Prep school has expansion plans before even opening

Private educational fascility debuts Aug. 27

Southern Highlands Preparatory School, 11500 Southern Highlands Parkway, is slated to open Aug. 27. The private, independent, nonsectarian school's phase one will offer grades preschool through six. Its 11,000-square-foot building sits on a five-acre site and has two playgrounds.

Class sizes are restricted with preschool capping out at 12 students, kindergarten at 18 and no more than 20 in all other offered grades. The student body for its first year is estimated at 110 to 115 students.

All teachers, even those in charge of preschool classes, hold four-year degrees. About 50 percent have their master's.

"Some children are auditorial in their learning. Some are visual," said Annette Alcott, director of admissions. "You have to individually structure programs with that in mind."

The curriculum includes drama and dance (ballet, jazz and tap) for all grades, even preschool.

The building has state-of-the-art security so access is restricted. At one end is a multipurpose room/cafeteria, at the other, a library with computers. There is a small school store that will be run by students -- a practical application for learning spreadsheets and projected consumer needs.

The school will have 15 classrooms, decorated in what was described as a "homey fashion." Although the building was just in the carpet-installation stage at the time of this writing, it is slated to have Persian rugs, comfortable seating, even flower arrangements in the bathrooms.

In December the school is scheduled to begin work on phase two, a 30,000-square-foot building that will expand the school's offerings up to grade nine. That building is expected to be operational in about two years.

Phase three is the high school component, to be built as demands dictates. It will need to be on its own 10-acre parcel and area sites are being evaluated. The extra large parcel is needed for sports.

High school course selections include fashion and interior design, graphic arts, jazz band, internships and independent study. Juniors and seniors take mandatory SAT preparation classes.

The prep school's information packet promotes the concept of a "school without walls," helping students assume a sense of self while seeing themselves as part of the community.

With the high school component, Southern Highlands Preparatory School will have an estimated 900 students.

"It's a progressive program in a multilevel academic arena tailored to the individual," Alcott said. "It's very nurturing and developmental for younger children. For older students, it's progressive but maintains that individualized attention."


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