Parents today have myriad options for educating their children. Choosing the right school involves considering a number of factors relative to each student’s academic temperament. Considerations for parents include the quality of education, class size, social environment and cost. Independent schools come with unique costs, such as tuition, books, supplies and uniforms, and they offer unique benefits that easily outweigh their cost. Schools like Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, offer an experience that cannot be matched.

Making a School Choice     

The sound of children working intently, their laughter on the playground, their happy voices in conversation at lunch, the sight of a teacher helping a student one on one: these are things we all think of, when we think of school. Finding a learning environment where your child is engaged in their studies and surrounded by supportive adults and peers is important to every parent.  Choosing among Tampa Bay’s myriad options can be overwhelming. According to PrivateSchoolReview.com, independent schools like Shorecrest Preparatory School, serve almost 20,000 students in Pinellas County.

Limiting screen time probably ranks near the top of most “Dreaded Parental Duties” lists. Finding the right balance between “I just need a few minutes of peace” and the endless playback loop of Netflix is never easy. In my house, our rule is no screens after school, since the Bubble Guppies join us for breakfast on many mornings. To tell the truth, I thought I was doing pretty well in the screen-limitation-parenting department, until the afternoon that my three year old tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Mommy, leave the phone down. Play with me.” Clearly, limiting my son’s screen time wasn’t enough. I also needed to check my own digital devices at the door. It was a hard thing to hear.

We’ve all heard the joke of the crotchety grandfather opining on his childhood: “When I was your age, I had to walk ten miles to school through the snow - and it was uphill both ways!” While the humor lies in the obvious exaggeration, this tongue-in-cheek statement also suggests its inverse: Our children generally ride to school in a climate-controlled vehicle with the windows rolled up. Indeed, much of their lives are lived indoors, or in a sanitized version of the outdoors, free of perils and bugs and other discomforts (as much as we adults can help it).

Close your eyes with me for a moment and think back to your elementary school days. Feel the bubbling excitement that welled up as you arrived at school, brown paper lunch sack in hand, school bus idling in the parking lot. Today, you are leaving your pencils in your desk. It’s field trip day.