The story of Maya Angelou always keeps me motivated with the school. I was never mute, but oh did I struggle internally as a child. And just like her, in time I came out of the dark cloud. If given time, how many students can also RISE?
The thing is MOST students struggle with something, whether we think it is of any “importance” or not. School should be a safe haven, where ALL students can feel safe to work through their struggles so that they actually can learn. I just want to encourage parents, students, teachers, administrators that every single child, no matter what their circumstance, even if they seem like they have the perfect family and are very smart or even if they have the most horrible family and they struggle academically or if they just struggle even though mom and dad are trying EVERYTHING to push them forward…every child should be looked at as an individual beautifully handcrafted by God.
Every single student should be given the chance to show that they can succeed. Even if it is at a pace that is too slow or too fast! It may not look like what the parent or teacher can imagine, but if they reach the goals programmed into them before creation, through the gifts God breathed into them, they are a success.
I did not feel successful in school for most of my school years and if it were not for my parents, I would probably have been at a very different place. Because of my journey, I have developed a passion for creating a school where every child can succeed whether they have the ideal support system or not. Whether they fit the “mold” or not. Whether they walk to the beat of a different drum or not. My parents often felt frustrated and helpless, but they kept pushing me forward. I have worked with parents of students who sat in my office in tears, not knowing what to do with this child who was too smart they could not follow the prescribed program of the school or either they were not able to learn at the pace of the prescribed program of the school. They did not learn through lecture, or they learned through hands on. Every child has to go to school! I can see the faces of those parents now as I write this, tears streaming down their faces, feeling trapped and hopeless.
It may not be the most conventional school, but through the Sudbury model, Biblical discipleship, and a nurturing staff, The Living Water School is a place where every child is given the FREEDOM to design their path to success and we will support and cheer them all along the way.
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