Everything You Need to Know About GEP’s Homeschool Program
GEP’s homeschool program has been gaining steam as a school alternative in recent years. We met with Director Meredith Hafer to get the low-down on how GEP’s program compares to traditional school options.
Why is your school program classified as homeschooling?
GEP provides comprehensive K-12 school programs for students as an alternative to mainstream schools. These individualized programs fall under the legal umbrella of homeschooling, which gives parents the right and responsibility to ensure that their child receives an appropriate education. In effect, parents contract with us to create and implement an educational program to meet their child’s unique needs.
Where do your students receive instruction?
The majority of our students attend classes at our centers in Greenwich and New Canaan. Our facilities are set up to accommodate one-on-one and small-group instruction, as well as music lessons, studio art, and physical education. Occasionally, we will work with students off-site; this may be necessary when we are working with athletes and actors. We can also implement our programs in-home if needed.
Who teaches them?
We maintain a teaching staff of approximately 20 full-time and 60 part-time educators, which includes both certified teachers and subject area specialists. We also recruit additional teachers as needed for specialized courses, from Russian and graphic design to marine biology and advanced ballet. It all depends on the needs of our current students. No matter what the subject, we seek out bright, passionate teachers who can engage students and make learning come alive for them.
So why do families choose GEP’s homeschool program?
Families choose GEP’s homeschool program as a school alternative for a variety of reasons. The reason cited most often by our families is that their child is not thriving in his or her current educational environment. We work closely with families to identify each student’s needs and devise a comprehensive plan to take their child’s education to the next level.
We also work with young professionals who need nontraditional educational solutions. Some students, such as actors, artists, and athletes, are often forced to choose between pursuing their passion and getting a quality education. Because of the flexibility of our year-round program, we are able to design creative, challenging courses of study that meet their scheduling needs, fulfill core requirements, and provide instruction within their fields of interest.
Because we are able to create a school program at any time of the year, GEP is also a good option for families that need a mid-year or summer transitional program. We can pick up right where students left off in their previous school and make sure that they receive credit for their hard work.
What is the philosophy of your homeschool program?
We believe that by giving our students a hand in directing their own education, we can foster a sense of self-reliance and inspire a life-long love of learning. We respect every student as an individual, and we leverage on their strengths in order to help them become stronger in their areas of relative weakness. We want to know what makes our students tick, what their passions are, and if they do not yet have any passions, then we will push them to get excited about something. Too often, I meet kids who are not having a positive school experience, and this has a huge impact on their sense of self. We want our students to be happy, successful, resilient, engaged, and empowered.
The way I see it, we have the opportunity to create an ideal learning environment for our kids. Our programs are informed by the current research on best practices in education. We involve our students in the planning process, engage them in self-directed learning, and challenge them to grow.
What is self-directed learning?
For some students, self-directed learning means setting goals and having a say in course selection. For others, it means actively creating a schedule and engaging in guided independent study. Ideally, we want to enlist our students as engineers of their own educations. This idea makes some parents and educators nervous. They think that, given the choice, students would opt for a school day filled with recess and lunch. But the fact is that the vast majority of our students know what they need as students. They respect their adviser’s guidance, and they want to succeed academically. By taking part in the planning process and having an active voice throughout the school year, our students become invested in their programs.
When it comes down to it, what is our end goal? To excel in seventh grade? To get into a top college? No. These are just means to an end. We are preparing our students to be healthy, successful, and fulfilled adults. This involves teaching them to make choices, define their path, feel comfortable with responsibility, cope with setbacks, and continue to challenge themselves every day of their life.
What courses of study are available to your students?
There are virtually no limitations to what our students can study at GEP. In the lower and middle school grades, we typically follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and the Connecticut Curriculum Framework, supplemented with enrichment courses such as accelerated foreign language, art history, creative writing, music, and studio art. In the upper school grades, our students have a more active role in designing their programs, and are able to take classes in diverse subjects suited to their interests. Our classes are tailored to each student’s level, from introductory studies to all AP courses.
How do your students find a balance between their alternative school experience and a “normal” social life?
One of the things that we can’t offer is a large peer group. That is why we make sure that our students are enrolled in regular after-school activities to increase their socialization opportunities. We find that, with the confidence and life skills that they gain in our program, our students are even more prepared to flourish socially when they transition on to the next stage in their education.
Does GEP confer credit for courses?
GEP confers credit for completed coursework and provides grades, transcripts, recommendations, and academic portfolios. We facilitate placement and transfer of credit, and our students’ work has been recognized by public schools, private schools, boarding schools, and colleges.
How do students apply to your program?
To determine whether or not a student is a good fit for our program, we review his or her records, meet with the family, and meet individually with the student. Throughout this process, we answer any questions that the family may have. I am always willing to sit down with families to discuss whether or not our program may be a viable alternative for their child.
Do you provide special education?
In my mind, providing specialized instruction and therapeutic services is a natural extension of our mission to meet each of our student’s unique needs. Whether we are working with students with learning differences, gifted learners, English language learners, or students with behavioral and emotional needs, we always aim to leverage on their strengths in order to maximize their learning potential.
Through our Center for Specialized Learning Services, we are able to offer comprehensive, collaborative, interdisciplinary services. In addition to providing certified special education teachers, we can integrate speech and language therapy, clinical services (CBT, DBT), ABA and other behavioral interventions.
Have more questions for Meredith? Post them here or email her at meredith@greenwichedprep.com
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on Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 3:12 pm and is filed under Academic Tutoring.
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September 28th, 2009 at 12:07 am
I love the flexibility. It\’s good to find places like yours that don\’t rely on the application of cookie cutter techniques.