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Letter from a Parent

Hi Olivet members,

This letter is an attempt to share my heart about what Olivet and all its servants/leaders/members have come to mean to me in the past year.

The Bible says that we are farmers, sowing the seed and tending the earth, and then we wait to see what God will bring forth. We are also sons in need of discipline, and often do not see the benefits of that discipline until 'way down the road when we see the fruit.

Our family joined Olivet back in 2000, when my children were 10, 8 and 5 and we had just moved to Florida.  Back in Lancaster County, PA, I don't believe "umbrella schools," or as they call them now, "nontraditional private schools,"  existed. We home educated there independently, as part of a very large county-wide support group. Upon relocating here, we joined a local support group and Olivet. That first year we realized that we did not have time to maintain membership in both, and Olivet was where my children had made the most friends. So, Olivet it was, and we have enjoyed being members.  Frankly, however, over the years I have had a fair share of personal conflict with the policies of what is really a private school vs. the ideologies of independent homeschooling.  But the positives (accountability, relationships, guidance, opportunities, fun) always outweighed those perceived negatives, so each year we have re-enrolled.

During the past year, however, I have come to appreciate what Olivet is and does in a whole new light.  I believe it started late last year as I looked around at Olivet Day and realized how many great friends I had in the other moms. Then there was the K, 5, 8 graduation. As I sat watching the graduates, I recognized how I had seen many of them grow up in the last 7 years, and that my children had grown up alongside them. That was very meaningful to me, as all my life I have moved from school to school and state to state, and I never had that pleasant continuity.

Then came my daughter Melissa's senior year, and I saw the fruit borne by participating in the requirements and accountability of a private school. The sense I have is that it gave her a whole additional dimension to her developmental experience.  She had all the advantages of being homeschooled, plus the advantage of a local school faculty that knows and can recommend her. She knows that she has excelled not only in her family's eyes, but in the eyes of the school administration as well. She was able to apply for scholarships that she would not have known existed or for which she would not have been eligible. She had a transcript, an official grade-point average, teachers to recommend her, and official community-service-hour forms.  She had the verification of others besides me, which increased her credibility in the eyes of those giving scholarships and, presumably, the eyes of higher educational institutions.  I am not saying that she could not have impressed these people solely on her own merits without a school behind her, or that homeschoolers do not do so on a regular basis in this country.  I am saying that we both feel this was an added dimension in her life that helped smooth the path and added richness to her experience.

I did not attend college, so the entire process of becoming competitive for and applying for scholarships and colleges has been entirely new to me.  Through it, I was able to see this year why Olivet used to require both the SAT and the ACT.  I was able to see why Olivet used to require High School socials. I have seen the value in the writing tests.  I have seen the fruit of having set standards for a high school diploma--from supporting my authority when we were beginning, to clarity of expectations for her, to the accountability that made us actually get the work done, to the confidence we both now have about her high school accomplishments. I am even grateful for those stressful quarterly report deadlines!

I have also seen more clearly the true service and dedication of our volunteer Olivet servants/leaders.  Making sometimes unpopular or irritating standards because they have traveled the road before us. Sharing their experiences for our benefit. Giving sacrificially of their time.  Going above and beyond what they might reasonably be asked to do. I have been repeatedly surprised this year at the extra effort they have taken to help Melissa succeed. At this point in my life, I wish we had the income to pay them all a salary.

I also appreciate what the Olivet family has shared with ours. I have received encouragement, wise counsel, friendship, a listening ear, practical help, and the opportunity to minister to others.  We have many times been incredibly provided for by loaned curriculum. Olivet day teachers have blessed my children with opportunities, experiences, and a really good time.  We've had fantastic field trips.  And my children have forged meaningful friendships and enjoyed social stability

Thank you, Olivet, for all the ways you have been a vessel for God's grace to us these 8 years.  May He continue to provide the resources for this ministry to continue for many years to come, and may our family have the opportunity and means to contribute to it.

Sincerely,

Robin Becker