I have gone to many different schools throughout my 23 years of living, all ranging from private to public. All of the schools I have gone to had over 300 students. The only small school I had ever attended was Saint Rose of Lima for kindergarten because it’s location was close to my babysitter. I may not know a lot, but I would like to tell you why I think Westlake is such an amazing school.
Ella Nicholas on her way to 4th period
My brother and sister attend Westlake and when I first walked into one of their classroom parties, I was shocked that each class was small enough to have one classroom with the same students. I was used to having 3 or 4 different classes per grade, so there were about 60 students in each grade. But, I think it’s amazing that students will get to graduate with friends that they have gotten to know and become great friends with. I wish I had gone to a small school. A small Bible-believing school. At Westlake, the teachers care. They really, truly care about their students. They strive to give them the best education they can, and the best part? Their love for Jesus shines in their teaching.
Some of my experiences in public school were great. I did have some great teachers. I went to a catholic high school as well, and to be honest, the only difference between the two schools was that I had to go to mass once a month and we did some type of prayer before class. I didn’t receive the authenticity of my teachers until I had gone to college. I think it’s so important for others to understand that allowing your children to attend a school like Westlake, is probably one of the best things you could do for them. The integration of Christ into education is so important.
There are things that I wish I could erase from public school; the bullying, foul language that I learned at a VERY early age and the absence of Christ. I once handed out church tracks to all of my classmates in third grade. My teacher collected them all and told me, “You can’t hand out things about God,” straight to my face. My wonderful mother then stepped in and handled the situation. Then in fifth grade, one of my other friends decided to “play a joke on me” and pretend that her family was a family filled with witch craft; when I decided to tell her about Christ she told me she was kidding. That’s not a funny joke! I’m not trying to say that public school is horrible, I just wish I had gone to a school like Westlake where Christ is the center of everything. I want to take back all of those horrible things and I can, honestly bet that my early education and outlook on the things I learned, would completely be different. In 6th grade, I was taught that the Ziggurat (a type of Mesopotamian temple) was built taller than the Tower of Babel. It was a lie laid out in plain sight in my Social Studies book.
Even though I never attended Westlake, I genuinely appreciate it and I am very happy that my brother and sister will gain the best, Christ-centered education. I thank the Lord that they will not experience half of the things I did while at other schools. I truly believe that this school is here for the furthering of the kingdom and that is something that you can’t get in a lot of places.
-Shelby Nicholas, big sister
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