Mount Zion Christian School

Mount Zion is a warm atmosphere. The teachers are kind to the students, and they seem to genuinely enjoy their work. Mr. Carter, the headmaster, is nice man and very approachable. I’ve had to drop my daughter off early a few times and they’ve been very accommodating. They have afterschool care at a very reasonable rate.
Academics: My daughter learned to read before she started at this school. She has expanded her abilities and is encouraged to read daily at home and at school. Math: they use Singapore math and I still don’t quite get what that is — although, to be fair, they offer Singapore math nights and I’ve never been able to attend. I’d have a better understanding if I had gone. My daughter is struggling in math and I worry that it’s because of the curriculum they are using. I think they are ahead of where she’d be in a public school. She often talks about what she’s learned in history and science class. In some Christian schools, the teachers are not qualified and the curriculum is canned «paces» or a video school. That is not the case at MZCS: the teachers are qualified to teach, usually quite experienced, with education degrees and credentials. The children are learning in a traditional classroom with a teacher to guide them. The classes are small and the teacher has time for individual instruction.
My daughter is in elementary school. The high school kids use laptops in class — they seem very attune to technology. I don’t know how this works as I do not have a high schooler at the moment.
Religion: My daughter memorizes Bible verses and comes home and explains doctrine to me. I like that she’s being taught that God loves her and she’s learning traditional morals and not someone’s politically correct ideas. The teachers are all on the same page and there’s no confusion about right and wrong.
Communication: The teachers are extremely responsive to parent concerns. An email is answered within a day or two, usually sooner. They are willing to schedule meetings whenever asked, and parent teacher meetings are useful. The teacher clearly knows my child well. Any behavioral problems are addressed by the teacher and then the parent is notified, either via a «sad note» or a notation on the parent «portal», a password-​protected website.
Friends: The kids are all listed on the password-​protected section of the website, and most have contact information. (Parents can opt out of this if they want.) My daughter is friends with everyone in her class. The only real downside is that they all live pretty far away from us — when your kid is in public school their friends are in right around the corner. When they are in a private school, the friends can be as much as an hour away.
Facility: The building is a retired Manchester public school. It’s clean and well kept. There is a nice gym, great for indoor recess. They have gym twice a week. I wish they had a playground but they do not. The school is kept locked and parents are buzzed in — security seems to be good.
They do not have a school nurse.
Lunch: Hot lunch is available, but it’s usually junk food — sloppy joes, meatball subs, pizza. My daughter loves it all, of course.
Cost: Private school is expensive, of course. We pay about $ 500 a month for 10 months of the year (something like that). They do not require a uniform, except the MZCS gym uniform and a MZCS jacket and collared shirt for chapel. (And if my kid would wear a dress to chapel, she would not have to wear that.) The fee at the beginning of the year covers textbooks.