August 6, 2013 by Shelby Joe

The Village School

The Village School began as an early childhood education facility in 1966, expanding to include Pre-Kindergarten to 4^th grade students by 1983. During the ten years that followed, The Village School moved to its current location in West Houston and introduced 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades to its curriculum. In 2006, the school joined the Meritas Family of Schools, a for-profit company of ten college preparatory schools found across the globe. Dr. Jonathan Silver, the current Head of School, introduced the high school program in 2008, with the first 12^th grade class beginning in the fall of 2011.

The Village School

13077 Westella Drive, Houston, TX 77077 Dr. Bernie Mitchell, Head of School

281-496-7900 Ms. Paige Harris, Director of Admissions

www.TheVillageSchool.com

Religious Affiliation

None.

Location and Facilities

The Village School is located in Houston’s “energy corridor,” between Memorial Drive and Westheimer, just west of Dairy Ashford. The campus rests on 18 acres of land, with a 70,000 square foot facility for Pre-K through 8^th grade and a 50,000 square foot facility for the high school program. 8 of the 20 acres are reserved for future developments, but currently hold a 30,000 square foot facility. The school’s athletic complex is located just northwest of the school on Briar Forest Drive.

Admissions

The Village School features a rolling admissions policy. Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten applicants must participate in a Group Visit and take the WPPSI Assessment. 1^st grade applicants must also participate in a Group Visit and take the WISC. Students applying to the 2^nd to 4^th grade must take the Stanford Achievement Test and the OLSAT, while students applying to 5^th through 12^th grade must complete the ISEE and OLSAT. The Village School requires all applicants to complete the tests with an accredited testing agent at The Village School, although permission may be given to complete a test at an approved facility outside of The Village School. Applicants must submit Teacher Recommendation Forms along with their application: Pre-K and Kindergarten: 1 shared teacher recommendation; Grades 1 to 5: 1 teacher recommendation; Grades 6 to 12: 1 English teacher and 1 math teacher recommendation. All students are required to submit transcripts and school records to The Village School. 6^th to 12^th grade applicants will participate in a Student Interview that will be scheduled by The Village School’s faculty after reviewing the student’s application.

Academic Tracks and Curriculum

The Village School develops a Personal Learning Plan for each student, which is a goal-oriented process that requires the student to become more responsible for his/her own education. Teachers utilize differentiation in the classroom, a method of instruction which puts students into small groups to work on specific activities. The Village School offers the International Baccalaureate Programme to its 11^th and 12^th grade students. However, students in 9^th and 10^th grade follow a curriculum that is designed to be similar to the IB Programme. Before their junior year, students must choose one of five Honors Houses: Math, Science & Technology (MST), Comparative Languages & Literature (CLL) , Markets, Entrepreneurs & Globalization (MEG), Arts – Studio or Performing (ASP), International Studies (SB). Once a house is chosen, students must complete their chosen Honors House’s courses, Humanities I & II, 2 credits in Athletics and the Arts, English 11 & 12, and Electives. For the Sciences, The Village School has modified the traditional order and has its 9^th graders begin with Physics, its 10^th graders complete Chemistry, and its 11^th and 12^th graders choose from advanced courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Special Needs

No information provided.

Foreign Languages

The Village School offers French, Spanish, Chinese and Norwegian.

Arts

Students attending The Village School have the opportunity to participate in a number of fine arts programs. For the musical arts, students may join Band, Choir, Orchestra and Jazz Band and may participate in the Meritas European Band Tour, Meritas International Theater Festival, and the Meritas Music Festival. For the visual arts, students may take courses such as Sculpture, Digital Photography, and Ceramics. For the theater arts, students may join the STARS Performance Group, which consists of a troupe for the lower and middle schools and a troupe for the high school. The Village School hosts a dance program for Pre-K through the 12^th grade, with opportunities to participate in the Meritas European Charity Tour and the Meritas Dance Festival.

Technology

The Village School hosts three computer labs and SMART Boards in each classroom. The school also features the Touchpoints program, which connects all Meritas schools via video-conference for debates on a variety of subjects between their students.

Extracurricular Activities

Students of all ages have access to a number of clubs and organizations at The Village School, including several fine arts and athletics programs. Lower School students may join the Chess Club, Destination Imagination program, and the Private Schools Interscholastic Association (provides various competitions between students of different private schools). Middle School students may join the Math and Science Team, Speech and Debate Team, Student Council, Pep Club, and the National Junior Honor Society. High School students may join a larger assortment of clubs than their younger classmates, such as Viking Way (high school students interact with Lower School students) or Be the Change Leadership, a community service club.

Athletics

As early as 6^th grade, students have the opportunity to participate in The Village School’s athletics program. More than 85% of students participate in at least one sport. The school fields more than 19 teams in 12 sports: Cross Country, Football, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Lacrosse, Tennis, Golf, Track & Field, Volleyball, Cheerleading, and Softball. The Village School’s middle school is a member of the Houston Junior Prep Conference, and the high school sports teams compete in a 4A TAPPS Classification.

Parent Involvement

The Village School Parent Association (VSPA) coordinates parent involvement at the school through volunteering opportunities, special events, and fundraising. Parents and students can access vital school information via the school’s Skyward online portal.

The Village School Fast Facts

Overview
School Type	Independent, Coeducational
Religious Affiliation	Nonsectarian
Uniforms	Yes
Date Founded	1966
Endowment	N/A
Grades Served	PreK-12^th
Enrollment	914
Grade 12	61
Grade 11	57
Grade 10	51
Grade 9	58
Grade 8	74
Grade 7	11
Grade 6	77
Grade 5	77
Grade 4	80
Grade 3	66
Grade 2	64
Grade 1	79
Kindergarten	85
Pre-Kindergarten	74
Student to Teacher Ratio	6:1
Faculty with Advanced Degrees (#/%)	N/A
Minorities in Student Body	55%

Curriculum
Academic Tracks Offered	On Track, IB
International Baccalaureate Classes	25
Languages Offered	Spanish, French, Chinese, Norwegian
Calendar (Semester / Trimester / Other)	Semester
Interscholastic Sports Programs	11

Graduating Seniors
National Merit Semi-Finalists (#/%)	1/2%
Average SAT Scores (Class of 2010)	N/A
Mathematics	N/A
Critical Reading	N/A
Writing	N/A
% Students Admitted to 4 Year University	100%

Admissions
Prime Entry Points	Pre-K, K, 1, 6, 9
Pre-School	$11,450
Pre-K – 8	$17,125 – $22,200
Grades 9-12	$21,925 – $22,300
Students on Financial Aid	N/A