Why Choose Greensboro Day School?

Greensboro Day School is one of over 2,000 independent schools from across the United States who are members of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In all, these schools provide a high-quality of education to over 700,000 students from preschool through high school. Each of the NAIS schools has its own mission and purpose and is held accountable by a board of trustees and high accreditation standards. They are called “independent” because they do not receive government support and are supported by tuition, donations and endowments.

Research indicates that independent schools are successful because they provide:

• High-quality and committed teachers
• Close-knit communities 
• Hands-on learning opportunities
• Educational experiences beyond the classroom
• Actively engaged parents
• Supportive learning environments
• Provide a high degree of safety
• Individualized attention for students

Recent studies, and those from a 2004 NAIS report, indicate that families chose independent schools because of these reasons along with small classes, excellent teachers and high academic standards. Overall, families believe that independent schools will provide high-quality, well-rounded experiences for their children. Along with high academic standards families report that their children also prosper from opportunities to extend their learning in core subject areas, electives, athletics, fine and performing arts and later,  in life.

The U.S. Department of Education, through its conducting of the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), came to the conclusion that independent school students enroll in more advanced courses than their counterparts in pubic, parochial and other private schools.  They also found that independent school students:

·  Do twice as much homework as their counterparts

·  Watch only two-thirds as much television

·  Are significantly more likely to participate in varsity or intramural sports

·  Are more likely to agree that students and teachers get along well, discipline is fair and teaching is good.

While all independent schools set high standards and emphasize values, each provides a unique educational program based on its mission and theory of educational practice.

Recent reports indicate a slight drop in enrollment at many independent schools. We are thrilled to report that Greensboro Day School remains strong in both enrollment and financial stability. Our number one priority is to remain constant in our academic and extracurricular offerings. While many local private and public schools are cutting resources and programs, we continue to offer the most challenging academic program in the area, balanced with an award winning arts program and competitive athletics. 

If you would like to learn more about the value of an independent school education, you might enjoy some of these links:

• http://www.nais.org/files/PDFs/NELSReport_2-3-04_FINAL.pdf
• http://www.metrokids.com/MetroKids/November-2011/7-Myths-About-Independent-Schools/
• http://www.fcis.org/uploaded/Accreditation/New_Docs_2/Why_Choose_an_Independent_School.pdf

If you would like to learn more about Greensboro Day School, click here.

The Critical Skills that our Students will Need

A new Towers Watson study "Global Talent 2021" is based on information from a recent global survey of 352 human resource professionals. The report outlines four skill areas that will be in demand over the next 10 years and makes me reflect on the educational curriculum that will need to be in place to support our students in developing these skills.

Digital Skills: Highly skilled technical workers will be needed in a rapidly growing digital economy. Social media already places an emphasis on employing those who have the ability to work in newly developing forms of digital expression and who have marketing literacy. 50.6 percent of the HR professionals who responded to the survey indicated that digital skills would be critical for future workers and 44.9 percent indicated that the ability to work virtually was critical.

Agile Thinking Skills: In an era of ongoing economic and political variability, agile thinking and the ability to design multiple scenarios is going to be vital. Innovative thinking, the ability to deal with complexity and manage what appear to be paradoxical situations, will be critical skills to have in the very near future.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills: The HR professionals believed that co-creativity and brainstorming skills, along with customer relationship building and virtual teaming skills, will be in great demand. They believe that corporations will continue to move from a command-and-control style of management to a more collaborative model. With a wide variety of geographies and cultures represented in stakeholders from around the world, the capacity to align strategic goals, build consensus and build collaboration will be critical needs for corporations.

Global Operating Skills: The ability to work in worldwide markets and manage a diverse set of employees is seen by the HR professionals as the most important operating skill. The ability to understand diverse cultures, their language and customs will be critical in a future where commerce will flow ever more freely across the world.

The report concludes by saying that employees who do not possess these valuable skills will be at a serious competitive disadvantage, and those who do will be the leaders of tomorrow.