Approximately 5.7 million students out of the 56.4 million students in the United States were projected to attend private schools in Fall 2020. If you’re looking to send your child to a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, you want to be sure that the school you choose will support your child’s social and emotional development and provide them with a comfortable learning environment where they can succeed. The middle school years are especially difficult for students, which means it’s incredibly important to find a school that will assist your child throughout the process academically, socially, and emotionally.
With the right school, this transition period between elementary and high school can be the perfect opportunity for your child to develop lifelong skills, a love for learning, and the ability to advocate for themselves. In this brief article, we’ll review a few questions you should ask yourself when choosing the best Clearwater private school for your child.
Related: Why Middle School Students Benefit From A Private Education
This question encompasses everything the private middle school does when it comes to academics, including the standards, curriculum, instructional strategies, and college readiness. At Lakeside Christian School, a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, this comes in the form of our high school prep program, complete with our algebra preparation curriculum, our study skills division, and our writing prep program — all of which serve to provide our students with the foundational skills and academic confidence they need to succeed in high school and beyond. Each of our students benefits from daily structured homework assistance and tutoring time as well as accelerated writing instruction.
You’ll also want to get an idea of how your child’s school aligns their educational programs, classes, and units with their strategically designed curriculum. Lakeside Christian School uses data-driven instruction, which means that your child receives an entirely customized educational plan that will work to either propel them forward or eliminate academic gaps.
This question refers to the environment or culture of the school in which learning takes place and includes a number of factors, such as class size, the emotional and physical safety provided to students, involvement with the local community, administration, and diversity. You want to know that the private middle school you’ve chosen is capable of handling disruptive behavioral incidents, bullying, and other threats to your child’s education. This means finding an environment where your child can be accepted, valued, and supported by their teachers and peers.
At Lakeside Christian School, we provide a safe place for your child to learn and demonstrate the biblical principles of loving God by fostering warm and respectful relationships among our staff members and between staff members and students. We’re constantly seeking to give back and strengthen our relationship with the community that God has given us, and we believe in providing a healthy environment where your child can feel accepted by their community.
Related: Social Benefits Of A Small School Environment
Private middle schools do much more than develop the academic abilities of their students; they also provide extensive opportunities for students to pursue their passions, broaden their horizons, and showcase their skills. You’ll want your student to be exposed to a wide variety of these opportunities for development, including athletic programs, fine arts programs, and extracurricular activities. Lakeside Christian School offers a number of athletic programs to this end, including junior high football, volleyball, cross county, cheerleading, softball, and more.
Learn more about the top Clearwater private school and the importance of choosing the best private middle school for your child by talking with an administrator from Lakeside Christian School.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
The holiday season is upon us. It’s time for students to take a well-deserved break from school, enjoy the cooler weather of the winter months, and spend quality time with their loved ones. Unfortunately, even Thanksgiving Break, which is typically only a week off from school, can have a negative impact on your child’s academic achievement levels. In what’s known as winter learning loss or “winter slide,” students experience significant setbacks in their math and reading skills as a result of not engaging in any acts of meaningful learning during the break.
Thankfully, incorporating meaningful learning into your child’s Thanksgiving or Christmas break doesn’t mean sending them off to summer school or forcing them to spend each day practicing their multiplication tables. In this brief article, Lakeside Christian School, an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, goes over three methods parents can use to keep their child’s mind sharp over a holiday break.
Related: 3 Important Ways To Foster Your Child’s Development In Elementary School
Keeping your child reading is by far the most important method on this list. It’s incredibly tempting for elementary students to spend their winter break glued to a screen somewhere in their home like a television, video game console, or tablet. One of the best ways to stimulate their brain and make sure that their reading skills continue to strengthen is to motivate them to continue reading throughout winter break. Below, we’ve compiled some easy tips to do just that:
Fortunately, if you find your child inevitably drawn to technology like a mobile phone or tablet, there are thousands of online educational resources available at the click of a button. A quick Google search reveals a whole host of great websites and applications that combine fun and games with valuable learning opportunities. To help you select the best option for your child, we’ve compiled a list of websites and apps below based on teaching value, reliability, and ability to engage students.
The truth is that we’re always learning, even if we don’t notice it. One way to keep your child engaged in learning is by taking advantage of teachable moments. For example, you could make a habit of asking your child to read license plates, road signs, and restaurant menus. Any little bit helps toward the progression of your child’s reading skills. For math, we’d recommend asking your child to perform basic math problems like counting the number of commercials that come on during a television show. This will also help to show your child to realize that the skills they’re learning in school have real-world applicability.
All of these steps, however, are virtually useless if your child is not returning from their winter break to an elementary school that best fits their needs. If you want your student to benefit from the best possible education, smaller class sizes, and individual attention, it’s time to consider enrolling him or her in Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Deciding to send your child to private school is a major decision that should not be taken lightly, especially if you’re not certain how you’re going to pay for it. However, if you’ve weighed the benefits of your private school over public education, such as smaller class sizes, flexible curriculum, and improved college and career readiness, and know for certain that your child would thrive in a private school setting, it’s time to look into how you afford private school.
In this brief article, we’ll review how Lakeside Christian School, an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, helps parents afford the private school education their child deserves.
Related: Practical Strategies for Saving Money for Tuition
What makes Lakeside Christian School one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL is the diverse range of scholarship funding organizations we work with. One of these organizations is Step Up For Students, a state-approved nonprofit scholarship funding organization that serves to strengthen public education by administering five scholarships to schoolchildren throughout Florida. If you’re worried about how you may be able to afford a private education for your child, you’ll want to look into the two income-based scholarships they offer: The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship.
Both scholarships can be used as financial assistance towards private school tuition and fees, including books, registration, transportation, uniforms, and more. You may be eligible for either of these scholarships if a member of your household receives SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR; if your student qualifies for free or reduced lunch; or if your household income is at or below the income criteria specified.
Related: Does My Child Qualify for a Step Up For Students Scholarship?
If your child has a disability, then the McKay Scholarship that provides Florida students with disabilities with the option to attend an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL may be the best option for you. In the 2018-19 school year alone, the McKay Scholarship Program for Students With Disabilities awarded over 31,000 Florida students with disabilities the opportunity to attend a participating private school. You may be eligible to receive a McKay scholarship if your student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 accommodation plan and meets certain requirements, such as spending the prior year in attendance at a public school or being enrolled and reported for funding by the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Last but not least, the FACTS Scholarship is available to all parents who want their child to attend Lakeside Christian School. The FACTS Scholarship is an income-based scholarship designed to create a more affordable tuition through an online financial aid assessment program. The goal of this scholarship program is to help as many families with as much tuition as possible, which is why it’s important to fill out an online application as soon as possible before the deadline in early March.
Other than the scholarships listed above, Lakeside Christian School also seeks to be one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL by consistently increasing our tuition subsidy budgets to provide aid through reduced tuition so that more families can enroll their students at a cost they can afford. For more information, don’t hesitate to give us a call via the phone number below.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
If you’re worried that your child may be falling behind in school, you’re not alone. The 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that 65 percent of fourth-graders performed below the NAEP Proficient level on the reading portion of the assessment. The NAEP Proficient level is intended to represent students who “have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter, including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real-world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.” If your student is performing below this level, then there’s good reason to be worried that they’ll face difficulty catching up to college and career readiness benchmarks later in life.
In a study performed by the National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) in 2012, researchers found that fourth-graders who fell far off track had only a nine percent chance of reaching college readiness benchmarks in eighth grade. What this should signal to parents is that catching students up from falling far behind college readiness standards is incredibly difficult. The key to establishing a secure path toward college and career readiness is by sending your student to an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, like Lakeside Christian School, that prioritizes the importance of an early start in closing the academic preparation gaps.
Related: How Private Schools Improve College Readiness
One of the most crucial elements Lakeside Christian School focuses on in order to prepare your student for college and career starting in kindergarten through fifth grade is data-driven instruction. In simplest terms, data-driven instruction is an approach to improving student learning that involves the use of information gathered from student assessment. There are two types of data used in the classroom: formative (gathered during the process of learning) and summative (gathered at the end of a learning period).
Effective educators analyze this data, determine if their style of teaching is appropriate for each student, and create smaller groups concentrated on the skills with which students are struggling. This means that your student receives an educational plan entirely tailored to their needs to eliminate academic gaps or propel them forward in their education if they’re already on track. At Lakeside Christian School, we’ve been practicing this type of instruction for several years and have already noticed massive improvements in our scores and effectiveness at closing academic gaps.
Related: 3 Qualities College Admissions Offices Look for in Applicants
Another aspect Lakeside Christian School focuses on in order to ensure our students are on track for college and career readiness is what’s known as aligned curriculum. Aligned curriculum refers to any academic program that is free of academic gaps, aligned across grade levels and subject areas, and purposefully designed to facilitate learning. The concept is based around the idea that students’ knowledge builds on itself naturally rather than repeating unnecessarily.
This gives all students a better chance at eliminating academic gaps from day one. Lakeside Christian School links student test scores on ACT Aspire assessments with post-high school performance and determines what that student needs to learn to be ready for college and career. This gives both educators, students, and parents the necessary information to determine the appropriate educational path, possible interventions, and the resources necessary to succeed.
Supporting the development of your student’s career and college readiness can’t be delayed until high school because it’s incredibly difficult for students to get caught up once they’ve fallen behind. If you want to establish a secure path toward success for your student, it’s time to send them to one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL — Lakeside Christian School. Apart from data-driven instruction and aligned curriculum, we also believe in best-practice instruction, a safe and secure learning environment for all students, complementary technology, and more. Consider scheduling a free tour with Lakeside Christian School today so that you can see for yourself what makes us so different from other schools in the Greater Clearwater area.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Yes! School uniforms can be incredibly beneficial for students, especially elementary school students. School uniforms are affordable, promote equality, and show that children are proud to be a part of their school. In this article, we go over these benefits in a little more detail and discuss why your child doesn’t have to be bummed out when they have to put on their uniform in the morning. Just check out these uniform options at Lakeside Christian School, an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL!
One of the main benefits of a uniform policy is affordability. Many parents who can afford a private education for their children are still hard-pressed to provide a new wardrobe every year for their growing kids. That’s why private schools like Lakeside Christian School implement uniform policies — parents shouldn’t have to choose between an outstanding education or new clothing for their child. Our uniforms consist of an LCS-issued polo shirt and khaki pants/shorts (skirts are permitted for young ladies). This is just one of the many ways that our school helps parents save money while providing their children with a private education. There’s also the added benefit of not having to scramble to find your kids something to wear in the morning!
Related: Why It’s So Important to Apply for Income-Based Scholarships for the 2020-21 School Year
At Lakeside Christian School, we strongly believe that all children are entitled to a first-rate learning experience. School uniforms are one of the many ways we provide this experience. School uniforms promote unity, allowing students to see past superficial differences. This not only helps students bond but also helps prevent instances of bullying. Our uniform policy helps students focus on what matters most: their education and development. Of course, this doesn’t mean that your child can’t showcase their individuality — helping students find their unique voice is a goal of ours. We do allow students to dress down on Fridays!
Related: Why More and More Florida Parents Are Sending Their Kids to Private Schools
A school uniform is a perfect way to instill in students the idea that they are not alone, that they are a part of something bigger than themselves. This helps students take ownership of their education and motivates them to achieve their goals. In essence, a school uniform allows your child to display school spirit. At Lakeside Christian School, we believe that obedience, respect, and responsibility are key virtues that students must develop. A school uniform helps them embody and take on these ideals, and once they’ve graduated, these ideals will help them succeed throughout their entire lives. When you see your child in a LCS uniform, you’ll know that you’ve found them a school that they can feel proud of, a school that they can feel at home at.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the top private elementary schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
The transition between elementary and middle school is a complex process for all stakeholders involved, including students and parents alike. Young adolescents are propelled into a new environment while they are changing mentally and physically. Having a mentor for your middle school student helps provide support during this process and enhances their academic success.
At Lakeside Christian School, a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, we believe in providing our students with mentors with whom they can form a relationship built on honesty and trust. Students deserve an advocate who they can turn to with any problems they may be facing academically or otherwise. Many of our teachers serve in either the Lakeside Community Chapel youth group or the church’s Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (AWANA) program, where students can attend and have the opportunity to be mentored by one of their teachers. Read below about how a mentoring relationship can benefit your middle school student.
Related: Why Middle School Students Benefit From a Private Education
Middle school students with mentors are more likely to engage in the process of self-reflection in which they can assess their current strengths and weaknesses and areas of their life they need to devote more time to. One of our students, Heather, expressed the following during Mentoring Month about her experience as a mentee:
“Meeting with Kayla on a regular basis has allowed for her help keeping me accountable on things that I need to work on in my life. Her mentoring has also provided a wonderful relationship between us where I know I can go to her with anything and she would be more than willing to provide godly advice.”
Accountability, as Heather discussed, is one of the most important aspects of mentoring as students meet with their mentors to set personalized short- and long-term goals and strategies to achieve these goals. The set of skills involved in assessing their progress and strategizing how they will achieve their goals are the same skills necessary for success later in their academic career in high school and college.
Related: Why Maintaining Your Child’s GPA in Middle School Is Vital to Their Development
On a broader scope of behavior benefits, middle school students are more likely to experience a myriad of social-emotional development benefits when they regularly meet with a mentor:
In addition to higher rates of school attendance, research has found that mentored students are fifty-two percent more likely to stay in school and also complete more homework assignments than students without mentors. This is due to the fact that mentors help to combat many of the barriers to academic achievement, such as insufficient academic preparation and chronic absenteeism. Instead, mentors bolster the success of students’ development by providing access to a number of support systems located within the community as well as the skills necessary for the development of non-cognitive skills like perseverance and teamwork.
If you are concerned about your child’s transition between elementary and middle school, it’s time to invest their future. As one of the best private middle schools in Clearwater, FL, we are committed to making the transition process as seamless as possible by providing resources such as mentorship and small class sizes.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private middle schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Everyone knows that college application season is the most stressful time for parents and students. College admissions offices are always changing their criteria for what they look for in an applicant, but a few constants remain the same. At Lakeside Christian School, one of the best Christian schools in Clearwater, FL, we know what colleges are looking for in your child’s education. We work with students to properly prepare them well in advance of the college application process. This article will discuss what colleges will specifically look for in your child’s high school.
Class selection is a crucial component for any high school student’s career. The rigor of your child’s classes will stand out when admission offices look over applications. Lakeside Christian School offers a comprehensive course load with small class sizes in order to better develop your child’s strengths. Diversification has never been more important when it comes to applications. Now more than ever, college admission boards are looking for someone who not only focuses on one subject but also challenges themselves by expanding their class selection. We strongly encourage our students to branch out and explore new curriculum so that they may expand their knowledge.
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Activities outside of the classroom should be featured in your child’s application as much as their coursework. Participating in sports and other school activities showcases to colleges that your son or daughter is a go-getter who is eager to be involved with their school, community, and peers. Lakeside Christian School offers a full complement of competitive athletic teams for all grades ranging from elementary to highschool. As a preeminent Clearwater, FL, Christian school, we want our students to strive for greatness in all of their endeavors, whether it be on the courts or as a member of one of our school clubs. We enable our students to boast a plethora of experiences to call upon when it is time to apply to universities.
Related: Lakeside Christian School Athletics
Community is the foundational piece that Lakeside Christian School was built on. In order to be accepted into most colleges today, your child must be involved in some form of service for their community. As a faith-based school, we strongly encourage our students to love and care for those around them. College admission offices search for well-rounded students who have a solid grasp on what it takes to be an exemplary student. From their first day of elementary school up through their graduation day, we mold all of our students into leaders and work to prepare them for the next stage of their lives.
If you would like to learn more about Christian schools in Clearwater, FL, like Lakeside Christian School, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Contrary to popular belief, people from all income levels can enjoy the benefits of private school. In fact, there are thousands of young students in private schools that come from middle-to-low income households. You might be wondering how these students and their families can afford the cost of private school, which, according to Private School Review, costs “approximately $8,878 per year.” The answer is simple. There is plenty of help out there for those who take the time to explore options for funding assistance.
One of the best routes to getting into the private school system is through scholarships. For example, Lakeside Christian School accepts several Step Up For Students scholarships, like the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship. However, this is far from the only way to support your child’s education. There are an abundance of privately sponsored contests to help children get additional funding for tuition, supplies, and other essentials. Below, we have listed four different contests for your gifted youth to apply to. If you want to transition your child to a Christian middle school in Clearwater, FL, contact Lakeside Christian School to schedule a tour.
Held by the Nicodemus Wilderness Project, this project is officially recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They have been holding this competition for over two decades, inspiring young children to be more involved in cleaning and maintaining the purity of the world around them. Find more information about the initiative here.
Open to all ages, this competition held by Blue Mountain Arts is a great way for your child to express themselves creatively for a chance to win a prize. There is no age restriction, and contestants can enter as often as they want to try to win the $350 first prize (or the $200 second prize or $100 third prize). Contests are encouraged to submit an original poem about “real emotions and feelings.”
One Earth Film Festival holds this annual competition, which features separate categories for elementary and middle school students.. They pick one of the preselected themes and make a short video about them in order to win up to 400 dollars in prize money and grants and to be featured in the festival.
Like the earlier contest held by Blue Mountain, this contest’s name is indicative of its rules. Children from middle schools are asked to carefully ponder a quote from Judge Jackson during the infamous trial of defeated Nazi leaders at Nuremberg and ask a series of philisophical questions. There can only be one 500 word (or less) essay per entrant. Winners can receive up to 250 dollars.
As you can see, every child can enter a contest best suited to their skills and knowledge, from the aspiring poetto to the young filmmaker or historian and everywhere in between. Here at Lakeside Christian School, we pride ourselves in supporting all students, no matter what their passions are. If you’re looking for the best quality education in Clearwater, look no further!
If you would like to learn more about Christian middle schools in Clearwater, FL, like Lakeside Christian School, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
As a society, we have a tendency to overlook the transition from elementary to middle school, which can be quite jarring in its own right. After all, the entire structure of middle school is vastly different from elementary schools’ “one teacher to a class” system. Middle school students are expected to have adapted to the school system by the time they enter sixth grade. During the next three years, students will be asked to absorb a vast amount of information as they bridge the gap from simple concepts to more complex teachings. It often seems like the ultimate goal of middle school is to survive until high school, but in actuality, middle school is a time when students can build the foundation for their high school experience.
At Lakeside Christian School, a Christian middle school in Clearwater, FL, we provide students with rigorous high school preparation programs that boost skills in algebra, writing, and more. During grades six, seven, and eight, students are molded into enlightened thinkers and problem solvers who yearn to be challenged, ensuring that they experience a smooth transition to the next level. Students that excel in high school start by maintaining a strong GPA throughout middle school. Here are the reasons why:
Like math, science, language arts, and other subject areas, the ability to study properly must be learned through consistent instruction. Students who fail to adopt proper study habits can find themselves left behind once they enter high school. Studying is a foundational skill that can boost a student’s performance across multiple subject areas, and middle school is the perfect time to develop these skills. The amount of homework that children are tasked with completing spikes dramatically during this time, and the formation of reliable study habits is the only way to keep up. Needless to say, better study habits will lead to a higher GPA and a greater chance of success in high school.
According to Deborah Kasak from the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, “Many [students] make that decision to drop out–either consciously or unconsciously–during those middle grades years.” Paying close attention to our middle school students is important if we want them to succeed, but overcoming the hump isn’t always easy. Many children find middle school to be a significantly more daunting challenge than what they grew accustomed to in elementary school. Middle school distractions are another cause for concern. Bullying, puberty, and an evolving self-awareness can lead children down the wrong path without proper instruction. This is why, at our Christian middle school in Clearwater, FL, we work hard to cultivate an environment of learning and acceptance that helps children sustain an interest in education and a desire to be their very best.
When the progress your child made in elementary school comes skidding to a halt in middle school, it’s time to make a change. As one of the top Christian middle schools in Clearwater, FL, our staff is dedicated to providing a guiding hand to children during this confusing time. With small class sizes and plenty of one-on-one instruction, children are afforded the freedom to overcome academic obstacles and become their best. We’d love to give you the opportunity to check out our school for yourself and your family, so you can see why Lakeside Christian School is the best Christian middle school in Clearwater, FL.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best Christian middle schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
The struggles of the education system in recent years have fallen under a lot of scrutiny, and for good reason. Some alarming facts and statistics:
There is an ocean of reasons why this is happening within the education system in America, and both public and private schools are affected. However, the private sector has historically fared better in times of uncertainty in the education system. Here in Clearwater especially, the Clearwater private school system is exceptionally effective at educating bright young minds. Below are three advantages of private elementary schools in Clearwater, FL.
The United States population has grown by 17 million since the last major census in 2010 —a 5.3 percent increase. This increase has been supported by a steady annual rate of 0.7 to 0.8 percent; and according to history, this shows no signs of slowing down. Today’s children are glued to brightly lit LED monitors, and as a result, they require more individual attention than ever before to retain information and expand their knowledge. Private elementary schools in Clearwater, FL, benefit from smaller class sizes, allowing teachers to impart knowledge on their students more efficiently and with fewer distractions. When schools become overpopulated, everyone’s learning experience suffers.
The children of today are nothing like the children of the 1990s, or even the 2000s. Elementary students of those times came into school only with information and knowledge their parents exposed them to. Nowadays, children before preschool are granted access to smartphones and iPads to aid parents in keeping their overzealous attention spans at bay. This translates to new-age students that have a wealth of information that previous generations did not; in other words, they are not starting with a clean slate. In a traditional classroom setting, children did not have access to a computer until fourth or fifth grade. Preschoolers are walking into their first day of school with the ability to open a computer and use the internet. They need to adjust teaching methods to address this issue and help young minds remediate information that they’ve been exposed to outside of the classroom; which private schools have. Public schools often have trouble offering new-age teaching methods to their students.
A lack of funding is a detriment to any government system, so why would the school system be any different? In Florida, a lack of public funding affects every corner of the educational experience. This underfunding hits lower-income public schools especially hard. However, affordable private schools in Clearwater, FL, rarely have funding issues.
If you would like to learn more about private elementary schools in Clearwater, FL, like Lakeside Christian School, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Are you ready to join the Lakeside Christian School community? Contact us, and schedule a tour today.
Parents of Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan, Click Here.