2015 Revisit Day Experience

NCSwimmom
Thu, 09 Apr 2015 18:06:34 +0000

St. Andrew’s School DE Revisit Day

First time BS mom’s perspective. We brought the contract and deposit with us to the revisit day so we treated this visit as more of an orientation to SAS than a BS shopping trip.

Basic format/schedule of your revisit day

8:45 – Welcome Reception for parents and students in Founders Hall
9:10 –Current students picked up prospective students and headed off to class. DS attended three classes with his host.
9:15 – Reflections on St. Andrew’s with Headmaster Tad Roach

10:25 – Break (Parents could stay for the panel discussions or go observe classes)
10:40 – Faculty Panel I/Academic Life – The Art of Teaching
11:25 - Faculty Panel II/Student Life – Mentoring, Advising, Counseling, Coaching
12:15 - Lunch in the dining hall with current students and faculty.
1:20 - Presentation by the Choral Scholars and the Noxontones.
1:30 – Senior Panel Q & A
2:00 – Closing Thoughts from Headmaster Tad Roach
2:30 – Reception for students, parents and faculty.
3:15 – 5:00 ish – Opportunity to observe afternoon sports practices, athletic events and arts events.

Did the revisit confirm your interest in the school or did it dissuade you from matriculating?

The visit completely confirmed our decision to send DS to St. Andrew’s! My husband and son had already met Tad Roach but this was my first experience hearing him speak in person and I was most impressed. The faculty panels were an even bigger selling point. I was blown away by the passion for teaching, coaching and mentoring teens expressed by both seasoned and first year faculty! DS enjoyed his host student and the classes he attended. He felt comfortable participating in the class discussions and LOVED the teaching style!

What specific things about the revisit pushed you in either direction?

As I mentioned above we were already committed to SAS. That said, I am a first time BS parent who has an older son in college. My husband is a BS alum (not SAS) and offered both our boys the opportunity to apply to BS. DS1 was not interested. DS2 took dad up on the offer. This has been a tough year for me. As much as I appreciated all the things offered by St. Andrew’s when my son toured back in the fall and applied in January, I wasn’t convinced that the sacrifices required to send him to SAS were really worth it. The revisit put me at ease and affirmed that SAS was a great fit for our family and that we were making the best possible educational decision for our child.

Did you learn anything new/surprising about the school?

I had heard (and experienced on CC : ) that the students and faculty were really welcoming and friendly. However, I was really impressed by how genuinely welcoming and engaging everyone actually was on revisit day. Nothing felt forced or scripted. Other than the very impressive choral presentations and snacks for guests there was no “dog and pony” show. SAS did everything possible to show us a typical day…as typical as a day with 150+ extra folks on campus can be.

Something you wish you had learned which you didn’t.

SAS does all the traditional things that I am already familiar with to prepare kids for college - with some very impressive results. They also use the CWRA test that focuses more on critical thinking and writing skills. I meant to ask some questions about when and how this test is administered but never got the chance. I am sure the SAS folks on CC will be more than happy fill me in as needed ; ) The day was understandably geared toward III form students since this is the largest incoming group. If I could make suggestions for future revisit days I might recommend a break out panel/session for incoming IV & V form students and parents.

How was the food?

Lunch was great and so were the snacks provided throughout the day. Vegetarian and gluten free options were available.

How were the classes you sat in on?

I didn’t sit in on classes but was impressed with my son’s reports on the classes he attended. The small classes and group discussions really appealed to him. Everyone was engaged with the material.