Shellon, is there anything in your school district like a charter school? My kids attend a Classical academy, but it is through the public school system, so no tuition. The classical schools go from k-9th, they hope to start a highschool soon. Other than being a public school it sounds quite a bit like the private school you are looking at. It also reminds me a great deal of the private school I attended. as a child. I think i had even more homework, though.
The Christian school sounds like a good one.My biggest reservation would be social--some really religious families won't let their kids hang out with kids from more secular families. This is probably more an issue in middle school that grade school though.
Yes, the social part keeps coming up, but it's not a concern in this decision.
Kelly is involved in activities in the church she attends such as GEMS, as well as Girls On The Run, in addition to other organizations I belong to that include the children.
Whether or not other families might allow their children to play with mine.....I don't care about that. I understand that for many it's an issue, but it's not for us.
I've spent much time today talking to other parents who have their children either at the school she's visiting or want their child there and so far the worst thing I've heard is that one child was refused when he wanted to sculpt the same figurine again.
I'm hearing things like strong parent/teacher interaction, leaders prepared in the community via the school, high scores in Odysee of the Mind (sp) competitions, forensics and drama in middle school, strong emphasis on physical activity and sports, did I meantion 16 students in the entire grade, field trips to hands on museums and cultural events that involve music and dramatic expression, a grading system that challenges instead of just labels.
Kelly did some testing recently and although I hate those things, it told them that she needs what I've been hollaring about; structure, challenge, advanced placements, classes for gifted and talented (more labels, but I guess they have to call it something)
We have no charter schools in my area. I'm digging this one so far. Will see what she has to say when I get there to pick her up.
It sounds like a really good school. Shellon. Ours also has academic activities like Odessy of the mind, Brain bowl etc.
I know my kids are more challenged and enjoy this school very much. All the classes are excelerated and none of my kids are bored, which was a real problem before, especially in Math. And they actually have less 'busy work' homework than they did in the regular school.
Our son has been in private Christian schools 2nd through (now) 9th grade, and we have been extremely pleased with all of them. He had to be in private school in elementary school due to learning disabilities, was not a choice for us. He is completely mainstreamed now and doing beautifully, and I think that is largely due to the small class size.
Wish we could have afforded to send our daughters to private Christian schools, also, just because of the social environment. Attended kindergarten and 1st grade in private Christian school, but then switched to public when we moved to a better school district. But that may not have helped anyway as "birds of a feather flock together" so our wild child probably would have gravitated to the wild children in the Christian schools, and they do have their fair share, as she socializes with many even though they are different schools. Our eldest did wonderfully in public school, was in honors classes (as is my wild child) and was able to get lots of academic merit scholarships for college.
The PTF's in Christian schools are awesome. They become like extended family in many ways. Have met lots of great people through PTA also, but the closeness is not there.
Have never experienced any problems with parents not wanting their children to socialize with my son. Really never encountered much discussion of religious beliefs - all surface, no in depth.
Hope it works out for you if your daughter enjoyed her visit today. Keep us posted, please.
If the school will better meet her needs then I say "go for it". As for your concerns regarding relgion - I think the two of you have a solid enough relationship that you will be able to handle anything that comes your way in that regard.
My opinion is....if there is any way you can send her there and you don't I will hurt you!
Seriously, I taught in several Catholic high schools. They did not always have all the monies other schools did, but lately they are more and more funded and have whatever kids need to learn. One of them recently put all students on a computer. Every freshman gets a portable and everything that goes with it.
The only thing I had to do differently was pray every class period. And they didn't care what we prayed! I could even read from Psalms or Proverbs, the idea was focus on God!
The only other thing I had to do was go with them to mass. They never made me do anything in mass that I didn't want to do but be respectful. I never objected to mass. Of course my mind did weird things, but nobody else knew it. (weird things = could not comprehend transubstantiation etc).
It's obvious these parents don't like the public schools either and it seems you and they can probably get along well enough. You may even find that you enjoy it. You may even find folks such as yourself who wouldn't openly use the word "Christian" as a label except for this school. Go for it.
Whew, what a day! She didn't like the school. Said all they did was about 1/2 hour of math and the rest of the day was spent on talking about Jesus and the Bible.
Lunch was good, and recess was fun.
Oh, and noone was mean to her; a welcome and refreshing thing from what she's used to.
So.....Don't know, but now it's my turn to visit I guess and find out if it's like that every day or if just monday's are sleepers.
A trip to the dentist might have answered the question for me though. She's headed for braces in about
6-12 months. No cavities though, yay!!
Remember when our parents waved in our direction in the morning and we went to school and noone really knew what we did all day.
Shell, FWIW I've had my daughter enrolled in a parochial school since about 1/2 way through Kindergarten (when we returned to the states from Italy). We're picking out a high school now.
Largely, it's been a good experience.
We went through a pretty serious weeding process when selecting the appropriate school for her.
Some factors that you may discover are:
- There are some schools that evaluate the adequacy of the family in grading the kid. To include out-of-school practices. For example, one school in the area (Grace Brethren) made it clear that listening to secular rock-n-roll, along with unapproved "Christian" rock-n-roll was inappropriate behavior. They also wanted to ensure that the parents did not frequent "disreputable" places (they might cause a bad influence on the kids).
- You should keep in mind that ALL schools with a religious affiliation will attempt to influence the kids to believe their brand of Christianity. Whether that version is baptist, lutheran, catholic, eastern orthodox, or some other brand. At least in the vast majority of the schools that I've reviewed (both Catholic and otherwise), non-participation in religion classes is not an option. In some schools, the pressure can be rather significant (and, no, Catholic schools are hardly the worst in this regard).
- In some schools, the curriculum is essentially the same as the public schools...but with the addition of "religion" class. In some schools, the overall curriculum will be infiltrated with the religion. (e.g., the kids might have to read the "Left Behind" series for their language class)
Bottom line:
Read the "student/parent" handbook VERY carefully -- with a SUSPICIOUS mind. How much behavior of the student in school/ out of school and also the family are you subjecting yourself to?
Talk to as many parents as possible -- try to observe not only satisfaction but homogenity (if they are apparently completely homogenous -- be very careful).
I say go for it!!!!! Where else can you go to talk about Jesus and the Bible with your peers.Other than a youth group at church,(and sometimes that doesn't even happen) I am looking into it for my own son a 9th grader. His honesty in matters at school has caused problems with his peers. Just last week he turned in a fellow student for having drugs.Bold move for him.......well that's another story. All in all it comes down to you as a parent to do what is best for your child, at this time and in the long run.My best to you.
unfortunately, Tom, no there are not and the two that were worth considering even though quite a drive, are closing.
It's going to come back to she and I doing the best we can with what we got and supplementing it with side things like programs she can get involved in that offer what she needs.
At least we've done our homework and can know that we tried.
The public system she's in now isn't bad, but it is frustrating for a kid like Kelly who needs more and a mom like me who needs to be very involved in her kids school.
We've had great practice this year finding new ways to get there, rather than straight in.
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Bramble
Shellon, is there anything in your school district like a charter school? My kids attend a Classical academy, but it is through the public school system, so no tuition. The classical schools go from k-9th, they hope to start a highschool soon. Other than being a public school it sounds quite a bit like the private school you are looking at. It also reminds me a great deal of the private school I attended. as a child. I think i had even more homework, though.
The Christian school sounds like a good one.My biggest reservation would be social--some really religious families won't let their kids hang out with kids from more secular families. This is probably more an issue in middle school that grade school though.
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
my 2 cents
i think a kid in a christian
well get a better education.
i did the catholic thing years ago
most grads were above the average of kids in the public system
but
not in social skills
and i find this {social skills} not happening to the home schoolers
again just my opinion
kid need to be introduced to the public life too and not live in shells
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Shellon
Yes, the social part keeps coming up, but it's not a concern in this decision.
Kelly is involved in activities in the church she attends such as GEMS, as well as Girls On The Run, in addition to other organizations I belong to that include the children.
Whether or not other families might allow their children to play with mine.....I don't care about that. I understand that for many it's an issue, but it's not for us.
I've spent much time today talking to other parents who have their children either at the school she's visiting or want their child there and so far the worst thing I've heard is that one child was refused when he wanted to sculpt the same figurine again.
I'm hearing things like strong parent/teacher interaction, leaders prepared in the community via the school, high scores in Odysee of the Mind (sp) competitions, forensics and drama in middle school, strong emphasis on physical activity and sports, did I meantion 16 students in the entire grade, field trips to hands on museums and cultural events that involve music and dramatic expression, a grading system that challenges instead of just labels.
Kelly did some testing recently and although I hate those things, it told them that she needs what I've been hollaring about; structure, challenge, advanced placements, classes for gifted and talented (more labels, but I guess they have to call it something)
We have no charter schools in my area. I'm digging this one so far. Will see what she has to say when I get there to pick her up.
Thanks
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Tom Strange
dewit
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dmiller
Like Chef -- I attended parochial shool also --- and came out better for it.
There were 40 to 50 of us in the same classroom with the same teacher -- all day long.
Mebee that is a thing of the past, I don't know --
but the smaller class size is certainly a HUGE advantage. :)
We had to go to mass each morning, before class --
but that didn't seem to hamper the overall education.
And as far as social life goes --- I know two young ladies who were home schooled,
and their social life exceeded that of any of the local high school students in their area.
That was due to their parents, taking an active interest in what their kids were interested in.
One of those ladies is now a hot-shot banjo picker for a major bluegrass group,
and the other has written songs recorded by many major artists ---
as well as being the fiddler for another *big-name* bluegrass group.
It seems the fact they were home schooled offered them more opportunities
to learn, and grow in the areas they were truely interested in ---
with no lack of social interaction, as a result.
Let us know what happens, Shellon --- sounds like a good opportunity here. :)
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Bramble
It sounds like a really good school. Shellon. Ours also has academic activities like Odessy of the mind, Brain bowl etc.
I know my kids are more challenged and enjoy this school very much. All the classes are excelerated and none of my kids are bored, which was a real problem before, especially in Math. And they actually have less 'busy work' homework than they did in the regular school.
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SafariVista
Sounds good Shell!
And here I thought you were a Grandma, with all your kids grown and gone :)
We've done Home School, Charter & Public...
Liked the Charter School, but public has much more to offer in the Music Field... interested in Private, but the cost is up there!
Looking forward to hearing how it all went for her
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Suda
Our son has been in private Christian schools 2nd through (now) 9th grade, and we have been extremely pleased with all of them. He had to be in private school in elementary school due to learning disabilities, was not a choice for us. He is completely mainstreamed now and doing beautifully, and I think that is largely due to the small class size.
Wish we could have afforded to send our daughters to private Christian schools, also, just because of the social environment. Attended kindergarten and 1st grade in private Christian school, but then switched to public when we moved to a better school district. But that may not have helped anyway as "birds of a feather flock together" so our wild child probably would have gravitated to the wild children in the Christian schools, and they do have their fair share, as she socializes with many even though they are different schools. Our eldest did wonderfully in public school, was in honors classes (as is my wild child) and was able to get lots of academic merit scholarships for college.
The PTF's in Christian schools are awesome. They become like extended family in many ways. Have met lots of great people through PTA also, but the closeness is not there.
Have never experienced any problems with parents not wanting their children to socialize with my son. Really never encountered much discussion of religious beliefs - all surface, no in depth.
Hope it works out for you if your daughter enjoyed her visit today. Keep us posted, please.
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Abigail
Shellon,
If the school will better meet her needs then I say "go for it". As for your concerns regarding relgion - I think the two of you have a solid enough relationship that you will be able to handle anything that comes your way in that regard.
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krys
My opinion is....if there is any way you can send her there and you don't I will hurt you!
Seriously, I taught in several Catholic high schools. They did not always have all the monies other schools did, but lately they are more and more funded and have whatever kids need to learn. One of them recently put all students on a computer. Every freshman gets a portable and everything that goes with it.
The only thing I had to do differently was pray every class period. And they didn't care what we prayed! I could even read from Psalms or Proverbs, the idea was focus on God!
The only other thing I had to do was go with them to mass. They never made me do anything in mass that I didn't want to do but be respectful. I never objected to mass. Of course my mind did weird things, but nobody else knew it. (weird things = could not comprehend transubstantiation etc).
It's obvious these parents don't like the public schools either and it seems you and they can probably get along well enough. You may even find that you enjoy it. You may even find folks such as yourself who wouldn't openly use the word "Christian" as a label except for this school. Go for it.
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Shellon
Whew, what a day! She didn't like the school. Said all they did was about 1/2 hour of math and the rest of the day was spent on talking about Jesus and the Bible.
Lunch was good, and recess was fun.
Oh, and noone was mean to her; a welcome and refreshing thing from what she's used to.
So.....Don't know, but now it's my turn to visit I guess and find out if it's like that every day or if just monday's are sleepers.
A trip to the dentist might have answered the question for me though. She's headed for braces in about
6-12 months. No cavities though, yay!!
Remember when our parents waved in our direction in the morning and we went to school and noone really knew what we did all day.
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jardinero
(never mind) :(
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Shellon
:( ?
are you expressing sadness for braces, she didn't like the school, they taught too much religion?
Whatcha got Jean? :) give it up
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markomalley
Shell, FWIW I've had my daughter enrolled in a parochial school since about 1/2 way through Kindergarten (when we returned to the states from Italy). We're picking out a high school now.
Largely, it's been a good experience.
We went through a pretty serious weeding process when selecting the appropriate school for her.
Some factors that you may discover are:
- There are some schools that evaluate the adequacy of the family in grading the kid. To include out-of-school practices. For example, one school in the area (Grace Brethren) made it clear that listening to secular rock-n-roll, along with unapproved "Christian" rock-n-roll was inappropriate behavior. They also wanted to ensure that the parents did not frequent "disreputable" places (they might cause a bad influence on the kids).
- You should keep in mind that ALL schools with a religious affiliation will attempt to influence the kids to believe their brand of Christianity. Whether that version is baptist, lutheran, catholic, eastern orthodox, or some other brand. At least in the vast majority of the schools that I've reviewed (both Catholic and otherwise), non-participation in religion classes is not an option. In some schools, the pressure can be rather significant (and, no, Catholic schools are hardly the worst in this regard).
- In some schools, the curriculum is essentially the same as the public schools...but with the addition of "religion" class. In some schools, the overall curriculum will be infiltrated with the religion. (e.g., the kids might have to read the "Left Behind" series for their language class)
Bottom line:
Read the "student/parent" handbook VERY carefully -- with a SUSPICIOUS mind. How much behavior of the student in school/ out of school and also the family are you subjecting yourself to?
Talk to as many parents as possible -- try to observe not only satisfaction but homogenity (if they are apparently completely homogenous -- be very careful).
FWIW
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
shell another 2 cents from me that i think is important
when i was elected to the schoolboard in our small town
my platform was a b c d
arts band chorus drama
many of the smaller christian scool can not afford this and i think it is so important in a childs life
i live in a jock town
people do not think about long term things
teach a kid to play football and he will have fun for a few years
then have a sore knee forever
teach a kid to play the piano or whatever
and he wil;l have it for life
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Tom Strange
Sound advice Mark... and I agree Shel, maybe it was just "one of those days"... of course she could take JCING to school for show and tell!
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Shellon
<_<
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Ca_dreaming
I say go for it!!!!! Where else can you go to talk about Jesus and the Bible with your peers.Other than a youth group at church,(and sometimes that doesn't even happen) I am looking into it for my own son a 9th grader. His honesty in matters at school has caused problems with his peers. Just last week he turned in a fellow student for having drugs.Bold move for him.......well that's another story. All in all it comes down to you as a parent to do what is best for your child, at this time and in the long run.My best to you.
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Shellon
After spending this week listening to her, watching her when she talks about it and checking it out further, my decision is no.
I'm not happy with the public school she's in, but at least she does well there and after spending her day visiting, she's happier about her own.
So, it's cool, we'll just look for other avenues of getting the extra things she needs.
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Tom Strange
Is there a Montessori school around there anywhere?
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Shellon
unfortunately, Tom, no there are not and the two that were worth considering even though quite a drive, are closing.
It's going to come back to she and I doing the best we can with what we got and supplementing it with side things like programs she can get involved in that offer what she needs.
At least we've done our homework and can know that we tried.
The public system she's in now isn't bad, but it is frustrating for a kid like Kelly who needs more and a mom like me who needs to be very involved in her kids school.
We've had great practice this year finding new ways to get there, rather than straight in.
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Jim
Cool. For what it's worth, I'd agree with your decision.
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Linda Z
There's nothing like seeing what the grass on the other side of the fence looks like up close to make you thankful for your own "turf."
I agree that supplementing with other programs is a good way to go.
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