The first field trip of the school year is always an exciting time, and Foundations Christian School is no different. Tomorrow, September 26, 2014, our kids will be embarking on a day-long field trip to Animal Adventure Park. If they've never been there, they will enjoy every minute of the fun. 

Animal Adventure Park is in Harpursville, NY, and it's an interactive animal park where kids can learn all about the animals they see. They'll get the opportunity to feed some of them too, which is an awesome experience. Animal Adventure Park has zebras, turtles, llamas, a mountain lion, and so many more beautiful animals. What a great way to appreciate how different and complex all of God's creatures are! 

If your child is a student planning on going on the field trip, we want to remind you to please make sure he or she is dressed for the cooler weather in the morning. Layers are perfect because it is supposed to be a really nice day tomorrow. You can feel free to keep their backpacks at home, too, but please send their lunches, complete with napkins and plastic forks, spoons, etc. 

This might be our first field trip, but it won't be our last. We're having a great time enjoying the 2014-2015 school year, and we're just getting started!

If you would like more information about Foundations Christian School for your kids, we would love to talk to you! You're welcome to take a tour of our new location, right here at Big Flats Wesleyan Church in Big Flats, NY, and our administrators are more than willing to answer any of your questions. If you're tired of the public school scene, and you think a Christian education would be right for your kids, please contact us today! 

**Photo courtesy of www.animaladventurepark.com**

Many parents have spent the 2013-2014 school year cringing over everything from Common Core standards to reports of bullying their kids have experienced in school. If you're reading this post, you may be able to relate, and it's possible that you have started to think about a different form of education for your children. 

Homeschooling and private Christian schools are becoming more and more popular with parents because of their desires to remove their children from public schools. There are many benefits of each, of course. As a parent, it's up to you to make the decision that's best for your children, and for your family. Let's take a look at a few of those benefits. 

Homeschool

Homeschooling has many obvious benefits that many families have enjoyed for years. Parents enjoying having more control over their child's curriculum. They get to decide (within the state's standards) what information is learned by their children, and when they learn it. Parents also have the opportunity to show their kids how much fun learning can be. A simple trip to the grocery store suddenly turns into a math lesson, or a family vacation to Gettysburg doubles as a history field trip. Kids benefit from homeschooling because they are given the individual attention they need (and crave) allowing them to work on areas where they seem to struggle the most in ways that just aren't possible in a public school setting. 

Private Christian School

Private Christian schools are another excellent education alternative for families. When both parents work, homeschooling presents many challenges, especially for younger children. A private Christian school also offers children the chance to grow and mature socially, even though many areas offer similar programs for families of homeschooled children. Christian schools provide teaching that upholds the Christian values that are important to parents, and positive "peer pressure" aids in the adoption of these values at home. Many Christian schools are also small enough that students can enjoy one on one communication with their teachers on a regular basis, giving them the extra help they need, and allowing them to excel at their own paces. 

Here at Foundations Christian School, we offer an excellent education alternative for children, and in the last few months, our numbers have grown even more. Whether you have been thinking about transitioning your children out of public school, or you've tried homeschooling in the past, you might have some questions about how a quality Christian education can work for your children, and benefit your family. 

If that sounds like you, we would love to talk with you. Please contact us today for more information!

*Image courtesy of scottchan, www.freedigitalphotos.net*

Field trips have been an important part of education for students for years. All across the country, school districts have allotted for a certain number of days each year for students to venture out to area museums, cultural institutions and historical sites so that they can make practical implications to their studies. 

Here at Foundations Christian School, we've taken the last few months off from taking field trips. However, now that the nice weather is back (we hope to stay!), we're looking forward to enjoying them again in the near future. 

Our most recent field trip was to the Sciencenter in Ithaca, where the kids enjoyed all of the exhibits, which included hands-on, interactive activities as well as live animal exhibits. This year the kids have been apple picking, they've visited the Corning Museum of Glass, and they've gone on several other educational trips. 

According to an article on the EducationNext website, many schools in the United States have started to cut back on the number of field trips they offer. Museums have reported that they're seeing less and less students every year. Here at Foundations Christian School, field trips are a valuable part of our kids' education, and we want you to know that we are always looking for ways for them to really experience science and art, and many of the other subjects they're learning in class. 

If you would like to know more information about Foundations Christian School, we'd like to invite you to take a tour of our website. Please contact us with any questions, or to discuss getting a tour of the school in preparation for the 2014-2015 school year. 

*Image courtesy of digitalart, www.freedigitalphotos.net*