Frequently asked Questions:

After looking over some of the information on this website, you may have additional questions. Please browse through the topics below to find answers to frequently asked questions by prospective parents. Of course, you can contact us at any time to ask specific questions.

With your emphasis on spiritual and character development, are you able to achieve academic excellence?

When my child leaves Intown after 8th grade, will he/she be prepared for high school?

Did I hear that you do not use textbooks?

If 1st and 2nd graders attend only half days, how do they learn what is necessary?

How is reading taught?

How do your test scores compare to other schools?

With your emphasis on spiritual and character development, are you able to achieve academic excellence?
The downfall of many Christian schools has resulted from a shift in focus from pursuing God to pursuing
academics. When this shift takes place both spiritual health and academics suffer. This phenomenon clearly shows that the two are not mutually exclusive. Maintaining the focus on God actually increases academic achievement because it motivates children to develop longer lasting habits useful for continued learning and causes them to maintain a desire for learning as they experience the awe and splendor of God found throughout the academic content. Intown feeds this desire and builds on these habits by providing the best resources available and by maintaining high expectations of what children are capable of learning. (back to top)

When my child leaves Intown after 8th grade, will he/she be prepared for high school?
Children at Intown experience a rich academic program in a Christ-centered environment. Because the
academic program emphasizes a much deeper understanding of content rather than just learning and
memorizing bits of information for tests, Intown students typically graduate having gained both a broad
range of knowledge, and fruitful spiritual, behavioral, and learning habits for continuing as a lifelong learner. These habits and knowledge help ease the difficult transition to high school years whether they attend public, private, or home schools. (back to top)

Did I hear that you do not use textbooks?
Whenever possible, resources are used that provide ideas to students in context. Therefore, books containing rich literature, original sources in history, and hands-on experiences with nature and science are preferred over textbooks, which often break ideas down into bits of information out of context. However, textbooks are used at times as resources and have proven particularly useful in math. (back to top)

If 1st and 2nd graders attend only half days, how do they learn what is necessary?
First, we maintain extremely low student-teacher ratios: 8:1 in first grade and 10:1 in second grade. Second, we require that parents commit to a very high degree of involvement in their child’s education. Third, we focus the curriculum in the early grades on reading, writing, and math. Though these areas are the focus, a thematic approach is used in which students read and write about themes related to science or social studies. These 3 factors combine to allow students to learn more in a shorter period of time.
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How is reading taught?
Through researching the topic extensively and evaluating our experiences in teaching, we believe the most
effective way to teach reading is two-fold: reading for meaning and through decoding unknown words. A
stronger emphasis is placed on students learning reading strategies to aid in reading for meaning and
developing comprehension skills. Fluency is modeled by teachers through the reading and narration of “living books”. Students read daily in small groups and whole class groups while receiving letter/sound/word pattern instruction. Within these groups students are encouraged to put meaning to the text and respond accordingly. As students progress they are exposed to increasingly challenging reading material. (back to top)

How do your test scores compare to other schools?
Most standardized tests primarily assess a child’s ability to retrieve bits of information and use very basic
skills in answering questions. Many people place an overemphasis on test scores as a rating of how successful a school is. The danger is that schools may focus so much on them that students do very well on the standardized tests, but fail to experience deeper levels of learning and understanding. Because of this danger, we limit standardized testing and the emphasis placed on it.

Beginning in 3rd grade, each year a child attends Intown he/she takes the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). This test has traditionally been the most common standardized test taken in Georgia, and most schools report scores in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades. Though the limitations of such tests have been stated, the tests do provide some value in assessing whether or not gaps in the curriculum exist and in assessing how individual students are progressing on particular skills. They also provide a nationally recognized measure of a student’s achievement should a student transfer to another school system.

While many schools today prepare extensively for these tests by giving numerous problems and practice tests almost identical to the ITBS throughout the year, Intown conducts minimal direct preparation for the tests. Instead, Intown chooses to focus on activities we consider richer and more meaningful. The percentile rank of our school compared to other schools taking the test is 99 in nearly every category. However, this would be expected because of the strong family involvement in the education of our children and the size of our school. The figures below are more explanatory as they are the percentile ranks of how each child at Intown compares to other children taking the test nationally. The chart summarizes the most recent comparisons available for the 2007 and 2008 year. The schools compared are in close proximity to Intown. (Private schools’ test scores are not publicized and available so public schools’ test scores were used). No comparison in 3rd grade is available as Intown uses only a survey of the more complete ITBS in its 3rd grade. Though the scores look quite good compared to others, it is not wise to put too much weight in this very limited assessment of student learning that fails to take into account many other markers of good education. (back to top)

Questions on the new Kindergarten (opening 2009-2010 school year)

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What sets Intown Community School’s kindergarten apart from other programs?

What is a developmentally appropriate kindergarten?

Why has Intown Community School now chosen to offer kindergarten?

What if I choose to homeschool my kindergartener, will there be room for him/her in the 1st Grade?

What kind of curriculum is offered for Intown Community School’s kindergarten?

What are the credentials of a kindergarten teacher?

What is the class size of a kindergarten class?

Will Enrichment Days be offered in kindergarten?

Will Discovery be offered to kindergarteners?

What are the hours and days that kindergarten is offered?

What is the tuition for the kindergarten?

Will my kindergartener attend monthly chapel with the rest of the school?

Will my child eat lunch at Intown School’s kindergarten?

How old does my child need to be to start Intown Community School’s kindergarten?

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What sets Intown Community School’s kindergarten apart from other programs?
As a covenant school, we believe that parents are the primary educators, who, with the assistance of the school, train and nurture their children to glorify and enjoy God. Because our children are created as image bearers of God, we are committed to developing the natural learner in every child. Using a developmentally appropriate curriculum, kindergarteners are allowed to safely test, observe, and explore their environment in a community that nurtures and respects each individual child. (back to top)

What is a developmentally appropriate kindergarten?
Intown Community School’s developmentally appropriate kindergarten is a program structured so that children may mature at their own rate in a language-rich and activity-oriented environment. Children are allowed to learn about the world, and experience it through playing and working with materials or other children. Teachers build strong relationships with children because they are able to interact with them both individually and as a group. The physical space, or environment, is well planned from a developmental perspective. Children are given long periods of time to complete play and projects. Opportunities for outside play are encouraged, and this time is never sacrificed for instructional time. Intown School’s curriculum will be adapted for each individual child, so that each child is moving at his/her own developmental pace. At Intown School, you will observe kindergarteners learning through play with manipulatives such as blocks, paints, table toys, legos, and puzzles. Children are allowed many opportunities to experience various activities throughout the day. (back to top)

Why has Intown Community School now chosen to offer kindergarten?
We place great value in the time that young children spend learning from their primary educators—their parents.
Many of the most valuable lessons in life and the richest educational settings for young children are found outside of the formal classroom setting. We believe that young children should be with their parents as much as possible, because they learn so much in their home environment from their parents. However, during the past three years, 95% of our parents in grades 1 - 3 chose to send their children to kindergarten. We want to come alongside them and extend our philosophy to kindergarten. As a school, we will offer a child-centered program with a home-like setting that could further enhance a young child’s learning experience. Limited time in a good, informal children’s program can provide a child, as well as their parents, with a well-rounded experience benefitting all. We believe we are ready to institute one of our long-term goals from the Vision Report that was approved by the Session in 2003. (back to top)

What if I choose to homeschool my kindergartener, will there be room for him/her in the 1st Grade?
A place for a “ready” first grade student will be reserved for Intown Community Church members who homeschool their child for kindergarten. (back to top)

What kind of curriculum is offered for Intown Community School’s kindergarten?
The environment in ICS’s kindergarten is language rich, which enhances all areas of the curriculum. We use the Five in a Row (www.fiveinarow.com) program, which allows students to be introduced to living books, illustrators, and authors. Phonemic Awareness, an important pre-reading skill, will be enhanced through the use of manipulatives, the letter of the week, and Handwriting Without Tears (www.hwtears.com). Activities that encourage sorting and classifying will help students transition from the concrete to the abstract. This will also help students to focus on number sense and counting. Narration is a large part of the Charlotte Mason philosophy (www.amblesideonline.org) used at Intown Community School. We believe that narration begins very early in a child’s life. Children are encouraged to tell back what they know after read alouds or during self-directed play. Because our kindergarteners spend a great deal of time outside, the sky is the limit in discovering nature. The kindergarten curriculum at ICS exposes children to great art and music. They will explore the world of art through great artists as well as their own masterpieces. Nurturing a young child’s spiritual foundation is very important. Kindergarteners will participate in devotions, Bible stories, and prayer time. We believe that the kindergarten curriculum will prepare a child to enter into First Grade, and our program compliments the readiness skills needed for ICS’s First Grade. (back to top)

What are the credentials of a kindergarten teacher?
As with all of our teachers, a highly qualified teacher is one who is Christ-centered, loves children, and knowledgeable in the area that he/she is teaching. Almost all of our teachers have education degrees with a teaching certificate or a comparable degree that focuses on the development of children. Many of our teachers have advanced degrees in education or are currently seeking advancement. Ongoing training in early childhood education is made available to ourkindergarten and primary teachers. (back to top)

What is the class size of a kindergarten class?
Class size for kindergarten will be 8-10 students. (back to top)

Will Enrichment Days be offered in kindergarten?
No, parents will participate in Enrichment Days during the 1st and 2nd grades. However, parent participation is always welcome in our classrooms. Parent participation is greatly valued during occasional projects or field trips. Parents will participate in parent meetings and service projects. (back to top)

Will Discovery be offered to kindergarteners?
Discovery is only offered to 1st and 2nd grade students. (back to top)

What are the hours and days that kindergarten is offered?
Kindergarten will be offered Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 pm (noon). (back to top)

What is the tuition for the kindergarten?
Tuition has not been set yet, but it will be “comparable” to 1st and 2nd grade tuition, if it were a four-day program. It will be finalized in December and announced in January with other tuition rates. (back to top)

Will my kindergartener attend monthly chapel with the rest of the school?
Yes, one of the many great things about our chapel services is the relationships that are fostered through bringing the entire school together to worship the Lord. (back to top)

Will my child eat lunch at Intown School’s kindergarten?
No, but we will provide a time for snack each day. Please send what your child can manage independently and the amount that will carry them until lunch time. (back to top)

How old does my child need to be to start Intown Community School’s kindergarten?
Every child beginning kindergarten should be 5 by September 1, 2009. Every child will go through a screening process as part of the Intown School admissions process. (back to top)

Questions on School Structure
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Why do children attend only half days in 1st and 2nd grades?

What is an Enrichment Day?

Is volunteerism by parents encouraged outside of parent meetings and enrichment days?

What is the link between Intown School and Perimeter Christian School?

Do you have any after school activities?

Does your school have access to computers and the Internet?

Is the school accredited?

If you continue to grow, what will you do for classroom space?

How are private schools like Intown Community School funded?

Do you have plans to add a high school?

Why do children attend only half days in 1st and 2nd Grades?
Intown places great value in children spending time in those activities that occur outside of the formal
educational setting in which children learn some of the most important lessons they can learn in life. Parents are encouraged to spend as much time as possible with their children, particularly in the early years, to help them learn these lessons. (back to top)

What is an enrichment day?
Enrichment days are instructional days in which parents come to school to teach and/or help teach the class. Parents of 1st and 2nd grade students are required to be involved in approximately 4 enrichment days during the school year. These days give parents opportunities to bring their unique abilities and gifts to bear upon topics being covered in the classroom. (back to top)

Is volunteerism by parents encouraged outside of parent meetings and enrichment days?
All parents are asked to commit to coordinate or assist with at least one school event during the year. In
addition, parents are asked to attend monthly parent meetings, parent/teacher conferences, and to be
available to assist the teachers and their children in class at the request of the teachers or room parents. One of the primary reasons for success at our school is the high commitment and involvement of parents. (back to top)

What is the link between Intown School and Perimeter Christian School?
Just as Perimeter Church was the first of a network of churches in Atlanta, Perimeter Christian School was the first of a network of schools that are ministries of those churches. This network of schools is called
ChildLight Schools. Five schools in the Atlanta area, including Intown Community School, are members of ChildLight, bringing the total number of students currently attending ChildLight schools to over 1,000. The heads of each of these schools meet monthly to coordinate activities and ensure that a common set of beliefs and philosophy is maintained in the content, intent, and process of the schools.
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Do you have any after school activities?
During the school day, children in the upper grades participate in art, music, yearbook, computer
applications, foreign language (Latin & Spanish), and physical education. After-school activities include
drama, boys and girls cross country, basketball, track, volleyball and soccer teams. These and other activities, such as overnight field trip, do have expenses outside of the Curriculum & Activity Fee per student. We hope to expand extracurricular activities as the student base increases. (back to top)

Does your school have access to computers and the Internet?

Each classroom has one computer with full network and Internet capabilities. Teachers use the computers for instruction with the children and for other teacher activities. Students use these computers for individual activities. Additionally, one set of laptop computers with wireless Internet access are available for teachers to use with middle school students. Tight security and supervision is maintained on Internet access for children because of the obvious dangers. An exploratory course in computer applications is offered in the middle school grades in which students are shown various uses of computers and encouraged to use them when appropriate. Furthermore, the school maintains a website (www.intownschool.org). (back to top)

Is the school accredited?
Yes. Intown Community School is accredited in grades 6-8 by the Georgia Accrediting Commission. Intown Community School is accredited with Quality, which is the highest standard the GAC offers. Because of our shortened days in the primary grades, we are not eligible in those grades for school accreditation. (back to top)

If you continue to grow, what will you do for classroom space?
Based on the demographics of the church and recent growth patterns, it appears that we will continue to
experience significant growth over the next several years. Construction of a new wing has been completed and provides necessary classroom space for growth, as well as a field for play, science and computer labs, an art room, and a larger library. (back to top)

How are private schools like Intown Community School funded?
Private Schools are funded through a combination of tuition payments—typically 80-90% of expenses are
covered through tuition and fees—and charitable contributions which make up the rest of the budget. At
Intown Community School, we have been greatly blessed by God through the continued support of Intown Community Church and the parents, grandparents and friends who have supported the school over the past 20 years. As the school has grown, we have developed an Annual Fund and several fundraising opportunities to supplement the school’s finances and to fill various gaps in our budget. Intown families are invited to participate at a level that is consistent with their financial means and their prayerful leading from our Lord. (back to top)

Do you have plans to add a high school?
Currently, we have no plans for a high school. (back to top)

What do you mean by a covenant school?

Who is Charlotte Mason?

Is this a classical school?

What do you mean by a covenant school?
Christian parents have been blessed with the privileges and responsibilities of raising their children in a
Christ-centered home where a biblical understanding of life and the world is taught. Intown is a community of parents and educators who have come together to create an atmosphere for children that is an extension of these homes. Therefore, the school seeks to hire educators and admit children from families who willingly accept a corporate responsibility to provide a Christ-centered education for the children of Christian parents. (back to top)

Who is Charlotte Mason?
Charlotte Mason was a British educator in the early 1900s who wrote extensively to develop a philosophy of Christian education. At first, many of the people who implemented her ideas were home schooling parents. Soon, groups banded together to form schools throughout England that were based upon her philosophy of education. She established a well respected teacher’s college in England that included a small practicing school in which teachers learned to apply her principles of education.

The primary reasons we draw heavily on her philosophy of education are the following: interwoven biblical principles throughout; comprehensive philosophy to include the nature of children, learning, knowledge, and the teacher; and a theory that was tested and used. We are aware of no other philosophy of education that has such depth in these three components. When Children Love to Learn, the book that is required reading for all Intown families seeking admission to our school, and For the Children’s Sake are excellent summaries of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education. (back to top)

Is this a classical school?
Though we are similar to classical schools in that we use rich literature, teach Latin, use historical resources, and have high expectations of what children are able to learn, we are not considered a classical school. The most significant distinction is the strict adherence to, and unique application of The Trivium in classical schools. Our understanding of the classical school proposition is that all learning occurs in 3 distinct stages: grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. In the first stage (ages 6 – 10), children receive and memorize information. In the dialectic stage (ages 10 –12) children begin to question facts, draw conclusions, and support those conclusions. In the final stage (beginning at age 15), children learn to communicate knowledge.

Because of our understanding of how God created people, and therefore children, in His image, we do not accept the stages of learning adopted by classical schools. We accept the 3 parts of The Trivium as components of learning, but we do not accept them as developmental stages of learning. We believe that the child has a God-given mind that is capable of, and requires knowledge throughout life. These desires and abilities in children are seen long before they ever begin attending school. Therefore, we feed this desire and help develop these abilities by providing rich experiences and resources for children to learn ideas in their most meaningful context. In the early years, we do not just fill them with information (grammar). Instead, we encourage them to understand the broader context and connections with other information (dialectic) so they are continuing to develop their ability to draw conclusions and communicate their ideas (rhetoric) throughout their years in school. (back to top)

What are the educational credentials of your teachers?

What kind of teacher accountability do you have?

What are the educational credentials of your teachers?
Most of our teachers have education degrees and have satisfied teaching certification requirements, and 60% have attained or are pursuing advanced degrees in education. Though these credentials are typical
requirements for teachers at Intown, we remain open to hire a teacher who is highly qualified otherwise
(Christ-centered, loves children, knowledgeable in area to be taught, etc.) and is willing to seek teaching
credentials in a specified time period. For example, our science teacher has worked with children and has
experience teaching in a school setting, but her undergraduate degree was in chemical engineering rather than education. She has since received her Masters of Education in Secondary Science Education.
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What kind of teacher accountability do you have?
Like most other schools, our teachers write lesson plans, are observed formally, and receive an annual
evaluation. Furthermore, frequent informal classroom visits by the administration, other teachers, and
parents are designed to provide support to the teacher, but also provide some level of accountability for the teacher. Each teacher is under the supervision of an Instructional Leader, who provides support through monthly instruction, in-class visits, modeling the execution of lessons and equipping teachers with materials and activities. However, our primary emphasis on teaching is that the teachers continue to develop, learn, and grow as people and teachers. Therefore, included in our evaluation process are goal setting components, self evaluations, and parent surveys. Teachers also attend 2-3 professional conferences and workshops each year. In addition to meeting with Instructional Leaders, teachers also meet with other teachers in their grade level and with the entire faculty for continued staff development once a month.
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How is Intown set up to work with children with special needs?

How does Intown handle behavior problems?

Can I request a certain teacher for my child?

How is Intown set up to work with children with special needs?
In one sense Intown works well with special needs children because of the biblical foundations and
relationships, small class size, and strong parental involvement. On the other hand, students with significant special needs might not do well at Intown because of limited resources. Intown’s ability to work with children with special needs is determined on a case-by-case basis. Many factors are explored that relate to the whole child, family, severity of need, support available, etc. Modified Academic Plans (MAPs) are developed for those children with documented special needs that attend Intown. These plans and progress of the students are evaluated regularly to determine whether or not Intown continues to be the best environment for that child. (back to top)

How does Intown handle behavior problems?
Historically, we have had very few problems with the behavior of our students. Many of our methods (regular teaching about Christ-centered living, prayer, small class size, parental involvement, etc.), provide proactive means of encouraging proper behavior. One of the most effective tools we have in this area is the high parental involvement, commitment, and support we receive. Therefore, the majority of behavior problems that develop in classrooms are solved by the teacher working with the parents of the child. However, repeated or severe actions are brought to the parents, administration and/or the school board. With input from the parents, the school board determines the most appropriate action to take. Actions could include minor consequences such as work detail or other creative methods designed to curb the inappropriate behavior and teach children, but persistent or more severe actions could result in serious consequences such as removal from school. (back to top)

Can I request a certain teacher for my child?
Requests for particular teachers are discouraged and are rarely considered. We are confident about the
education children receive at Intown, and all of the teachers, with their variety of personalities, strengths, and gifts, are competent professionals. Parents are encouraged to accept the teacher chosen by the school staff for their child. Sometimes a child receives a teacher that the parents thought was the “wrong one for my child,” but the Lord uses that teacher to teach the child exactly what He intended. If highly exceptional circumstances cause a strong desire for parents to have a particular teacher for their child, parents should submit a request and rationale in writing for their request. In such extreme cases, a teacher request might be considered. (back to top)