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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Kolleen DeGraff, Co-Founder and Principal |
