Private School Experiences
By Mary Lou Jansen


Educational experiences can impact a child throughout their lifetime, empowering and enabling them to achieve and succeed. For some families, the decision to enroll in private schools provides opportunities and resources that enrich their children’s lives at multiple levels while also providing a well-rounded education. Comprehensive curriculum, individualized attention and close-knit relationships between faculty members and other students that can last far beyond graduation are among the benefits that motivate families to bypass other options and find a private school that is ideal for their child.


Cambridge Christian School in Tampa
www.cambridge-christian.com

Hoping to more closely connect with other students who share his faith, Tyler Burton asked his parents, Susan and Steve Burton, about changing from his former public school to a more religious-oriented school. Five months later the then sixth grader made the move to Cambridge Christian School, younger brother Zachary eagerly made the same request and enrolled in first grade.

“Tyler needed a school where he could grow and express his spirituality more comfortably,” said Susan Burton who, along with her husband, characterizes the transfer of their sons, Tyler, 16, in 10th grade and Zachary, 11, in fifth grade, as “one of the top decisions we have made as parents.”

Excellence of academics, highly skilled educators and a broad spectrum of opportunities ranging from fine arts programs to athletics are among the reasons the family made a more than 20-mile twice daily commute, often during rush hour, from their New Tampa home for three years before moving to Lutz to be closer to the 13-acre campus.

Zachary praises the teachers for working closely with students to make sure they fully understand the material. Tyler considers the school a safe haven where he can work hard as a student, compete on the athletic field and freely express his faith. Susan appreciates the camaraderie that exists between the parents, students, faculty and coaching staff even extending to family members joining the football team on the field for the coach’s post-game comments and prayer. Steve lauds Cambridge’s statewide and national reputation for excellence but is more impressed with its commitment to helping its students develop positive self-images and strong personal beliefs.

“The best gift you can give your child is self-esteem and a firm foundation in faith,” said Steve Burton. “This school offers that support system.”


Carrollwood Day School in Tampa
www.carrollwooddayschool.org

Concerns about overcrowded classrooms and educational quality first prompted Dan and Alyce Peek to consider enrolling their daughter Maddie in a private school when the former Boston residents decided to relocate to Tampa more than 10 years ago.

During a weekend visit to Tampa to scout out homes, they impulsively took a detour and pulled into the parking lot of Carrollwood Day School to check out the pastoral campus. By coincidence, Mary Kanter, the head of the school, happened to be leaving just as the Peeks arrived that Sunday afternoon. Kanter quickly returned to the parking lot, greeted the couple and offered to show them around. That fortuitous meeting resulted in not just Maddie’s attendance from kindergarten through her current sophomore year at the North Tampa independent school known for academic excellence, but also the subsequent enrollment of her two younger brothers, Hayden and Spencer.

“Once we experienced CDS, we knew we had found the school for us,” said Alyce Peek. “It really fit our idea of an educational environment, one that challenges students academically, fosters their character development and provides a significant level of attention to each individual to support their growth as a whole person.” Opportunities to gain valuable leadership skills, compete in team sports and extracurricular activities without undue pressure and access to the International Baccalaureate program (for which Carrollwood Day was the first school in Florida and the sixth nationwide authorized to offer the full continuum), are among the many reasons the Peeks placed their trust – and commit much of their personal time – to this school.

“Whatever your passion, you will find something for you at CDS,” said Maddie Peek. “You will be beneficially challenged by the strong academic program, find a family and never feel left out.”


Saint Paul’s School in Clearwater
www.st.pauls.edu

Kim Fulton’s excitement over his new teaching post at Saint Paul’s School was unexpectedly overshadowed by tragedy. The loss of a family member was devastating but Fulton found comfort in the outpouring of friendship and support from his new colleagues. Sixteen years later, Fulton and his wife, Karen, are both on the Clearwater co-educational prep school’s faculty where their four sons are enrolled. Initially impressed by the professional, life-long commitment to learning by the teachers and how well they connect with students, they also praise the school’s vigorous approach to academics and encouragement of independent thinking.

“It’s really about relationships,” said Karen Fulton, who oversees about 15 kindergarteners daily while Kim’s middle school classes may number fewer than 20 pupils. “We see the same kids throughout their education, follow them through sports and see them again after they graduate and return to visit.”

Saint Paul’s was the perfect choice for the family’s two oldest boys, Matthew, 14, and Ryan, 11.

However, when it came time for twin sons Adam and Andrew to enroll at age three, the parents worried how well the toddlers would fare at Saint Paul’s due to developmental issues and hearing and speech needs connected to Cochlear implants that enable one son to hear.

With help from outside specialists, and support from the Saint Paul’s faculty and staff, the now nine-year-olds enjoy the same quality of instruction, range of courses – fine arts classes to foreign languages – sports and hands-on approach to learning like science lessons conducted during kayak trips on the adjoining lake, as their older siblings.

“One benefit of being a teacher here is that we have the freedom to teach,” said Kim Fulton. “My 45-minute period is spent interacting with the students, not doing paperwork, taking attendance or disciplining. As a parent, I know that my kids are getting that type of teaching experience.”


Tampa Day School in Tampa
www.tampadayschool.com

When Robin Boucher and Hans Lutz noticed a change in the behavior of one of their sons, they hoped that a new start at a different private school would help. Austin, whose academics have always been his strong point, had begun to show signs of withdrawal and social unease so the Tampa couple searched for a new learning environment in an effort to help rebuild the 10-year-old’s confidence.

Three years later, after initially enrolling midway through his fifth grade year, Austin is flourishing at Tampa Day School. The Citrus Park kindergarten through 8th grade school excels at helping students who exhibit mild to moderate learning disabilities that can range from dyslexia to attention deficit disorders.

For Austin, the experience has helped him emerge into a leader. Instead of shutting down, he has tapped into all sorts of talents, becoming comfortable enough to sing solos and perform in three musical productions, recruit other students to form a school-sanctioned rock band and even launch an on-campus school supply store that was approved only after he and his friend submitted a business plan for school administrators to review. “Here the teachers know all of the kids,” said Austin. “I even know the principal personally.”

“He has always been smart but he started being picked on and socially began to shut down,” said Boucher. “Before deciding to bring him to Tampa Day School, I needed to know that they treated each child individually and paid attention to all aspects and facets of their lives, not just the academics, during the six hours a day they are in school. There is lots of communication between teachers so they know what’s going on and can really help kids work out conflicts, reach resolutions and treat each other in a kind manner.”





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