Why Choose a TK-8 School in Durham, NC?

Why choose Triangle Day School for your child?

As parents, you have the opportunity to select a school with a mission that fits with your values and is right for your child. In doing so, you will help prepare your child for successful, rewarding experiences in high school, college, and in life.

At the core of our mission are a comfortable setting, a rigorous curriculum, a dedicated and caring faculty, and a warm community. We foster intellectual engagement, enthusiasm for learning, creativity in thinking, and respect for all.

[Our daughter] benefited immensely from being a student at Triangle Day School from TK to eighth grade. She gained self-confidence in the small classes at TDS and also learned the importance of being responsible for oneself, as well as caring toward others – aspects of character that so rarely receive the attention they require during the formative years of elementary and middle school.

— Alumni Parent

Why TK-8?

Students in TK-8 schools maintain higher academic achievement

In 2004-2005, two important reports were published: Mayhem in the Middle (Fordham Institute), and Focus on the Wonder Years (Rand Education). Both of these reports noted a drop in achievement between 4th and 8th grade on a national scale. Both reports referred to research concluding that “students in K-8 schools scored significantly higher than their MS counterparts on standardized achievement measures in reading, language arts, and math. Moreover, the Fordham report concluded that “there is clear evidence that the K-8 model has a significant positive effect on academic achievement, openness to learning, and student behavior.”

Teachers in TK-8 schools are there for a simple reason: they love the kids

Too often, teachers in middle divisions of K-12 schools are simply waiting for the “promotion” to high school. By contrast, teachers who work in the TK-8 setting make a conscious choice to do so because they love to teach kids this age. In addition, they are experts in their social, emotional, and physical needs.

Students in TK-8 schools have opportunities for real leadership

In K-12 schools, 7th and 8th graders are caught in the middle. By contrast, in TK-8 schools, these students lead the school in a variety of important ways. At TDS, all of our students are involved in leadership in one form or another: representing their classes on the Student Council, acting as morning greeters, serving as admissions ambassadors for prospective families, designing the yearbook, serving as buddies to their younger peers, and so much more

Families in TK-8 schools can make an informed choice about high school

Entering kindergarten, it is impossible for parents to know which type of high school will be a good fit for their child. A TK-8 school allows for re-evaluation and high school choice at end of 8th grade, when:

students are ready for transition and a new environment
parents are more informed about their children as learners
students can be involved in the decision making process

TK-8 schools provide safe, nurturing environments in which kids can hold onto their innocence, particularly in middle school

Without the pressures of high school, middle school students can feel free to be silly and awkward, and they can continue to grow in a safe environment. The onset of risky decision making, and the accompanying peer pressure, is delayed in TK-8 schools.

Without a high school, all of the school’s resources are directed toward the younger grades

High schools are complicated and expensive to run, and as a result K-12 schools are top-heavy. By contrast, the lower and middle divisions get 100% of the time, attention, and financial resources at TDS.

Why Independent School?

What is an Independent School?

Are they all similar?

How do I know which school is best for my child?

Independent schools are private, pre-collegiate schools with their own unique missions; institutions that, though private, are publicly accountable to parents, the wider community, and accrediting associations. Contact Triangle Day School to learn more about our programs.

Research suggests that independent schools:

Are close-knit communities
Provide individualized attention for students and smaller classes
Are staffed with high-quality and committed teachers
Offer hands-on learning opportunities
Provide educational experiences extending beyond the classroom
Are full of actively engaged parents
Are supportive learning environments

More than 2,000 NAIS schools across the United States provide high-quality education to more than 700,000 students from pre-K through high school. In North Carolina, approximately 40,000 students attend an NCAIS school.

TISC TALK Episode 1

What is an Independent School? Are they all similar? How do I know which school is best for my child? In this episode of TISC TALK, Heather Clarkson and Kemi Nonez, Directors of Enrollment Management at different TISC schools, answer these questions plus other FAQ.

Discover TDS