This Thursday, August 14, marks the first day of school. If your family is like mine, you may feel a variety of emotions around this new start: excitement, nervousness, ambivalence, reluctance to give up summer vacation, or a mix of all of these and more. In polling my own children, I got a few “excited” responses, a few more “nervous” responses, and a whole lot of “not quite ready to give up summer vacation yet” responses. Can you relate?

As we begin a new school year, I want to share a few ways you can maximize this experience with your children. You are making a hearty investment to have your children educated at Hill Country Christian School, and I want to share three ways you can get the greatest return on your investment as parents:

Get to know your child’s teachers. I’ve spent the last week and a half with them. They are amazing people, and they didn’t come to Hill Country for a J.O.B. Yes, it is a job, but they came here for so much more: to serve Christ and invest in His kingdom by tirelessly encouraging your students to grow academically and spiritually. The more you can connect and stay connected with them, the more you’ll maximize their efforts with your child(ren). In short, they are awesome; get to know them!

Stay engaged, but not too engaged, with what they are learning. Your children still need your help. They need you to partner with them to help them be successful. When parents stay connected and engaged, education thrives. It should be noted that there is a recent trend in education that has become not-so-affectionately called “snowplow parents.” I mention this because at Hill Country, we do very much want you engaged in your child’s education. We don’t, however, think it’s best or necessary to clear (as in snowplow) every obstacle in their path. While finding the balance of being engaged without being overbearing is a dance all of us as parents need to learn, my encouragement is to step on the dance floor and find ways to meaningfully engage and stay connected with what your children are doing, without doing it for them, or making it free of struggle. I’m certain you will find your rhythm.

Dive into the Hill Country community. One of the greatest blessings of being associated with this school is being able to raise our children in this like-minded community. What a gift to know that our children are being surrounded by students and parents who share similar values. If you are new, jump in feet first and get to know the families here. And if you have been here for years, stay connected, and welcome in some of the new folks. Together, we will see God grow our children (and maybe grow us in the process)!

I look forward to a wonderful, Spirit-filled year with y’all!

See you Thursday,

Eric DeVries,
Head of School