Left on Academy Street. Right onto Dover Point Rd. I have been driving the same route each morning for as long as I can remember. Why? Because it leads my children to a home away from home.
When my first child was born, life as I knew it stopped. My dreams and goals- professionally and personally- went out the proverbial door at the same time I exited the hospital door with my new bundle. New dreams and goals were born, some of them similar, many of them centered around the greatest loves of my life: my children. I know I am not unique in this. Most every mother I meet feels the same way. Nothing much matters other than their child’s safety and joy.
To me, education is extremely important. Our nation, every nation, could further benefit by prioritizing the education of its children. If anyone doubts this, they can turn on the news and assess the situation.
I cherish English and Literature classes, I respect Math, and I am intrigued by the Sciences. Foreign language allows us to become a more connected human family and Social Studies/History reminds us of where we’ve been and cautions us on future behavior. Religion classes and the Pledge of Allegiance help teach children to “look up” (instead of into their cell phones) as we iterate daily that we are one people under God.
There are two schools where I live that teach all these subjects with one extra element included in their secret recipe of educational success: Christian joy. It is palpable from the moment a child walks through the school doors. It is evident on the messages displayed on hallways, in bathrooms, and on the crosses that hang in every classroom.
These two schools have served as my surrogate family for the last 14 years. They have reinforced our family’s values and extended the teaching of virtue when we can’t be with our children. They coach and discipline our children when they require it (and they do so in a caring, loving manner.) They have met my children where they’re at on any given day... every single day.
New Hampshire Catholic Schools Week is next week. Both Saint Mary Academy and St. Thomas Aquinas High School are hosting Open Houses and welcoming prospective families to consider a Catholic education. I am personally inviting any reader to consider the same. And if you don’t live locally, I encourage you to consider a Catholic education near your place of residence.
I know (because I have lived through similar experiences) that my “invitation” will elicit some negative responses. Some will mistakenly infer that by promoting Catholic schools I must be suggesting that they are better than public schools. I am not. I am saying that they are different. And that’s ok. It’s ok to be different because we are all different. But what I have lived, learned and know deeply within my heart is that Catholic schools (and the faculty/staff who work within them) offer a gift served generously from the heart: Christian joy. I wish for every child to experience this and so, even if it comes back to sting me, I am determined to share my wish.
And so for the past 14 years, I have turned left onto Academy Street. And for the past five years, I have turned right onto Dover Point Rd. It is a journey I can make with my eyes closed. The day will come when I no longer will travel this route. But for now, I do it intentionally, willingly and joyfully because my heart is on the line in the form of four very unique and different children- my own.
May you find the very best fit for your child and for your family. God Bless.
St. Thomas Aquinas High School Open Houses: Sunday, November 4, 1pm and Monday, November 5, 6pm
Saint Mary Academy Open House: Wednesday, November 7, 5:30pm-7pm
[Disclaimer: a) I write this piece as a mother, not as a marketer; b) The number one thing I wish families knew is that Catholic schools offer tremendous financial assistance programs if only an inquiry is made.]