Schools and Books!

It's time for Marriage Monday!!  But it's only Saturday!!!

E-mom from Chrysalis gave us the following  4 titles to choose from and write about. (Raising Boys:What NOT To Do, Public, Private, or Homeschool, Favorite Children's Books, Time Management for Busy Families).  I could write something about all of them except #1!  I only have 2 daughters so.......a post about raising boys wouldn't really work for me other than from a developmental viewpoint :)

I had a really difficult time choosing just which title to write on for Monday....so.....I am actually going to address #2, & #4 today! (it's Saturday and I am waiting for a floor installer to come measure our family room for bamboo flooring we want to put in to replace our VERY old carpet..while I wait, I write!)

#2. Public, Private, or Homeschool? Why our Decision Works for Us

We chose public school before we even had children! The school district we are in, is a large, rather affluent, suburban one in the capital region of New York State.  Main reasons we chose this: 

•  we felt the Lord wanted us here due to our careers, church, and excellent schools
• we prayed about this before we even had our daughters...we were engaged and discussing the future (where to live, how/where to educate children, etc.)
•  the academic excellence and diverse curriculum 
• the language program: it begins in 5th grade and is available after 10th grade for "university in the high school" college credit (children take French/Spanish in 5th grade; Russian/German in 6th grade and then 2 of their choice in 7th grade. By 8th grade they decide which language to follow for the Regents program.  By 10th grade, if the Regents is passed, they can move on to the upper level language courses:  our oldest daughter will be going to college with 6 college credits in French so won't have to take a language past high school!)
• the math program is top rated here in our district
• the Art, Music, and Technology programs are complete with courses resulting in college credit once a child reaches 9th grade. Computer lab begins in Kindergarten and ends in 6th grade.  Children are taught how to do research via the Internet and during Library class with traditional materials/resources.  Essay writing is a huge component of the district's curriculum.
• the "gifted" program for children who are identified as being "gifted" which we needed for our oldest daughter in creative writing, math, language arts, and art. There is an extra art class, offered either before or after school for 8 weeks per semester called Art Explorers for "gifted" art students. Both of my daughters have qualified for that although so far, only Courtney has taken advantage of it. Claire is thinking about doing this new school year if she gets invited to do so again. 
• The chance to shine the light of Jesus in a diverse population (our school district is made up mainly of whites, Asians, Indians, and some African-Americans).
• The on-campus Christian club at the high school
• the low taxes because we live in a high retail area
•  the chance for me to work part time hours. My career is Special Education. I have stayed home for 6 full years as a SAHM and worked part time, 2 days a week until our youngest was in 2nd grade. Since then I have worked IN our school district as a full-time at 60% Special Ed teacher assistant in the Inclusion Kindergarten. I get to continue in my career that the Lord gifted me for, AND get home before my children get off the bus...it is a HUGE blessing!
• For the chance to lead a Moms in Touch prayer group that really does affect our schools by the power of prayer.
• The chance for our daughters to take firm stands in their beliefs.  They are known as Christian kids, have always been respected by the teachers and staff, and they have had many opportunities to bring friends to Christian performances at church, Sunday School and Youth Group.  The district is a bit materialistic in attitudes/life-styles and it has given my children a chance to see WHY we expect them to earn various material goods and why the Lord calls us to a higher standard of living...meaning life is not all about what we own/possess.  They have learned the meaning of the word 'NO" because we have had to take some stands against certain things that go on in the schools, particularly certain social events. We have NEVER had a problem with science or health curricula and the health component is an "Abstinence only" program unless parents give permission for the all-inclusive. We allowed Courtney, in the summer after 9th grade (she wanted to get it out of the way to free up her schedule for art, computer graphics, and orchestra) to take the "all-inclusive" Health class.  We had already taught her the Biblical standards for purity, modesty, etc and she had a good handle on all the "choices" for girls/guys.
• Our church is right here in our local community and the church has an excellent reputation with the school district. Our pastor is known and respected and our Youth Group draws many students from all over the school district.
• The chance for our daughters' to grow academically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Their character has been shaped and molded by our core beliefs and they can put it into action in the public school arena.  Sometimes it is with words, but more often it is their actions.
• The chances we have had, especially me as a parent volunteer, to share about the things of God.

Now please note:  YES I am a public school advocate. Of course I would be!! I am in the field!

I have taught the bulk of my career in a private inner city pre-k as a Master Teacher in a self-contained Special Ed classroom but only because NY does not mandate that the public schools provide free education to special needs children birth-5.   I LOVED my job and the only reason I stopped working was to be home full time when my oldest turned 2 to get her out of daycare which she had been in for 12 months. (I had a full year maternity leave during her first year of life...another blessing from God).

IF we lived in one of the 3 cities that make up the "Greater Capital Region area" of NYS, then we would have had to consider private schooling as those city schools are very inferior educationally.  This is just my opinion but....I also have done research into those schools and....they are not for us!  If we had chosen private education (we have MANY good private secular and Christian schools in our region) the tuition would have been beyond our means.  This means I would have had to work full time and I believe that my time with my children is more important. Tuition rates for private schools are very high right now PLUS they often don't have excellent music, art, or computer curricula.  They also don't offer programs for gifted kids (usually) or have special needs services.  They simply don't have the money or expertise on their staff.  We also didn't feel called AT ALL to Homeschool although I have several acquaintances and friends, especially from my former church, who homeschool successfully.  It was not an option for us...we felt, as a married couple, very strongly about supporting our public school district and trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  I know my children have done very well there in all areas.

Dave and I believe the important thing for any family is to pray about the decision.  Do your research. Decide what is truly important for your own family and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. For YEARS we struggled, especially me cause I was the one home, with feeling inferior because we didn't homeschool. It took me a couple of years to really know in my heart that we were hearing from the Lord for our children and to stop feeling inferior and gain the confidence I needed.  Because I was home with my children, we DID do "education".  We have gone on many wonderful trips as a family and me with just the girls while Daddy was at work.  We did a formal play group where other moms and children ran various centers, took field trips, socialized and shared ideas.  I have loved every minute of parenthood and in "educating" my children (I did "homeschool" them in piano for 2 years...neither child wanted to continue but chose violin instead..much to my relief..I think it is too hard to teach my own daughters the piano..they didn't take me seriously!)

I have also loved every single year we have been involved with our school district.  We thank God for the opportunities, teachers we have known and come to love, the high quality administration and the "community" feeling.

No matter what, do what God is calling YOU to do for and with your family.  We are accountable for our children.  They are precious blessings that God gives us for a little while.  I am proud to say that my oldest daughter is on the high honor roll almost every quarter, or the regular honor roll and that she is well prepared academically for college. I believe we have also prepared her, here at home, for life beyond high school and I know her spiritual walk has grown based on the fruit I see in her life.  My youngest daughter has earned complete straight A's from Kindergarten through 5th grade. I expect she will do as well this year (unless Russian is too tough...we'll find out!!)  It DOES "take a village" to raise a child:  We are blessed to have a local community church where the staff and volunteers really care about our children's spiritual development and aid us in training them in the things of God.  We are blessed to live in a neighborhood where our neighbors are our friends and we help each other out.  We are blessed to live in a high quality school district and we are blessed to live in a richly diverse town.  God has been good to us...we give Him thanks each day and I am trying to teach my children to give thanks to God for all that He has done for us....in the educational realm as well as the spiritual!!

#3. Favorite Books our Kids Will Keep Forever

We love to read here in the T---family home.  I even read books to my babies when they were in the womb!  Here are some that we are keeping.  I am only listing our very favorites....we have 3 bins of books per daughter that we are keeping for them to pass on but I just don't have the time or room to list them all here.

  Here is a good sample of ones we have enjoyed over the years and that my daughters cannot part with:

• The Eric Carle books (we own all the "Very" books and several more that he has written)
• The American Girl Books that go with each doll. (Kaya for Claire, Samantha for Courtney). We also have several other AG series (Felicity, Molly, Josephina, Julie, Kirsten but we don't own those dolls...that would be way too excessive!)  We have enjoyed reading ALL the AG books and usually borrowed them from the library unless they are from the above series)
• The complete set of "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The complete set of Chronicles of Narnia
• The Polar Express (and other holiday classics)
• Goodnite, Moon
• Alice in Wonderland (the original and 2 easier versions)
• Winnie the Pooh series (both of the original books)
• Because I love You by Max Lucado and You are Special (same author)
• One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham
• All of the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelman
• The Secret Garden (both versions: the preschool and the original novel)
• Tom Sawyer
• The Little Princess
• Because of Winn Dixie
• Treasure Island
• The Chosen Girls series (Christian fiction)
• Several novels in the Black Stallion series, Misty series and other horse series as well as several preschool level books like Bill Martin Jr; Cynthia Rylant, Dr Seuss.  Older elementary books like Animal Ark series, books by Ann Martin (most excellent!), and the classic Nancy Drew/Trixie Beldon/Christy (teen Christian fiction)
• The Seekers Series (fantasy for older elementary children)
• The Wizard of Oz and the entire Heidi collection (passed down from me)
• Huckleberry Finn
• Little Women
• Les Miserables
• 3 different Horse series, one of which is teen Christian fiction
• The Children's Bible (passed down from my family).....and so many more!!

There are so many more books we have saved or that are still on our daughters' shelves.  We are a family that reads.  All of us have a novel or non fiction book going all the time. We have taught the girls to read and expand their minds. We have had a couple of rules though.  They are not allowed to read books that GLORIFY wizardry or Satanism/satanic practices or that dabble in witchcraft.  My oldest is collecting classics such as Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, The Great Gatsby, and the Maeve Binchy books.  She and I have enjoyed reading the entire Mitford Series and she is now being allowed to read some secular mystery books but they have to be approved by me first :)  This is just our "family rule".

We read alot during camping vacations when it rains, and we bring books to the beach house or when traveling.  We also read during the winter months and our schools have a required reading quota based on grade level.  We talk about books often as a family and we have even had books where Dave and I have taken turns reading a chapter a night aloud.  We did this with Because of Winn Dixie, and with One Wintry Night. I highly recommend both books to be shared as a family.  They are absolutely wonderful.  Our youngest daughter first started asking questions about salvation based on the One Wintry Night book by Ruth Bell Graham.  Some books we buy; most books we borrow from the towne library. We go to the library 1-2 times per month and the girls take out books from the school library or buy inexpensive Scholastic books from our school's PTA/Book Fairs.  Some of those books we pass on to cousins, friends, or donate to day care centers and library.

We began reading 2 books a nite when our children turned 12 months old.  The rule was "a book per hand". Dave and I took turns reading at bedtime with our girls.  By the time Courtney, our oldest was in 4th grade, we were even making up bedtime stories..this was the "giftedness" in her...she and I would create stories and try to keep them going for awhile. She didn't really "learn" to read. She picked up a book one Christmas (she had turned 3 the previous July) and just started reading. I thought maybe she had memorized the book from us reading it to her so much so took a book that she hadn't heard yet and gave it to her. She began reading!!

Claire learned to read in Kindergarten although she knew some sight words as a 3-4 year old. She was not as interested in books until first grade and then it was because she had an AMAZING first grade teacher who really inspired Claire. Now, Claire has a book going constantly and is currently working on the original version of Black Beauty.

Both girls wanted me to read chapter books (one chapter per night before bed) beginning in kindergarten.  We have read hundreds of books.  

If you have never started this routine, I highly recommend it.  If you have a child with a low attention span, start with books that rhyme or that are "predictable" or that require the reader/listener to make predictions.  I read those types of books to my girls from about age 18 months to age 3 and then they quickly "outgrew" those types.

I could write pages and pages about reading and whole language.  But this is a really long post and God bless you if you have actually taken the time to read this!!

COMING UP ON MONDAY:  KILLER TIME MANAGEMENT FOR BUSY FAMILIES.


That will be my actual Marriage Monday post.


For now...we have friends coming over tomorrow for Sunday Dinner after church.  I need to prepare my house and the lasagna for them.  We are very excited about having them join us.  Their son was in my husband's small group at the Youth Center and their oldest daughter was in my youngest daughter's Sunday School class and in some of the HizKidzPraise shows. We really like them as a family and look forward to getting to know them better.  We are finally in a place where we can do more hospitality!!  GLORY TO GOD!!


Have a wonderful weekend!!

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are in the household of faith."

Galations 6:9 & 10