Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Reasons to love (and fear) Bible school
Why I loved Bible school this week:
For $50, two of my kids are spending four hours a day singing songs, making art projects and talking about the power of love and faith.
That would be good enough for me, but then there was a little extra payoff.
Just after I returned home from work yesterday, seven-year-old Claire taps me on the elbow and says, “Can I talk to you in private?”
Uh-oh. What could this be about? Let me guess — she misses her dead cat, she got into another fight with her best friend (also attending Bible school) or maybe she misses her mom, who is out of town?
Well, we headed to the computer room, shut the door and sat down on a chair. After stopping first to chase away her sister from listening at the door, she tells me softly with a very serious face:
“Dad, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all the things you do for me. Even though I don’t tell you often enough, I know you do lots of nice things for me, so I wanted to say thank you and tell you I love you.”
I don’t care if they made her memorize the script for this homework assignment, it was worth every penny of that $50.
Why my best friend didn’t love Bible school this week:
While my kids were coming home after spending all morning holding hands and singing “Kumbaya,” his daughter came home the first day from a different Bible school with … a sword.
Not a real sword, of course, but one they must have spent some time making out of cardboard and construction paper — a pretty fair forgery. Apparently, this was “the sword of faith.” Ok, he thought, seems a little odd for Bible school, but no big deal. The next day, she brought home … a shield. Make that the “the shield of salvation.”
Hmm.
Finally, today there was a wrap-up Mass/performance by the kids. And out they come in full Crusader battle gear — swords or faith, shields of salvation, helmets of who-knows-what — looking like they’re ready to charge off and re-take Jerusalem!
My friend was not entirely amused. This Bible school seemed a little light on love and togetherness and a little heavy on military tactics.
So before you sign your kids up for Bible school this summer, you might first want to ask about the theme for the week.
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