In the best interests of our child, we had originally decided on public education. A visit to the local school’s open house, however, drastically changed our plan. The kindergarten teacher, a former gym teacher who had a huge wad of gum in his mouth, admitted openly, “None of the other schools would accept me.” This statement was said in sort of a jokey-tone. But as parents, we don’t really interpret that as a joke, you know what I mean?
Add to this, we couldn’t put her in another public school. We were stuck with the one we were given because of where our house is located. So we had two choices: 1. To move, haha, or 2. To find a private school.
Sussex School
Our search for the right education for our daughter led us to Sussex School, a private institution with a beautiful campus and a core ethos that resonated with us. The school’s emphasis on art, literature, and experiential learning greatly appealed to us. It felt more aligned with fostering holistic development, as opposed to force-feeding information. Although private schooling was a financial stretch, we were relieved to find that Sussex offered programs to assist families with the cost.
More than anything, we liked the teachers there.
Side note: I thought of how amazing it would be to learn from Socrates. I mean, if you could go back in time and learn from a great teacher, side by side, wouldn’t you do it? Wouldn’t this opportunity be a once in a lifetime thing? It really comes down to the teacher!, I thought. It’s almost not even what you’re learning. It’s about who you surround yourself with. Did we want the gym teacher “who wasn’t accepted to any other schools” and was chewing gum and not really “present”, or did we want these amazing teachers at Sussex, who seemed to really love teaching?
Admittedly, the decision to send Alexandria to Sussex came with its share of anxiety. Her previous experience at a Montessori school had been physically taxing, leading to frequent illness – even triggering a seizure in our youngest child. More concerning was Alexandria’s evident distaste for the Montessori setup. The focus on “work” over “play” was distressing. At Montessori she was only four – it seemed a bit early for work stations and structured tasks. With Sussex’s campus conveniently located nearby, we decided it was time for a change.
Play Piano Academy
To help prepare her for the transition, we enrolled Alexandria in a summer program at Play Piano Academy. The morning we dropped her off at the church for her first class, we were greeted with her resilience and excitement. The sight of her waving goodbye, undaunted and enthusiastic, left me, her dad, tearfully proud. I had to muster my willpower to fight back tears and respect her independence.
However, when I picked her up after class and asked her about her day, she was nonchalant. “Just so-so,” she said, explaining that they wouldn’t let her call me.
“Ha!” I said. “Yeah they don’t want the kids calling their parents every two seconds. Was this the only reason you didn’t like it?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Okay, cool,” I said. “You just let me know.”
“Okay Dad.”
With this said, her lukewarm response filled my wife and I with concern. Would she be able to adapt to a full day at school?
We offered her the option not to return to the piano school if she didn’t want to. However, we suggested that she should make her decision the following day. To our surprise and relief, she announced the next morning that she wanted to go back.
“Can you pack my lunch in a lunch box and put everything in a backpack?” she asked excitedly.
It seemed that the first-day jitters had passed!
Chapter 2
A few weeks had passed since Alexandria’s first day at the Play Piano Academy summer program, and her enthusiasm hadn’t waned. Each morning, she’d scramble to get ready, all excited about the day’s prospects. Her lunches were carefully packed in her favorite lunch box, and her backpack was filled with her little essentials. Our anxious hearts eased a bit with each passing day. Her initial reluctance to return to the program had completely disappeared, replaced with a newfound zest for learning and exploration.
However, we couldn’t shake off our concerns entirely. We knew that the summer program was vastly different from the full-time schedule at Sussex. A significant portion of our worries stemmed from her experience at Montessori, where she didn’t quite fit in. The Montessori’s structured environment didn’t sit well with our lively little girl. Would Sussex be any different? We hoped it would.
In our hearts, we felt we were making the right choice with Sussex. It was not just about the beautiful campus or the well-qualified teachers. It was about the school’s philosophy and their teaching methods that encouraged creativity, curiosity, and independent thinking. From our interactions with the faculty, it was apparent that the school placed a high emphasis on personal growth, fostering an environment where each child felt valued, understood, and cherished.
Their curriculum seemed to align perfectly with our aspirations for Alexandria. Instead of force-feeding facts, Sussex aimed to cultivate a deep love for learning in each student. They focused on creating experiences that opened up new avenues for understanding the world. We appreciated that they prioritized not just academic growth, but also emotional and social development. In addition to a robust academic plan, they offered a diverse range of extracurricular activities that supported each child’s unique interests. This was exactly the kind of environment we wished for Alexandria.
Preparing Alexandria for her new journey was an ongoing task. We talked to her about her upcoming school days, telling her stories of the fun she would have and the friends she would make. We visited the Sussex campus together, and she was thrilled to see the playground, the art room, and the library stocked with children’s books. Every visit seemed to spark a new enthusiasm in her, a new question about what school would be like.
Yet, the question lingered: Could she really handle full days at Sussex? As parents, it’s instinctual to worry, but we had to trust in her resilience. After all, our little girl was growing up, ready to explore this new world of learning. It was time for us to step back and let her shine.
John Michaels, a Missoula native and author, has been captivating readers with his writing for years. A graduate of Brown University’s esteemed creative writing program, Michaels has spent the majority of his career crafting stories that resonate with his readers and capture the essence of the human experience. Despite the demands of raising children, Michaels has continued to pursue his passions, finding solace in the bustling downtown Missoula scene. There, he spends his free time honing his craft, whether it be working on short stories, playing music, or dedicating himself to his work at Sunflower Counseling, MT.