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atara
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If your parish had a Catholic School, what made you choose home schooling?
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mamaslearning
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For our family there were several small issues at the school, not major issues, but small things that made me question if the tuition $$ were worth the education and social environment. In the end, a huge increase in tuition cost and other personal finances played a major role in starting our homeschool journey, but now I love it. Our current plans are to keep them home until high school and then reevalute at that time. They may/may not return to Catholic school for high school. My hubby (and to a lesser degree I) view high school like most people view college. It's a time for spreading your wings, gaining responsibilities, working, and acting like an adult so that when you are a legal adult (at 18) you might have some sense of maturity. I have at least eight years for that decision, so I'm not too worried about it yet.
Public, for us, is not an option at this time (I can't say absolutely not because I don't know what the future holds).
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Lara
DD 11, DS 8, DS 6, DS 4
St. Francis de Sales Homeschool
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folklaur
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For one of my children - money. Way too expensive. (She was high school age before our elementary parish school was built, and the Catholic High School was waaaaaay out of our price range.) She did attend 2nd grade at a different parish school, but it was quite far away from our house. It just happened to work one year while DH & I were both still in College and qualified for a decent scholarship for her and we drove past it on our way to/from school. Once we graduated, it didn't make sense distance wise, and plus we couldn't afford it any longer.
For one of my children - atypical autism. It was okay up thru 1st grade (Pre-k, K, and 1st), where he did attend the parish school, but after that, home was better.
For one of my children - money & scheduling. It got to be too much (she also attended the parish school for Pre-school and Pre-K)
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Kathryn
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My DD attended a very small Catholic school for 1st and 2nd grade and we *LOVED* it. But, it closed for financial reasons. Then we enrolled her and DS at our parish school. We didn't initially go there b/c of cost (approx. $5K per student) and class size (approx. 25 kids per class). But we always felt we wanted a "faith first" education and that's why we never chose public.
After 2 years of attending the parish school, it was evident the school did not have the capacity to meet my son's needs as a different learner. And even my DD was a great kid but with the class size it seemed she got lost in the shuffle. For the money we were spending, it just wasn't fulfilling what we hoped for our kids...a strong, Catholic lifestyle. I don't want to discredit our local school but my experience was that academics were the absolute first priority sandwiched in betw. a morning prayer, an afternoon prayer and one weekday Mass. It still didn't educate the WHOLE child, to me. I think that was b/c of the class size so we brought them home.
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: April 09 2011 at 11:42am | IP Logged
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The local Catholic school here gets very mixed reviews, both from parents and from students. Many of the parents say it is not "Catholic" enough.
Last year at a FHC parent meeting, the DRE of school stood up and told the parents that they *absolutely have got* to take their children to mass each week. That surprised me, and also made me sad. I mean... weren't they already? 
It is pricy, also- $5k per year.
So, overall, it has not been a tempting option for us.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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CatholicMommy
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In our area, we have several parish schools - although not one at either of the two parishes we ordinarily attend. My son did attend the preschool at one of the two parishes I worked at as DRE for a year - but that was more of a "childcare/play-time" thing since we already did Montessori work at home.
And then he attended the Catholic Montessori school I long-term subbed at - just during the time I worked there (too far of a drive and expensive, otherwise). THat was part of K-en.
We always planned to homeschool but not because I'm opposed to the other options - I just have different plans for our family is all.
We chose to continue with the homeschooling because none of the schools in the area offer *just* what I could provide at home.
The schools around here are good - each has slightly different focuses and teachers, etc. If I *had* to send him, I would do so without qualms.
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Garden of Francis
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Montessori Nuggets
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Lisa H
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| Posted: April 10 2011 at 11:46pm | IP Logged
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When our,now 10th grader, started 8th, we gave him the
choice of going to the local Catholic boy highschool. We went to the open house, view the curricula, clubs and sports. He decided to stay home.
We did the same this year with our 8th grader. We went to the local Catholic girls highschool's open house. We viewed the same things. She also decided to stay home.
I asked their reasons for their decision. Their reasons where too many kids in class, too many distractions, have to work at the teacher's/class' pace not your own, but the real reasons werebetter lunches.  and they would miss their siblings
I am quite happy with their decision!
but for purely selfish reasons.... 
1. the tutition would have been a hardship
2. I truly enjoy watching their faces when the understand a concept that he/she was having trouble with
3. I like being around my kids
and finally
4. Homeschooling has become a way of life of us.
We will give the same choice to our other 2 kids. Hopefully they will follow the older kids.
All we really ask of them is to pray for guidance in their decision.
Lisa
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guitarnan
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Melinda, I was a DRE over 20 years ago and had to make the same request of some (not all) of my FHC parents. It's definitely sad.
We have good Catholic schools in our area, but they are very, very expensive.
We initially began homeschooling in areas where Catholic schools (in English) were completely unavailable, but when we moved back here, we decided it would be best for our family to continue learning at home. (What to do with our children during the summer months was a big part of this decision.) My son did not want to go to public high school, either. My daughter would not mind going to a Catholic high school, she says, but I would have to return to full-time work for that to happen, cutting down on her dance opportunities, and she definitely does not want to have to make that choice.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Kathryn
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guitarnan wrote:
| My daughter would not mind going to a Catholic high school, she says, but I would have to return to full-time work for that to happen, cutting down on her dance opportunities, and she definitely does not want to have to make that choice. |
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We've only been homeschooling 2 yrs and my DD 12 sometimes (like all of us) thinks the grass is greener back at the parish school w/ her best friend and all that social time. However, this year she is dancing 3-4x a week as well and I keep reminding her that there is NO WAY she could go to the parish school, get all the homework done AND dance that many times...that she would have to either give up her new pointe class or the dance company. So, I think she's finally content. Now we have 2 yrs until high school and I wonder what these yrs will bring.
SeaStar wrote:
Many of the parents say it is not "Catholic" enough.
Last year at a FHC parent meeting, the DRE of school stood up and told the parents that they *absolutely have got* to take their children to mass each week. That surprised me, and also made me sad. I mean... weren't they already?
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I think that's what surprised me the most when we were at the parish school is the number of parents that send their kids for the ACADEMIC rigor of the program...not for the Catholicism. And yes, MANY parents didn't attend weekly Mass. Our first year, my DS made a new friend and so I called the mom to invite them to the park. Well, mom and dad were both working so she said the nanny could bring them. Not criticizing those w/ a nanny as I'd LOVE to have a nanny but that's def. not our lifestyle and they certainly weren't the only ones w/ a nanny. So we did meet at the park and we got to talking and I asked which Mass they attended (since there are 5 per week-end) and the nanny looked at me and said "uhh...i don't think they're even Catholic."  I encountered quite a few situations like this and that was a frustration since I was having a hard time connecting with any of the families as their lifestyles seemed so different from ours.
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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Dove
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The modernist religion teacher (no longer at that school...), the emphasis on sports and disrespect for academics by school admin. (those administrators have since left), the parish education materials that were pointless and lacking in actual Catholic teaching, the music that lacked content or even worse had lyrics which were heretical....
Then there was my experience from another private school where I spent hours every evening teaching the material covered that day but not learned and it occurred to me that the teacher had my child for the best, most energetic and cooperative hours of that child's day and *I* had to teach the material to a tired grumpy child when we should have been enjoying family time and read-aloud time. If I had to teach my child myself then for what was I paying that school? 
In short, there were NO sound reasons to use the parish school or any other school that used the same teachers trained the same ways...
I did a much better job myself and we had a lot more quality time as a family while we were at it. I must not have failed because both older kids are in college and have jobs.
The third is in diapers and I am already playing colors and numbers games with the duplos. Wonderful things.
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kristinannie
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I was looking into putting the kids into Catholic school, but it is about 40 min from our house so that would have been a lot of driving. I was praying a lot about it and God told me to HS. I thought it was a crazy idea at first, but the more research I did, the more it just seemed to make sense for our family!
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John Paul 8.5
Meredith Rose 7
Dominic Michael 4.5
Katherine Elizabeth 8 months
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JodieLyn
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Another way to think of it..
We don't have a parish school here.. but that never entered our consideration for homeschooling.
We homeschool for what it can give our family. Not because of what the schools don't have.
My dh's work schedule is almost the antithesis of the traditional school schedule. Our family would suffer with dh home when the kids had to be in school or the kids out of school and dh needing to be at work.
And my kids work together and help each other and have TIME to build relationships with each other. Sure the 14 yr old and the 11 yr old can annoy each other.. but then you see them cuddled up together sharing a book. The little guys get loved on all the time because their older siblings are here instead of away at school most of the day.
So don't be afraid to choose homeschooling because it gives you something that no school can give you simply because school takes kids out of their families.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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folklaur
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JodieLyn wrote:
My dh's work schedule is almost the antithesis of the traditional school schedule. Our family would suffer with dh home when the kids had to be in school or the kids out of school and dh needing to be at work.
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Oh, this is so true for us now, too. If our children were in school, DH would see them awake on Sundays, and for a few hours on Mondays when they got home from school. That would literally be the ONLY time he would see them. We just don't work like that.
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folklaur
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Kathryn wrote:
I think that's what surprised me the most when we were at the parish school is the number of parents that send their kids for the ACADEMIC rigor of the program...not for the Catholicism. |
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Where I grew up back east (and I did attend Catholic school from Nursery School to 10th grade) it was NOT uncommon for there to be non-catholics in the school, as Catholic schools were known for their excellent educations.
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| So we did meet at the park and we got to talking and I asked which Mass they attended (since there are 5 per week-end) |
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{blush} really? we have 6 per weekend at our parish - and I would feel a little weird if someone asked which one we attended. And sometimes we go to the Byzantine Church. I would be so flustered if someone asked me that - even tho to many I bet it seems like a simple question 
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| was having a hard time connecting with any of the families as their lifestyles seemed so different from ours. |
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:( That's hard. I'm sorry. We moved to a new state about 3 years ago, and adjusting has been VERY VERY VERY hard. Very.
But - I have found some of our "new" closest and kindest friends, with very like minded attitudes, from families that AREN'T Catholic, too, tho.
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Dove
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To go at the question from a different direction, rather than why I rejected the option of the parish school I want to answer it from the side of why I chose home school.
I wanted to choose the curriculum myself. All the methods of education, all the research on what is most helpful, and I found myself unhappy with the options offered by the schools in my area.
I wanted a Catholic curriculum. I wanted some level of academic challenge in it. I also wanted to use more books that were not textbooks and do unit studies and other real world activities to teach subjects in an integrated manner.
I wanted thinking and discussion to be major components of our day and lots of books.
I wanted the interests of the children to suggest paths to teach subjects so that they learned and were self motivated.
I wanted to schedule our school year to fit our family. To take all of Holy Week off, to do half days during Advent, and to take off at least some Holy Days of obligation.
I wanted to allow my children to work ahead where their interests and aptitudes permitted and not be held back by arbitrary divisions.
I wanted plenty of time to work on weak areas and do the remedial for learning disabilities while still working ahead at in subject matter to keep pace with the high IQ of my learning disabled child.
I wanted the social child to be permitted to plan the week of school work so that the work got done in time to permit extra social activities.
I wanted the freedom to plan field trips when it suited us all.
I wanted my children to be socially comfortable with all ages and to value the good in all cultures while still loving their own culture for what it has given us.
I wanted to raise my children to live the faith deeply and with understanding. To live Catholicism in a way that is fully integrated.
I wanted to teach my children to reason with Faith and to cherish that God intended us to be both walking in Faith and to use the Reason he gave us.
I think this is enough, although there were other reasons, these are the major ones.
To keep to the topic, the local parish school could not give this to us.
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Kathryn
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folklaur wrote:
Quote:
| So we did meet at the park and we got to talking and I asked which Mass they attended (since there are 5 per week-end) |
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{blush} really? we have 6 per weekend at our parish - and I would feel a little weird if someone asked which one we attended. And sometimes we go to the Byzantine Church. I would be so flustered if someone asked me that - even tho to many I bet it seems like a simple question
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Really?! May be I'm just too talkative but it seems like an obvious question to me. I just wondered if I "knew" them since we usu. always go to the same Mass. It's always like we "know" faces but not names and it's nice to form friendships and such. It would never even cross my mind that someone attending the parish school or church would be uncomfortable with that question.
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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v-girl
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We loved and still love the Catholic school our daughters attended. We couldn't afford tuition our last year there, but they let our daughters attend for free (I did volunteer a lot and DH even spoke to a few classes about what it takes to become a doctor). They even offered special services (our older daughter used the math & language lab, younger daughter used the enrichment program). But the gas to drive 17 miles there and back twice a day was more than we could afford. And our oldest was having so much trouble with learning that her grades were falling.
As I prayed for a solution to these issues, I became very close to one of the moms from our dance studio. She homeschooled and had 4 normal children. Then I saw a billboard for a homeschool convention. 10 minutes from home. And the signs kept coming. With the help of my new friend and my college roomie, I became a homeschooler. It was the only option I saw as I prayed for God to help me do what was best for my children. Yes, a call from God can't be ignored. My mom says so.
My daughters do want to go to Catholic high school. There is a nice newish one not too far from home and not a bad drive to their ballet studio. Since they plan to be in company by then, that will factor into whether we can afford the tuition for high school.
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guitarnan
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V-girl, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has ever received obvious signs from God about homeschooling! (I was very reluctant to take the huge hints that God was dropping on my head, but He persisted, thankfully, until I paid attention!)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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v-girl
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guitarnan wrote:
| V-girl, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has ever received obvious signs from God about homeschooling! (I was very reluctant to take the huge hints that God was dropping on my head, but He persisted, thankfully, until I paid attention!) |
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Isn't it wonderful to know we are doing what God wants us to be doing?
I have had many people tell me they could never homeschool. I tell them of the 23-year-old who insisted she would never be a stay-at-home mom. At 25, she was still sure of that decision (though she kind of had to since her husband was in medical school). At 32 she got her hiney kicked trying to keep it all up as her hubby started residency and she had a nursing infant, a busy job and two little girls in Catholic school. And then she broke. Bye bye nice, secure job with a nice paycheck. Hello old car, Costco membership and the local library. LOL It's amazing what you can do when God gives you a push...or shove.
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Kathryn
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I like Dove's response too. For all the reasons we ultimately left the school, it really is/was more apparent that there was so much MORE we could gain by homeschooling and yes, all that came with God knocking on my door too.
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Your choice for HS'ing if you had a Catho
