinese. Our language program will go well beyond what other Houston college preparatory schools are able to offer. As a member of the Meritas Family of Schools, Village Upper School students will have the opportunity to practice their language skills “live” with their peers at other Meritas schools in Mexico and Switzerland via video-conference. They will also have language immersion opportunities when they visit these other schools or host their peers from these other schools. Furthermore, through exchanges, inter-scholastic and athletic competitions, and international travel, students will not just practice language skills, they will create lasting friendships and develop a more profound understanding of different cultures.
Q. What academic electives will be offered?
A. As we add a grade each year to our program, and as our academic departments grow, new academic electives will be generated. For instance, beyond biology, chemistry, and physics, the Science Department may look to add courses in genetics, astronomy, and environmental science. In four years of the academic life of a Village Upper School student, he/she may also have opportunities to take courses in poetry, creative writing, architecture, economics, psychology, and computer science.
Q. Will our children be able to prepare for College Board Advanced Placement exams?
A. In short, yes. AP exams, administered in early May of each academic year, are mostly administered to juniors and seniors at the conclusion of their coursework. AP exams are generally offered in subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, English Composition/Literature, American History, Spanish, etc.
Q. Will the School offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma?
A. The Village School is applying to offer the IB Diploma Program. The process will be well-timed to benefit the Class of 2012 (Village’s pioneer class). Since students meet IB requirements and begin sitting for IB exams during their junior year of high school.
Q. What kinds of arts will be offered?
A. We will continue to build on the successes of our current program, with offerings in both the performing and visual arts. As student interests and talents permit, we will offer a number of instrumental and vocal ensemble opportunities. Furthermore, we will have ample opportunity for our students to explore their interests in theater (both on stage and behind the scenes) and in dance. As for the visual arts, it is our intent to build a high-quality studio arts program, with courses in drawing/painting, ceramics, photography, and so on. [back to top]
ATHLETICS
Q. What competitive athletic programs will be offered?
A. Village Upper School team athletics will build upon programs which have already been successful at our middle school levels, and there will be some important additions, too. Student-athletes can expect opportunities to participate in volleyball, soccer, basketball, cross country, and track & field. Additional opportunities may be in sports like football, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and golf. Which sports are added will largely depend upon student demand/interest. Initially, team programs will begin with junior varsity level competition; as our programs evolve (and our first class of freshmen rise through the upper school program), varsity competition will be added.
Q. With what schools will Village compete?
A. In our first few seasons of competition, The Village School is likely to operate locally as an independent, seeking to compete against schools which are similar to ours in size and level of competition. As the Upper School program grows, and we add varsity athletics, we will identify appropriate leagues of competition for our teams. And, beyond this, what will truly distinguish the Village School athletics experience from other Houston college preparatory schools is the fact that our student-athletes will be able to compete internationally for the various Meritas Cups. Presently, Meritas schools in Europe, Mexico, and the United States compete annually in sports like soccer, volleyball, and basketball. As The Village School program grows and as more schools in countries around the world join the Meritas Family, these international competitions will become the highlights of a Village student-athlete’s experience. [back to top]
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY
Q. What sorts of extracurricular activity can Village students expect?
A. In addition to academics, athletics, and the arts, the extra-curriculum rounds out the college preparatory experience. At the secondary school level, responsibility for the extra-curriculum is rightly placed in the hands of students. Students will organize clubs and organizations which reflect their interests, passions, and goals. The School will provide faculty sponsorship and counsel. Typical extracurricular activities may include a student newspaper, yearbook, a literary magazine, an honor society, math/science organizations, community service clubs, culture clubs, a speech/debate team, instrumental and vocal ensemble groups, a film-making club, World Affairs or Model UN organizations, and student government. Furthermore, as a member of the Meritas Family of Schools, Village students will experience unsurpassed international exposure through annual Interim Term programs, exchanges, performing arts tours and athletic tournaments.
Q. What is the Interim Term?
A. Early each spring, the Meritas Family of Schools designates two weeks as Interim Term. This is an opportunity to study a subject intensively, often using interdisciplinary methods and traveling to locations pertinent to the subject. Some of these offerings involve field trips in the area, but many involve significant travel - both within the USA and internationally. The Village Upper School will inaugurate its Interim Term in the 2008/2009 school year for the Upper School.
Q. Will there be a commitment to community service?
A. Absolutely! We believe that membership in The Village School community is a special privilege. One of the important ways we can appropriately appreciate the extent of this privilege is to commit to contributing some of our time and energies to those less fortunate. Several student clubs and organizations will have community service at the core of their missions. Through our relationship with the Meritas Family of Schools, students will also have opportunities for community service on a more national and international scale. For example, during this school year, Village students are joining with their peers in other Meritas schools to raise funds for a play pump that will tap fresh water for a village in Mexico. Village students will join with their peers on location to install the pump in 2008.
Q. Will there be a dress code?
A. The simple answer is “yes,” but there is quite a bit behind this simple answer that has to do with transitions from adolescence to adulthood. This winter, once Village 8th graders begin to indicate their interest in staying at Village for 9th grade, we will organize a task force of students who will work with the President of The Village School, Dr. Silver, and other members of the community – including parents – to outline some general policies and guidelines for the new Upper School program. In other words, students will have considerable ownership in the establishment of the Upper School culture and climate. In fact, the first steps of this process began this past summer, when a number of Village Middle School students traveled to North Broward Preparatory School (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) for a meeting with mostly high school student council leaders from other Meritas schools. At this gathering, Village students began to learn about the roles and responsibilities of high school student councils. These roles and responsibilities include oversight of student extra-curricular activity, helping the faculty to create appropriate and sustainable school traditions and rituals, and, among their peers, promoting a healthy esprit de corps. The new Village Upper School will have a dress code, but just like other aspects school life, students will be active participants in the process to determine the particulars.
Q. Will The Village Upper School have an advisory program?
A. Yes. The Advisory Program will be a central feature of Village Upper School student life. It will be designed to provide each student with a faculty member who will serve as an advocate and resource. The advisor will provide the student with an objective adult ear to air concerns and to explore solutions, as well as to provide a source of advice and counsel. The advisor will also serve both the student and his/her family as a liaison between home and school. Students will have opportunities to meet with their advisors individually, as a member of an advisory group, and as a grade level. The advisory system will also allow the School to plan and present specific programs relevant to a particular grade level. [back to top]
COLLEGE COUNSELING
Q. What kind of support will students and families receive in the college admissions process?
A. The Village School College Counseling Program will help students and families navigate the college application process by guiding students through a process of self-discovery and by helping families demystify the increasingly complex and expensive system. Group information sessions will translate the lingo; grade level meetings (which will begin early in the student’s upper school career) will target the hot topics; advisory programs will unravel the protocol; and individual counseling will personalize options. The Village School College Counseling staff will provide strong advocacy for its college applicants, both collectively and personally, by inviting college representatives to the school plus communicating with admission officers directly, and by presenting its candidates in a poignant and timely manner. The college placement process is truly a four-year journey of self-assessment and college investigation. As such, The Village School will be establishing its College Counseling Program from the outset.
Q. How will the newness of the upper school program impact my child’s prospects in the college application process?
A. In real practice, our newness will actually be an advantage to your children in the admission process, not a risk. Keep in mind that colleges and universities are in the business of finding students who will succeed in their environments. College admission offices are eager to identify and tap into new wellsprings for these students. Furthermore, the experiences students have in new schools – creating activities, developing new rituals and traditions, growing and adapting to a fast-changing environment – are unique. They demonstrate considerable leadership and desire for invention, which are important predictors of future success in college. In larger and well-established programs, it is difficult for many students to distinguish themselves from the masses. This will not be the case at Village. Moreover, well before our pioneer class enters the college application season (fall of the senior year), The Village School already will have established contact and built personal relationships with college and university admission officers; and our school already will have been visited by college admission representatives who will have met our students. In other words, colleges and universities will know who we are. [back to top]
FACILITIES
Q. What facilities are being constructed for the new upper school program?
A. The Village School is constructing a 45,000 square foot, three-story building for the new upper school program. Construction begins this fall and will be completed in the summer of 2008. The new building will contain state-of-the-art instructional spaces, computer and science labs, vocal and instrumental ensemble and practice spaces, a library, college counseling and student activity spaces, social areas, and a full-cook kitchen and dining area that will seat 250. In addition to this construction, The Village School will add locker rooms, a weight-training room, offices, and a concessions area to the Gymnasium. [back to top]
OTHER TOPICS
Q. Will The Village School provide transportation?
A. The Village School will offer bus transportation where viable. We will also assist families in arranging carpools. And, when Village students are of driving age, provisions will be made for student parking.
Q. What kinds of after school opportunities will exist for my children and family?
A. As facilities permit, The Village School will continue to develop robust after school opportunities, including private instrumental and vocal lessons, courses in standardized test preparation, and possibly one-on-one personal/fitness training. We may also offer classes in yoga, Pilates, and dance. These programs will be open to both Village and non-Village students. Furthermore, we are investigating the possibility of developing adult programming for Village parents. In short, The Village School will be a community center for our Village School families.
Q. What will be the costs of a Village Upper School education?
A. Tuition for the 2008/2009 school year has not yet been set, but rest assured that the cost of a Village School education will continue to be competitively priced in the range of other independent and private college preparatory schools. For those families for whom private education is cost prohibitive, there will be financial aid options available. [back to top]
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