I have decided to homeschool my two older children for our remaining time here. For those of you who know me I have never been one to accept status quo. I don't do something simply because every other parent is doing so. I question, ponder and ask myself constantly, "How could it be better?" "Is there another way?" From natural birth, long term breast feeding, vaccines, sunscreens, organic food, over scheduling my kids and the list goes on & on.
Moving to Lexington, Ma was a decision that I made based on not only our healer's office being here, but also based on the amazing ratings the school district had. Literally some of the best schools in the entire country. We could not be more thrilled. I had my kids pumped up and they were ready for the challenge, both academically & socially to move to a new school.
We jumped in with two feet and started at the school closest to our townhouse only to find out on the 3rd day of school about extreme levels of PCB contamination. I pulled my kids out that day while so many parents turned a blind eye. Had the transfer not been granted I would have home schooled them then. Sadly, that school is still open and the plans to rebuild are not for two more years. Priorities of the school district? Obviously not the health of the staff or the children. An experiment is taking place in that school & everyone is acting like it's not a big deal. Why am I one of the only one's who finds this horrifying?
Two weeks after the transfer to the new school, my son is in the shower crying because of bullying he had been enduring & did not want to tell me about. It took 3 attempts for the school to respond & I guarantee it is because I told them the next time I would notify the police of their inability to keep my son safe & I would contact the Boston media to do an expose on their inability to handle bullies.
The bullying stopped, but I have NEVER liked this school. The staff are as cold as ice...nobody smiles or says hello when you are in the building...parents are not allowed to volunteer...my children have been grabbed by old, miserable ladies who should have stopped working with children 20 years ago, for stepping on the grass while in car line. I have had a parent volunteer bang on my car & yell at me to "hurry it up" as I hugged my child goodbye in car line. The examples are far too many to list here, each one more disgusting than the next.
It's funny how things happen, but my heart has been so unsettled about this school. My kids have tolerated it, but never spoke with joy about their time there. Last week while on a family vacation the desire for my kids to be nurtured, loved and respected while at school was pulling on my heart strings. Prior to coming here that is all my kids have EVER known ~ a school environment where they were treated as a unique individual, not an annoyance to be dealt with.
Today as I drove through car line I saw the unhappy faces EVERYWHERE & it hit me like a ton of bricks....This place feels like a miserable institution. How could this staff possibly inspire my child...they are all so damn unhappy and nasty. I could careless about their high rankings, that does not impress me. What does impress me is a school that knows the names of all the parents & welcomes them with open arms into the school. A school that truly loves the children...that feeling is genuine & you know when you are in the company of it.
As we drove away I knew what had to be done. And so tomorrow begins our newest journey into the homeschooling world. On my syllabus ~ a field trip to the zoo. I just ordered some wonderful homeschool materials that come highly recommended from a homeschool mama. Honoring what feels right for my family is the path I want to stay on, it feels so much better than trying to force the standard.
I am dreamy these days of a farm house on several acres in Vermont. Homeschooling, raising chickens, pigs, tons of dogs and BEING with the ones I love. That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Amanda
"The last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." ~ Viktor Frankl
