My kid won't be a toddler forever. I decided to tour our local Catholic school just to see what it's like for kids there. The side of town we live on doesn't have the best public schools, so our options are to either move to a zone with a good public school or go private if we stay here. I'm also unemployed at the moment, so I don't have much better to do and it's good to get out of the house.
I have a history with this school. I went there in Kindergarten and First grade and had an absolutely horrible experience. I have aspergers and the teachers didn't know how to help me or what to do about my behavior back then. I won't go into specifics, but suffice to say it was difficult going back after 27 years. I had to tell myself while my wife held my hand sometimes that this place is new, the people are different now, and the rules are different from when I was a child. I never told any of the staff while I was touring there that I was a student at one time. I didn't recognize anyone from my childhood, either.
Regardless, I liked the place. I was impressed by the curriculum, the way the school worked, and the preschool. The teachers seemed professional and friendly. They answered our questions pretty well and gave us some good information books about it. My biggest worry was about participation in church activities. The kids have a Catholic liturgy every week. I was reassured that non-Catholic students, even Orthodox ones, don't take communion and aren't a part of the liturgy (altar boys, servers, etc). The priest at the church next to the school is conservative and understands these issues pretty well and won't commune kids who are either Catholic and aren't ready for their first communion or are another Church or religion.
I do have a few hangups: 1. No summer programs, even for preschool kids. 2. We're Orthodox and I'm afraid that might confuse our child at such a young age as to why he can't participate in communion or anything in a weekly liturgy for school. 3. More expensive tuition for non-Catholics. I find this a bit irritating, but can live with it.
Have you guys ever had to send your children to school of a different beliefs or church than your own? What was it like?
(Also, mods, feel free to move this thread if this isn't quite the right forum for it).
I have a history with this school. I went there in Kindergarten and First grade and had an absolutely horrible experience. I have aspergers and the teachers didn't know how to help me or what to do about my behavior back then. I won't go into specifics, but suffice to say it was difficult going back after 27 years. I had to tell myself while my wife held my hand sometimes that this place is new, the people are different now, and the rules are different from when I was a child. I never told any of the staff while I was touring there that I was a student at one time. I didn't recognize anyone from my childhood, either.
Regardless, I liked the place. I was impressed by the curriculum, the way the school worked, and the preschool. The teachers seemed professional and friendly. They answered our questions pretty well and gave us some good information books about it. My biggest worry was about participation in church activities. The kids have a Catholic liturgy every week. I was reassured that non-Catholic students, even Orthodox ones, don't take communion and aren't a part of the liturgy (altar boys, servers, etc). The priest at the church next to the school is conservative and understands these issues pretty well and won't commune kids who are either Catholic and aren't ready for their first communion or are another Church or religion.
I do have a few hangups: 1. No summer programs, even for preschool kids. 2. We're Orthodox and I'm afraid that might confuse our child at such a young age as to why he can't participate in communion or anything in a weekly liturgy for school. 3. More expensive tuition for non-Catholics. I find this a bit irritating, but can live with it.
Have you guys ever had to send your children to school of a different beliefs or church than your own? What was it like?
(Also, mods, feel free to move this thread if this isn't quite the right forum for it).
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