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Register For Fall Classes Early at One of Tyler’s Great Private Schools

April 30th, 2011

Another school year is wrapping up and on most of our minds is the hoopla surrounding graduation, summer vacation, higher electric bills due to cooling costs, etc. etc. But for most area students, the fall semester is just around the corner. I realize that for some, its sacrilege to bring that up now, but it will be here before we know it. For those of us who teach, the cycles of the school year are the unending patterns that govern our lives… but I digress. At least in private schools, every fall there’s a mad rush to recruit as many new students at the last minute as possible. This is especially true for jr. high and high schoolers, who are notorious for waiting to the last, minute to register. Elementary parents are typically far more conscientious about early registration. I can assure the reader, that your children’s school appreciates the fore thought.

Another great concern for area private educators is the tendency many families have to save money in tough financial times, by pulling their students out of private education and enrolling them in public schools. While I certainly understand the need to pare back on monthly expenses, as a parent there is very little I wouldn’t sacrifice to keep my son in a solid academic environment and out of the government schools! A solid education (particularly a religious one) is an investment in a child’s future, which will pay dividends in an ever- changing world. For families who find themselves in a tough financial bind, but who are committed to their children’s private academic excellence, I recommend looking at other (hopefully more inexpensive) options in our area this summer, before placing their students in public schools.

Tyler is blessed with just about every conceivable kind of private school, from pre-K to twelfth grade. In fact I can think of a couple small start-up schools that opened last semester and another is preparing to open in the fall! Schools are becoming more and more like churches in our town (not surprising I guess since many are actually housed in and operated by local congregations). In actuality, we don’t need any more of either here. We have some tremendous, churches and some great schools, Rather than opening new ones we need to participate in and support those we already have. Certainly we can all find a place with an approach and a philosophy with whom we can at least mostly agree!

We here at Tyler Directory have written about nearly all the private schools and educational models available in our area. To read about specific schools and or, their philosophies of education, look to the bottom right of this page, and click the education tab for a list of articles.

Good Shepherd Offers A Great Education

January 8th, 2010

Since July is winding down and the kids will be headed back to school, it’s time to look at yet another academic opportunity in Tyler. Good Shepherd School has been serving Tyler and the East Texas community since 1979. The private Tyler elementary school offers all grades from kindergarten to twelfth grade. The school’s focus is on providing a Classical, traditional Anglican, education to its students.
 
Good Shepherd is a “Reformed Episcopal School.” Theologically, it holds tightly to its roots in the English reformation, but it remains a conservative Episcopal school. The school uses what it calls the “medieval trivium” consisting of Grammar, Logic and rhetoric, to teach the students to reason critically and communicate their ideas clearly.

The curriculum is a mix of texts selected by the teachers and staff as most useful and effective for those classrooms. This classical approach seems to be an effective one, since the students emerge with a well rounded education. With around a hundred thirty students, the teacher student ratio is low, a plus for many parents seeking a more personal tutorial experience for their children. 

The students also attend daily chapel services. The liturgical services teach the Our Father, (or the Lord’s Prayer), the Ten Commandments, the Christian Creeds, etc. The purpose of these services is to instill in the students an appreciation of the historic traditions of the Christian faith. The school hopes to provide the students with a world view grounded in reason and scripture, which he or she will hopefully carry throughout their lives. Even though the school itself is Anglican, the student body contains families from a number of different denominations.

While the education offered at Good Shepherd is excellent, the extra curriculars are admittedly light. They do offer some limited programs like basketball, and baseball. G. S. also partners with other area schools in order to offer greater athletic opportunities to its student body. For parents whose concern is largely academic however, this is not a huge trade off. If you would like more information contact the office at (903)592-4045, or see the website at www.gsstyler.org. Good Shepherd School is located at 2525 Old Jacksonville Rd. Tyler TX