This summer Central Christian Academy is putting up a new flag pole and making sure students are taught pride for our country.  In the past people have been concerned that Christian schools limited the exposure of certain material to students and that their education was not well rounded enough. Now, it seems public schools are the ones limiting what our children can see. And those limitations are much more alarming than any I have found in a Chrisitan school.

So what is more American? – I guess that all depends on what you believe America to be. – or more importantly what you want your children to be taught that America is!

Today in my office I saw a new debate rising among educators. – PLATOONING

You need to be aware of it and what it means.

Here is where I stand.

Platooning is the next big discussion happening in public schools. It is all about departmentalizing subject matter and teachers in the elem. grades. Children as young as 6 years of age could be changing classes with teachers in specific subject matter. It’s all for the purpose of meeting test scores. I have huge concerns about this method of teaching. I know that curriculum has become more rigourous through the years and our students have much more they must master at younger and younger ages. – But, what are they giving up to do this? The benefits of a self contained classroom are huge both socially and academically. A younger child benefits from having the same teacher throughout the entire day. At a time when families are not as consistent and children sometimes share 2 homes, it complicates their lives even more to come to a school and not have that one loving teacher who can guide them through their day. Curriculum needs to be integrated as well. Life doesn’t seperate skills out for each of. We do a job or experience subject matter in the real world all together. By plattoning or departmentalizing subjects our students don’t gain an understanding of how math and reading skills go together. Self contained classrooms allow more opportunities for integrated learning. It is interesting to me that 20 years ago the public schools were the ones who fostered integrated learning and the private Christian schools departmentalized subjects. Now public schools are departmentalizing under the term “platooning” so that they can teach material younger by more “expert” teachers and ultimately achieve test scores. Being over a small Christian school, we will remain self contained. Yes, partly for budget purposes - But more so, becasue I believe that subject matter needs to be integrated together and teaching isn’t just covering that subject matter. It is also nuturing a child and building a safe environment of a trusted student / teacher relationship.
That is why Central Christian Academy exists. We don’t just add a Bible class to the curriculum. We integrate Bible teaching into every subject. Just as we expect you to do in your daily lives. And the same goes with all the other subjects. Integrating subjects into daily activities and learning. If you would like to read more about platooning here is a link to an article posted for the Harvard Graduate School of Education. http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/426

Feel free to leave your comments below as well. I am sure the discussion will continue.

Anyway, the coloring book project is now complete and is being used in so many wonderful ways. It is so humbling to see how God has taken my pictures and is using them in ways to help children all around the world. I wanted to blog again on the project so I could share the following video with you.  This video was done by Operation Blessing to share the project with their supporters.

Enjoy the clip.

 The value we place on it is different for each child and each family. Many people argue that some families or children need to be in a Christian school more than others.

Whether or not we choose it for our own children is usually based on many variables that effect just our own family.

Should or could we homeschool?

What is the public school system like where we live?

Can the school meet my child’s individual needs?

Do we have the finances available?

The financial variable can sometimes be the biggest determining factor. Tutition to attend a private Christian school is costly for any family. As a parent of 3, I can see that to be a very valid reason. Not until I sat behind a Principal’s desk did I realize, however, that my decision to not put my children into a Christian school effects more than my own family. I realized how just a few students can change the course of a school. How having my child enrolled into an institution doesn’t just benefit my child but also benefits the others within that school. 

A budget is based on variables of numbers.

In companies, revenue is based on sales, and therefore salaries and expenses can be based on the revenue generated.

- But in private schools, revenue is generated from a student’s tuition. (If we could offer it all for free, we would) And salaries and expenses exist even if the revenue doesn’t allow for it.

So my decision to place my child in a specific school has a big effect on the over all budget and success of the institution. A teacher typically gets paid the same if she has just 10 students in her class or if she has a class of 20 students.

Therefore, something we all need to consider is that if we believe in a particular school or in Christian education in general, our decison to have our own child in the school makes it possible for other students to be there as well.  A part of what we do for our own children allows other families to afford the same privledge.

As you make the decision of what is best for your children and your family,  remember to consider how those decisions effect other children in other families. Your effect on them ultimately comes back to your children as they build relationships with others.

It was the book, The Principal from the Black Lagoon. I remember reading the Scholastic “Black Lagoon” books to my students years ago. When I started my job as Principal at Central Christian Academy, the four year old class at the school were making up all kinds of stories. Like my office was painted black and I had a great big paddle. I have to admit the first week on the job caused a sense of fear that simply came from the “unknown”.  The students not knowing the new principal or how I would handle discipline worked to my advantage.  Anyway, my own teenage daughters loved the dinner time stories each evening of the day’s events of students being sent to the principal’s office and how I handled each offense.  They thought I would need a copy of this book for my office.  If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do. It is much more dear to me now that I sit inside that office each day and watch children undergo the drama of being “sent” there. Thanks to the media, our children today have very little that cause them fear.  And my office is painted in a very cheery way and there is no paddle. Instead, there is a Little Pot full of treats.

But, when they misbehave or disrupt class, they still need to know that there are consequences. So as they come in and sit there looking up at me, I realize their own imagination is driving a fear inside them. I always talk to them about their behavior and let them know the immediate consequences as well as the future consequences should it continue. But as one four year old little boy stated when I was finished asking him if he understood? – he replied, “Yes, but your office isn’t black.”  Trying not to smile at him, I then said in my principal voice . . . “You’re right, it’s not black – but you still need to correct your behavior.”

You’ll need to read the book to fully grasp the idea. – but once you do, you’ll see that being the Principal form the Black Lagoon is OK with me.

Today’s Fruit Pot book is called,

MY BODY BELONGS TO ME

April is child abuse prevention month. I met Jill on line through Social networking and got a chance to talk with her last year at the Book Expo in New York. She was just releasing this book that helps parents teach their children about sexual abuse. Jill is an attorney in New York and has had to handle a great deal of these cases. Therefore, she knows all too well about how this horrible crime can creep into our homes. Moms and Dads, it is an issue that we have to address with our kids and this book can make doing so much easier.  I wanted it to be our fruit pot book this month because we have ignored this topic with children for far too long.  It’s time we stop making excuses to why they haven’t talked with our kids about it. Watch this video, buy the book, and read it with your kids!

However, this last week a few of my circumstances changed. Leaving behind what you are currently doing to move on to something else is easy when what you are doing isn’t really working. Most of us choose to follow God because we think following Him will be better than our current circumstances. This week, though, I had meetings concerning the future opportunities that made what I am walking into look pretty gloomy and things happen in my existing situation that made where I am look way more attractive. For one thing I was given a raise at what I am currently doing, making the new job opportunity a lot less needed in my life. I began to see a lot of the benefits to staying where I am and continuing down the path I am currently on until this morning’s “talk” with God in Luke 5:1-11. (Before I go any further, you should read it for yourself.)

I noticed something new this time as I read those verses. It’s a pretty simple thing, but I’ve never noticed it before. Simon is a fisherman and that is what he does to provide for his family. He very willingly leaves everything behind to follow Jesus. (That’s not he new thing I saw.)  It was that this all took place the moment after Jesus just gave Simon the biggest catch he had ever gotten!  Jesus had just asked Simon to throw his nets into the water and he did it reluctantly.  He then caught so many fish that he needed help from the other boat and the amount that filled both vessels made them begin to sink.

Here is what I realized today. They pulled the boats up on shore and then “left everything”. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to first sell off this huge catch? Besides that, this has to be the most successful moment of Simon’s career. He just made the biggest catch he ever made. However, he walks away from it. Jesus and Simon are both completely unconcerned with what he was currently doing for a living. They leave to begin investing into the lives of others. Simon walks away to become, “a fisher of men”.

OK, you may have got that concept before, but for me, – I had to realize that just because where I am standing today is being blessed by God, it doesn’t mean that His call to follow Him into this new venture tomorrow has changed. He expects me to be able to LEAVE EVERYTHING behind. – Even when it’s all going pretty awesomely.