PRIVATE SCHOOL ROUNDUP:
The one quality that sets Soundview Preparatory School aside from many other schools, it is its focus on the individual.
The one quality that sets Soundview Preparatory School aside from many other schools, it is its focus on the individual. The school’s responsiveness to each student creates a personal educational experience where students feel free to explore, engage and delve into themselves.
In turn, students respond to high expectations both academically and personally. Soundview’s philosophy of non-competitiveness encourages students to achieve for their own fulfillment, not to outpace others.
The goal is to provide every student the opportunity to develop as a whole person, not only academically, but also emotionally, ethically, creatively and as a member of the community. Soundview stresses empathy for others and individual responsibility, while also encouraging students to pursue their own goals and passions, Students build self-confidence and leadership in the intimate and welcoming environment.
Small classes are an integral part of the school’s core convictions. Classes average seven students, with a faculty ratio of 4-to-1. “A teacher who knows a student well is able to respond to that student’s needs – and it is that responsiveness that builds self-confidence and makes a student feel engaged. Making a student feel heard and cared about is the greatest gift that we can make,” said Assistant Head Mary Ivanyi. “In our classes, listening is easy because students talk about what they’re learning and teachers have faith in the ingenuity of their students, so that suddenly they are the best that they can be… the key to self confidence and self esteem.”
Soundview’s rigorous curriculum focuses on building the skills and intellectual grounding students will need in college and beyond. The school provides a wide breadth of academic opportunities to allow students to pursue their intellectual passions, kindle new interests, and broaden their horizons. The school offers numerous AP courses (in Art, Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Government, Physics, Psychology, European, and U.S. History this year), four languages, strong and innovative music and art programs, a three-year science research project, and many electives (such as History of Philosophy).
The noncompetitive environment permits students of all abilities to participate on sports teams for soccer, basketball and bowling, and to engage in activities including Yearbook, Mock Trial, literary magazine, and clubs for community service, multimedia, music, politics, chess, bicycling.
