I welcome anyones response, although I know from watching Aquinasfans FR activity I know I particularly welcome your advice, as it is clear to me you are filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
I have a daughter in Catholic School 4th grade. We moved her to this small town Catholic school last year (3rd grade). We choose the area to move to specifically because of the school, which had a principal who was a Jesuit brother (I think a Jesuit can be a Brother) and an nun (kind of unheard of these days for a Catholic School to have either, especially a nun who wears traditional garb). The parish is undergoing renewal, with Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary masses, etc. which was all the more reason to enroll my kids in this school.
It became apparent early in the first year (3rd grade) that my daughter was going to have problems "fitting in". She literally had no friends, and was isolated. When one of the girls had an all class sleepover, my wife picked up my daughter the following day. The girls in this so call Christian class sleepover clapped and said "yeah, so and so is leaving". My daughter heard this jeer and cried.
We had hoped the situation would improve in the new school year (4th grade), but it has not. The few friends that my daughter has made were lured away by the class leaders, who had decided that they did not want my daughter to have any friends. They would ask anyone who sat with my daughter at lunch "come sit with us; why do you want to sit with her?" It has devistated my daughter, and has shaken the faith of myself and my wife.
It is one thing to accept suffering of yourself, but to watch our daughter suffer at the hands of so called Catholic Christian children after we had chosen this school and parish because we wanted to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord has shaken our faith. We truly chose this school because of the perceived spiritual benefit, and it has turned out to be the worst choice for my childeren I have ever made. Note also that despite the fact we have moved into a sub-division with a zillion kids, they have chosen also to ignore my daughter (and my son (1st grade). The first thing the kids in the neighborhood did to my daughter was to ask her to be "it" in hide and seek, then they all went into someones basement to play while my daughter wandered the neighborhool looking for the other kids. Talk about a rude awakening; I was furious.
I don't mean to whine, folks. I genuinely am asking for advice, as I don't know what to do. I have worked with the principal and with the teachers. I have talked to our parish priest, and talked to the parents of the kids who were causing the problem. In some cases, it has helped. In other cases, it has hurt as the parents became defensive. The bottom line is that my daughter is still hurting, I worry about her faith, and I am questioning mine.
So, to the home schooling question. Last week, after a particularly hard week where my daughter was persecuted at the so called Catholic Christian school and in the neighborhood, my wife took my daughter to playground. There, she met a missionary women who home schooled, and described some of what home schooling is all about (chance meeting or hand of God? I've given up trying to determine whether God is trying to lead me in a certain direction after I screwed up moving my kids to this town, school, and neighborhood when I was trying to do what I thought God wanted).
We are thinking about home schooling for the first time, but my wife is scared to death. She is a stay at home mom, but doesn't think she is smart enough to home school. We also worry about my son and daughters interaction with kids; would they be isolated and never develop social skills if we home schooled? Plus, my son is doing fine in school (1st grade); do I home school the daughter but leave the son in school? Do I risk harming the son if I pull him out of school and home school both of my kids? Do I harm the daughter by home schooling her but not the son, by sending her a message that he can do it but she can't?
Any well founded advice is welcome as we struggle with what to do. The ultimate goal is to raise my kids in the way of the Lord. I'm afraid the current situation is going to sour them on their faith , that it is detrimental to send them to a "Christian" school which destroys them. We are scared to death of home schooling. I refuse to send my kids to secular public schools where condoms can be distributed but God cannot be mentioned.
Please help as we struggle with understanding what is right, what is God' will. Sorry for the long post.
What really was the icing on the cake for me, was when my second daughter came out of Kindergarten in that same school, unable to read. She did not understand it at all! She reads beautifully now.
I have three daughters that are 15, 9, 6, that I am homeschooling! I wouldn't trade it for the world!! I pray that God will continue to meet our needs, so I can keep schooling them!
If you want to know more, send me an e-mail! Would love to share!
Please, keep the faith!! God brought the missionary across your path for a purpose! There is NEVER coincidence in life. God has you where he has planted you right now! Trust Him!! It very well may be that He wants you to homeschool.
God is in control! PTL!
power2, don't be 'afraid' to try homeschooling. There are all different sorts of homeschooling curriculum packages available which can give you guidance regarding your kids educations as well as support groups, online curriculums and extras and etc. First go to the www.hslda.org website to get an idea of what the laws are in your state....then, check out your states support groups (also on hslda.org) and contact them so you can attend their next meeting. Do a google.com search on homeschooling/curriculum/history/math/laws/benefits/Catholic/etc and etc in various combinations and learn more about what homeschooling is all about. Take some books out from the library. Also try beautifulfeet.com, singaporemath.com, rainbowresources.com......there are soooo many resources.
As far as your daughters social skills and the clowns she has had to deal with at the Catholic School....homeschooling isn't going change much of that, imho. She's still going to have to deal with all sorts of people in life and still going to need to brush up on her social skills if she needs too; but, if she is homeschooled she will have the time to do those things as well as get a good education....have you considered signing her up for martial arts classes, making sure she has fashionable clothing and other things of that nature?
Best wishes to you and your family....
Keep in mind that mass-schooling is a recent, modern phenomenon. Children are meant to be with their parents, not with custodians. Many encyclicals have stated plainly that parents are given special graces with regard to educating their children, and parents are and should be their children's primary educators.
Please visit the Seton homepage and, if nothing else, purchase Mary Kay Clark's book, Catholic Homeschooling
My wife and I began homeschooling our six-year-old a year and a half ago, and she's already at the 2/3 grade level. More importantly, she's very happy and outgoing, has learned a tremendous amount about her faith, is confident, is protected from harmful cultural influences, yet participates in many activities and has many friends.
I highly recommend homeschooling. I would never consider anything else. Keep in mind that my wife's personality is a poor match for homeschooling. She's got a bit of a temper, is a worrier, and is not very patient. Yet she completes her lessons in a couple of hours, largely because my daughter pretty much teaches herself at this point. She has already learned to work independently.
Your daughter will have a period of adjustment, moving from being spoon-fed to working independently. But it will be for the best in the long run. A fourth grade transition is harder than a first grade transition, but it shouldn't be that hard.
My wife says that it has been much easier than she thought.