Whether your kids are well on their way to starting school, or your baby is still learning to walk it is never too soon to find a community that will eventually lead them through their early childhood. If you have one child or a whole soccer team worth of them, you’ll spend a lot of time in and out of their schools, meeting with teachers, and attending school functions so you might as well focus some time finding a place that fits all of your families needs.

Balanced Education
Your child will spend some of the most important developmental years of their life in school. They’ll learn to read and write, and they’ll also learn self-esteem and develop friendships. Unfortunately, many schools these days are pressured to achieve certain scores on standardized tests. So they, in turn, focus all of their curricular time teaching kids how to pass tests. When schools teach to tests important classes like the arts and physical education fall to the wayside. You and your children deserve to be part of a school community that values the arts, physical activity, and spiritual growth.

Access To Resources
It’s safe to say that most people who become educators do so because they care about their students. However, in many schools teachers are far too over-burdened with extra-large classes and lots of other responsibilities that teaching has taken a back seat. Teachers are the greatest resource any school has to contribute to your children’s education. We see time and again the benefit to children of learning in an engaging classroom environment with a small student to teacher ratio. In addition to the benefit of engaged teachers, some schools do a better job of putting actual resources in the classroom. When choosing a school that your family can call home, look for a place that invests in all kinds of resources for your child’s education.

Community and Relationships
You’re looking for a school that meets the needs of your whole family, and that can see you and your kids through many significant years of your lives. As you visit schools, keep your eye out for signs that parents are involved and that entire families are welcome. A strong community creates a welcoming space for your children and for you as parents. Not all schools have community as a goal, so keep your eye out for a place that builds relationships with intention.

If you’re lucky, your search for the right school community will lead you to a place where your whole family can thrive. But you can’t find that just anywhere. At St. Barnabas, we are committed to building a strong community and prioritizing an excellent education. If you’re hoping that our school is the right place for your family, give us a call today.