Choosing a school for your child is one of many decisions you will make in their lifetime. Researching their first baby car seat, stroller or the pros and cons to formula may have been daunting tasks, that is, until you begin to ponder where your son or daughter will spend 7 hours of his/her day, 5 days a week!
This decision feels uniquely different then many others leading to this point…There is a sense of cause and effect. One that can affect their trajectory, from the way they view learning and most importantly, how they view themselves as learners which I have come to appreciate as a core building block to learning! Although there are many factors to child development that form who our children become, having a nurturing school environment that thrives on engaging children, bringing out their best and fostering a love of learning was high on our list.
First Step
Take a deep breath and know that having a strong connection with your child is one of the most important factors in how they see the world! It also gives you a good radar into how they are doing should you need to change gears to fit their growing needs. With that said, trust your gut! Your child should love going to school. They should feel confident in their work but yet up for a challenge in an environment that can truly “see” them and meet them there!
Next Step
What are your “must haves” or “non-negotiables” that you want for your child’s schooling or education? This is an important piece to have in mind before visiting schools. We wanted a school that met learners where they were. We wanted teachers that focused on students’ learning vs trying to teach for a test. We wanted a school that not only taught formal subjects like Math, English, Science and History but taught Arts, Music & PE with just as much enthusiasm. And lastly, we wanted a school that focused as much on character, kindness and community service as they did on trying their best in subject matters!
After gathering information & speaking with parents, we had a wide variety of options: local public schools, homeschooling curriculum & the local charter & independent Schools. Based solely on our initial list of criteria from the research we had done and by speaking to parents, we eliminated Public School System and Homeschooling, merely because neither was a fit for our son or our family’s values. So, we narrowed the selection down between Morganton Day School, Morganton’s Independent School, & New Dimensions, Morganton’s Charter School.
It wasn’t until we called each school to schedule a visit and tour that we really got to match what each school was “selling” to the reality of how each school’s culture as we walked through the schools, visiting & observing classrooms, watching children interact with us and each other in the hallways and in the playground. I believe this was the MOST important piece of our decision making process, and I can’t encourage this enough. Through this, we felt quite confident that Morganton Day School was the fit we were looking for our son.
Independent School teachers have the freedom to create educational experiences that meet each child’s needs, without state mandates on curriculum, textbooks, and testing. This was a very appealing difference that caught our attention. Another unique aspect for me as a parent, was that I could actively engage in my student’s education, because the staff and teachers want and value this participation and all suggestions in a teamwork approach for the best interest of the child. When researching your school, it is important to know if your input is encouraged & easily facilitated to make changes happen in the school and how that is looked upon and respected.
Finally, as each year goes by, it’s important to gauge how your child is progressing, their enthusiasm for learning, their socialization with peers (as those years become increasingly important) and the culture of their school. Does the culture provide a positive environment where even the shyest child can be seen? Does the school have a great moral compass where “doing the right thing” is always the expectation? Does the school’s values match up with your family’s values? We are a Christian family and have decided to help Greyson grow this aspect of his education at home as well as within church opportunities and find that Morganton Day School’s culture of kindness to be a great foundation for this as well. Together, these are the values & factors that led our family to deciding Morganton Day School.
You can learn more about Morganton Day School on their website or on Facebook.
About This Mama: Sue Gomes
Sue Gomes is a Morganton mom, wife, wellness nurse, essential oil educator, and paleo foodie enthusiast. Her husband, Dr. Johnny Gomes, is the owner of Optimal Health and Wellness (Sue can also be found here). You can follow Sue on Instagram at optimal_oil_life.
Please note: Morganton Moms is sharing a series from local area moms who have volunteered (or been recruited to volunteer) to share their stories on how they selected the educational path which was the best fit for their family. Please note that we are in no way endorsing one method or approach over another, nor does Morganton Moms share all of the opinions represented in this series. Our goal is to share personal perspectives from around the community so you might feel more empowered as you approach your own research on local educational opportunities.