Here are answers to some common questions.
Why should I consider Whitehouse Prep?
Whitehouse Prep offers small classes, dedicated teachers, individual teacher guiding, motivated peers, parental involvement, a global learning perspective and a supportive, respectful community. An academic curriculum is offered that challenges each child ensuring that they reach their fullest potential.
What is Whitehouse Preparatory School’s student teacher ratio?
The 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio equals an average class size of 11 to 15 students. Small class size promotes student participation and effective learning. When teachers know students well, academic achievement and student responsibility are the result.
What distinguishes Whitehouse Preparatory School from daycare centers?
We offer a structured educational program especially designed for 2 1/2 to 6 year olds. Our program is one that academically challenges all children with a developmentally appropriate curriculum with instruction in literacy, math, science, social studies, art, music, violin, Spanish, physical education and acting. All classes are taught by state certified teachers with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. In most daycare centers, the teachers have associate’s degrees and do not have the expertise that our staff has in educating each child to their fullest potential. The curriculum at Whitehouse Prep starts with the 2 1/2 year old preschool class and continues to the Jr. Kindergarten Program here at Whitehouse Prep. The children are not repeating skill instruction, they are instructed from where their skills are forward. Our staff has been fully trained in the curriculum here at Whitehouse Prep and they have had experience teaching it as well.
What credentials do the classroom teachers have?
All classroom teachers have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and experience teaching the age they are teaching. Our staff is a seasoned staff of educators who know the age and can take each child from where their skill level is as far as they can go in the year they are teaching them. They are all state certified teachers in Early Childhood Education.
Why do you have Preschool and Jr. Kindergarten programs?
The reason we have Preschool and Jr. Kindergarten is because it is critical that children learn their basic skills correctly from the very beginning. Too often children come to Kindergarten from various pre-schools and day care centers with either a weak basic skill set or with skills that were improperly taught. These children are at a disadvantage since they are forced to spend a good deal of time in Kindergarten going back and re-learning these skills. Having children start in our Pre-School avoids this set back and they learn their basic skills the right way from the very start. This, of course, allows for deeper and more thorough instruction and children are better situated to learn much more. Indeed, by the end of the Jr. Kindergarten year, our students are learning kindergarten skills which position them to enter kindergarten with far more confidence than their peers.
Where do children go after Whitehouse Preparatory School?
Our graduates have gone to both private and public school. All of our Jr. Kindergarten graduates have gone off to be at the top of their class in first grade. A local public school system had to begin a new accelerated math class and 4 out of the 5 children were graduates from Whitehouse Prep. Our graduates have also gone on to Gill St. Bernard’s, Far Hills Country Day School, Pingry, Immaculate Conception School as well as other private schools and surrounding area public schools. Our students leave with a confidence to be leaders in their class.
How can I find out more information about your school?
You can call the school office at 908-534-0026 or stop in for a tour of the school at any time.