"Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not on your own understanding..." - Proverbs 3:5
 As you work through the decision to send your children to either private school or one of the alternatives, you’re probably getting a lot of information and opinions about which option is best. However, what you probably haven’t heard enough of is, why other parents love private school. Choosing the right school is a big investment for your children's future, for your finances, and for the well-being of your family.
 Any person who decides on a career in teaching is in it for more than fame and glory. Teaching - shaping the minds and hearts of young people - is a calling, and you have to be all in to take on that job. At St. Barnabas School we are proud to have a team of incredible, dedicated teachers who add not only to the lives of our students but to the vibrancy of our community. But why would a teacher choose to join a private school faculty when they could teach elsewhere?
 Determining which school to send your children to requires more decision making than simply researching which school you’re zoned for. You must also take into consideration what kind of education you want them to get. Every type of school is different and provides varying degrees of service to children and their families.
 The children’s toy market is an 89 billion dollar industry worldwide. You’re probably reminded of this every time you take your kids to Target or let them have their TV time for the day. The advertisements are everywhere for all of the brightly colored, noise-making, nerf dart-shooting toys that your children could ever want. But are these toys helping to prepare your children for the future?
 We’re all familiar with the three R’s of education (reading, writing, and arithmetic), and the importance of these subjects will never go away. But there is more to a well-rounded curriculum than those three items. And, in a world where we are more connected to other cultures and countries than ever before, language learning is naturally taking a big leap forward.
 Making decisions about your children’s schooling will begin at a young age and persist as they enter adulthood. You have to decide where they attend pre-school, daycare, primary school, and the list goes on and on into college. At some point, most parents will weigh their options and consider whether public or private education is the best choice for their family. Unfortunately, too many families buy into the mythology around private schools and are discouraged from learning more.
 Over the last several years there has been a movement of people promoting minimalism as a way to cut down on clutter, save money, reduce anxiety, and more. There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence of the positive effects of minimalism on individuals and families. Some are even tempted to turn this technique toward the technology in their lives regain some free time and set a better example for their children.
 Reading is critically important in a child’s education. Your child’s ability to read on grade level will determine how they can perform in their other academic subjects, how quickly they advance in school, and what their future can hold for them. And while there are some children with diagnosed reading disabilities, even more students are underexposed to reading and thus don’t grow as quickly as they could.
 Once you’ve done your research and decided to enroll your children in private school rather than the public school alternative, there are some decisions you’ll need to weigh about which school is the right fit for your family.
 There are a lot of important discussions that go into choosing which school your child will attend. For many families the choice is not just about school, but about finding the right community to fit their children’s needs. This often begs the question, “do we want a public or private education for our kids?” Any number of factors can impact parents decision on this matter, but we find that some of the same issues keep popping up each year.
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