Establishing Family Traditions

At Lakeside Christian School, we consider it our privilege to help your child grow academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. While we spend a significant amount of time with your children during the week, there is no substitute for the security that family routine and traditions bring to a child’s life. We’d like to suggest that you develop and maintain family traditions, if that’s not already a part of your family’s life. Don’t know where to start? Overwhelmed at the thought? Here are a few ideas of where to begin:

1. LIST: make a list of all the holidays you celebrate, and think about these things: what traditions did you have growing up (how sweet to carry on multi-generational traditions!)? What feel do you want these holidays to have in your home? What do your children enjoy? What things have you already done?
2. RESEARCH: look at events offered around the year in your area, and research traditions for your ethnicity. You may find some truly interesting ideas that your family will love!
3. ASK: ask your children what things you already do that they enjoy, and some traditions they think would be fun. You don’t have to do everything they suggest, but kids are creative. They may do some thinking for you!
4. PLAN: Once you have your ideas, write them down, and then write down when you plan to do them in your yearly calendar. That way, you won’t forget!
5. START SMALL: no need to plan 5 traditions for every single holiday. Something simple like Publix subs on a blanket for the 4th of July fireworks, taking in the Largo lights at Christmas and then coming home to hot chocolate, making a thankfulness chain on Thanksgiving, etc. are all simple ideas that kids will love looking forward to every year. Holiday traditions too intimidating? Create a weekly or monthly tradition, like game night!

Enjoy planning your family traditions, and look forward to the fun your children will have. Share with us some of the traditions your family already enjoys. We’d love to hear them!

Supporting Your Student

With your child back at school, you take on a different role than “summer parent.” It’s time to tune into your child’s strengths, weaknesses, and needs as they begin this new year. Your support for them may be just the thing they need to succeed. Every child is different, and you know yours best. But if you find yourself at a loss, or unsure of how to best support them, here are some ideas:

Ask them about their day:

Don’t just ask “How was your day,” and leave it at that. Ask specific questions. Ask about their friends, their teacher, what they struggled with today, what they did well today, etc. The more specific you are, the more information you’ll get. The more information you get, the better you’ll understand your child and their school experience. Three great places to do this are the car, the dinner table, and before bed.

LISTEN:

When your child is talking to you (whether you initiated the conversation or not), really listen. That means put your phone down. PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN. That means turn the car radio down. That means ask follow-up questions. It’s especially important to listen because you may hear more than they’re saying.

Help with their homework (but don’t do it for them):

You’re busy. But giving your child a half-hour of your time to help them with their homework could make a huge difference in their education. You’ll learn what they’re struggling with and in which ways they excel. You’ll find out if you need to contact the teacher about any problem areas. You’ll know what questions to ask them later.

Push them to do well:

Not all kids are internally motivated all the time. Sometimes they need a gentle push to do their best, to follow through, and to work hard.

Praise them:

Even if they don’t get an A, but you know they did their best, praise their efforts. Don’t simply tell them they’re smart; praise their hard work, their determination, their tenacity. Tell them you are proud of them, and tell them how much you love them. Your voice is the voice your kids hear inside their heads when they face a challenge. Let there be a wealth of positive phrases they’ll hear!

Build a good parent-teacher relationship:

Know your child’s teacher and communicate with them well. This relationship is important and can break down any miscommunication that may arise.

Speak up:

Understand that your child isn’t perfect- but your child might face some struggles that require intervention (academically, socially, etc.). Speak up on their behalf and help them make the best of their education. You won’t be able to “fix” everything, but you can be their voice if they need one.

You may do these things already, but if not, start today! Your support will mean the world to your child.

Online Schooling < LCS

There are a number of options from which each family can choose the school that will best meet their needs:

Public school

Private school

Charter school

Online school

Home school

 

We’ve already discussed the perils of Florida public schools, the expense of private schools, and the cons of charter schools. If you missed those posts, check them out here. Home school is great, if parents feel up to the challenge. This leaves online school.

Whether from home or another location, whether one student or a handful, online school is where students complete their education in front of a computer screen. For some, they consider this ideal. They can home school without learning how to teach the material to their child. But online schooling is simply not a good option if you hope your child will become college and career ready by the end of their time in high school.

Consider this:

Jason Burns wrote an article for Michigan State University last November. This article outlines a Stanford study that determined online schools to be ineffective. He writes, “According to this report, the academic growth of students who attend “online charter schools,” where a majority of instruction takes place over the internet, falls far behind the growth of students who receive their education in traditional settings.”

The article details the fact that students who attend online schools are often an ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR behind in math, and about HALF A SCHOOL YEAR behind in reading. These facts cannot be shrugged off. How will your child be college prepared when they may be an entire year behind their peers?

This is just one article of many that highlights the ineffectiveness of online schools. Think carefully about your child’s education. Convenience and low price might be appealing, but in the end is like buying a cheap, old car. This car might look like it will do what you need for much less than other cars. Yet if it doesn’t get you where you need to go, it’s worthless, and a waste of money. In that way, your child’s education needs to get them where they want to go. An online education won’t do that.

We encourage you to take a look at Lakeside Christian School. Unlike public schools, we have high-quality academics. Unlike other private schools, we can make it affordable for you. Unlike charter schools, we have control over what we teach and how money is spent. Unlike online schools, we use best practice teaching. Unlike home school, we offer the complete school experience- including sports, fine arts, and chapel.

Your child’s education is of utmost importance. Call today to set up a tour of Lakeside Christian School, and let us show you how we are different.

To read more about the failure of online schools, read the original quoted article here.

 

Can You Afford a Private Christian Education For Your Child?

The primary reason parents do not place their children in private school is the sticker shock. Most parents will scoff at the price and never take another step in that direction, for fear that it is completely unattainable.

At some schools, that may be the case. Not at Lakeside Christian School.

Take a look at this checklist. If you can check off most of these things, you should look into LCS:

1. You live in the greater Clearwater area.
2. You desire an excellent education for your child.
3. You either need your child to catch up to grade level or need to see how far ahead you can encourage your child.
4. You are looking for a safe and secure learning environment.
5. You want qualified educators using best practice instruction in your child’s classroom.
6. You desire (or at the very least aren’t opposed to) your child’s classes taught from a biblical worldview.

Obviously a private Christian education such as this will be more expensive than public school or charter school. But like most things, you get what you pay for. It is absolutely worth it to invest in a private education for your child.

You really should see it as an investment. When you invest in an education like the one your child could receive at LCS, it will pay off with a child who graduates ready for college and career with a wealth of knowledge and, Lord willing, a solid biblical backbone to prepare them for real life.

But what if it’s an investment you just can’t afford?

Then you haven’t spoken with LCS yet.

Here are some quick details:

1. FACTS financial aid provides us with detailed information that helps LCS offer a scholarship that reduces our regular tuition.
2. Step Up for Students scholarships provides massive assistance. At this point in the year, they have closed new applications, but we can offer tuition that works for the year, then you can apply for Step Up for Students next year.
3. At LCS, we are able to meet individual needs 9 out of 10 times, and make tuition work for each family.

A private education is well within your reach when you consider Lakeside Christian School. You don’t have to settle for less than the best when it comes to your child’s education.

Call Lakeside Christian School today to schedule a free tour!

 

Step Up For Students: Your Ticket to Private School Education

For most, the mental image of private Christian education might include wealthy patron, people who drive expensive cars, and students with trust funds. While that may be the case for some (and there’s nothing wrong with that), most of our students and their parents don’t live that way.

Don’t assume an excellent private education is out of your reach simply because you’re not wealthy. There are many scholarship opportunities, and one very important one is Florida’s Step Up for Students scholarships.

According to their website, “Step Up for Students is a state-approved nonprofit scholarship funding organization that helps administer two scholarships for Florida school children: the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC) for low-income families and the Gardiner Scholarship (PLSA) for children with certain special needs.”

Step Up for Students was dreamed up by founder John Kirtley, who began the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Tampa Bay. After legislation supported the ability of parents to use these scholarships to place their children in better schools, we have what we now know as Step Up for Students.

It’s an incredible organization that gives to those who need it most. Step-Up For Students writes, “A state-commissioned researcher has determined that scholarship students “tend to be among the lowest-performing students in their prior school, regardless of the performance level of their public school.” Lakeside Christian School welcomes students such as these, and uses evidence-based best practices to accelerate learning and brighten their futures. Within months, many of our new Step Up students are performing above grade-level in a rigorous academic program. More and more parents are using the Step Up for Students scholarship and taking charge of their children’s education and their future.

These scholarships can change your child’s life and Lakeside Christian offers a safe learning environment and a quality education to all regardless of income or status. Read more about the Step Up for Students scholarships and its partnership with Lakeside Christian School here. Consider giving your child a fair shot at an excellent education and college preparation. Now is the time to apply as new funds typically run quickly. Step Up For Students works on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply today, and then call Lakeside Christian School! We’re looking forward to your call.

 

 

College Visit and Application Tips

Taking a break from our list of important classroom elements, let’s take a moment to focus on our seniors. ‘Tis the season for college visits and applications. Deciding on the right college can be a daunting task, but with some organization and a game plan, it doesn’t have to be.

At this point, seniors don’t have to know exactly what they want to major in and exactly where they need to go. But they do need a plan. Consider these questions:

1. Am I interested in a trade or a career that requires more schooling?
   • Start here, because if a trade interests you, you’ll want to start pursuing the trade school route rather than applying to colleges that will only offer careers that don’t interest you. If you decide to attend college, move on to the next question.
2. Do I want to go away to college or stay nearby?
   • If you want to stay nearby, do a Google search and make a list of the colleges within the radius of home, and go from there. Note if you want to board at school or commute. If you are open to a college that may be in another state, make a list of the colleges that interest you, and why.
   • Narrow your list to about 5 or so colleges that interest you for whatever reasons are important to you.
3. Do I want to take my general electives while I live at home first, and then go away?
   • One option that may save money is to take your general electives while living at home for the first couple of years, and then move onto the college of your choice. This option is a good idea for the senior who really cannot decide on a major, the senior who would like to save money, and the senior who may be placed on a waiting list for the college of their choice.
4. How do I plan on paying for college?
   • This is a family discussion. Discuss how much money, if any, is provided by parents, and if you will work while attending college.
   • Look into scholarships. Florida offers many scholarships, and often individual colleges offer scholarships as well. Find and apply for as many as you can. This can easily be done in a Google search.
   • Look into financial aid with each college.
   • Look into where you might apply for loans once you have been accepted to the college of your choice.
5. What are some careers that interest me?
   • Examine the majors offered at each college, and determine which interest you. Thoroughly research what is required to get your degree and the kinds of careers that major will allow.
   • Speak with individuals who have taken that career path, to get a realistic idea of what that career and the college work is like.
6. What are my strengths as a student and an individual?
   • College applications require you to know yourself well. You essentially must show your best self to each college. You should not lie, or even stretch the truth. However, they don’t know you, so you must present yourself in the best possible light. Make a list of your strengths.
   • Google resume qualities and characteristics. That may help you with verbiage.
   • Make a list of the clubs, organizations, service, leadership, volunteering, extra-curriculars, etc. you were involved in during your high school career. Think about what each of these things says about you as a person.
7. What are my long-term goals?
   • Imagine what you want your life to look like when you’re 40. Work backwards from there to help you decide on a college and a major.
8. Do I know what each school is like?
   • If a college has made your short list of about 5 schools, visit it. You can’t make an informed decision without stepping foot on campus. Each college should offer tours to prospective students. Be sure to do this long before applications are due.
   • Ask questions. Make a list of all the questions you have, and be sure to ask them. The more informed you are, the better you can decide if you want to apply.
   • Try, to the best of your ability, to imagine what life would be like in each school. Chances are you’ll get a good feel for life on campus, and you should be honest with yourself if you are comfortable in that environment.
9. Who are my references?
   • Accumulate references: people who will speak well of you and recommend you to the college to which you’re applying. Think of teachers, youth leaders, organization leaders, and bosses in particular. These should be people who can accurately describe your character and qualities.
10. What are the requirements for applications?
    • Carefully read what each college requires for applications. Some will require test scores, application fees, references, and even essays.
    • Take note of when applications are due. Make an effort to send in your applications long before the deadline.

With these ten tips in mind, you’re off and running in your quest to find the right college for you. Don’t stress, just get started!

 

Lakeside Christian School wishes our seniors the best as they plan their futures. Our prayer for them is that they will “trust in the Lord with all [their] heart and lean not on [their] own understanding. In all [their] ways acknowledge him, and he will make [their] paths straight.”- Proverbs 3:5-6