1. What hours do the students attend school?
The lower school schedule is the same as that for all of the New School:
9:00 – 3:55 daily, except on Wednesday, when school is dismissed
at 2:30.
2. Do you have before and/or after care? We offer a
supervised Recreation Group and Homework Group that meet before school
every day, and an afternoon Homework Group (daily, except Wednesday
afternoon). Morning programs run from 7:30 – 8:30 and afternoon
programs run from 4:00 – 5:30. Students must register each semester
for the program they wish to attend; these are not a drop-in programs.
3. Do you provide bus transportation? The New School
sends a school bus to pick up and drop off students at the Vienna Metro
Station once each day. We do not offer door-to-door bus service since
our students come from too broad a region for that to be feasible. Most
parents arrange carpools. Some parents make arrangements with responsible
older students who drive to school.
4. How do you handle a child with mixed ability levels? For
example, my child is very strong in writing and reading, but really
struggles in math. Because we keep our class size very small, we are
able to give students a lot of individual attention. We start with where
the child is, and use many different approaches (tapping in to the student’s
multiple intelligences) to help him or her progress. We pay attention
to how each child learns best, and as much as possible teach through
the child’s strengths.
5. How do you handle children in the same class with different
abilities and skills? Within the same class, students work
with materials that fit their particular needs and skills level. While
everyone studies the same topic, expectations and content are adjusted
up or down as necessary. Students do not compete with one another; they
strive to achieve their personal best. We encourage students to collaborate
and cooperate, so that students help each other and also approach the
teacher for help.
6. How much homework do the children have? In lower
school, we try to keep homework to an hour or less per day. We want
kids to be able to go home at the end of the day and have time to play.
On rare occasions, if a special project is coming due, the student may
have more homework and may need to put in some time on the weekend.
Homework generally consists of finishing up incomplete class work and
reading each day.
7. How are the children assessed? Do you have grades
and report cards? Parents are mailed report cards at the end of each
quarter, but are encouraged to log on to PowerSchool to check their
child’s grades and progress in an on-going way. Parents are invited
in for conferences as well.
We use grading rubrics, portfolios, Exhibitions in grades 7 and 8, quizzes,
tests, etc. to measure how the student is doing. The emphasis is placed
on the acquisition of skills and knowledge and the student’s active
participation in his/her classes – not on grades per se. Low scores
on a test or project may indicate the child needs additional instruction
and time for re-learning before moving on; students might be asked,
“What do you think you did wrong? What will you do differently
next time? What do you need more help with?” We do not administer
SOL tests.
8. If I have a concern, how may I contact the teacher?
The staff encourages you to phone or email whenever you have a question
or a concern. We are happy to schedule an individual parent-teacher
meeting or an all-teachers conference if necessary.
9. How do you handle lunch without a school cafeteria?
Students bring lunch from home – traditional sandwiches, etc.
or food to heat in one of the many microwaves that are available to
the students. Students may also order lunch through the front office.
They write their orders and turn in their money before 9:00 and the
food is delivered here in time for lunch. Students order Pizza, Chinese
Food, Sub Sandwiches, etc. Sometimes, a HS student group will fundraise
by hosting a Pizza Sale or by selling other special foods. The office
sells microwavable soups, pocket sandwiches, and mac and cheese; these
are good for an emergency when a child has forgotten to bring or order
lunch.
10. Do students go outside during the day? Students
may play outside or in the gym at lunchtime. Very often, their PE teacher
takes the students outside for organized sports and games. And, many
times, their science teacher takes them outdoors (i.e., walks them down
to the creek) for hands-on activities. Students are often outside as
they change classes, moving from one building to another. It is important
that the children “dress for the weather” so they will enjoy
the fresh air.
11. Is there a dress code at The New School? No. Students
and staff dress in comfortable clothing. However, inappropriate clothing
(such as vulgar t-shirts) is considered insulting to the community.
A student may be asked to turn the offending shirt inside out and be
told not wear it to school again. We expect students to wear sturdy
sneakers when they have gym class.
12. How do you handle the interactions among students so that
younger children are not exposed to teenagers who might behave inappropriately?
Our multi-age student population is one of our great pluses, since this
heterogeneity better reflects real life than keeping kids segregated
by age groups. The younger students are invited to age-appropriate student
performances and exhibitions, and they participate in clubs, committees,
and special events together with the older students. The HS students
plan the annual Halloween Party, Talent Show, and the Field Day for
the entire school community.
We have found, as a rule, that HS students automatically adopt the posture
of positive role models when around younger students, dropping the aura
of teenage angst that periodically seems to envelope them. From the
school’s and the students’ perspectives this works to enhance
the maturation of both the younger and older students.
