Frequently Asked Questions
|
|
| Frequently Asked Questions
|
Q: How can I reach the Palisades Episcopal School Office?
A: You can reach the office by phone at 704.583.1825 or you can email as follows:
Kerin Hughes, Head of School, at khughes@pescharlotte.org.
Barbara Wilson, Administrative Assistant, at bwilson@pescharlotte.org.
Liz Kovacs, Admissions Director, at ekovacs@pescharlotte.org. |
Q: What is Palisades Episcopal School's focus?
A: The School focuses on the whole child -- including children from all walks of life -- within the uniting traditions of the Anglican Communion. We help students form a lively soul, a discerning mind and a healthy body. Founded on the premise that Christ is the source of all truth, the School is dedicated to sound learning, new discovery and the pursuit of wisdom. While emphasizing the proper balance between head and heart, mind and character, form and spirit, we endeavor to instill a life-long hunger for intellectual development. The students themselves are affirmed as ambassadors of grace, citizens who live and teach an ethic of service and respect to others. |
Q: Is this school only for Episcopalians or persons connected with the Episcopal Church?
A: No, only 25% of the students attending Episcopal Schools around the country are members of the Episcopal Church. While the School will never hesitate to appropriately share the Christian faith with students, membership in the Episcopal Church is not required. It is our hope that those who come to our school, regardless of faith or denomination, will be affirmed in their faith in God without denominational considerations being an issue. Over the course of time an Episcopal Church will be founded on the same property and will intentionally have a “use-agreement” with the school for some shared space, but it is not our intention to denigrate students' denominational affiliations. |
Q: What grades does the School offer?
A:
Palisades Episcopal School currently offers grades K-4. In the 2008-2009 school year, we will serve grades K-5, and we will add a grade each subsequent school year until we serve grades K-8. Our optimum class size is 20. Construction of permanent facilities should begin sometime after 2009, when the community is ready to support this commitment. St. Francis Episcopal Church will serve as the chapel and assembly area for the School. |
Q: Will you offer a pre-K program?
A: Palisades Episcopal School is studying a plan to offer a pre-K program in the near future. |
Q: What must a parent do to apply for admission for their child?
A:
Parents interested in having their children attend Palisades Episcopal School need to complete an Application, provide a teacher reference form from their child's current teacher, as well as a transcript of school work from their present school (for grades 1-4). There is also a testing component of the application process, an interview of the parents, and an observation process of the children. Please contact the Office of Admissions at 704.583.1825 for more information and an admissions packet. |
|
Q:
Does the school offer financial assistance?
A: It is anticipated that approximately ten percent of the tuition revenue of the school will be used for scholarships for deserving students whose parents are committed to our school’s mission statement. Application for financial aid is made in conjunction with an application for admission. Please direct any financial aid questions to our Business Officer at 704.583.1825. |
Q: What about parental involvement?
A: We are interested in a commitment by both parent and child because the educational experience not only takes place in the School but, more importantly, in the home. For this reason parents must be involved with both the School and their child's education on a daily basis. |
Q: Why do you utilize a classical approach to private Christian education?
A: We have an abiding concern to recognize that education is not simply limited to information acquisition. Education is historically mindful that learning comes from two cultural centers. From Athens, students have learned scientific principals, universal law and the process of reason. Similarly, from Jerusalem, students have learned the knowledge of the heart. That is to say, the fullest educational experience shapes both head and heart into a person of character, and not simply a reservoir of information. Classically shaped education (that is the Latin model of education) engages the whole person more dramatically than any other form of education, and it shapes the character, such that wisdom accrues to the student more readily than a student educated solely for the acquisition of information. |
Q: Why do you utilize an Episcopal School format?
A: The Episcopal Church has a history of involvement with primary education evidenced by the more than 1,100 Episcopal schools and early childhood education programs throughout America. We believe education that honors the spirit helps shape the student’s learning. Accordingly, students can expect chapel services once a week, and the presence of a chaplain for religious education as well as counseling considerations. |
Q: What is the model of The Palisades Episcopal School?
A: The Palisades Episcopal School is a classical elementary school with a curriculum modeled on the Latin concept of the Trivium: Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric. These elements shape the disciplines of study, including languages and all the traditional areas of learning. We believe this approach compliments our commitment to nourishing a child’s understanding of the Christian faith and life. |
Q: What is Palisades Episcopal School's educational goal?
A:
Our goal is to provide the life skills for a child to be a well-balanced person -- intellectually, emotionally, physically and spiritually. In so doing, a child has the ability to establish healthy relationships with the people that populate his/her life both now and in the future. |
Q: What can you tell me about the Head of School?
A: Head of School, Kerin Smith Hughes, holds a BA in English Literature from Plymouth State College, Plymouth, New Hampshire; as well as a Masters of Education from UNC Charlotte. She has also done post graduate work in the areas of curriculum and instruction in Vermont.
Mrs. Hughes has been a classroom teacher and most recently Head of School at another private school. She has served on accreditation teams for the Southern Association of Independent Schools, has spoken many times to educational and civic groups, and has been involved in civic and cultural groups in the places where she has lived and worked.
Kerin Smith Hughes, her husband and their twin children reside in this area. |
Q: Is the School's educational model similar to other private schools in Charlotte?
A:
Palisades Episcopal School similar to Trinity Episcopal School (www.tescharlotte.org) founded six years ago in Charlotte's Center City. Some of the people who founded Trinity Episcopal School serve on the Board of Directors of Palisades Episcopal. Palisades Episcopal School differs from other private schools in the region in that it provides an education based on classical principles. |
Q: Who should attend this School?
A: The School is open to children of all races and creeds whose parents are committed to the mission statement of the School. |
Q: What qualities will a Palisades Episcopal School graduate possess?
A: Palisades Episcopal School graduates will be articulate, well-rounded people who have a strong sense of their own worth and their ability to succeed as well as respect for the dignity of others. They will possess a clear understanding of Christianity's knowledge of the heart and the mind. They will be excellent readers who enjoy reading for pleasure as well as students who possess a thirst for knowledge and love of learning. They will be excellent team players who know how to organize their knowledge to solve problems and accomplish tasks. They will love and respect the Lord, their parents, their teachers, their school, their country, their neighbors and themselves. |
Q: Since Palisades Episcopal School is located in an Audubon Gold Seal Community, will the School have a relationship with Audubon International?
A: Audubon International influences some of the School’s science curriculum so that environmental stewardship is well understood by our students. Much of the School's site will remain in its natural state. The permanent campus will feature an amphitheater, nature trails and several outdoor class venues. |
Q: Is the school owned by the Episcopal Church?
A: No, Palisades Episcopal School is owned by a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation run by an elected board of directors, who oversee the construction and maintenance of the school's facilities. The Head of School will run day-to-day operations. A church will eventually reside within the structure, having agreements for some shared space utilization, and some separate dedicated space as well. |
Q: Where is the School located?
A: Palisades Episcopal School is located in The Palisades, a development located on Lake Wylie in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, just South of Highway 49, in one of the fastest growing areas of Mecklenburg County. Rhein/Medall Communities, developer of The Palisades, donated 32 acres of beautifully wooded land for the development of Palisades Episcopal School and the subsequent development of Saint Francis Episcopal Church. The permanent site is located on Grand Palisades Parkway, directly across from Charlotte United’s four full size soccer fields and is easily accessed from Highway 49 and Highway 160. The temporary site is located in 10,000 square foot Village Center at The Palisades on Grand Palisades Parkway.
|
Q: Why was The Palisades location selected?
A: Centered in a fast growing corridor in Charlotte, North Carolina, The Palisades borders York Road (US Highway 49) and extends south from Westinghouse Blvd. well into South Carolina. The Palisades is a 1700 acre Audubon Gold Signature community planned to grow to 2200 homes. Additionally, more than 25,000 homes are expected to be built in this area in the next five years, over 14,000 will be located within a five mile radius of the Palisades Episcopal School. Families now living or intending to live in “our neighborhood” are well above average educationally, dramatically above average in their frequency of weekly church attendance and enjoy incomes of within the top 25% of households. This demographic will support a high quality private Christian educational facility. |
Q: Where and how can I get more information about your school?
A: We welcome conversation with families who wish to know more about the educational opportunities at Palisades Episcopal School. You can reach us in several different ways. You may stop by our office at 13120 Grand Palisades Parkway, which is located within the Palisades Community in Charlotte, North Carolina. You may email us at info@pescharlotte.org , or you may call our office at 704.583.1825. |
Q: How can I make a contribution to Palisades Episcopal School?
A: All contributions of time, talent and resources are welcome. There is much work to be done and many hands make light work. Contact us via any of the avenues listed in the preceeding question. |
