Dear Kids,

I can't tell you how excited I am for you guys to start school tomorrow.  This is not going to be like in years past.  We are starting a new adventure, and one that I am praying will be such a blessing.

Spring Lake Elementary already started this last week, but that is not where you will be going like you have in the past.  I first heard about American Preparatory School (which is a free charter school), at our swimming lessons this past summer.  My friend Teri, that I sat by through the lessons was telling me about the school, and everything sounded good that she was telling me, but I wasn't interested in switching schools.  However, the very next night I got an e-mail from the preschool teacher that I had enrolled Jack with for this fall, saying that she sadly would not be teaching preschool this year because she got hired to teach Kindergarten at this American Preparatory Academy.  Had I not loved his new preschool teacher and respected her that much, I might not have looked into it, but I really admire Lori, and if she thought that highly of it to leave her preschool and take her kids to the school, I thought I needed to learn more about it.

I couldn't find much info about the school online, but I heard that it was a school super hard to get into to, and another friend who lives in Riverton has been trying to get her children into APA's Draper campus for 5 years now.  With your Dad's and your Grandma B's encouragement, I decided to just enroll you online and see if you could even get in.  I decided that I couldn't have you split up, so if you all didn't get in, I would have my answer.  Well, you all did get accepted, and so I was force to make a decision between keeping you at Spring Lake, the only school you have known, or try this charter.  I wanted to cover my bases, and so I went to Spring Lake's registration day, but I had a weird feeling being there, and had to force myself to pick up any forms. I still hadn't even been more than a few steps inside APA and still didn't know much about it, but yet I felt really out of place in Spring Lake Elementary.  

That night, I went to a parent meeting at APA, where they went over why they are different and answered all my questions.  I found myself nodding myself "yes" on everything they said and thinking "I like that" over and over and over.  I felt good when I was in the school.  I knew then that I was in the right place, and that you were supposed to go there.

The decision has not been an easy one to make though.  When I told you that I made my decision to take you to the charter, there was quite a lot of protest and tears.  It still breaks my heart to see the buses in the morning and see all the neighbor kids going to Spring Lake like normal and to have you separated out like that, to see your hesitation about going to APA.  But I can't deny the peace that I felt when I went to APA, and the knowledge that I have of school, and how I think it will change your lives.  

Me and your Dad are very involved when it comes to school, and we work hard every night with you on homework.  After how hard we work together, it is very frustrating to see some of you still having to get pulled out of class for extra help, get further behind, and hate school.  I believe APA is the answer.  I believe in what Emmi's new teacher told me, that you will be getting a private school education for free.  That you will all grow academically like we have not seen in the past, and that you will love school.  

I wanted to write this so you will know where I am coming from, and why I thought this necessary.  As much as I want you to have friends, I know that you will find friends anywhere you go because you are great kids.  I would hate to not try this, and to have you later on ask me why I didn't give you a better education when I could have.  I am glad that after meeting each of your teachers this last week, you are all excited about going to APA.  There isn't any more protesting and tears, and for that I am grateful.  

I am praying for a great first day, a wonderful school year, and that this will indeed be a blessing to enable you to do what you want when you grow up.  Like with everything, time will tell.  I love you all so much.

Love,
Mom