Living just steps from Rittenhouse Square, Erin Elmore and Craig Spitzer are dedicated urban dwellers. But they wanted their son, Royce, to spend his school days in a more bucolic setting. They hit the sweet spot at The Haverford School, a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school for boys.

 

“The idea of having all of the excitement of living in the city, as well as being able to go out to a focused, beautiful environment like Haverford is amazing,” Craig said. “For Royce to be able to have it from pre-k on up is just outstanding for his growth.”

 

After just one year at the early-childhood level, they can see a difference in maturity and focus in Royce, who’s now in kindergarten. That comes from Haverford’s curriculum, which is specifically tailored to the way boys learn, from reading to social interactions. In an all-boys environment, Erin said, essential skills like reading and math can be taught at the right pace.

 

“Everyone that’s ever had a child knows that boys and girls are different, and the maturity is different,” Erin said. “You see these young men at Haverford, and they’re just so mature, so polite, and so kind.”

“Haverford teachers recognize that teaching to those differences makes the students better boys and better men.”

Spitzer, who attended a school for boys, said he appreciates the attention paid to what’s best for boys in all aspects of the school day.

 

“The structure and the focus involved from the second that they get there to the second that they leave, is over and above so many other places,” Spitzer said. “It’s very clear in the way he acts and reacts when he’s with his friends.”

 

Royce’s class of 17 boys had three teachers, all of them stellar, Erin said. And that ratio meant her son got all the attention he needed, day in and day out.

Haverford makes the commute for city families easy, too, offering a van service in Philadelphia. Erin called the van “easy as pie” and a great chance for Royce to get to know students in other grades.

“Literally, it’s door-to-door service, almost like Amazon Prime,” she said. “Not only is it convenient, it’s really a great part of their day. It’s fostering independence and also offers a social aspect.”

 

Both also praised the school’s administration, which they said models the type of leadership Haverford is trying to instill in students.

 

“We couldn’t be happier,” Elmore said. “It’s a tremendous place to be.”

 

Profile by Gwyneth Shaw. Photography by Abbe Foreman

 

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Has your son found the right fit at The Haverford School or do you have questions for Haverford parents?

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