It’s Catholic Schools Week! For our family, this also has meant kindergarten registration week for our youngest child. (More on the bittersweetness of that reality in a future post.) So on Tuesday, the two of us tromped off to school to take part in the kindergarten open house. After enjoying a dessert in the cafeteria and being introduced to next year’s kindergarten teachers, Nick left with the pre-K kids and teachers down the hall to try out the pre-school room:
He came back totally unenthused about kindergarten:
While the kids were off doing their thing, we prospective and current parents listened to the annual “Why I love Catholic schools talk” given by a fellow parent. This talk never fails to energize me and affirm our sacrificial choice of being part of our local Catholic schools. But something in this year’s talk really hit me. It was when the father speaking said, “It’s not something I can necessarily put into words. It’s more a feeling I have from being part of this community.”
Yes, I thought, so true! And it’s interesting, because over the week I’ve gotten involved in several discussions about Catholic schools, this being a week in which the whole network is being hyped up, including at weekend Masses throughout the diocese. And I’ve found that some of these discussions have prompted very strong reactions within the “camps” of parents – those who have chosen private school and those who haven’t. I even found myself getting a little defensive as I listened to a few myths that have been circulating around town about Catholic schools. While I don’t believe Catholic schools are a perfect set-up, any more than public schools or home-schooling are 100 percent fool-proof, I feel challenged to verbalize some of the factors that have gone into my/our decision to lean toward Catholic schools.
* I believe very strongly in the philosophy of fully educating a child’s soul as well the physical and mental components of who they are.
* While I admire home-schooling parents, I feel neither equipped nor called to this myself. A lot of this has to do with the individual personalities of our children. I just don’t see it happening, and I have enjoyed seeing my kids’ relationships with their teachers.
* During young motherhood, Catholic schools began to seem more appealing to me after I observed friends whose kids were already in the system and how the parents’ own faith journeys were being enlivened through what their kids were learning at school; how often faith was cropping up in family discussions because of this setting. In my own life, I have been delighted with the exchanges that go on in our home regarding our faith and how to best live it out that would not have had the same fertile soil in which to emerge in the public-schools environment.
* I love school uniforms. I view them as a beautiful equalizer that, whether the kids always realize it, removes a lot of pressure of having to keep up with the latest trends.
* I love that the kids start their day in prayer and have a supportive community of friends and teachers praying with them. When their souls are troubled, they can bring this to their school community and be supported in prayer and action.
* I love the base our children are getting in the chance to know and live out their faith through community service projects carried out with a Christ-like spirit. Projects like creating “birthday bundles” for kids in local shelters, baking and bringing homemade bread to shut-ins, participating in Mass at local nursing homes (and sharing their talents of reading and singing there) – these are among the many endeavors that are helping them foster a spirit of charity.
* The generous, tight-knit community truly provides a safe-haven for the children and parents alike.
* Our Advent program is truly one of my favorite events of the year.
* The Blessing of the Pets is yet another event that helps bring God and prayer into the picture.
* All the little utterances that come forth after school and many times in between that are linked to the soul and witness to God’s goodness, beauty and truth.
Wow. I could go on and on. And these are mostly all tangible examples of what has drawn us to Catholic schools. There are many other aspects I could never truly describe, but the feeling is generally one of deep satisfaction knowing that God is allowed to flourish in the hearts of our children in a very vital way, and that they are allowed to openly express their love for Him and their faith. And I believe the earlier they have this base, the more grounded spiritually they’ll be when it’s time to step out into the wide world.
Will every child who comes out of Catholic schools be civic-minded, socially well-adjusted and/or bound for Harvard? No, again, no system is perfect and every child responds differently to the chances offered them. But my main goals as a parent concerning my kids’ education are clear. Yes, I want my children to be well-prepared for the academic life beyond their primary-school years, but even more, I want them to be well-prepared for a life of service to their Creator, a life that will bring them one step closer to the most honorable promotion of them all: heaven.
Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. Every decision we make either brings us closer to or further from that primary goal. So why not offer our children an extra bit of spiritual nourishment to help in the launch? I know there are many ways for us parents to do that. Choosing Catholic schools is one of them.Thank you to all the teachers and administrators, parents and kids, who make our local Catholic schools a wonderful option!
Parents, what factors drove your decision to go with the private, public or home-schooling option? Are any of you products of private school? If so, how do you feel about the experience now, as an adult?
This was beautiful – and what this young mama needed.
The topic of schooling in a hot button issue in my circles these days, as most of my peers are deciding what to do with their first child. I myself am one of the only few in my group of friends who is not going to be homeschooling. I support homeschooling for the family that feels called as I support public schooling for the family that feels called.
That being said – I beleive a community of faith is important in every season of our lives, and learning to be part of one early in life teaches us how to act as the body of Christ every day of our lives. I am happy Catholic schools are an option. We are already making sacrifices now so that we can send our first born to Catholic school in a few years.
How do you know your money is worth it – and that the Catholic schools are truly, well, Catholic and teaching a true Catholic education? This is my fear.
Blessings,
Holly
Holly, I think I wrote this post just for you. I know it won’t resonate with everyone, but I am so heartened to know it was helpful to you. And good for you for your forward-thinking planning! As for how do you know if your money is worth it? Well, that’s a tough one, and yet, not so tough. Here’s what I can offer. 1) We are the primary teacher of our children’s faith, so as long as we are living a true Catholic life as parents, our influence will surpass that of the school’s, so long as we stay involved (I have no doubt you will) in your children’s spiritual formation. So, remove that fear. Just stay close to what’s going on in the school. You will be a great presence there! 2) I am privileged in having walked with quite a few “been there done that” Catholic school moms. I have watched their children blossom into beautiful young adults. Having seen the end result many times over, I am convinced ever more this is the right choice for us. 3) I met a storyteller earlier this year. She had visited our school that same day, and gushed about the kids and how respectful they had been. She said she’d been to many schools and had never quite seen “community” and a spirit of generosity such as what she witnessed at our elementary school. That was more affirmation. We don’t always get these “from the outside” viewpoints, and she was very sincere, and I don’t think she was Catholic. So, it spoke volumes to me. Finally, you always have me and other Catholic school moms to come to if your fears are not satisfied. If this option is in your heart, I’d say, “Jump.” You can always change your mind later if it ends up not being a good fit. God blessings on you as you continue to discern this, Holly!
Philly has a very good parochial system, but the competition for slots at the elementary level is fierce, and as protestants, our family is low on the priority list for a slot. I had tried homeschooling during the preschool years and it was miserable for my daughter, a lonely only (and bound to stay that way, unless my endocrine disorder miraculously goes away).
We went the private school route and faced a lot of parental opposition for not choosing a Christian school. We really, really wanted to, but none of them near us were offering a curriculum that seemed to reflect the worldview. It was just conventional public school pedagogy with some Jesus thrown in. If we believe God made us all with unique strenghts and weaknesses, our teaching philosophy should reflect that.
The progressive school my daughter is at now is an amazing fit for her. Instead of seatwork and worksheets and Dick & Jane readers, they do lots of experiential learning and unit studies and group projects. The place has a bit of a crunchy granola feel, but I can live with that. They want kids to be kids: following their natural curiosity, enjoying nature, be affectionate with one another. Interestingly, Claire’s two closest friends are also Christian kids, and African-American, which is pretty cool in a 70% white school. This school is the exact right place for her.
Laurel, it sounds like you made the right choice for your daughter. Good for you for searching for the right school. Another factor is that every child is different. Our local Catholic schools are not as equipped as public schools to address special needs. There are limitations. I also know some families who have some of their kids in Catholic schools but another child might be in a different private or public school. Again, each child is different, each family situation. It’s great to hear about some of the other options and also, a little of your journey finding the right place for Claire to thrive!
These are all the reasons that Murray will be enrolled in pre-school next year at St. Joe’s. I am thrilled that you posted on Catholic School’s week. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Ah, Marie, he will look SO cute in a school uniform in a couple of years!
I’m so glad to know that we all have options. And, thanks for the reminder that we are our child’s first teachers in life. That’s comforting to me. My boys go to public school. They seem to thrive, but I am bothered by the large class sizes and formula teaching. Still, I’m involved and have witnessed many creative, personal moments in teachers and students.
Your list could be my list! I love our parish school. Perhaps if I didn’t live in Los Angeles, the sense of community wouldn’t be as important, but for us it’s an oasis in what can be an overwhelming place. It can be a great source of comfort and strength to parents, as well–sometimes, like any small community, it can fall prey to gossip and nosiness, and you can feel like everyone’s in your business. But far more often, we’ve found friendships of our own from our kids’ school. Great post!