Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Public School


Yesterday, my youngest son and daughter found out who their teachers would be for kindergarten. I was excited to know that they will have the teachers I requested.

Today, I told my daughter that her teacher loves Jesus. When she acted as if that was no big deal, I explained to her that some of the teachers at school do not worship God. Her face twisted up in perplexed shock as I explained that she would no longer have a weekly chapel time in school to learn about God and sing praises to Him.

Strangely, in all my emotion about her becoming a kindergartener, I had never really dwelled on the fact that she would no longer learn about God in a formal setting at school. Although I never considered anything other than a Christian preschool for her, the basis of my decision on where to send her was made on curriculum and scheduling, not the quality of chapel time (although I did make sure our theology was similar). I have always assumed that as her parents, my husband and I have the primary role in teaching her about who God is and why we worship Him.

I do not love everything about the school she is attending, but I am 95% happy with it...about as much as one can be, I think. They did a phenomenal job teaching my son last year. He was also blessed to have a Christian teacher who talked about the meaning of Good Friday and encouraged art work depicting nativity scenes. Then again, I did see kindergarteners singing a song about how much they love money and can never have enough...an ungodly view of money.

For the first time in five years, she will have relationships with those who do not believe as we do. We have constantly taught her the importance of sharing about Jesus with those who do not know Him, but this will be her first opportunity to do that on an ongoing basis. Now, instead of simply talking about not hiding your light and shining for Jesus, she can it into practice.

Is it good for her to be in this situation? I believe she will be fine, but I certainly understand the desire parents have to shelter and ground their children more before exposing them to the world.

3 comments:

Jeremy said...

I think that it is a good thing to get evangelism instilled into their life and the practice of it at an early age, especially in public schools. Kids that are home schooled and go to "christian schools" alot of times don't know what to do when they finally start meeting lots of lost people, and are schocked by what they hear from lost people. Plus home schooled kids turn out wierd, I don't know what it is but they do.

Hannah said...

Wow it is so strange that Rachel is going to be in Kindergarten. Where is she going? I agree that it is good for kids to go to public school but not all kids that are homeschooled and go to Christian Schools end up like Jeremy says. I am living proof. we did all three of the options.

Jeremy said...

Oh Hannah, you're wierd, so the proof isn't there.

Just playin.