2nd Grade and 1st Grade here we come!

Back to School was different this year because we changed schools again! Towards the end of the summer we learned about the passage of Senate Bill 48 here in California. We were very concerned about what this meant for education in California but particularly at the schools are boys were attending. For those of you who don't know, SB 48 (also called the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act) is legislation requiring public school teachers teach about homosexual individuals who have contributed significantly to society. I think this senate bill is ridiculous. Please teach our children about people who have contributed to society! Yes, I love that idea! But do we REALLY need to start saying..."oh! and they were gay! isn't that wonderful?" SB 48 mandates that the teaching be done in a "positive light." I don't believe this is something that needs to be taught in our schools. Sexuality should be taught in the home. We do not need to glorify gay or transgender people in the attempts at tolerance, that is the wrong way to do it.

I do admit that some who call themselves Christians have said and done things that are in no way tolerant, respectful or Christian and that is unacceptable. Human beings deserve to be treated with respect, no matter their color, race, gender or sexual preference but I do not believe that elementary school age children need to be taught about someone's sexuality because that person was a famous writer or artist or politician etc.

So we prayerfully sought a different solution for education for our children and a wonderful opportunity arose. We are so excited to have our boys enrolled in Carden Academy. Carden is a fantastic private school. Not only do we get to avoid SB 48 but now the boys get P.E. every day, they are learning Spanish at school, they say prayers in class, the English they are learning in their spelling is amazing to me, they have music class more than once a week, the class size is no more than 12 students! I mean, I just can't sing its praises enough and I am so humbled (sounds cheesy but thats me!) that they get to attend such a fine school.

First day of school in their handsome uniforms!

Of course we couldn't start school without some father's blessings. My heart swells with gratitude for the sacred power of the Priesthood in our home.

Sadie had to have one too!

I know that we can't keep our children in a bubble. I've been amazed at the responses I get when I tell people our children attend private school now. What started as a "moral" decision has led to being something about giving them a better environment to learn and grow within. The environment at Carden has opened my eyes to what a school should really be for children. The public schools my boys attended previously were great but unfortunately they were also wrapped up in too much politics.

This was the first year that Ethan didn't ask to be home schooled throughout the entire first month of school, that says something pretty significant to me! I am still adjusting to the new commute to school and I'm sad that we no longer have that community spirit as we did when we were at the public schools within our neighbordhood but I've already seen my boys flourish and grow by leaps and bounds, I could not turn back now.

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. ~Author unknown, commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin