Lutheran School -?

[OrlandoCatholic]

My wife and our nearly 4 year-old son live in Clermont, Florida, which is just west of Orlando. Clermont has a Catholic parish (for many years) but no school (closest Catholic school is 45 minutes away) except for a 3 year-old program and a pre-K program for 4 year-olds. This particular part of our county is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. The parishe’s pre-school has a long waiting list of children waiting to get into their programs. Incredibly, in spite of this, their pre-school director informed me they are cutting back the size of their pre-K program. My wife and I were interested in the possibility of our son attending our parishe’s pre-K program. Now we know it is virtually unlikely that he will be able to attend.

We visited a small Lutheran school (3 year-old through 2nd grade for a total of 5 grade/age levls) that has a total enrollment of 63 children. My wife and I were very impressed with the school, its staff and their curriculum.

My father, who was born and raised a Catholic (as were my wife and I) is against the idea of our son going to a Lutheran (or any other non-Catholic demonination) school. Although he is not as concerned with the pre-K aspect of the school, he is concerned that we will elect to keep him there and that he will grow up a Lutheran. Instead he feels that our son should go the local public school so that he is not “tainted” (my word) by the teachings of the Lutherans.

I know it’s not my father’s decision and that we must do what we feel is best for our son. My father is not going to disown us over this. But he will be very disturbed if we send our son to this Lutheran school.

What are your thoughts and advice please? Thank you.

 

[1ke]

I would not send my child to a religious-based school that was not Catholic.

They will, by design, be taught non-Catholic doctrine and practices and their faith will be subverted. There could be all sorts of unintended fall out from exposure to non-Catholic ideas.

That goes counter to the parental responsibility of raising the child in the Catholic faith.

 

[OrlandoCatholic]

What true “faith” does a 4 year-old have that can be subverted in a Lutheran pre-k program? Is it possible that Lutheran and Catholic pre-school kids (and older) are hearing the same stories and learning the same lessons?

What’s wrong with explaining (when the child is old enough to understand) one’s reasons for believing that the Catholic faith is correct and the reasons why? I went to Catholic schools all my life and I remember the classes to be dry and boring and we were fed information and told what we believed. There was no analysis of other faiths so that we could differentiate them for our own supposed “belief”.

Is it truly better to send one’s child to a public school that may very well be plagued with violence, drugs, sex and other deviant and sinful behavior as opposed to going to a Lutheran school which has a Christian atmosphere, not to mention one in which learning and self-esteem are built?

As for my parental responsibility to raise my child as Catholic, what happens when there is no local Catholic school to attend even though the parish has been here for years and is located in the biggest city in the county (Lake)? I think it is the Catholic church that is not fulfilling their responsibility to provide us with a reasonable means to give our child a Catholic education.

Anyway, Ike, I do appreciate your feedback even if I don’t necessarily agree with it. But keep talking to me, if you like, and perhaps I’ll see things differently. Thank you.

 

[devotus]

X-lutheran here

I went to 7th grade through HS in a lutheran school before converting to Catholicism later on in life

There are serveral flavors of lutheran … some conservative (Missouri Synod) … others very liberal ( ECLA )

Even being a Traditional Catholic, I would be ok with sending my kids to a conservative christian school vs public school

In fact, i do that very same thing…since teh catholic schools here do not teach catholicism but are more concerned with diversity and feelings…

Best advise is Prayer

 

[puzzleannie]

I guess your answer for your child will depend on how this school compares to available alternatives. All I can share is my experience with children who come to our CCD programs and are attending non-Catholic religious schools during the week. These include a fair number of children from a Lutheran,\ & Episcopal school, and from various “Christian” schools, non-denom, mostly evangelical or fundamentalist. There is not a Baptist school here, but we also have a fair number of kids who participate in Awana, a children’s bible program, mainly to be with their friends.

Overall these are the children and families who have the hardest time distinguishing what is specific to Catholic teaching from what is more general Christian doctrine. it is nearly impossible to convey the Catholic definition of the Real Presence for instance to children who have been taught altered versions at their school. This is the biggest problem with the Episcopal and Lutheran backgrounds. The parents as a whole seem to have to attitude that “all religions are alike anyhow”. Many of these families are mixed religion, which by itself always puts the child in the middle of a conflict when he begins RE.

The children in Baptist or fundamentalist schools or programs also have problems, mainly because they are so “bible literate” from that fundamentalist, literalist persective. The can be very argumentative, insisting that the black or white interpretation they were taught is the only right one–call no man father, bible only, salvation etc. These children also are usually getting mixed messages at home as well.

If you can present a solid Catholic front at home, and make sure your child is being taught at home the essentials of Catholic faith and practice, you may not have these problems. But to me it seems unfair to put a child in a position where he hears one message all week at school, and something different at CCD on the weekend. Of course, public school families face this problem as well, in different arenas.

all that being said, I doubt a PreK program is going to be presenting much doctrine on any more than a generic level so you probably not have a problem right now with this school.

 

[EddieArent]

Chances are the Lutheran school is more Catholic than the Orlando diocese schools here. Sad state of affairs. Bishop Wenski should have long ago overhauled the office of religious education (lead by Sister Gaupin, known for attending & speaking at Mahoney’s “religious” extravaganzas) but that isn’t going to happen any time soon.

 

[Jennifer_J]

You and your wife are the first teachers of your child. Really, honestly, children don’t NEED preschool and benefit from being with their parents.

You can approach this from 2 ways though, send your child to the Lutheran school and teach him the Catholic faith at home or send them to a public school and then teach him the Catholic faith at home. As you can see, you and your wife are going to HAVE to teach the Catholic faith at home, that’s you’re job. You also need to evaluate the public schools in your area and see what they are teaching. Also be aware that if your child starts at the Lutheran or the public school you are less likely to move them from the school (which I imagine what your father is worried about in the Lutheran school). You also have a third option of just homeschooling, esp if the Lutheran school and the public school don’t truly meet your needs.

Pray for discernment in the matter.

Jennifer

 

[tamccrackine]

I tried posting earlier but kept getting some type of error… anyway…

I’m with Jennifer J on this topic. YOU are your child’s first teachers. In everything, not just “home” subjects. Whether you enlist the help of outside resources will be up to you. It is NOT the Church’s responsibility to provide you with a solid Catholic education for your children. YOU are responsible.

I don’t believe a four year old will convert to Lutheranism if you send your kid to that school for preschool. I personally would feel that a Lutheran school is actually better than a public school because at least God would be taught. You can always supplement at home with Catholicism and since there isn’t as drastic of a difference between Lutheranism and Catholicism (unlike say… Baptist and Catholic) then you won’t have too much to worry about until they reach sacramental age (for First Communion and Reconciliation). I wouldn’t hesitate to send my child to a Lutheran school if that was the only school available that I considered decent. I refuse to send my children to public school and a private school has to meet up to certain standards.

good luck, pray alot and consider homeschooling!

 

[kage_ar]

We would choose secular private, public or home school before a non-Catholic Christian school. Because of our family location and situation, our very devout Catholic son has attended public schools - and he is very strong in his Faith.

 

[BlestOne]

We just opened our Pre K program at our Catholic School. For years the parents had to make the choice between Lutheran, Methodist and a secular preschool program. Most of the Catholic parents chose the Lutheran one. When my boss was looking for pre-school for his daughter, I got to take him around to interview all the schools in the area. He chose the Lutheran one too. My boss had me pick up and take his little girl there several times when he was out of the country (they are from Japan and his wife couldn’t drive). Pre school is pre school… I wouldn’t worry about doctrine. I would recommend a Catholic grade school though because when it comes time for sacraments, you definitely want what they are taught to be from the Catholic view.

 

[Em_in_FL]

Hello fellow Orlandonian!


Tough question. I know how much your area is booming… just amazing!
Well… you have several options if you do not get into the parish pre-K program…

1. Go for the Lutheran school… you’re right, at this age the differences in the faith aren’t going to be much of an issue.
2. Look into the public school in your area. Thankfully, we’re blessed to be living in a very good public school district (up in Seminole County), so this is a likely option for us.
3. Move. Either closer to another Catholic parish or to a better public district.

We’re going to debate our decision until the bitter end. My oldest son just turned 4… and he goes to the preschool at our parish. We would love for our boys to attend our parish school (it’s wonderful!), but financially we may not be able to cut it. Thankfully our public disctrict is a great backup plan.

God bless and good luck with your decision!

 

[1ke]

What true “faith” does a 4 year-old have that can be subverted in a Lutheran pre-k program?

You’re kidding me, right?

Is it possible that Lutheran and Catholic pre-school kids (and older) are hearing the same stories and learning the same lessons?

No, it’s not possible.

Both might read the story in John 6, but the explanation would be quite different as to the Real Presence. Both might read about Peter, but the Lutheran school would not teach that Peter was the first Pope. Both might read about the Wedding at Cana-- but the Lutherans would not teach about Mary’s intercession.

The list goes on infinitely. The stories are the same, but the doctrine and theology is completely different.

Kids ask questions. If your child asks a question in class, they will get a Lutheran answer.

Prayers will not begin with the Sign of the Cross. What if you child crosses himself and is told that it is wrong to do so?

The Lord’s Prayer will be taught differently. The Hail Mary will not be taught at all.

The child will go to Lutheran liturgies. A four year old can become confused very easily.

But, he will make friends there and then will want to keep going there. It will be hard to say “pre-school and that’s it”… this school goes on up into the grades where he should be preparing for First Communion and Reconciliation. Again, getting mixed and contradictory messages.

What’s wrong with explaining (when the child is old enough to understand) one’s reasons for believing that the Catholic faith is correct and the reasons why?

Because children are not adults. Developmentally their brains do not think abstractly. They get confusing messages, and they cannot abstract and compartmentalize in the way you are suggesting. They will likely respond with simple things like “my teacher says…” and will believe what the teacher says. Your attempts on the back end to correct what has already been learned will be difficult and perhaps futile.

I went to Catholic schools all my life and I remember the classes to be dry and boring and we were fed information and told what we believed. There was no analysis of other faiths so that we could differentiate them for our own supposed “belief”.

It may have been “boring” but it was CORRECT. And, comparitive religion has no place at the elementary and junior high grades. Maybe in high school, but certainly not before.

Is it truly better to send one’s child to a public school that may very well be plagued with violence, drugs, sex and other deviant and sinful behavior as opposed to going to a Lutheran school which has a Christian atmosphere, not to mention one in which learning and self-esteem are built?

You don’t think you can find sex, drugs, and deviant behavior in a Catholic or a Lutheran or any “Christian” school? You cannot assume an environment in which there will be no contact with things of the world. These things plague society and will be in whatever school you choose to send your child to.

Yes, if I had to choose between the two, I would send my kid to a public school before I would send them to a non-Catholic religious school. I would have less to un-teach.

As for my parental responsibility to raise my child as Catholic, what happens when there is no local Catholic school to attend even though the parish has been here for years and is located in the biggest city in the county (Lake)? I think it is the Catholic church that is not fulfilling their responsibility to provide us with a reasonable means to give our child a Catholic education.

You seem to be confused. It is not the Church’s responsibility to teach your child the faith, it is yours.

It is the Church’s responsibility to provide the Sacraments.

 

[carol_marie]

My son goes to a Lutheran pre-K program that is Christian - Jesus loves you … do unto others… that sort of thing. He did learn the Lord’s prayer & was a bit confused by the longer ending. No real biggie though…

But we would not send him there for elementary school because they spend the entire month of November celebrating the Reformation & Martin Luther - as they should, since it’s a Lutheran School. We would not want our child to sing songs & color pictures about Our Hero Martin. They also go to chapel held in the Church once a week.

 

[dwc]

I also would not send my child to any religious school other than Catholic. I think it would be better to send them to a public school while on a waiting list to attend Catholic s hool, for reasons stated by others.

As an aside, a mother at my kids’ Catholic school is pulling her son out. She’s a pretty high strung person and abrasive and has had conflicts with a lot of the administration, parents and teachers at the school, and feels the need to start fresh. Fine. She tells me they’re sending him to a Lutheran school. I asked her why not Catholic? She told me she talked to the principal of the Lutheran school and he told her they’re Catholic, just Catholic-lite. I was speechless.

 

[dulcissima]

Why don’t you check out a Montessori school? They are excellent for pre-schoolers.

I’m getting ready to go back to college to get my master’s degree in education, and am about 90% certain that I am going to go to a Lutheran college. There is no way that I would ever send any of my kids to a Lutheran preschool, elementary, or high school. Young minds are just too impressionable. My 4 year old goes to a Catholic preschool.

 

[slackernerd]

I went to a Protestant preschool when I was 4 but I really don’t remember much of it. Around then, my parents stopped going to church(my mom was Catholic, my dad was unitarian). I went to Catholic school in 8th-12th grade. In 10th grade I also started going to youth group with my best friend and I officially joined the Church not long after that. My parents had sent me to Catholic school for the education. They sent my brother to Adventist school in 9th-12th for similar reasons. In college he joined Adventist social and music groups and he joined the Adventist church.

I’ve discussed religion with him some. With minimal/no religious background prior to adolescence(when I started in 8th grade, I didn’t know what the sign of the cross was), we both felt something missing in our lives. After I started getting involved with the Catholic church, it was so much easier for me to let go of my anger and my stress, to know that no matter what, God was looking after me. My brother has reported similar feelings of comfort.

It would be nice if all the Christian churches could unite into one. It is nice to worship Christ along with my brother though, even if we are members of different churches.