HOW TO SUCCEED at THE OAKS
ST. AUGUSTINE
"In order to discover the character of people, we have only to observe what they love."
1. DISCIPLINE ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD.
We believe that a healthy school culture depends upon faithful correction at school and at home. We create this culture together. Many parents are attracted to what they find here and they hope that The Oaks will provide the discipline and training that they are unwilling to provide at home. God's Word provides all the encouragement, wisdom, and practical understanding we need as parents to adequately train our children for life. If you feel that this is an area in which you may need to improve (and who doesn't?), we encourage you to seek wisdom from the Scriptures and to read Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Ted Tripp. For parents of older children, read Age of Opportunity, by Ted Tripp.
2. BECOME A LIFE-LONG LEARNER.
Let your children see you learning, reading, and discovering. Your children will assume the view of education that they see in you. If you think of education as something limited to school, then they will begin to think likewise. If you think of education as a life-long pursuit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, then they will begin to pursue this as well.
3. READ TO YOUR CHILDREN.
Reading with your children is one of the single most effective way of improving their self-control, imagination, creativity, vocabulary, writing skills' nd auditory processing. Fostering a love of books will lead your child to become a life-long reader, thus a life-long learner. By ages three and four, most children are capable of learning to sit through short novels such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Little House on the Prairie, The Adventures of Homer price. If you would like to learn more about what to read to your child, Honey for a Child's Heart is an excellent resource.
4. COMMUNICATE WITH US.
Communication is the weakest link in any organization whether it be a family, church, or school. Communicating our appreciation, concern, fear, and disappointment should be a natural and regularly occurring event in the classroom, hallway, or on the phone. Doing this within the parameters of Scripture will enable us to bring glory to God and build up others instead of tearing them down.
5. DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS.
The Oaks is not just a school, it's a family. We rejoice with each other and mourn with each other. If you want more out of your school than an educational environment, then develop relationships. Volunteer. Serve brunch to fellow parents. Hold a Bible study to parallel what your children are learning in their Bible class. Develop a reading circle and read books that our older students are reading.
6. ESTABLISH PRIORITIES FOR HOME LIFE.
The home is your child's first and foremost school. Whatever happens at home will be more powerful than anything outside of school in the formation of your child. At home, your child learns how to think about God, others, and the world. He learns how to play, work, worship, relax, eat, and interact with others. He learns how to respond to hardship and how to celebrate the joys of life. Children who are the most successful at The Oaks come from homes that have prioritized family time over extracurricular busyness. Godly home life is not something that can be accomplished by rare tropical storms of spiritual teaching. If we are to be effective, it will be accomplished by keeping the relative spiritual humidity very high.
7. ESTABLISH CONSISTENT SLEEP HABITS.
Sleep is very important to the healthy development of children. Sports and activity schedules, along with the additional responsibilities of homework can lead to late nights that take a toll on the body and mind. Parents who want their children to succeed would be wise to carefully select extracurricular activities and make sure that sleep is a priority.
8. GET INVOLVED.
Teachers rely on parent help throughout the school year. Parents who volunteer their time in their children's school feel more connected to what is going on, are more appreciate of the overall goals, and are better able to positivity affect their child's education. Ask your child's teacher how you can help.
The Oaks would not function without the help of parents who volunteer their time and skills to assist our teachers and staff. Parents often volunteer in the classroom, organize special projects, drive children on field trips, put up bulletin boards, assist students who need individual reading time, and even help grade.
9. DEVELOP & MAINTAIN GOOD HOMEWORK HABITS.
To assist families, we have made it a policy that only homework that is essential to the child's mastery of a skill or concept should be assigned. That's why we expect that assigned work be completed in a timely manner. Homework matters. With this in mind, parents may benefit from the following suggestions: find a consistent, distraction free, location for homework and check your child's planner to make sure he is recording assignments due and when he completed them.
10. AIM HIGHER THAN A 4.0.
Parents who remember that grades are not the end game of learning will raise children who know that success is not measured simply by the score attached to work. Children who do their work heartily and make mistakes with integrity while receiving average grades bring great honor to God. We are here to trace God's fingerprint on the world. Let us do so with eagerness and gladness.
PRAY
Good parenting is never accomplished apart from the grace of God. That's why we pray for our children, looking to the Lord for help in this great endeavor. That's why we pray for and with our kids, leading them to God's throne room in humble and joyful thanksgiving while teaching them how to petition the Lord.
ANTICIPATE BLESSING
Many of us anticipate scarcity rather than abundance. Our meager faith is absorbed by our children and they, in turn, learn that God does not have their good in mind. Successful parenting anticipates God's goodness and raises up the next children to rejoice at God's incredible goodness.
FORGIVE
Success at The Oaks will hinge on how well and how often we ask forgiveness from each other. How well do we ask forgiveness from each other and how well do we give it? Parents to kids, kids to parents, teachers to students, students to teachers, teachers to parents, and parents to teachers. Forgiveness is the soil of gladness.
