Questions Answers

Questions?  Answers!

When does The New School open? The first Tuesday after Labor Day in September.

Where is the school located?  The New School is located at 812 Elkton Road in Newark, Delaware, near the intersection of Casho Mill Road and Elkton Road. The house was built in 1805, and has several later additions. This beautiful stone building, with white washed stucco walls is a big rambling house with plenty of space for our growing school.

How long is the school day?  The New School opens at 7:15 AM and closes at 5:00 PM. Students are required to be in attendance for at least 6 hours each day. The actual time that the student arrives at school is flexible. They may be in attendance from 8 AM to 2 PM, 9 AM to 3 PM, 10 AM to 4 PM or some other six hour period of their choice. Students are also welcome to stay from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM if they so desire.

Does The New School have before and after school care? Yes. Before school care runs from 7:00 AM until 8:00 AM and after school care from 4:00 PM until 6:30 PM. Care until 5:00 PM is included in the tuition. An additional fee is billed for care after 5:00 PM at a per-hour rate in quarter hour increments.

How long is the school year? School opens on the first Tuesday after Labor Day and closes at the end of the first full week in June. All State and Federal holidays are observed as are winter and spring breaks. However, the School building will be staffed and open to students on most minor holidays and during some breaks. Family trips are accommodated by the program, be cause travel and real world experiences are essential to a student's growth and are encouraged as a part of their educational experience.

What are the curriculum course requirements?  Courses are limited only by the students' interests and their willingness to meet the practical challenges entailed in investigating, arranging, and managing experiences, instruction, or research on the topics they choose. There are no required courses. Students regulate their school day and design individual curricula suitable to their interests. The staff is available to assist when asked and provide resources, advice, and instruction. Guests and specially contracted instructors will also be available, when student interest justifies them.

What are the graduation requirements?  Every student is preparing for adulthood. To receive a diploma from The New School, which is a sign of our belief that the student is ready to be a responsible adult in the world community, the student must prepare, under the guidance of a mentor of the student's choice, a written thesis exploring this issue and defending the student's belief that he is ready to take his place in the community at large as a responsible and productive adult. Only after the school community of fellow students, teachers, and parents is satisfied through the public and oral defense of this thesis will a diploma be granted.

Who are the faculty?  Melanie Jago Hiner, is a Ph.D. candidate and former high school mathematics, English, and philosophy teacher. She is the founder of The New School. Joseph P. Roach is a former high school mathematics and physics teacher and a computer enthusiast. Diane Cannon is a former Engineering Designer with DuPont and a Tai Chi instructor working in the sciences. John R. Hiner Jr., J.D., is a writer, who engages in dialectic and historical and critical analysis. John Detwiler works in music theory and composition. Thera Ailanthus, a diplomate of The New School, is currently interested in ecopsychology and resource management. Melanie, Joe, and John are all classically trained liberal artists having studied the original, seminal works of Western philosophy, science, history, mathematics, and literature in “The Great Books” program at St. John’s College, Annapolis MD. Part-time staff include Desiree Mitchell, a visual artist who has worked towards her M.A. in Education, Don Franklin, a poet, musician, painter, and certified gemologist, and Tyler Hetherston who does website and clothing design. Consultants and guest instructors offer presentations and instruction throughout the year as arranged by students as their interests dictate.

What is the tuition? The tuition for one student is set on a sliding scale, from $5,750.00 to $8,000.00, due by the First of August each year. Additional fees and costs may be incurred by individual students, depending on the program which he or she undertakes. An adjustment to the total tuition due will be made for families with more than one child attending, and payment plans are available.

© 1996 - June, 2005 The New School.
Last revised 10 June 2005