What Options Do You Have If You Aren’t Comfortable with the Upcoming School Year? 5 Reasons Why a Utah Boarding School is a Great Alternative to Online Learning

Aug 6, 2020, 2:59 PM | Updated: 3:05 pm

Photo: Wasatch Academy

Former Digital Content Producer

This article about the benefits of a Utah boarding school is sponsored by Wasatch Academy

It’s no surprise that guidelines from school districts in Utah are making parents and students nervous about the upcoming school year. Online learning only may not be ideal for you or your students. Here are 5 reasons why a boarding school is a good alternative to the online classes being offered this upcoming school year.

1. Combined In-Class and Online Instruction

Photo: Wasatch Academy

Like many schools this year, boarding schools like Wasatch Academy are utilizing the latest technology to not only do in-class learning but also do online classes as well. But flexibility is really where a boarding school has its bonuses. Because a boarding school is a close-knit community, students can virtually or directly meet with their teachers if they have questions. Project-based learning is at the center of the curriculum of Wasatch Academy. This lets your students’ learning be flexible. Both online and in the classroom.

2. Focus on Catching Up

Photo: Wasatch Academy

Due to the pandemic, your student may have not been able to finish their courses before everything was shut down. Wasatch Academy is actually offering free credit recovery courses to enrolled students this fall. The core courses include Math, English, Science, and Social Studies. These courses to recover lost credits are flexible too, and students can learn at their own pace. Plus, Wasatch Academy naturally offers fewer distractions, so it’s much easier for students to focus on their work through completion.

3. Staggered Arrival Schedule

Photo: Wasatch Academy

Wasatch Academy is also allowing something different. Their staggered start date this year is promoting safety on campus. The schedule will also allow manageable numbers of students on campus at a time. This will make COVID-19 screening and testing easier. And if needed it allows for up to two weeks for modified self-quarantines. Wasatch Academy is working with the local health department. They have the ability to test all students and faculty and have results within 36-48 hours. Plus the staggered start schedule will allow students who are coming from long distances more time to settle into the community.

4. Community Support

Photo: Wasatch Academy

Community is everything at Wasatch Academy. While academics are obviously a central part of Wasatch Academy, the community is the foundation of why this educational experience is so powerful. The population of the student body is also incredibly diverse. 45% of the student body is actually made up of international students, while the rest of the 55% of students are domestic. And everything on campus is incredibly well connected. From the advisers to the teachers to the dorm parents.

5. Naturally Distanced

At public schools this fall, social distancing is going to be one of the biggest concerns for parents and students alike. Luckily, Wasatch Academy has an average of only 12 students per class. That’s unlike classrooms in Salt Lake County having upwards of 20 students per class. Wasatch Academy also has the privilege of being in Sanpete County which has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the country and no deaths. Combined with their testing on campus, that makes Wasatch Academy one of the safest places in the country right now.