CHOICE is the NAME of the GAME

In so many aspects of our lives we are given choices. We have a choice of where we want to work, what we want to do, where we want to live, etc. etc. When we go out to eat we have a plethora of menu choices and then within those choices there is many times the choice of soup or salad. When I was younger, a lot younger, I always heard that choice of soup or salad as “super salad,” and would many times say yes. It was then that I was informed I had to make a choice. Some choices are easy, and some choices are hard, but it is nice to know that part of living in a free country is that we have choices.

Next week we will celebrate School Choice Week. This is a week that celebrates the many different choices, Public, Private, Home, Charter, as well as others, that parents have when it comes to their child’s education.

Of all the options that there are, Christian Schools offer the best option when it comes to educating the whole child. All schools teach academics, physical education, and being with other students helps with the social skills necessary to relate to other people, but it is only the Christian school that stresses the spiritual aspect of education. The love and compassion from teachers, the moral and ethical teachings found only when one can open their Bible and be taught from it, and the realization that ALL things were created by God for us to enjoy. Whether it be History, Math, English, or Science, we can see the hand of God in all things. If you take away any of the four areas listed above you are not teaching the whole child. We are all created with minds to think, bodies to move, a desire to be with others, and a spirit that desires to be connected with God’s Spirit. All four of those pieces of the whole student education puzzle are found only in the Christian school setting. But, as with all choices, it is imperative that the choices made are the ones that rightly fit the needs of the individual.

When there is an opportunity to choose between products or services, it creates competition. Competition, as in sports, creates the need to be better, stronger, and find more creative ways in order to be the best. Coke and Pepsi are constantly looking for better tastes to make them better. AT&T and Verizon are constantly advancing technology to make them better. Grocery stores, retail stores, and other service related organizations are constantly changing and re-imagining how to reach more customers in order to be better. The more competition, the better the product, or the organization does not survive. Where there is choice, there is a better, freer society, eager to develop and always striving to be in the number one spot on the charts. Giving parents a choice of where they send their children, and helping them financially to make that choice, as we are seeing happening in many states now, will create a better society because all schools will have to find ways to be better. If schools have to work harder in making sure students are engaged and thriving, does that not equal a better students, which translates into a better society for all? When there is no choice and no incentive to make a choice, society is forced to do what the one entity wants them to do, or learn.

I firmly believe that it is a parents God given responsibility to see that their children are cared for as they see fit, and that includes where they get their education. The right educational atmosphere can truly shape a child for future success by allowing them to learn in a way that best fits their needs. When all of those pieces are put in place, it will not only benefit the child, but also the family and the community.

For more information about school choice, visit schoolchoiceweek.com or edchoice.org.
 
Mountain View Christian Academy has been providing a Christ-centered, Biblically based education to families throughout the Northern Shenandoah Valley since 1992. Our curriculum is integrated with Biblical truths, and is taught by teachers who truly honor God and love the children they are teaching. Being a Christian school creates an atmosphere where learning is accomplished through studying textbooks, just as in any school, but also the freedom to open God’s word, pray when prayer is needed, and focus on the whole child, Spiritually, Academically, Socially and Physically.
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For more information about Mountain View Christian Academy, fill out the contact form on the right, or call 540-868-1231 to schedule a time to come and tour our facilities.