I am the product of a private education. A small Christian school. Established in 1998. I was in the second graduating class. First class with more than 8 kids.
I'm sure you're aware of the typical benefits of a private, Christian education (religion classes, smaller class size, etc), but I bet there are a few things you've never considered when one attends a small, start-up Christian school.
1. It's much easier to make the basketball team (or any team for that matter). In fact, if you have any playing experience (read: sat the bench at the local Catholic school the year before) you'll be considered one of the stars. You'll start, you'll bring the ball down the court (when you should be a post), and the press break play will be named after you. You may even play a significant role in a certain basketball coach coming back next year. It's just like the NBA.
2. You never have sports uniforms passed down from years and years before.
3. It's also super easy to get three lines in the school play (when you don't have a single theatrical bone in your body).
4. When you're the 2nd graduating class, ever, they won't have thought about Senior Projects yet.
5. They also will not have figured out that by changing the grade that participates in the Science Fair each year they have left your class out. Consistently.
6. Lunches will be brought in from local restaurants. I'm talking Mexican on Mondays, McDonalds on Tuesdays, something I can't remember on Wednesdays, Pizza on Thursdays, and a homemade meal by the moms on Fridays. Enjoy it while it lasts because soon the school will get the bright idea that high schoolers can eat Meals on Wheels. Salmon Patties intended for senior citizens. Yum!
7. Snack days during Physics labs. Just don't use the beakers for ice. Or if you do just don't tell the teacher.
8. Your mom can design the letterman jackets.
9. If you were in 5th grade the first year the school opened, you could braid your friends' hair while listening to the teacher read from The Hobbit. (That was Emily, not me. My hair was still in a bowl-cut at this stage.)
10. It's super easy to get Valedictorian. Unless Big Red starts attending your school and transfers in all those tough class credits that aren't available to those who've been around their entire high school career. Then you have to settle for Salutatorian. But you still get to give a speech.
Ok, FCA'ers out there who read this (and I know there are at least 2 of you), what did I forget?
8 comments:
Oh the good old days. I loved #7, but #10, really? Must we have this discussion again?!
Being banned from playing euchre because of the debauchery that card playing brings with it.
You could get a rule in the rule book in your honor (don't staple skirt hems).
You could win an award actually labeling you the most Christ-like.
Oh and remember bread day? Before the guys ruined it by having a bread brawl (mainly the guys in my class I'm sure). Bread day, where local grocery stores would donate soon to be expired bread to give to needy families that could come into church and get it.... or bored middle school/high schoolers could just come in and help themselves to a loaf or two.
Beth
How about getting to hang out in your dad's office during one class period because you didn't have anything else that needed to be done?
Me personally, I can say I graduated in the top 5 students in my class. And I was in the rare (and don't forget elite) tri-athlete club.
Oh and when the school began to "grow" I could request what I wanted for lunch.
This reminds me of the night I sat gulping my tears down when Drew was awarded the "Most Christ Like" trophy - only to realize when we got home that he'd actually snagged the most "Crist Like" trophy. So close yet so far.
Start up kids also benefited from now-defunct awards such as "Coach's Award" for the most congenial bench sitter. Ask any of the Davidson kids to show you their trophies.
As a parent I appreciated the ease of taking almost the entire class on a field trip - in just my van.
Best of all - the school doubled as a travel agency - a good time was had by all in California, Chicago, New York City, Jamaica. The NYC mission trip was my personal favorite.
I forgot about the bread! On a good day there might be coffee cake or cinnamon buns. That was awesome.
Can't believe I forgot about having to be separated from Big Red in gym class because were were the two most "athletic" and it wasn't fair to have us on the same team.
Emily, do you recall Mrs. Whitson's study hall where we would push back all the desks and do cartwheels and stuff (it was an all girls study hall) ?
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