High School

"Goodbye, Mr. Chips" is a film based on a novel of the same name by James Hilton. It tells the story of a beloved schoolteacher named Mr. Chipping, affectionately known as Mr. Chips. The character of Mr. Chips is a fictional creation and serves as the protagonist of the story.

In the film, Mr. Chips is portrayed by various actors throughout his life, as the story spans several decades. The main actor who portrays him is Robert Donat, who won an Academy Award for his performance. Mr. Chips begins his teaching career at an all-boys boarding school called Brookfield. Initially, he is a rather reserved and strict teacher, not particularly popular among the students.

However, as time goes on, Mr. Chips becomes more compassionate and understanding. He starts to develop personal relationships with his students and gains their respect and admiration. Over the years, Mr. Chips witnesses significant historical events, such as World War I, and experiences personal tragedies and triumphs.

Throughout the film, Mr. Chips's dedication to his students and his profession shines through. He becomes a beloved figure at the school, transforming the lives of countless young boys. Mr. Chips's teaching methods evolve, becoming more engaging and innovative as he realizes the importance of connecting with his students on a personal level.

The title, "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," comes from a recurring farewell phrase used by the students whenever a teacher leaves the school. In the later years of his life, Mr. Chips reflects on his career

Your child has worked very hard at private school. She has covered herself in academic glory, won many honors in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities and is ready for the next step: college. Graduation is always a warm, happy occasion as family gathers to bathe in all that reflected glory. Mark this important milestone with a memorable gift. Here are some suggestions with every budget in mind.

A Biking Trip
He'll be back at school studying hard soon enough. So why not treat him (or her) to a biking trip? There are several companies which organize these action-packed trips. Check out Teen Treks and Overland, for example.

A Scooter
A scooter is sustainable transportation especially if she will be going to college in an urban area without much public transporation. The Honda Metropolitan, for example, reminds me of the classic Vespa (only less expensive). It's easy to operate and light on the pocketbook.

A Watch
There are hundreds of makers and thousands of models of watches to choose from as you well know. In every price range too. From Michele to Casio.

A Pen
The bespoke shops call them writing instruments. Whatever you call them, a fine pen is a gift to be cherished. Mont Blanc and Cross have a variety of models from which to choose.

Make your gift memorable or a keepsake or both. Best wishes to you and your family at this happy time.

More and more private schools are adopting dress codes as opposed to uniforms. You will still find uniforms in religious, parochial and military schools. Perhaps the most famous school uniform is the one worn by boys at Eton College. While it is still worn everyday, the uniforms worn in American schools are a lot less formal, if, indeed, a uniform is worn at all.

One of the reasons a dress code is more popular is that it gives some modicum of self-expression while at the same time maintaining a standard of dress. Oversize clothing, all black outfits, extreme hair styles and other symbols of gangs and fringe activities are simply not on.

This dress code from Foxcroft School is typical of the sort of dress code you can expect at a girls' school:

"Foxcroft's dress code is fairly simple – khaki or black pants or skirts with solid-colored, collared blouses which are tucked in. Shoes (which may not be athletic shoes) must have closed toes and backs. Dress code is required during the Academic Day."

McCallie School offers a quite detailed description of what's acceptable and what's not at that fine all-boys school in a Dress Code Letter:

"Regular school dress requirements/prohibitions are as follows:

1. Students are expected to wear a solid colored dress shirt with tie (tie should be within one inch of top button on shirt), long pants with a belt, visible socks, and shoes.

2. Students

Many students find that a PG or Post Graduate year is a beautiful solution to several situations. Perhaps they feel that they are too young to go to college. As Kim Chorosiewski points out, a PG year offers time to grow and develop without taking a year off. Maybe they want to perfect a sport or artistic activity. A PG year offers a well-focussed period in which to accomplish that perfecting. A PG year also allows you to remediate small gaps in your high school transcript. Or maybe you want a year before you head off for five years of pre-med or bio-kinetic science. The PG year can suit a variety of purposes.

The PG Year is sometimes called a Gap Year or a year off. From my point of view, either description implicitly implies that a PG Year is a structured program of study, not simply a year off where you sit around and do absolutely nothing. Over one hundred private day and boarding schools offer PG Years. It will be worthwhile to explore a couple of programs to see if they fit your requirements.

There is a big push in high school to complete your academic studies with the best results possible to get into the college you want to attend after high school. A gap year gives you an extra year to develop a skill for which you didn't have much time while studying for SATs or doing your IB papers. That skill

In What is AP?, we looked at the organization that has created one of the world's most popular college prep programs. This companion article will look at the other college preparatory program known as IB. The organization behind the IB program, the International Baccalaureate Organization, was founded in 1968. With its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IB Organization serves over 1.3 million students in 147 countries.

What is the IB?

Most people think of the IB or International Baccalaureate as the organization which sponsors the highly-regarded college preparatory IB Diploma Programme. Indeed the IB Diploma is where it all started. The IB Diploma is the college preparatory component of a curriculum that begins early childhood and ends with pre-college and pre-career programs.

The International Baccalaureate Organization has grown into four programs: Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma, and IB Career-related Programmes. This, then, is one of the major differences with Advanced Placement. Practically speaking, Advanced Placement encompasses only the college preparatory years in the academic continuum, although it now offers a Pre-AP designed to encourage students. The IB Organization offers programs that begin with 3-year-olds and end with college preparatory and career-related diplomas.

The IB Diploma Programme

Since you are interested in finding out the similarities and differences between the two top college prep academic programs, let's look under the hood of the IB Diploma Programme and find out what's