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News & Events

Spring Play - Romeo & Juliet
April 24, 25, and 26 7:00 p.m.

Ron Brandhorst Retirement Banquet
Sunday, May 18, 4:00 p.m.

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Saturday, May 24, 10:00 a.m.

How to Choose the Right High School

Selecting the right high school for your child can be a daunting task. A solid high school education will build a foundation for collegial success. But this decision is complicated by numerous questions: Should you choose private or public? Large or small? Religious or secular? How important are co-curricular activities as well as academics?

Did you know?

Mothers communicate with their kids an average of 2.5 hours per week.

Fathers average 30 minutes per week.

Teachers, on the otherhand, communicate with our children

6 hours per day!

What are they hearing that will shape who they become?

Additionally, according to research by Robert Sylwester, Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Oregon, the importance of high school on a student’s development process is staggering. “The brain’s frontal lobes, where we process conscious executive decisions about what to do and how to do it….fine tunes itself into adult competence (during these years).”

“What this tells us,” explains Randy Lowe, CEO of the Denver Lutheran High Schools, “is that whoever educates your children determines the culture in which students start to analyze good, bad, right, wrong…all those things that we as adults take for granted. The prefrontal cortex of the brain is not fully developed. So if students are placed in an environment with a questionable culture - that culture will shape your child.”

Therefore, choosing the right high school becomes vitally important to the students’ future success in college and life. Here are some factors to consider when making this important decision:

Size Matters. Honestly evaluating your child's abilities and personality will help in determining if a large or small school is right for the student. Some students need more monitoring for accomplishing/achieving work and success. Some students are self motivated and can be successful anywhere they go. Does the student want to "get lost" in the numbers and largeness of the school? Or does the student thrive in an environment where they are "known" by the teachers and other students.

Student & Parent Access to Teachers. The ability for students or parents to contact teachers is vitally important to the success of the

student in high school. Look for a school that uses online programs like K-12 Planet, which allow parents to receive daily updates on student grades. Programs like these give parents more information to help their child succeed in school.

“We give our students our home phone numbers so they can call us at anytime if they need help or just want to talk through an issue they are facing, ” explained Nick Gasau, Counselor and Teacher at Denver Lutheran High School’s Parker Campus. “That level of personalized attention can make a difference in a student’s success.”

Academic Accomplishments. Colleges and trade schools use SAT/ACT scores as one important component for college admissions. These scores also play a significant role in grant & scholarship awards.

College Preparation & Advancement. What kind of college preparations are done at the school? How often do counselors meet with and have contact with their students about college information? Some of these questions can be answered through an interview with the principal and by asking the percentage of seniors who continue on to college.

Attendance Policies. What are the attendance policies and how are they monitored? Success in school relies on attending classes to get the necessary information. If the student lacks motivation or doesn't do well in school, many of them begin skipping classes and in a large school that is often not reported or noticed, which can lead to failure. Look for attendance policies that require immediate parent notification.

Opportunity to Participate in Sports & Arts Programs. Large schools often have numerous students try out for teams and clubs and then have to make many cuts. Additionally, students are often placed in a situation where they must choose one program over another, for example music or sports. Smaller schools allow students to involve themselves in a variety of programs and generally develop into more well-rounded adults. Students are allowed more opportunities to participate and be part of a team, creating "belonging" and a ready made set of friends. Belonging is a desire that every teenager needs to have fulfilled and if it is not met in a positive way that can often lead to poor behavior choices.

Ask teachers, principals, current students and parents a lot of questions when making the decision on where to send your son or daughter to high school. Most importantly, make sure you, the parent, are involved in the decision. This decision is too important to be determined entirely by the student.

Researched and edited by the Lutheran High Schools, celebrating over 50 years of excellence with campuses located in Parker and Denver, CO.

www.DenverLutheranHighSchool.org