INDUSTRY INSIGHT
EDUCATION
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Middle School Matters:
Why You Should Send Your Child to
Sewickley Academy’s Middle School
By: Kolia O’Connor, Head of School at Sewickley Academy
I
am sometimes asked, “Why should I send my child to Sewickley
Academy’s Middle School? Shouldn’t I just wait for Senior School?”
As the father of two young men who are now completing college, I
remember well when they were in Lower and Middle School here at
Sewickley Academy, and given their experiences, I would respond in a
couple of different ways to these questions.
Education is a Process
First, education is a process, and I am glad that my sons attended a
school that consciously thinks about that process across 14 years.
Arguably, the most important part of an education is the development
of the foundation, not just the knowledge and the skills, but the
disposition to learning, and the development of responsibility,
autonomy, and
discipline. When
I look at how my
boys developed
as people and
as learners over
their time at
Sewickley Academy,
especially in the
Middle School, I
can see how the
foundations that led
to their successful
college careers
were carefully and
thoughtfully laid.
New Merit Scholarship Program
Sewickley Academy believes so much in the importance of
the Middle School foundation that it is now offering merit
scholarships for prospective students entering Grades 6–9 to
support families in making this important commitment on
behalf of their children.
Merit scholarships, which are not based on a family’s
financial need, will range from $2,500 to $10,000 per year.
Scholarships are renewable annually through Grade 12, as
long as a student continues to meet the scholarship criteria.
Visit www.sewickley.org/merit to learn more.
Be
Choose a Middle School with Intentional Focus
Our Middle School is intentionally focused on the needs of students
in the middle years. The faculty are people who enjoy working
with pre-adolescents and adolescents, and who understand those
developmental needs and work with them and not against them in
supporting the learning and growth of students both in and out of the
classroom.
Preparation for High School and College
By the end of Grade 8, students are prepared and ready to tackle the
challenges of the Senior School and, moreover, to take advantage of
the opportunities they will have there. Together, these opportunities
to learn and grow, explore and discover, set the stage for further
development in college and beyond.
So the question shouldn’t be, “Should I wait for Senior School to
send my children to Sewickley Academy?” but rather, “How soon can
I get them started in a school that will support them to be their very
best selves?”
As students navigate their way through each grade, we
seek to instill confidence, promote creativity, and provide
the encouragement they need to defy expectations.
S EWICKLEY A CADEMY
FOR WHO YOU ARE.
FOR WHO YOU WILL BECOME.
WHO WILL THEY BECOME?
The opportunities are limitless. The journey begins here.
Pre-K – Grade 12 • www.sewickley.org • [email protected]
NORTH ALLEGHENY
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SPRING 2020
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