I am Kalea’s mom, Emily. Kalea is a sweet and smart seven-year-old girl. She has a soft and loving heart. She helps take care of her little sister and one-year-old baby brother. Her baby brother, Josiah, has down syndrome and spent the whole first year of his life fighting to survive in the cardiac ICU. Through this journey she has learned the importance of family, praying for others, taking care of each other, and sacrifice. She’s had to sacrifice a lot of time away from her mommy and daddy, so we could take care of her brother at the hospital. She was strong and helped comfort her sister throughout this tough time.
Kalea prays every day for her brother to be healed. He finally came home a few months ago and has 10 different life-sustaining pieces of equipment including a ventilator, feeding machines, pulse ox, suction, etc. We pretty much have an ICU at home because he’s still critical. Kalea said to me, “mommy, this is what I was born to do. To help take care of my brother.” I couldn’t be more proud of how caring and humble she is. I think this shows a lot about her character and leadership, her little sister follows her lead.
We chose ACA because they hold the same faith and beliefs as we do and it feels more like a family than a school. The top three reasons we love ACA are:
First, the classroom sizes are small. Usually, classes have less than 10 students in them and the teacher is able to spend more quality time with my daughter. Second, each student is on their own learning path. This allows my daughter to speed up in areas where she’s proficient and slow down in areas where she needs more time. The teacher spends quality time with each student to teach lessons one-on-one. Some students might be on lesson 25 and another on lesson 50. They learn at their speed.Third, the no homework rule. I love this! My daughter works very hard at school, and when she comes home family time is very important to us.
School choice has made a big difference for us. My daughter attended our local school before switching and it just wasn’t a good fit for her. One example would be the day I arrived at school to pick her up. It was a very big school and somewhat intimidating for her. She was five years old at the time. So when I arrived to pick her up, she wasn’t there. They didn’t even know she was missing until I arrived. It was upsetting for her and me. We all panicked, thinking somehow she got in someone else’s car, but eventually, we found her lost and crying in the school. We realized she got lost walking in the hallway and couldn’t find her way. We feel very blessed to have the choice to switch her to a school that is a good fit for her. Also, a school where we don’t have to worry about her being made fun of for praying at lunchtime either. It’s been so good for her and without these scholarships, it wouldn’t be possible!
“Without these scholarships, ACA just wouldn’t be an option for our family.”
I do believe every family should have the privilege to choose the school for their child. Also, to receive a scholarship that makes choice possible. Without these scholarships ACA just wouldn’t be an option for our family. We simply couldn’t afford it. I would strongly suggest trying to apply, it’s been a huge blessing for our family. I had no idea private school was an option and affordable until I tried. I’m so thankful.
School choice gives my family the opportunity to choose the best school for our daughter. It means my daughter not only can learn her schoolwork but also share with others her love of Jesus. She can pray openly at school and learn Bible scriptures. She can be comfortable without judgment.
