CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Amy Galvam of Waldorf School of Cape Cod, Peg Haskell of Trinity Christian Academy and Suzanne Lawson of Bridgeview Montessori School.
BARNSTABLE – There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the competition between schools for an ever-decreasing student population on the Cape.
The region’s independent schools have their own challenges in getting the word out about their offerings. Several of them have banded together to form the Greater Cape Cod Collaborative of Independent Schools.
Schools in the collaborative are Bridgeview Montessori School in Bourne, Cape Cod Academy in Osterville, Falmouth Academy in Falmouth, Friends Academy in Dartmouth, Trinity Christian School in Hyannis and Waldorf School of Cape Cod in Cotuit.
The schools vary greatly in educational philosophies but they have a number of things in common, including small class sizes.
Bridgeview Montessori has classes for students in early childhood to sixth grade. Friends Academy and Waldorf have students from early childhood to eighth grade. Cape Cod Academy and Trinity Christian both are pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. Falmouth Academy is seventh to twelfth grade.
When looking for a school, parents should consider a range of factors, according to collaborative members. The school’s mission and educational philosophy should be considered as well as size, cost, admissions and value.
The collaborative will hold a forum for parents later this winter. The event was originally scheduled for January 28, falling within National School Choice Week, but was postponed because of last week’s snow storm. Organizers say it will be rescheduled.
Listen below as Suzanne Lawson, Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions at Bridgeview Montessori School in Bourne, Peg Haskell, the Director of Development at Trinity Christian Academy in Hyannis and Amy Galvam, Enrollment Director at the Waldorf School of Cape Cod in Cotuit, discuss talk about local independent schools.
