"Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not on your own understanding..." - Proverbs 3:5
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 We’ve all heard the phrase helicopter parenting. It’s an unflattering term that describes the innate desire in us as parents to provide the best opportunities for our children. While that desire comes from a great place, it isn’t always the best tool to set your children up for success.
 It is impossible to escape the fact that people come in all kinds of different styles, temperaments, and ability levels. You see this on display at your office, in your family, and within other organizations that you belong. So why is it that we would expect children to be any different?
 These days there is no limit to the number of activities your kids can be involved in. You’re taking them from extracurriculars at school, to soccer practice in the afternoons, youth group at church, girl scouts, art classes, and even more. On one hand, the opportunity to introduce your children to a wide array of experiences can provide them powerful inspiration in their lives. On the other hand, each new hobby drives them farther away from the things that matter most.
 We all remember those days in childhood where suddenly something changes in the culture and everyone is just trying their hardest to fit in. This isn’t a new phenomenon, young people have been trying to fit in since the beginning of time. But now, as an adult and a parent, you know that your children are perfect just the way they are and should feel free to express themselves just the way they were made.
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