LOGISTICS
Where will the new school be located?
The school will be housed within the campus of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in uptown Waco (1300 Columbus Avenue, Waco, TX 76701). While we are not directly affiliated with the church, we both share the goal of serving and ministering to the families of our city. We will have a private entrance on 14th Street for student drop-off and pick-up. There will be well-appointed rooms for each class with plentiful natural light. We will also have use of the pecan grove, chapel, and portions of The Center for parts of our weekly schedule.
How many days will your school operate per week
For students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, we will offer classes five half days per week with the option to extend to five full days by opting into Ambleside Afternoons. For students in 3rd through 8th grades, we will offer classes five full days per week, Monday through Friday.
What will your daily schedule look like? What are your hours?
Our daily schedule is 8:30 AM-3:30 PM Monday through Friday like most other private schools. However, the use of our time within each day is very unique to the Ambleside method of education. Afterschool care past normal school hours is currently being considered.
Why is kindergarten five mornings per week? What are Ambleside Afternoon?
We believe young children will learn best in school if their early childhood is spent in long hours of nourishing relationships and unstructured play. Learning to submit to a routine, helping with chores, running, jumping, climbing, and spending long hours outdoors provide a great foundation for learning. These are the years for careful formation of early habits –attention, obedience, and self-control among a few. Our Kindergarten Program allows children time to make the transition from home to school without neglecting this important foundation for learning. And, having kindergarten 5 mornings per week allows them to be in school when they are fresh, but still have time for rest and play in the afternoons. We offer optional Ambleside Afternoons, which include home-like activities, such as baking cookies, playing outside, story time, etc. for those whose children are ready for a longer day, and whose schedules necessitate this time.
What are your class sizes?
In order to ensure all students are relationally known by both their teacher and classmates, our classrooms will be held to 12 students or fewer in most cases.
ACADEMICS
What difference does it make to have a "philosophy driven school"
A philosophy is simply a set of answers to questions. In reality, all schools follow some philosophy, even if it is “we do what we want,” or “we do a little of this and a little of that.” Most cannot articulate a philosophy, but use a materialist/behaviorist approach that attempts to manipulate children into learning. The philosophy to which Ambleside adheres is cohesive and consistent with a biblical view of the child. It has been extensively applied in real life with thousands of children and has proved to be both practical and profound. We know of no other philosophy of education that is so consistent with a Christ-centered worldview, and that fosters both excellence and humility in student and teacher alike.
What is narration? Why is it emphasized so much?
Narration, in simplest terms, is “telling back” whatever has been read, seen, or heard. A student who narrates is asked to use the author’s own language, sequence and detail in their retelling, not in a parroted way, but in a way that makes the material their own. Narration, at Ambleside, is used in all subjects, including the disciplinary ones. Narration is a simple, yet powerful, tool for the development of the mind. As a result, children learn to acquire knowledge from books; select, sort, and classify ideas; supply both the question and the answer; visualize; express themselves readily, fluently and with vitality; assemble knowledge into a form that can criticize, hold an opinion, or bring one thought to bear upon another. We narrate – in some way – most lessons. While frequently oral, narration may also mean using manipulatives to illustrate equivalent fractions; diagramming the parts of a dissected mushroom; acting out the story of Joseph; painting a picture of a scene from a reading; writing a thoughtful essay; or providing examples of “prevarication” in a class on ethics.
Since Ambleside schools don't use grade and rankings, how do parents know that their child is learning?
Actually, we give more than grades at Ambleside. Our students receive Reports of Growth, extensive written evaluations of their academic as well as their character development twice a year. In addition to weekly assessments in math and grammar, twice yearly our students have week-long essay exam periods that are an important educational evaluative tool at Ambleside. The reports of progress and the exams are further supplemented by parent teacher conferences where the parents and teachers discuss strong and weak areas and strategize on ways to partner and improve the whole student. Our goal is for students to be engaged learners, more interested in gaining knowledge than in getting a grade or besting a classmate. We have found that greater understanding and learning happens when our students search their papers for teachers’ comments rather than glance at a grade and feel self-satisfied or discouraged. We would rather put before our students the challenge of doing their best work, than the contentment of just getting the grade they wanted. In our classrooms students rarely ask, “Do we need to know this?” They simply apply themselves to learning.How much homework can I expect?Do you accept students of different faiths?How do you handle doctrinal differences in the classroom?Does Ambleside plan to offer high school?Where do Ambleside students go to college?Are you accredited?
How much homework can I expect?
All students are required to complete 30 minutes of reading a quality book every day. In addition, students in the 5th/6th class may occasionally have up to 30 minutes of other work (math, phonics, grammar, written narration). In middle school, on average, students can expect up to 30 minutes of homework daily in addition to the 30 minutes of reading. A student’s assignments will never be busywork or work given simply to fill the time, but are always chosen with great intention.Do you accept students of different faiths?How do you handle doctrinal differences in the classroom?Does Ambleside plan to offer high school?Where do Ambleside students go to college?Are you accredited?
Do you accept students of different faiths?
Yes, it is true that Ambleside does not require students or parents to sign a statement of faith. However, it is important that every family have a clear understanding and full support of the school’s commitment to be centered on Jesus Christ and His gospel as presented in the Bible in all we do. Teachers, staff, administration, and board members are all expected to lead both a vibrant Christian life and possess a clear Christian testimony as well as being required to sign and adhere to a statement of faith and code of personal conduct.
How do you handle doctrinal differences in the classroom?
We cultivate in our classrooms the idea that all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord are children of God and fellow travelers on a journey of faith. In matters of faith, we seek to unite our students around Jesus Christ and His gospel as revealed in the Bible, allowing many secondary and tertiary issues of doctrine to be handled at home within a family’s individual Christian faith and church tradition. Teachers are instructed to refer students to their parents to resolve controversial doctrinal issues. We seek unity in essential matters of faith (as outlined in the Nicene Creed) and welcome diversity in the non-essentials. The overarching principles for any sensitive discussion are love, respect, and understanding.
Does Ambleside plan to offer high school?
Ambleside Waco plans to expand to 9th Grade starting in the fall of 2025, adding one grade each year until we are a full K-12 school by 2028.
Where do Ambleside students go to college?
Ambleside graduates have been accepted at the following schools (multiple acceptances to many of these):
Auburn University
Baylor University, Honors College
Belmont University
Christopher Newport University
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University, Honors Engineering
Cornell University, NY
Drexel University
George Mason University
Georgia TechGrove City College
James Madison University
Messiah CollegeOhio State University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College
Rhode Island School of Design
Southern Methodist University
St. Edwards University
St. Mary’s University, TX
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
Trinity University
University of Chicago
University of Dallas
University of Kansas, PHD in Biology
University of Texas, Honors College
University of Virginia
Virginia Institute of Technology, Honors Program
Wake Forest University
US Military Academy, West Point
Westmont College
Wheaton College
William & Mary (Full Ride Scholarship)
Here Are you accredited?
Within our first year, Ambleside School of Waco will pursue dual accreditation through both Accreditation International and the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA). All Ambleside schools nationwide carry this dual accreditation status.
TEACHERS
What guidelines do you use in hiring teachers?
Teachers at Ambleside must have a daily commitment to Jesus Christ, and must be creative, thoughtful, engaged learners with broad interests and educational knowledge. Teachers who thrive at Ambleside enjoy ideas, read regularly, and are passionate about our philosophy and willing to adapt old ways of teaching to a challenging approach. We value experience with teaching children, graduate education, and we require at least an undergraduate degree
What kind of training do incoming teachers receive?
We make a significant investment in our teachers by both requiring and providing intensive training in the Ambleside method. Each incoming teacher attends a weeklong intensive Ambleside Summer Institute training in addition to the week of in-service before the beginning of school in August. In addition, we send our teachers to Ambleside Internships at our sister schools to train and have the opportunity to observe their peers in action. Twice each year, they are trained by representatives from Ambleside Schools International within their own classrooms in addition to being observed and mentored weekly by both our Head of School and Director of Instruction.
Who are your teachers at Ambleside Waco?
Considering that teachers shepherd classrooms and directly impact students, we see our school’s faculty as its most important asset. Therefore, we have chosen to be intentional and thoughtful in our search for founding faculty. Leah Caldwell, our co-founder and Director of Instruction, assumes a teaching position starting in August; in addition, our founder and Head of School, Justin Perry, will likely teach part time. We have opened conversations with 5-6 other highly qualified potential candidates and anticipate announcing our first faculty by June 1.
FINANCIAL
What is your tuition?
We desire to offer an excellent, high-quality education while remaining as financially accessible as possible. To that end, after careful market research and wise financial planning, we have set annual tuition rates as follows:
Grades K-2 (partial day) $6,900
Grades K–2 (with Ambleside Afternoons) $9,900
Grades 3-8 $9,900
Grades 9-12 $11,900
Do you offer scholarships?
In conjunction with our desire to be financially accessible to families committed to our Ambleside vision, we will make scholarship applications available later this spring. The number and amount of these scholarships will be determined by a third-party processing firm and available funds. We hope to offer some scholarship funds even in our first year and commit to increasing the amount awarded in the future.
Thank you for visiting the Ambleside Waco website. If you have questions or would like additional information, we would be delighted to speak with you.
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