Pop Rocks & Soda Pop

by sieglinde levery-nicholas,
pscs director of advancement

This past fall, I was asked to sit on a panel at The Little School in Bellevue. The panel was called Transitions to Middle School and was open to the families of current 5th graders (and probably a few parents who were looking towards a more distant future).

This is the second year in a row that I sat on the panel, but Andy had been on it for several years before I took over. The panel consisted of mostly administrators from independent, Seattle-area schools, and began as a way for students and parents to come together and learn how local middle schools work with students as they transition from the top of the elementary school heap into that scary new 6th grade jungle.

As is usually the case, my co-panelists came from a myriad of area schools and, as is always the case, PSCS was the only school represented that is not billed as “College Prep.” Each of my cohorts came from wonderful educational institutions and, although I’ve been in private school administration for over a decade, they all have a few years on me.

During these Q&A sessions, it’s gauche to try and sell or “pitch” your particular institution to prospective families. It is very difficult, however, for an admissions officer not to mention how it is that your school does things, without discussing, well, how your school does things. What our application process is, how we enroll, what we look for in incoming students, how the transition is eased based on each school’s philosophy of education and the vision of their founders. And, again in the case of PSCS, how this school differs so completely from those represented by the other panelists…(click here to read the full article).