WHAT PARENTS LOVE ABOUT LIAHONA PREPARATORY ACADEMY

Parents have big dreams for their children which require a top notch education

Parents typically picture their children as the next President of the United States, astronaut to Mars, Prophet of the Church, or that scientist that cures cancer. They enroll their children in school hoping and praying that the educational institution will have the same dreams for their child. Unfortunately, often the kids come home with the attitude of "conformity," "political correctness," and worse, experts on where to find the nearest abortion clinic, and the advantages of same-sex attraction. On occasion they might even squeeze in some READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC if you are lucky. Not good material for breeding greatness in your child.

That's why I found Liahona Preparatory Academy so appealing. When I became disgruntled about government controlled education, I tried Homeschooling. It was a wonderful, yet exhausting experience. My children excelled faster doing half the hours of their public school experience. It was by happenstance ("providence") that I found LPA and started using their video program for my students. I was amazed at how much my children loved school. We started having very stimulating conversations about world events over dinner. We discussed history, science, and I watched in amazement as they came alive with the light of the Gospel intertwined with their subjects.

Located in Pleasant Grove, Utah

My daughter cried on the last day of school and wished there was summer school. The kid who hated school before then. As usual, I got involved and volunteered in the programs and activities, chaperoning dances and trips, and youth conferences and saw first hand the magic of the school. Other parents were just as excited as I was and also jumped in to get involved.

Four of my children graduated from this fine institution, and now that I look back, I ask myself what made it such a great school? Here is what I have come up with:

Seeking proper education for our children can be a daunting task. 

• THEY ATTRACT GOOD KIDS
• THEIR TEACHERS ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR SUBJECTS
• THEY DO NOT LEAVE OUT TRUTH IN ORDER TO LEAVE RELIGION OUT
• THEY BEGIN EACH DAY WITH PRAYER
• THEY TEACH LOVE OF COUNTRY
• THEY BEGIN EACH DAY WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
• THEY HAVE A SMALL TOWN COMMUNITY FEELING
• THEY KEEP A HIGHLY DISCIPLINED STUDENT BODY AND STAFF
• THEY HAVE A DRESS STANDARD WITHOUT UNIFORMS
• THEY SCORE ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE ON THE A.C.T.
• MY CHILDREN LOVED SCHOOL
• THEY HAVE EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
• THEY OFFER COLLEGE CREDITS
• THEY OFFER SUPER TRIPS DURING THE SUMMER, EITHER SERVICE, OR HISTORY ORIENTED 
• AND YOUTH CONFERENCES AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL AT BYU'S  BEAUTIFUL ASPEN GROVE
• HOME SCHOOL FAMILIES CAN BE PART OF THE LIAHONA COMMUNITY ONLINE, AND ARE INVITED TO SUPER TRIPS AND YOUTH CONFERENCES

I don't know about you, but those are enough reasons for any parent to be more than satisfied about their children's learning institution and opportunities. My children are now grown and gone, they have become wonderful adults who are contributing members of society. They are great spouses and parents. I look back and can honestly say that I fulfilled my responsibility as a parent to offer the best education possible to my children in order to build a firm foundation for the rest of their lives. I give credit in large part to my choice in pulling them out of public schools, and putting them into this wonderful Liahona Preparatory Academy. 

Brother DeGraff is a favorite teacher for his fun, passionate approach to History

WHAT ARE LIAHONA PREPARATORY ACADEMY "SUPER TRIPS?"

When my children first started attending Liahona Preparatory Academy around the year 2000, we were introduced to the concept of "Super Trips." During a school year, the students would study a certain aspect of history, be it U.S. or World, mingled with where Christ's gospel was at that time. They learned about the inspired religious reformers who tried to get the scriptures to the average person, sometimes at the costs of their lives. 

They learned about their Founding Fathers, and the spiritual reasons why God needed to have a free country in order to establish His true church on the earth. My children were riveted by these histories that came alive in Brother DeGraff's history class. He made them own their history, their responsibility to acquaint themselves with their Constitution, and instilled in them a love of their country. 

Then, as if that wasn't enough, "Super Trips" during the summer were offered to both Academy and Online Students around the nation. These trips took students (and volunteer parent chaperones) to places around the nation, and sometimes Europe, to see for themselves where the foundation for their free lives were created. 

Many trips back east included both U.S. and Church Histories, including Washington DC and surrounding popular historical tourist sites,  as well as New York and the Joseph Smith homes, temples, and Cumorah Pageant. 

One year we traveled to Europe during the studies of World History. We visited the castle in London, England and watched the changing of the guard. We traveled all through England, including Liverpool where the Beatles had their start, and where the Saints took their voyage to the United States. Scotland was also a highlight. 

Many summer trips were spent in some part of Mexico where the students experienced the Book of Mormon ruins, and had opportunities to do service for the poor, and orphanages. These kids rebuilt roofs for hurricane ridden towns, restored orphanage water storage tanks, and built playground equipment for the children, providing clothing, and school supplies. They played with the children while others painted their school house. They helped to plant gardens and teach them how to grow food. They purchased with their own funds clothing, such as underwear and shoes. We gave free hair-cuts to men, women, and children of all ages. 

Doctors and dentists were brought in to care for those sick and poor country-men, while the students repainted their dilapidated community center. The students had a chance to see for themselves how very blessed they are to live in the United States, what abundance they enjoy, how poorly some live, and how much THEY can do to make a difference in the world. 

It was what any good parent would hope for, for their children's life education. I felt like a wonderful parent offering these opportunities to my children to grow in ways they could not typically in public schools. My kids learned compassion, hard work, and expanded their horizons. They felt like there was nothing that they couldn't do to contribute to their world. Their testimonies of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ were strengthened. Their love of country solidified. 

When my four children graduated from this fine institution, they had more than a typical education. They had a foundation for life. Now my children are grown and have launched their own lives, including raising families on their own. I look at their solid lives and pat myself on the back for having given them the opportunities to stretch and grow at the inspired Liahona Preparatory Academy and their amazing "Super Trips." 

Written by Lisa McDougle

GOD, COUNTRY, AND FAMILY emphasis taught at Liahona Preparatory Academy

As parents, we take seriously the charge for the education of our children. We recognize the importance this foundation will provide for the future of our off-spring, and whether they will be contributors to society, or drains on society. As a mother, myself, I was not always satisfied with the options given me for my precious children. I have tried public schools. Sometimes my children had wonderful teachers who made my children feel important, who stretched them and made them disciplined in learning. But sometimes their teachers made them feel badly about themselves, or had no control of the class. I felt helpless as my child was stuck with this destructive influence for a whole year.

Wanting to know exactly what my children were learning in school, I volunteered to help in the class. There I learned that much time is wasted while the teacher waits on the slowest child in the classroom. I learned that after the teachers covered the Federal agenda's, there wasn't much time left for READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC.

I pulled them out of school for a month while I underwent treatments in another state. I brought with me my two daughters school work, but only had time to work with them for about an hour a day. When we returned to their schools, I worried about how behind my children would be. I was greatly surprised to find that they were ahead of their classes. They also scored higher on their tests.

Shortly after this experience I pulled them out of school and homeschooled. I previously had been harsh on my judgment toward these "crazy families" who thought they could do better than the public schools. I had learned that with one hour a day I actually did. Imagine how my children could grow if I worked with them for two or three hours?

That year my children were tested (it was required for homeschoolers in WA). They tested off the charts. I could not believe it. We had accomplished in 1/3 the time more than the public schools had done in 6 hours with my children. I was sold.

While I took on the responsibility of teaching the basics of education, it was also important to me to instill in them the love of their God, their country, and family. I just wished that I could find information that would support these efforts. The library had been stripped of anything that ever used the word "slave." To me, I felt like I had witnessed a book burning like that in Germany. I could not find a book on President John Adams because he had slaves. I could not find much on history at all. But I found plenty of books such as "I have two daddy's." I was infuriated with the stealing of our heritage from the library's in order to forward the liberal agenda's I was trying to escape in the public school arena.

When my children approached the ages of Jr. High and High School I felt like they needed more than what I could give them. That's when I discovered Liahona Preparatory Academy. I was in love with their focus on GOD, COUNTRY, AND FAMILY. It was exactly what I wanted to instill into their hearts. I wanted them to be God loving and serving, Patriotic with a great gratitude for those who went before us in history, and have a feeling of loyalty and service toward their kin.

Brent DeGraff is passionate about his subject, and makes history come alive for his students. 

As I listened to the lessons taught I could not sign up my children fast enough. Then in return, they would come home from school excited about what they had learned that day. They would discuss current events at the dinner table. They would tell us about providential events that took place in history. They became passionate about learning.

The best indicator that I had found the right place was when my second child cried the day school let out. She was the one who had hated school (public) and was convinced by her teacher she was dumb. She became their student body president, and blossomed under the tender care of the Liahona faculty. My children interacted with the same teachers throughout their whole Jr. High and High School careers. These teachers knew my students well and had become their friends and cheer leaders. When they graduated, they left a faculty who truly loved them. My children often return to visit their alma-mater administrators and teachers. I have never seen this reaction to those students coming out of public schools, I know when I graduated I never looked back.

Rylie Elder, an excited graduate

The things that made this school stand out for me.

• PASSIONATE TEACHERS ABOUT THEIR SUBJECTS
• ALMOST HIGHEST ACT SCORES IN UTAH
• RECORDED CLASSES ON INTERNET FOR HOMESCHOOLERS ACROSS THE NATION AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES
• STRONG FEELING OF PATRIOTISM AND LOVE OF COUNTRY, AND THE STUDENT'S DUTY TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION
• TYING IN GOD'S PURPOSES IN HISTORY, AND THE STUDENT'S DUTY TO KEEP FAITHFUL VIGIL OVER THE SPIRITUAL 
• SUPER TRIPS TO PLACES THEY WERE LEARNING ABOUT THAT YEAR (CHURCH AND U.S. HISTORY TOURS, EUROPE, MEXICO AND BOOK OF MORMON TOURS...)
• SUPER HUMANITY TRIPS TO INSTILL COMPASSION AND A SENSE OF GIVING BACK INTO OUR SPOILED KIDS (SERVICE TO NEW TEMPLES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, TO ORPHANAGES IN MEXICO, MEDICAL/DENTAL SERVICE TO THE POOR OF MEXICO, REBUILDING HURRICANE DESTROYED VILLAGE IN MEXICO, ETC.) 
• YOUTH CONFERENCES AT ASPEN GROVE, A WEEK OF LEARNING AND SOCIALIZING WITH DISTANT LEARNING STUDENTS
• HIGH STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR, DRESS, AND SPEECH EXPECTED
• EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SPORTS, DRAMA, ART, MUSIC, ETC. 
• THE TEACHERS REALLY CARE ABOUT THE STUDENTS
• UP-TO-DATE WITH TECHNOLOGY; IE, WEBSITES, PODCASTS, FACEBOOK, BLOGS..
• TOP NOTCH STUDENT BASE
• NEW BUILDING FACILITY, BEAUTIFUL AND FUNCTIONAL
• GREAT FACULTY 

No Educational program could compete with the opportunities that were afforded my children while they attended this amazing institution. My children traveled to places they had never been, had seen they way others live compared to them, gained compassion and appreciation for the great blessings that they have, and gained an initiative to make the world a better place in any small way that they could. Even if it was just holding and giving love to an orphan, installing a playground set in the orphanage, providing clean water for them and school supplies and clothing. 

My four daughters have graduated now, having been given that foundation that we hoped, as parents, they would have to go forward as they make their difference in the world, and as they raise their children in righteousness, and in love of country. 

I have no doubt that the founders of this great school, Brent and Kolleen DeGraff, are very inspired in this effort to make sure that when the "constitution hangs by a thread," some youth out there will know what to do to step up. It is what we were born in these last days to do, and now I feel confident that my children, and others, will do so.

Kolleen DeGraff, Co-Founder and Principal