Parents Partnering with Schools

I attended a Parent Partnership Conference over the weekend. A number of parents from our school went along, as well as from many of the other Christian schools within the movement our school belongs to.

It was a day filled with blessing and profound statements and ideas. The keynote speaker is a teacher I worked with at another Christian school, before I had children. He has a vibrant style and expressed some thought provoking ideas about parenting children in the 21st century and partnering with our Christian schools in that endeavour.

I always come away from these types of events reminded of how very blessed we are to have our children enrolled and attending a dynamic Christian school and enjoying the benefits of the wider school community.

I participated by sharing in one of the six 'parent spots'. I was asked to answer two questions: How does Christian education equip my children for life? and How does partnering with your Christian school involve more that doing 'stuff'? I can't really remember exactly what I said! Something about our children learning to think and discern, not just accept what is taught by society. Something about our children being nurtured as whole people, both their faith and looking at who God intends for them to be and to embrace that person completely.

Then I think I might have said something about scratching beneath the surface of doing things to see why. I'm a 'doer of stuff'...so it took some thinking about! I decided that it's about supporting one another ~ seeing a need and being there for one another in those times, in practical ways and through prayer. And I think I said something about how we talk about being the body of Christ in churches, and that we do the body of Christ stuff in the context of school.

At the end the facilitator said he thought he might have found the next keynote speaker. I didn't think what I said was all that profound. But then, I merely shared what goes on in my head all the time! I certainly don't think I'm keynote speaker material. N-o-o-o-o....I think God's got quite a ways to go if He has that plan in mind!!!!!

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I got my work back from College today ~ all marked and ticked off as 'meets requirements', which I knew. There is a new lecturer in the external studies team and she sent me back a little note congratulating me on my completion of the course and commented that my work has been of a very high standard.

My award (certificate) should arrive sometime soon-ish ~ she applied to have it mailed to me.

And I have left a note for my boss, asking if he would be willing to continue to pay for my study to gain a Cert 4 & Diploma next year. I continue to be excited about the idea of further study. I really have enjoyed what I've done this past year.