Providence vs Lamplighter (Dallas, Howe: top schools, college, to move)

[Headache Mom]

I heard that both are good schools and they both are good feeders to top elite private school like Hockaday and St Marks. What I don't understand is that they are having very different or two extreme style of teaching pre-school to elementary kids; and yet they are both accpeted by top elite schools. What quality of kids were Hockaday and St Marks look for grade 5 kids?
Does one school fit better for a shy, passive girl than the other? Is Providence offering a high academic quality education in a rigid setting?
Your comments are greatly appreciated.

[TurtleCreek80]

Hockaday and St Mark's look for the cream of the crop, academically, yet realize that young kids can become elite academics through a variety of methods (classical education @ Providence or more liberal styles at Lamighter or Catholic education or Montessori education or the standard public elementary school route). There isn't one "right" path into St Mark's or Hockaday. You have to find the best environment for YOUR kiddo to blossom into his/her best (right teaching method/ environment to foster love of learning).

FWIW, Providence (my favorite private lower school) teaches everything in the context of Classical Christianity and will ALWAYS challenge students to defend their (conservative) faith within various worldviews taught (Ancient Rome & Egypt history, Greek mythology, Latin literature, efc). This is great for families who want kids to be exposed to far more than a typical/ soft academic Christian school, but not ideal for a more liberal/ non-religious family. Assuming you know this, but worth noting.

You say your daughter is very shy. Which environment did you see her blooming in on your campus visit? Has she visited both schools yet?

[Headache Mom]

Thank you TurtleCreek80. I went to both schools and did the tour. It seems to me that we only see facets of Lamplighter in the tour. I see the campus, the barn, technology; however, it doesn't tell me the quality of the academic or the teachers very well in the quick tour. However, I sat in one class in Providence and I see how rigorous the language class offered to the kid. Everyone seems very polite and well-behaved. However, I could never tell what fits my daughter better. The thing is you could hardly find a kid not liking the way lamplighter offers.

Thank you again for your insights.

[HockDad]

My concern when we looked at Lamplighter was the lack of structure. The oldest of my three kids is a girl and we considered the school. However, she is a young lady that likes structure, disclipline, uniforms, etc. Lamplighter did not feel like the right fit. I also seem to recall that the classrooms really did not have walls, which I found a bit disconcerting.

That being said, it obviously has a great reputation and places numerous students every year at top schools.

[Headache Mom]

HockDad,
I am just curious, at what age do you find what your daughter likes or fits her? How do you know she likes structure, discipline, uniforms, etc? My daughter is only 3.

[HockDad]

I think around 3-4 we could start to tell what schools we thought (and there was some guessing going on) would be the best fit. My daughter is not the kid at the playground that runs wild with 10 other kids. Instead, she is the girl that plays quietly with 1 other girl in the corner. She likes a routine, knowing what he schedule is, etc. When she was younger, it would drive her nuts at school if one of the other kids disrupted the class.

We also had her in a preschool program that was fairly discliplined (uniforms, structured, etc). She seemed to do well at that program and we did not feel the need to move her to lamplighter.

Specifically, as for uniforms, she has never minded them. I hear stories that some kids just hate them, but that has never been an issue at our house. As a parent, I love them. We spend far less money on clothes and there is never any issue that Ashley only wears this type of clothing, carries this type of purse, etc.

[bettylu]

when comparing Providence to Lamplighter it's like oranges and apples. both are schools but that is where the similarities end.

[nakold23]

These are extremely different schools so you really need to consider which type of education style fits your family better. We had a wonderful experience at Lamplighter, loved the teachers, atmosphere, and style of teaching. My children got accepted to the typical slew of top private schools and did exceedingly well there. They were all very well prepared and my oldest is now heading to a prestigious college and the others will be heading off in the next few years.

That being said, it is NOT the style for everyone. Some parents became skeptical and left Lamplighter and tried to get into Hockaday, St. Marks, Greenhill, etc early on. I would say, I wish the academics were a little more rigorous, but at the same time I think Lamplighter was a formative experience for my children both academically and for their characters.

Moral of the story is you need to decide which style fits your family better. Both are great elementary schools and are excellent feeder schools into the top privates of Dallas.