SAQs (Should-Ask Questions)
Certainly you’re familiar with the term “FAQs” (Frequently Asked Questions), but have you heard of SAQs? SAQs are “Should-Ask Questions.” What questions should you ask when searching for the perfect school for your child? Try these:
- “How can you make this education affordable for me?” Instead of asking how much it costs and writing off a high-ticket education, ask instead how it can be made affordable. Some schools are free… and you get what you pay for. Some educations cost as much as a new car, and they expect you to pay every penny. But some schools, like ours, provide an excellent education that, while expensive, works with every single budget to make it affordable for anyone.
- “Are your graduates prepared for college and career?” Don’t merely ask about graduation rates and GPAs. Those are deceptive. Rather, find out if graduates are prepared for life after high school. At LCS, we don’t try to make ourselves look good by handing out as many A grades as possible. Instead, we teach our students what is needed to succeed beyond high school.
- “Can you help my child catch up or move ahead?” If your child is in elementary school, you’ll want to know how to either bring your child to grade level or how to help them excel farther. We have documented proof that we have been able to close academic gaps for students who come to us already behind, and many of those who are on grade level are propelling ahead!
- “How invested is your staff?” It’s likely that at any school, the teachers will have experience and talent, as ours do. But beyond that, you’ll want to know if the staff is invested in their jobs and if they truly care for their students. Most of our staff attend our church and serve in some way, like AWANA or youth group. This means they choose to not only teach their students throughout the weekdays, but also choose to spend additional time with them some nights, teaching them even more important spiritual truths. Our staff cares not just about each student’s education, but more importantly, their soul.
- “Will my child be safe?” There’s no way to guarantee with 100% certainty the safety of anyone. But you’ll want to know if your child will be both physically and emotionally safe, to the best of the school’s ability. At LCS, we do not tolerate bullying, either in school or online between our students. Teachers strive to stay aware of social interactions and the climate of their classrooms in order to keep their students safe.
These five questions will give you a good indication of a school’s heart, and whether or not they’d be a good fit for your child. We encourage you to schedule a personal tour with Lakeside Christian School today and ask these very questions!
“The Best Education”
“I highly recommend LCS to anyone who wants the best education for their child.”
This is a real quote from a real parent of a student at Lakeside Christian School. Is this something you can say about your child’s school? If not, we’d love it if you checked out LCS.
Here are some things you’ll find at LCS:
- We offer an incredible education: we’re closing academic gaps and propelling students ahead in both reading and math, starting in kindergarten!
- Our environment is safe, secure, and close-knit. We take great care to protect our students and create a place in which they feel comfortable and ready to learn.
- A Biblical worldview is our backbone. More than anything, we want our students to know Christ.
- It’s affordable. Yes, we’re a private Christian school. Yes, we offer a top-notch education. Yes, we have a close-knit, safe environment. But we also work with every family’s budget in order to make LCS affordable!
Call us today and come for a visit! We’d love to meet you.
Why Enroll in a Christian School?
ACSI commissioned The Barna Group to do a nation-wide large scale study regarding why parents enroll their children in Christian schools. These were their top six reasons and things they looked for:
1) safe environment
2) teachers who care
3) academic excellence
4) accessible staff
5) intentional about developing character
6) affordable
Lakeside Christian School meets all six of these, and then some. Let’s look a little closer:
1) LCS has worked hard to make the building safe and secure, to build a safety plan, and to fight bullying.
2) Our teachers are among the best, brightest, and most loving you will find. They see their work as a calling rather than a job, and their students as their reason for doing what they do.
3) At LCS, we used best practice instruction and tested curriculum to build an academic program that not only pulls students up to grade level, put also accelerates many beyond grade level. Students are frequently evaluated in order to give them the kind of education they need.
4) Our teachers not only care, but are easily accessible via email and scheduled meetings. They are happy to communicate with both parents and teachers whenever is desired.
5) LCS’s number one goal is to show the love and character of Christ to our students, that they may know Jesus Christ as their Savior and grow to be more like Him.
6) Unlike many private Christian schools, LCS strives to be affordable for all household incomes. We will work with every family to make LCS affordable for you.
When your options are public schools, expensive private schools, and public charter schools, why wouldn’t you check out LCS? Call us today and schedule a tour.
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.
Stuck Like Glue
Parents are happy with what we are doing at Lakeside Christian School.
How do we know this? We have an over 90% retention rate. Perhaps it’s purely academic: we are closing learning gaps among our elementary students. This means we are bringing most of those who were behind, up to and above grade level. Or it’s our desire to prepare all students for college and career, starting LONG before high school begins. Maybe it’s the fact that we teach each class and every subject from a biblical worldview. Or it could be the environment- safe and secure, with loving staff and a family feel. It could be any number of things, like our athletics or drama program, for example. But we believe it’s most likely the unique combination of all these things that makes Lakeside Christian School such a special place.
Schedule a tour today to find out what’s different about Lakeside Christian School, and why our families don’t just attend; they stick around.
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:
- You live in the greater Clearwater area.
- You desire an excellent education for your child.
- You either need your child to catch up to grade level or need to see how far ahead you can encourage your child.
- You are looking for a safe and secure learning environment.
- You want qualified educators using best practice instruction in your child’s classroom.
- 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:
- FACTS financial aid provides us with detailed information that helps LCS offer a scholarship that reduces our regular tuition.
- 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.
- 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!
LCS Fine Arts Quick Facts
1) After years of success in the early 2000’s, followed by a hiatus, the LCS chorus returned three years ago. In those three years, the group has grown from 7 to 18 students and has received an Excellence award at the ACSI chorus festival each of the past three years.
Charter Schools vs. Lakeside Christian School
When it comes to your child’s education, you obviously have options. In Florida, the most poplar choices are public, private, and charter. You would not have to research long before finding copious evidence that the Florida public schools are mostly sub-par. Still, they do not charge tuition, which is appealing. Since one cannot choose the public school for their child to attend, many look at charter schools. Charter schools also do not charge tuition. Private schools do charge tuition, and for many, this is the hill they die on. With charter schools rising in popularity (especially in our area), it’s important to know the facts about both charter schools and LCS before making a decision for your child’s education.
CHARTER SCHOOLS
Non-religious. By law, they cannot teach non-academic religion.
Those who fund the charter school determine all details: management, curriculum, etc.
Rules and accountability vary quite widely among all charter schools; there is no real standard.
Some seek to serve those who cannot work well in traditional academic environments.
Charter schools are fairly new. With new programs, there are risks and unanticipated issues.
They are not always required by law to hire teachers with appropriate credentials.
Not all use standardized tests, making it difficult to track progress and effectiveness.
They must be willing to accept any students.
Charter schools often have a targeted audience, meaning they can be less diverse.
No tuition required.
LAKESIDE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Christian to the core. Nobody can take away our right to teach biblical worldview to our students.
We choose our own curriculum, management, etc. based on the depth of our knowledge of students.
What you see is what you get. LCS has held to the same standards for over 40 years.
We interview every student to see if they would contribute to our positive learning environment.
We have been serving the community for over 40 years and have a wealth of experience.
We only hire professional, qualified educators.
We track progress throughout the year, tracking the students’ progress and the effectiveness of our program.
As stated above, we are careful about the students we accept, but do not discriminate.
Our student population is diverse, reflecting the community that surrounds us.
LCS charges tuition, but offers several scholarships that make our education affordable for all.
While charter schools may be the better fit for some families, we believe Lakeside Christian School is the option of choice for those who want their child to have an excellent education from a biblical worldview, with a safe learning environment and caring staff. Find out for yourself how attainable private Christian education can be and call LCS today. Schedule a free tour!
PEG Writing: Exciting News!
Last year, Lakeside Christian School added an intuitive-adaptive technology (PEG) to help middle school students come up to speed and meet the more rigorous writing requirements of high school. This technology is a part of a closed loop educational system when it is blended and congruent with the curriculum and standards. On its own, it’s capable of improvement for each student. But when put in the hands of a competent instructor, the results can be exceptional!
We have one such instructor that has taken the PEG technology and has made it come alive for her students, causing real change and improvement. Lindsay Anderson, our middle school Language Arts teacher, was selected for PEG’s March’s Spotlight on Teachers.
Ms. Anderson shares some of the joy in using PEG with her middle school students:
“Initially, my students would groan when I mentioned PEG. (Naturally, it forced them to revise and edit their own writing.) After a few projects on PEG, their opinions genuinely changed. The students are often eager to start the writing process, and not-so patiently wait to press submit to see their improved score.”
Even the students have good things to say about PEG:
“A pro about peg writing is that it tells you all these grammar mistakes that you made. On top of peg telling you what you did wrong it gives you interactive lessons on how to fix the mistakes.”
“I am glad we have PEG, because it advances my skills, and helps me grow in writing.”
“My experience on peg has been amazing. It has taught me so many different skills. I like the way it gives you a score.. And when you see that score it gives you a push of confidence. This is a tremendous program for students who want to get better in their writing.”
Follow this link to read PEG’s own post about Ms. Anderson and her brilliant use of PEG in her classroom. We’re proud to have such educators in our school, using such productive technology!
Here, Ms. Anderson’s class presents some of what they’ve learned in their PEG class.
Ms. Anderson is one of the many talented, passionate educators at LCS!
If you’d like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School and the programs we use to make a difference, call and schedule a free tour today!
Effective Educators
The next item on the list of things on which LCS focuses in order to prepare students for college and career is:
Effective Educators.
There is currently a shortage of teachers. There are fewer students studying to become teachers. There are more seasoned teachers leaving the profession for a variety of reasons: low pay, changes in policy and curriculum, classroom behavior issues, etc. And there are many teachers who quit the profession after just a few years. The pool of educators is small, and the pool of excellent, effective educators is even smaller. LCS recognizes the vast importance of hiring only the most effective educators.
Teaching is a difficult job, but a most important one. These educators will see your child five days a week for ten months. Elementary teachers will spend seven hours a day with your child, five days a week, for ten months. For this reason alone, the character of a teacher must be above reproach and the kind you would want influencing your child for roughly 1400 hours a year. Beyond that is the importance of the teacher’s ability to teach the curriculum effectively, producing results in each student’s learning.
LCS chooses teachers who have been properly trained for their area of education. Their expertise is essential for the success of each student. The teachers are also ACSI certified, and continue to build on their own education in order to prosper their students.
Without teachers who are willing to use the curriculum correctly and show flexibility in their own concepts of education in order to meet the needs of their students, there will be few positive results. The educators at LCS are not only willing to do whatever it takes to help eliminate academic gaps and propel each student forward, they are also willing to use the curriculum in the ways that have been proven to produce results. They work diligently independently, and effectively as a team of educators as well.
In order to be this effective, the teachers must also have a lifestyle that aligns with God’s Word. Without that, their effectiveness diminishes. They must not only preach God’s Word, but live it as well, effectively displaying the gospel daily for each student. Each teacher speaks from and helps shape for the students a biblical worldview. It is these things that makes the LCS educator truly effective in the lives of their students.
If you would like to hear more about LCS’s effective educators and perhaps meet some of them, please schedule a free tour today.
