Why a boarding school?

I'm often (and by often, I mean about one time) asked, "Why a boarding school?" After all, there are many who believe that boarding schools are horrible, abusive places where the students are deprived of any form of basic human dignity. While I suppose that may be true at some boarding schools, and was likely more true in the days of old, that certainly isn't true for most boarding schools today. A good boarding school staff will make sure that the students are well cared for during their time at the school.

So, why do I love boarding schools and why would I like to see Golden Tree be a boarding school? I've listed some of my personal reasons in no particular order.

1. I can get to know the kids too a much greater degree than I possibly could in a day school.
2. I can more fully help the students develop into mature and responsible adults than I can at a day school.
3. The group activities are tons of fun.
4. Nighttime tutoring sessions are an absolute blast
5. More good memories are made in a month than can be made in a year in a day school.
6. I have spent more than half of my professional education career in boarding programs.
7. Helping students by caring for them when they are sick, comforting them after a particularly difficult day, etc., provide intrinsic rewards that could never be obtained in a day school
   

I'm sure I could think of many more reasons, but these are the 7 reasons I've thought of off the top of my head. I'll post more as I think of them.

Almost every school I've encountered, day or boarding, claims to educate the whole child - physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. However, I really haven't seen this in practice at the day schools. In jr. high and high schools, teachers are with students approximately 45 minutes a day. Not really much time to get to know them, or do anything except the standard academic development. In boarding schools, staff who are committed, and truly love what they do, can finally educate the whole child. It is these staff, those who will fully embrace the boarding school lifestyle, and take on the very challenging but very rewarding work of caring for the whole child that I would love to see at Golden Tree Academy.