Living History Worldwide

Noon day practices are important. Children deserve to have lunches in a setting that is both clean and calm. Quiet conversations allow students to enjoy their meals, an important part of the day. A visit to most public school lunchrooms, however, is anything but clean and calm. Often forced to sit in alphabetical order or in order according to what they requested from the hot lunch line, today’s public school lunchrooms can be a scene of overcrowded tables a boisterous noise from one end to the next.
Even if you select an expensive private Christian school you may find that the lunch room is something less than desirable. In fact, the only way to make sure that you are going to find out if a school meets all of your needs is to get in touch with some of the parents who have children attending any educational setting that you are considering. And while there are certainly more academic areas than a lunchroom, the fact of the matter is you sometimes have to really look at a school, including its lunchtime practices, to see where their priorities are. If a school has a toddler and a Pre-K child program, you should not only visit with the administrator and the teacher, but also parents who have children in attendance there. And while a center, even a private Christian school, may list all of the advantages that they offer, it is important to pay careful attention to all of the spaces and how they are used throughout the day.

For example, if you find out that there are parents frustrated that the kids no longer have a gym space to play and are expected to eat, play, learn, and nap in one room all day, you might want to continue your search. And while some private schools are well appointed, spaces that are too small can be especially challenging in the winter when the weather prevents students from going outside to play. A PreK room may by law be allowed to have 30 or more students in a room with the right supervision, but it is important to find out what that looks like during various times of the day.

Choosing the Right Private School Requires Observation in Addition to Listening to Directors and Administrators
Whether you are considering a top public school or looking at a private Christian school, you must understand the value of talking to parents. Attending open houses that might allow you the opportunity to visit with parents of current students can help you get a feel for a school beyond what promotional pamphlets say. If, for example, a parent tells you the school year started off well, but that the toddler rooms are getting to be bigger and they are also stuck in one room all day you might have some concerns.
In addition, if you talk to parents who indicate that they have expressed their concerns to the assistant director, director, and the overall director two separate centers and nothing has changed, you might also want to reconsider. You can be told that there will some day be a gym with equipment for the children to play and be able to run around, but that has not happened, you might discover that this is not the school for you. Children need diversity of space throughout the day, and while a particular classroom might be well appointed, if the children do not get any physical activity during the day their behavior definitely shows it.

Studies from 2013 show that the student to teacher ratio in private schools was 12:2. in comparison to the student to teacher ratio in public schools that was 16:1, but it is important to know how those numbers are determined. Does, for instance, the teacher ratio, include adults who never even have student time like janitors and cooks? If you are getting ready to invest in a private Christian school because you have read that a 2017 Gallup poll indicated that 71% of participants rated independent private schools as excellent or good, while 63% gave the same rating to parochial or church-associated schools, you need to make sure you are finding a private school at the high end of those statistics.