I have posted before about our school journey. It was a long, hard process, but we have ended up at a school we are loving more and more. Needless to say, it isn’t free, so we have re-visited our choice, since Emery will start this year.

Last week, she went for her screening at a local school. We wanted to cover our bases again. I think sometimes, we make this way more hard than we should, but we are wanting to be thorough on this one. Needless to say, it was horrible. NOT that the school is horrible, but the experience was not great, mostly due to Emery’s foul mood and apprehension around adults with whom she is not familiar. She cried and after 5 minutes they brought her back and let us know she did not answer any of the questions. We left and Jason spent a lot of time talking to her about her actions. Some of it was genuine fear, the other, was plain old stubborness.

That afternoon, she has her screening at Parker’s school. She let me know that she would do great. I responded that we knew she would and to just do her best. We walked in and when Parker’s teacher came to get her she hopped on up and never looked back. She did amazing. Night and day. They said she did great and had no recommendations on what to work on!

It was fairly obvious where Emery feels more comfortable!

We had our first Kindergarten Parent Teacher Conference last week. Mrs. B informed us that Parker is doing great. She wrote that she is great at Phonograms, Journal Writing, Art and Handwriting. Parker loves to draw and color and has a fine attention to detail, which is helping in her handwriting. In her journal, they get to draw any picture that they want and then write at least one word to describe it. Her first was a picture of a house, spelled Has. The next was a picture of her and Bradley written, Me and Mi Brovr. I loved it. The next was from the day I visited her class, so she drew us together and wrote, Mommy and Me. I know I will treasure this journal for all my days. I love all the misspelled words. It makes my heart just spill out on the floor!
We were concerned about Parker making new friends and participating. Mrs. B remarked that she is an observer, but does get right in the mix. She said, sometimes, she needs to watch a little first. This is not surprising to us! She has never been a huge fan of change and has grown out of a lot of OCD tendencies! It is still nice to hear that she is getting in there and learning and making friends.
I have been praying so much for her first weeks of school. She did not know anyone and was in a totally new environment. I must say she has not missed a beat. I love watching from her vantage point. She does not know what it is like to be left out yet or made fun of. She is still so very innocent to the harsh realities of the world and I am perfectly okay with that!
We also have had a field trip, a fundraiser and Jason has met with the headmaster about a new web site! So far, all is going well!

Last year we began a journey of research, prayer and counsel of those we consider wiser than ourselves, to discover how to educate our children.
It has been one of the most challenging we have faced in a long time.
I will say upfront that this is not a post about what education choice I feel is best for all families or Christians. I believe that God has a perfect plan for all His children and that He has the creative genius to allow for different choices. I have read a lot of great blogs about homeschooling, public school and private school and to all I say, “Amen.”
This post is about the journey for our family in discovering what God wanted for our children. I have a lot of friends who homeschool and send their kids to public or private school. I researched our area a great deal and we had Parker tested for two public magnet schools. She got into one and not the other. We also had her tested for a private Christian school that provide a classical education. Classical education is a philosophy of teaching based on the age of the student. It is a return to teaching metods and disciplines that have shaped western Christendom. They focus on grammar, logic and rhetoric. Basically, it means that during the primary years, they teach using a great deal of memorization. Middle school is about explaining the why of it all and high school is about developing communication skills to explain it to others and apologetics.
Jason actually took her to be tested at the private school. (I will not be naming it for safety reasons!) He was able to spend time with the Kindergarten teacher and was so impressed with her. The environment there was so amazing. We knew she would be loved and cared for and receive an outstanding education.
So, we decided if she got in, we would send her there.
She got in.
Normally, the story would end here, but it does not. As the weeks went by and I began to have a great deal of unease about sending her to the private school. A lot of it had to do with money and the fact that we have 3 children, not just one! It also had to do with logistics and driving.
So, I began to lead toward the arts magnet school she got in. Basically, all her friends from church and preschool are going there and I thought of all the things she would miss out on. I knew the school to have a lot of parent involvement and I thought that if I wasn’t there, I knew many other moms who would be. Jason and I began to dialogue about it and when we went to the beach, we knew God was going to reveal exactly where He wanted Parker. Needless to say, no clear direction came.
Jason and I are usually very quick to come to decisions (Lest you think we are always so wishy washy!) I can really only think of one other decision we labored over so much! Whether to move to Africa to be missionaries or for him to go to Seminary! But, it was our child’s education. It was a big one for us.
We met with an amazing couple whom we have so much respect for who we just needed to hear us has we talked about all our pros and cons. They were so good to bring us back down. I had really allowed Satan to attack me on this one. I struggled with seeking my own good and creating emotions that were out of line.
We came away from there thinking that we would send her to the public magnet school. Yet, I still was not really telling people and still did not have a complete peace about it. After a few weeks and a few more things that God used to reveal some things to us, we came to an understanding of where God was leading us.
Parker starts school in one week at private school. Not because we think it is superior. Not because we made it fit in our budget. Not because of anything lacking in the public school.
She is going there because we feel like that is where God wants her. We feel like this is a step of obedience for our family and a step of faith. We know this is the plan for the next year and we will reevaluate as Emery gets ready to start next year.
I am so thankful for what God taught us through this decision. It showed me again that what He plans for others is not always for you. I really wanted to be with all my friends at the PTA meetings and field trips! It reminded me that He has laid down many commands and Truths in His Word that are to be obeyed and honored. He has also allowed us some freedom in the method, at times! I was reminded that as believers we should be more about building each other up and supporting one another instead of disagreeing over what is not a clearly stated method in His Word. I have such a deeper appreciation for all methods of education and I think God used this to show me that for us it is about obedience to Him. Period.
I am so excited for Parker. She is going to be taught using God’s Word. She is going to be in an environment that expects your best and will work alongside us to set her up for excellence. I don’t care if she wants to be a pig farmer when she grows up as long as she is pursuing what God has laid on her heart to do with all the passion within her. We truly feel like this school will help her achieve any goal she sets for herself. THey also value parent involvement so much that she could be kicked out if both of us don’t participate!
I have learned over the past years as a parent that my job is truly about equipping them to be passionate Christ followers and giving them back to the Lord. I know this is a part of that for us and for her.

Father, I thank you for my first born. She was the one we didn’t know we would ever have. She is so quickly growing up and I want to honor You in how I am her Mom. Bless her Lord as she begins school. I pray for her teacher that she would have the best year yet. I pray that Parker will continue to learn and absorb all of You that she can. Lord, continue to guide each day as we seek to follow You in all we do. Give her a great year, new friends, fun times and create in her a hunger for Your Word. Help us to show her what it means to passionately pursue You.
You are the only One worth living for and I thank You for the journey.