Welcome from the Admission Team

By Deborah Wright, Emotional Support Counselor

It’s back-to-school season, and while some children are filled with excitement this time of year, others are anxious.

As a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult to see your preschool or elementary-aged child express anxiety about the start of school. However, back-to-school anxiety is completely normal, and with thoughtful support and guidance, you can prepare your student for a new year and successfully ease them into a new routine.

• Talk about what to expect in advance. The biggest source of young children’s back-to-school anxiety is being separated from parents or caregivers for a significant portion of the day, so it helps to take time to talk to them about what will happen while you are apart, such as classroom routines, lunch, recess, and other activities they can look forward to. And don’t forget to stress that you will come back for your child when school is out.
• If your child is worried about social situations, practice interacting with peers. Some children worry about the social aspect of returning to school. You can help them by practicing first-day conversations and introductions, such as, “Hi. I heard you were in my class. How was your summer?” or, “I think we’re in the same class. I’m glad.”
• Establish a routine and practice it before school starts. Before the first day, take time to walk through a morning routine: have breakfast and gather bags, then drive to school and practice your drop-off and pick-up plans. With your school’s permission, you can even walk the halls ahead of time to get your child familiarized with the building. And be sure to take advantage of any classroom meet-and-greets before the first day.
• Take your own emotional temperature. Back-to-school season can be stressful for parents and caregivers too. Check in with yourself to make sure you are not passing on your own anxieties to your child. Instead, reach out to a spouse/partner, friend, therapist, or other trusted person to discuss your own worries.
• Listen actively and don’t dismiss your child’s worries. Be sure to validate your child’s worries and feelings while also showing your confidence in their ability to handle the situation. Keep these conversations short, as overprocessing may increase a child’s feelings of anxiousness. (You and your child may also enjoy reading and discussing these books that help young students manage their worries.)
• Be prepared for big emotions and distress signals on the first day—and even for the first few weeks. Don’t be surprised if your child complains of physical symptoms, such as a headache or stomachache, on the first day, or even within the first weeks, as children’s anxieties often manifest in their bodies. Remind your child that you are confident in them, revisit what they can expect, and cheer them on as they try hard things.
• Rely on your community. It’s completely normal for kids’ anxieties around school to come and go. If your child continues to struggle, ask for help in supporting them—reach out to their teacher, or even other parents or a school counselor.

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About Deborah Wright
Deborah Wright is the emotional support counselor for Rowland Hall’s McCarthey Campus, which serves students in preschool through fifth grade. As a member of the McCarthey Campus student support team, Deborah’s goal is to support students’ learning and social-emotional growth.

Parent Education

By Rowland Hall

In the last two years, private and independent school enrollment has been on the rise as families across the nation are opting to make changes to their children’s education.

As a result of this shift, financing private school tuition has become a top concern. While costs can seem staggering, paying for your child to attend a private school doesn’t have to be a stress-inducing process. From financial aid to scholarships, there are a variety of financing options available—and you might be surprised to find out that a private school education is more affordable than you think.

If you’re considering private school enrollment for your child, here are six ways to make it affordable for your family.

How to Make Utah Private School Education Affordable for Your Family

1. Take Advantage of Financial Aid 

Rowland Hall's need-based financial aid program considers every family’s unique circumstances, with the goal to match your financial means with a realistic tuition contribution.

In a recent Enrollment Management Association report, The Ride to Independent Schools 2020–2021, 47% of parents reported they did not apply for financial aid because they thought they would not qualify.

At Rowland Hall, all families with financial need are encouraged to apply for financial aid. Our need-based financial aid program considers every family’s unique circumstances, with the goal to match your financial means with a realistic tuition contribution. We currently provide more than $2.61 million per year in financial aid and scholarships to students in grades K–12, with most recipients receiving 50% or more in tuition assistance.

2. Apply for Need- and Merit-based Scholarships

Many private schools offer a variety of scholarships for qualifying students. Rowland Hall donors have established scholarships for students who possess both specific talents or qualifications and who demonstrate financial need.

As with any scholarship, be sure to carefully review all eligibility requirements, application dates, and application requirements to give your family the best possible chance to earn additional assistance.

3. Set Up a Payment Plan

The thought of paying full tuition all at once can be daunting, but there are often options to split tuition into multiple payments instead of paying one lump sum. Rowland Hall offers three payment options for families, including one-, two-, and nine-payment plans.

4. Look into a Loan

If you qualify for financial aid but need assistance with a portion of tuition, or if you have simply crunched your budget as much as possible and it’s still not balancing, consider applying for a tuition loan, which can help offset any remaining costs outside of your financial aid package.

A tuition loan may also be a good option for families that don’t qualify for financial aid.

5. Talk to Your Tax Expert

Recent changes to a new tax bill now allow parents to withdraw funds from a 529 account not only for college tuition but also for K–12 private education. Parents can withdraw up to $10,000 per year tax-free for tuition, and Utah residents may also earn a state tax credit for their contributions to the plan. Talk to your tax advisor for more information on 529 college savings plans.

6. Consider a School Voucher or Tax-Credit Scholarship

If you’re considering admission at a Utah private school, there are school voucher and tax-credit scholarship options for qualifying families, including the Carson Smith Scholarship, launched in 2005, which provides eligible families with vouchers to attend private schools.
No matter your financial situation, Rowland Hall is committed to making exceptional education affordable for every family, so be sure to explore every available opportunity.

Investing in Your Child’s Future

When families are considering private education, they are often seeking smaller class sizes, higher academic achievement, and college preparedness.

Placing students in small groups tends to foster close working relationships between teachers and students, thus enhancing learning.

At Rowland Hall, our student-teacher ratio is 10 to 1, and our average class size is 15 students. According to research from the US Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics, placing students in small groups tends to foster close working relationships between teachers and students, thus enhancing learning.

In the same piece of research, results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), showed that private school students performed higher than public school students on the NAPE:2000 tests. Additionally, their average scores were above those of public school students on the fourth-grade reading test and on the fourth, eighth-, and twelfth-grade science and mathematics proficiency tests.

Beyond intimate learning conditions and a commitment to academic achievement, our curriculum at Rowland Hall is enriched with experiential, hands-on, and inventive courses, as well as electives spanning everything from music, dance, and debate to robotics and competitive sports.

You Belong at Rowland Hall

At Rowland Hall, we are committed to empowering every student to reach their full potential in an inclusive school community. Since our founding in 1867, we have grown to occupy two urban campuses in Salt Lake City, where we support nearly 1,000 students in preschool through high school who are learning to become deep thinkers ready for a dynamic tomorrow.

Interested in learning more about Rowland Hall? Visit our admission page to contact our Admission Team and to hear from parents who have made the decision to invest in an exceptional education.

Affordability