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When planning your children's summer, you give yourself two gifts. The first is engaged, active, happy children. The second gift is the comfort of knowing that you are expanding their knowledge in an informal, supervised learning situation.

When I was growing up, my parents decamped every summer from Montreal to Woodlands, on the shores of Lac Saint Louis about 30 miles west of the city. They rented a cottage across the road from the lake. We took swimming and sailing lessons at the Woodlands Yacht Club and helped with the large garden, which provided vegetables and flowers during the short Canadian summer. It was idyllic and safe.

The routine was pleasant and predictable. My parents were not wealthy. In the 1950s, a lower-middle-class family of seven could make summers like the ones I described above happen for a modest cost. Fast forward to 2026, and summer camps, enrichment programs, academic institutes, and specialty experiences continue to serve a similar purpose: providing children with activity-filled days in safe, well-supervised environments while helping them build new skills and interests.

The most important caveat when selecting a summer program is to make certain that you understand all the aspects involved. Know everything about the quality of the activities, the supervision, snacks and meals, transportation policies, safety procedures, and all the other details. Assume nothing. Most schools, camps, and community organizations that run summer programs will be happy to answer your questions.

Parents exploring educational opportunities beyond the summer months may also

Philadelphia is home to some of the oldest K-12 schools in the nation. Located strategically on the east coast on the main transportation routes between New York City and Washington, DC, Philadelphia itself offers a wealth of commercial and cultural activities for families. And if the city doesn't have what you are looking for, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland are just minutes away. The following school profiles spotlight private K-12 schools within 10 miles of Philadelphia. Of the 73 schools shown in the search results, I included schools which offer instruction up to Grade 12 and have a student population of over 200 in most cases.

Miles from Philadelphia: 6
Founded in 1968
Number of students: 123
Grades 9-12, day. Coeducational
Religious Affiliation: Christian
Student-teacher ratio: 11:1

The course catalog lists 5 AP courses. For complete details regarding curriculum, sports, extracurricular activities, costs, and other information, see the International Christian High School profile.

Miles from Philadelphia: 8.6
Founded in 1884
Number of students: 981
Grades PK-12, day. Boys
Religious Affiliation: Non-sectarian
Student-teacher ratio: 9:1

For complete details regarding curriculum, sports, extracurricular activities, costs, and other information, see The Haverford School profile.

Miles from Philadelphia: 0.3
Founded in 1689
Number of students: 971
Grades PK-12, day. Coeducational
Religious Affiliation: Quaker
Student-teacher ratio: 10:1

Despite your best efforts, in-depth interviews, and hours of due diligence, you may eventually realize that the school you thought was perfect for your child is, in fact, the wrong fit.

This can be one of the most stressful situations a parent experiences during the educational journey. Families invest significant emotional energy, time, and financial resources into choosing a private school, which makes recognizing a mismatch especially difficult.

In 2026, parents also face a more complicated educational landscape that includes hybrid learning options, personalized academic programs, evolving social dynamics, and increasing mental health considerations.

As discussed in Hybrid and Online Learning Options for �������� School Students, many schools are continuing to expand flexible learning environments and individualized student support systems.

The Warning Signs

The warning signs of a poor school fit are often subtle at first.

Your child may:

• Come home frustrated or withdrawn
• Suddenly resist going to school
• Show increased anxiety
• Lose confidence academically
• Exhibit behavioral changes
• Complain regularly about classmates or teachers

For younger children, especially, emotional distress may appear gradually over weeks or months rather than through one dramatic incident.

An isolated difficult day is usually not cause for alarm. However, a pattern of persistent unhappiness deserves careful attention.

Organizations such as the and the continue emphasizing the importance of monitoring school-related stress and emotional well-being in children.

What Do You Do?

Once you recognize that there may be a problem, it is important to

When you think of single-sex education as a choice or an option when you are thinking about sending your child to private school, the subject becomes a little easier to understand in the 21st century. Historically, private schools have offered single-sex education for decades. Indeed, many of our older K-12 schools were founded with the purpose of educating boys or girls separately. That's how things were done in the 18th and 19th centuries. Colleges and universities were also set up as single-sex institutions. For example, Harvard University was an all-male university until 1977, when its sister college, Radcliffe, merged with it.

Characteristics of single-sex schools

How do we define a single-sex school? By definition, a single-sex school is a school that educates boys or girls exclusively. As a general rule, classes will not be co-educational. On occasion, neighboring boys and girls schools with an established relationship will host co-educational classes.

What grades do single-sex schools offer? Typically, single-sex schools offer grades 9 through 12 and a Post Graduate year where available. A handful of single-sex schools offer the middle school grades 6 through 9. Even fewer schools offer PK-12. You will also notice that middle school grades go up to grade 9, and high school begins with grade 9 as well. Actually, grade 10 is probably the most common entry point for private high schools. That’s one reason for the overlap of the grades.

Are there different kinds of single-sex schools? Single-sex schools come in residential or boarding

Are you thinking about sending your child off to private school? Then, you must decide which educational philosophy and approach works best for you. What it comes down to is whether you want to send your child to a school that uses a traditional approach to teaching or one that uses a non-traditional approach.

In the public school world, a traditional school is a regular public school, and a non-traditional school is a charter school. That's not what I am discussing here concerning private schools. The concept of a private school as a mainly independent self-financing corporate entity does not change. You and I will focus on what is taught in the classroom and how it is prepared.

The early years

Your child's age is a significant factor in choosing an educational approach. For example, if you send him to a Montessori school as a toddler, you expose him to a non-traditional approach to education. It is an excellent approach and is highly regarded. But non-traditional nonetheless. Start your child off in a Montessori, Waldorf, or Reggio Emilia school, and you will lay a solid foundation for learning in later life. But visit a traditional private primary school, and you will see a quite different approach to early education.

The apparent difference will be the dress code. Uniforms are required at many traditional religious schools. The curricula follow traditional blocks of science, math, language arts, and social studies. Add religion if the school is a faith-based private school.