During trying times like these, it often takes creativity and a willingness to explore new opportunities in order to overcome challenges and make it through the adversity.    That’s exactly what 2 private schools in northwest Cobb County have decided to do. A partnership was established yesterday between the leaders of The Foundations for the Future School and The Academy – for Extraordinary Students with Dyslexia .    The Foundations School has been in existence for 16 years, is recognized by various national accrediting agencies, and has a wonderful reputation in the Atlanta metro area of serving preschool – 5th grade students in an innovative and experiential manner, while challenging and differentiating learning for each child at their level. The Academy, although only entering its inaugural year, offers a very specific structured literacy (using the Wilson Reading System) and multi-sensory learning environment in a low teacher:student ratio for 2nd – 6th grade students with dyslexia. The Academy was just approved by the Ga Department of Education to receive the Georgia Special Needs Scholarships (also known as SB10).    For at

As of May 2019, there are over 13,000 children in foster care in Georgia, 10,000 of which are under 12 years old and may need either daycare or before and after school care. (1)  Finding high quality and convenient daycare for foster parents can be a top priority in deciding if a foster family can accept a new placement in their home.  When a foster care daycare center can partner with the foster family, it creates another avenue of support and stability for the foster child and foster family.   Foster Daycare Funding First and foremost, the issue of funding for foster daycare must be considered.  When foster parents work outside the home, funding for foster daycare for parents in Georgia will generally be approved through CAPS.  There may be a cap set on the maximum amount approved, so check with your case worker to be sure there will not be any additional fees.  Other states like Florida have funding for foster daycare in the works (3), so be sure to check directly for your state. Foster Daycare Quality Once you

On April 19th 2018, Foundations School hosted a group from the organization Mission: Readiness that included leaders of the organization as well as retired rear-admirals that help support the organization.  Foundations School was chosen to represent high quality centers that focus on important initiatives like reducing childhood obesity through activity and nutrition, as well as maintaining the highest standards for quality care and education.  The WSB News article is reprinted below, with a link to the original article for reference. NEW REPORT: 73% OF GEORGIANS (AGES 17-24) NOT QUALIFIED TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY By: Michelle Wright April 19, 2018 3:43 PM (copied 4/27/18 from WSB News) Lots of physical exercise, healthy meals and learning your numbers can help get you ready to protect the nation. In other words, “child’s play” is vital to the nation’s security. Of course, we know that national security depends heavily on qualified adults who are willing and able to serve in the United States Armed Forces. However, due to things like educational deficits, health issues, and behavior problems, nearly three-quarters (73%) of the state’s

The title of this article is hopefully just a little bit shocking, and that is purposeful–several sudden daycare closures have happened in the West Cobb area over the past year, and another (Children’s Corner Childcare in Marietta) was announced this week.  This should be alarming to anyone with children in daycare in this area.  Why is it happening? How do I determine the financial health of a daycare?  Will my daycare close suddenly?  These are crucial questions for anyone with children in daycare. This is the fifth daycare closing within this small part of West Cobb in the past year.  Why?  There are many factors, but they are all related to enrollment.  Daycare centers need a minimum number of enrolled children in order to pay the basic operational costs.  When enrollment goes below this minimum, the daycare center cannot continue to operate, and so that’s the simplistic answer as to why these daycares have closed. When trying to assess the health of daycare program, you could try directly asking the owner or director.   But, some places might not be forthcoming if

For most parents, the thought of applying to a private school and entering the admissions process congers up a sense of dread and anxiety. We all worry about whether or not our child will “Get In.” We even worry about whether or not we as parents will “Get In,” because yes, parents themselves do play a role in whether or not their child gets into their private school of choice. Then we sit and wait for a hopefully not too thin envelope or not too short email. The Basics That Go Into The Admission Process There are so many things that go into assessing the needs of the students, the expectations of the parents, and the school’s ability to fulfill those needs and expectations.  Most schools have an application, required testing or entrance examination, parent & child interviews, shadow days, and tours of the school. This isn’t a right or wrong, you are in, or you are “out” process; the admission process is about matching the needs of your family and child with the ability of the school to meet

The closing of the International Academy Of Smyrna is an unexpected loss for the approximately 1000 students and 90 staff members that were a part of that program. Foundations For The Future School in Kennesaw would like to warmly welcome the International Academy Of Smyrna families and teachers to come visit Foundations, located just about 10 miles north of the International Academy Of Smyrna campus. Foundations provides child care for children six weeks old through preschool, private Pre-K, private Kindergarten through 6th grade with a fantastic and active after-school program, and before and after-school transportation to and from Hayes Elementary school. Foundations has been open since 2004, and has maintained accreditation through Advanc-ed since the start of our school age program in 2007. The Advance-ed standards are research-based, comprehensive quality standards that describe conditions that are necessary for schools to achieve quality student performance. These standards support an education process that is truly visionary; characterizing how schools should operate to promote a culture of continuous learning that is fluid – engaging leaders, staff and students. At Foundations, our school age program provides a challenging and fun approach to curriculum that

The closing of the Ivy Hall Day School in Kennesaw is an unexpected loss during this holiday season for the approximately 70 families and 20 teachers that were a part of that program.  Foundations School in Kennesaw would like to warmly welcome the Ivy Hall daycare families and teachers to come visit Foundations, located just about a mile down the road. Foundations provides child care for children six weeks old through preschool, as well as private Pre-K, private Kindergarten through 6th grade, and before and after-school transportation to and from Hayes Elementary school, with a fantastic and active after-school program.   Foundations is working hard to accommodate the Ivy Hall child care families and teachers displaced by this sudden closing announcement.  Foundations is committed to assisting families in finding ways to bridge the gap between the current rates at Ivy Hall school and Foundations School.  Foundations accepts CAPS funding, as well as funding for military families through Child Care Aware.  Foundations may also be able to help families find other scholarships as well. We know this is a difficult time

Considering a GA Milestones Test Opt Out? There are many reasons you might be considering opting your child out of the GA Milestones testing.  If you do decide to opt your child out of the GA Milestones Test, there are still some major issues that exist with the testing in GA that you may want to consider for next school year.  The problem is not just the test itself, but everything surrounding the testing system that affects your child’s school experience.  As a private school Head of School, I meet the families who have opted out of the public system all the way, and often their experience with standardized testing is a primary reason for that choice.  But standardized testing isn’t all bad.  Surprised to hear me say that?  There are many issues with it, but there can also be many benefits when it is implemented in a way that benefits the students and teachers.  Read on to find out the top issues with standardized testing, including the GA Milestones Test, and also a look at how it could be

Foundations for the Future School prides itself on creating and providing a progressive learning environment for students. This environment is fostered by many things, but one collaborative learning tool is at the core of how we help our students think and learn. This tool is called a K-W-L chart. In June, the Washington Post featured a blog on why it is such an ingenious teaching tool, simple yet indispensable in a progressive learning environment. Foundations’ classrooms regularly use K-W-L charts to enhance learning, as early as in the preschool classes, and all the way through our Elementary School program. K-W-L charts are viewed as a comprehensive educational instrument that emphasize discovery as a means of learning. Because of this, Foundations uses the charts regularly when beginning a new project or discussing a new topic with students. The children are encouraged to list what they know (K), and then what they would like to know (W). After the project or discussion is complete, the children return to the chart for review and then list what they learned (L). The discussions that

THIS BLOG UPDATED ON 4/24/18; ORIGINAL ARTICLE AND COMMENTS BELOW We have received many questions for clarification on the issue of the enrollment age restrictions in Georgia schools, and if there are any exceptions.  There is a way for a child to essentially skip a grade and enter school at a younger age than stated in the rules.  It is not a clearly stated rule, so please read carefully as I attempt to walk through the logic of how to make this happen. First, to clarify, in 2015 GA considered changing the age eligibility laws for school entrance, but it did not go through, so the cutoff date is the same as it has been for decades: “A child must be five years old on or before September 1 to enter a public Kindergarten. The child must be six years old on or before September 1 to enter first grade. School systems must verify age before enrollment.*” There is no exception to this rule in public schools.  However, please note the first of a few very important facts: the only

The Shreiner Academy closing is an unexpected loss during this holiday season for the 150 families and teachers that called the Shreiner Academy their home away from home. Foundations School in Kennesaw would like to warmly welcome the Shreiner Academy families and teachers to come visit Foundations, a school with a very similar teaching philosophy and community of families. Families that chose Shreiner Academy chose it for many of the same reasons that families choose Foundations School: emphasis on experiential learning, project work preschool for infants, toddlers, and three year olds Pre-K through 6th grade, multi-age classes open during the school breaks for camp days extended open hours of 6:30am-6:30pm Advanc-Ed SACS-CASI and NAEYC national accreditations curriculum is not religious based natural outdoor areas on campus for exploration acreage located 12 miles from Shreiner, in Kennesaw, near Barrett Parkway and Cobb Parkway no desks–classrooms have a comfortable learning environment emphasis on movement and exploration inside and outside; Foundations has an indoor multi-sport gymnasium that includes gymnastics and rock climbing technology integration with iPads limited homework for students, with majority of

Do Not Leave Children in the Car Georgia launched a campaign to promote awareness of the danger vehicles can present to children. Here’s a couple of surprising facts: –Heat cannot escape a vehicle: at 70 degrees outside, it can hit 105 degrees in the car in 20 minutes, and 117 in 60 minutes! –Children’s body temperature rises five times faster than an adult. A 104 degree body temperature is enough to cause death. Pass this on to friends and family to remind them to Look Again. (Foundations only does field trips off site occasionally–we prefer on-site events–but when we do, we follow the rigorous guidelines set for double checking the bus by teachers and an administrator to make sure everyone is off safely.) Look Again Video – Be Safe with Children

Why do we make children sit still in school all day?  This is challenging even for adults, and children are naturally more active.  Foundations School embraces the research that shows that movement boosts brain power by incorporating movement throughout the day, from preschool through middle school. One of our core values is “Move to Learn.” Capitalizing on how our bodies and brains have been designed to work best makes students more efficient learners. CNN published an extensive article on this subject on March 30,2014

Check out this amazing new method of speed reading using technology: spritzinc.com. We are tasked with the challenge of preparing children for a future we can barely imagine. This new reading format shows that even the most basic things we take for granted in education, like reading, may be very different in our near future. How do we face this challenge? By fostering children’s natural curiosity to constantly learn new things, integrating critical thinking in every project and subject, and allowing students to find their best path to learning.

“Every 29 seconds another student gives up in school, resulting in more than one million high school students dropping out every year.”  Statistice and facts About Hight School Drop out Rates – The Silent Epidemic STEM is certainly a buzz word in education right now. But what does it really mean? This article from LiveScience.com summarizes what STEM is and shows why it is important for students to have a proficiency in STEM subjects. Foundations is proud to be a STEM school starting with our toddler programs and going through our elementary programs. Because we focus on teaching through children’s interests, it is a natural fit for our program. Children are inherently curious about the world around them, so they are wonderful engineers and scientists. We capitalize on that natural interest to integrate other subjects through projects that truly engage them while meeting academic standards. We continue this process through our elementary school, so that students at Foundations have a strong background in STEM learning and are well prepared for a future where STEM careers are in high demand.

So much is said about “education” in the press that I see a real need to change the focus of the conversation to “learning” and “creating a love of learning” among children. Education is an industry run by adults and includes school systems that focus on costs, teachers and programs – not on learning! Learning is a process that is focused on children. In fact, a child’s love of learning continues to blossom and, as an adult, they instinctively become life-long learners. Research tells us that children are naturally motivated to learn by their own interest and their own curiosity – rules and curriculums shouldn’t interfere with this natural learning. Changing our own conversation away from education to learning creates a more positive perspective of a child’s progress.