Determine your child’s needs

Is your child an artist? A Lego fanatic? An athlete? Has a part of your home been turned into a library or a collection of outdoor specimens? Whatever your child’s personality and passions, he or she is constantly learning, which is why good schools build on a child’s natural desire to understand and to know more. Be sure that the school you are considering is a good fit for your child’s essence—one that will turn his or her innate curiosity into a lifelong love of learning. 

Research and visit

There is no substitute for visiting a school, either during a regular school day or an open house. Parents and caregivers often know as soon as they walk in the door that “this is the one.” Do your research, talk to friends, and visit the schools that interest you to experience what they are like firsthand. Your time is precious, but knowing that your child is in the right school is priceless.

Distinguish good schools from great schools

Good schools

At a minimum, schools must provide all children with a safe environment and a staff of caring teachers who are passionate about their profession and motivated to help each child learn. Language arts, mathematics, STEM, a second language requirement, social studies, computer science, athletics and a dynamic arts program should work together to engage children with a wide range of learning styles. Schools must also support a child’s emotional development by providing time for both recess and reflection. No child should be left indoors!

Great schools

In addition to preparing children to excel in each successive school year with all the elements noted above, the best schools also equip students with the foundational skills of communication, collaboration and problem solving. Fostering independence, as well as a strong capacity for empathy and resilience, should be among a great school’s vital goals.

A great school learns and evolves, too—integrating the latest research on how children learn and what they’ll need to succeed in a rapidly changing world economy. Great schools invest in professional faculty development, reflect on and share faculty learning, and incorporate best practices and innovation into the school on an ongoing basis.

Why St. Anne’s is a great school

When students arrive at St. Anne’s Episcopal School in Middletown, DE, they embark on an educational experience that lays the foundation for their intellectual growth, strong sense of character, sound moral judgment and confidence to lead. Faculty members are passionate educators who embrace a progressive teaching philosophy and a research-based curriculum.

As an Episcopal school, St. Anne’s is committed to diversity and inclusion—and to helping children connect to their spiritual lives through daily devotions in homerooms as well as weekly chapel services. Episcopal schools exist not merely to educate, but also to demonstrate and proclaim the unique worth and beauty of all human beings. The goal is to make the world better, one child at a time, by furthering growth, developing talents and inspiring lives of meaning, purpose and service to the world.

With a 7-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, St. Anne’s students develop self-confidence through individualized attention and collaborative learning. They discover that learning requires critical thinking, problem solving and resilience, and to keep trying until they succeed. This preschool-through-eighth-grade school inspires middle school students to serve as role models for and leaders of their student body. The school’s academic leadership, who are also teachers, can support faculty and classroom learning because they work together in the same building. As an independent school, St. Anne’s is also free to make programmatic changes to ensure that students are receiving the best education possible.

Situated on 125 rural acres (just off of Route 1), St. Anne’s Episcopal School in Middletown is a co-ed independent day school that focuses on academic excellence and the development of the whole child. Founded by visionary educators from St. Andrew’s School in 2002, St. Anne’s is a diverse community with an academic program that prepares students for honors course work in the finest area high schools through its commitment to intellectual, spiritual, physical, social and artistic growth and character development. St. Anne’s focus on individual character and a compassionate heart sets it apart. Learn more at www.StAnnesDE.org/info.