Some schools are already on spring break. Others start their break this week. Daylight savings time began at 2 a.m. this morning. Easter is only a few weeks off.

While your children are home, be sure to schedule your activities so that you can spend some quality time with them. I know they have their friends. But you need to use the time they are home to deepen your relationship with your children especially if they have been away at boarding school. Find out what they are concerned about, their hopes, their fears and so on.

Travel is still problematic. So be sure to review safe travel tips and how to handle the inevitable emergency. Have a safe and wonderful spring break 2010.

Private schools which educate talented students in the arts are few and far between. When I was in high school, Montreal had no dedicated performing arts schools. Instead I schlepped off to McGill University's Saturday morning theory and sight singing classes with Alice Posner, Kelsey Jones and others. Looking back, I wish I had had an Interlochen School in my back yard. Or a St. Thomas Choir School.

So it is with many fond memories of my musical childhood that I spotlight Schools for the Arts in my blog today. If you went to one of these fine schools, let us all know how the experience benefited you.

You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.

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In this morning's news were two very different stories about school enrollment. Middlesex School announced that it had received 1,025 applicants for 100 places for the class of 2013. The Kansas City Board of Education announced plans to close half its schools in order to close a budget gap of $50 million.

Not every private school is as fortunate as Middlesex to have 10 applicants for every place it can offer. Indeed you and I hear about private schools closing and/or cutting their budgets to make ends meet on a regular basis. But the depth and seriousness of our national economic situation continues to alarm me. Local schools are funded by local property taxes for the most part. Those revenues have shrunk at an alarming rate. Add to that changing demographics and fewer school-age children, and, in my opinion, more school boards are going to have to close more schools.  Is this just market forces at work? Or are there wider implications to what's happening?  What do you think?

You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.

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The admissions departments have completed their work. The long-awaited admissions letters are finally in the mail. Will it be an acceptance or a rejection letter? Perhaps your child was waitlisted.  Here's what to do with the letter you received.

The acceptance letter requires prompt action as the school basically is holding a place for your child. You need to let them know whether or not she will be coming.

If your child was put on a waitlist, don't panic. Here are your options.

If your child's application was rejected, here's what to do next.

You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.

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