Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by Kehoe-France School.
Five Things To Look for During Your Next School Visit
It’s that time of year. The time of year where everywhere you look, there is some sort of school event or open house coming up. With so many options, it can be tough to figure out what’s important in a school environment. We all want the best for our kids, but what does ‘the best’ mean?
When you visit schools, and you should visit several, there are lots of things you should be on the lookout for to ensure your child is getting the best educational experience. Check out our top five things to look for below.
Opportunities From Around the World
We all recognize that we are a smaller piece in a much larger puzzle. Students today should be tasked with exploring their place in a larger global context. This means having opportunities to collaborate with students around the world, experiencing different cultures. Check with the school to find out how students are building international connections and the types of global learning experiences available to them. In the 21st century, these types of opportunities are essential to students learning to step out of their comfort zones and prepare for the diverse world they will encounter when they leave their school environment. At Kehoe-France, several of our students recently attended a Model UN in Spain where they explored Spanish culture, visited local schools, and participated in debates and caucuses to address pressing international issues. In the future, we will be expanding these collaborative opportunities to international video conferences, student exchanges, and other distance learning projects.
A World-Class STEM Program
One of the most rapidly evolving and expanding job markets in our society revolves around STEM. In order to prepare students for a world and workforce rooted in technology, schools have to be integrating these skill sets into the curriculum. STEM programs ought to start at young ages and allow for students to learn 
the principles of engineering, mathematics, computer programming through exciting mediums like robotics programs or Makerspaces. Ask the school what kind of technology professional development they offer teachers and how STEM is integrated into the curriculum – schools today must emphasize the 21st century skills necessary to propel our students into the future. At Kehoe-France we are proud to say that our classrooms are outfitted with projectors, desktops, and mobile devices and more which allows teachers to focus on the 21st century skills necessary to propel our students into the future.
An Innovative Curriculum
Now, curriculum can be a complete mystery when you visit a school. Though you’ll hear many buzzwords, it’s hard to get to the substance of the curriculum and the academic foundation that is provided. The key thing to understand is that any choice of curricula must be made with preparing students for their lives ahead, from high school to well beyond. This means providing a solid academic foundation, but also an environment that promotes social-emotional development, cultural appreciation, and physical well-being. Ask the school how their curriculum puts the student at the center of the learning experience – how they are pushed to connect content to the real world, to engage in project-based learning, to challenge themselves and develop their interests.
Welcoming Learning Environment
For students to be happy and successful, the campus environment must be one that is conducive to joyful learning. To maintain a safe, beautiful campus and the spacious, well-equipped classrooms conducive to learning is not a static endeavor – it means constantly assessing your campus needs and investing in making sure the environment is world-class. On your next school visit, make sure to note the quality of the facilities but also ask what the plans are for campus upgrades. Any campus that doesn’t have a laundry list of areas they are improving is falling behind. At Kehoe-France we are excited to introduce many improvements to our beautiful campus for the following school year, including new playground equipment, updated classroom furniture, and renovated lobby areas, just to name a few.
A True Sense of Community
Last, but definitely not least, a school, especially here in the New Orleans area, is a true community. It’s a community not just for students but for the families as well. A great school ought to have a sense of tradition that encourages active participation from the members of that community. Find out how the school brings engages with not just parents, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others to create a true community atmosphere. Family input is one of the greatest assets a school has and you should feel excited for your family to contribute and become a part of the school’s community. Family has always been one of the core values of the Kehoe-France tradition.
Kehoe-France invites parents to come to an upcoming Prospective Parent Information Session at 8:30 a.m. on March 27th, April 11th, or May 16th. Their Camp Open and Family Fun Day is Saturday, April 7th from 11 a.m-2 p.m. Tour the campus, meet faculty and staff, and find out why Kehoe-France has all of the above and much more. Register to attend an upcoming information session HERE or call at (504) 733-0472.
There are a lot of exciting things happening at Kehoe-France School – we can’t wait to share them with you!
