Just spoke to some people that gave me an interesting perspective on my last comment. Though it was all meant as a whole, and wasn't a personal comment towards teachers, because I personally think we have the best, most compassionate teachers in all of our schools (they have to be considering they're desire to work for a district that makes them fight for every raise they get ), I think I portrayed my thoughts as likewise.
From my experience with the public school system across the county, I personally feel like we're losing some control on how we deal with the students. Believe me, this loss of control is the reason I'm not a teacher today as this is the field I spent 4 years of college preparing for.
Thus, when you put another set of rules (Ten Commandments, respect for both adults and the Word of God, etc..) it gives the teachers at TCHS a whole different playing field. There are more controls put in place and more reasons to follow the rules. The children are constantly reminded that there is a much higher authority to answer to than the principal.
So after discussing this with several people I agree that you can't put the entire blame for the lack of respect of the students on the teachers. My opinion has now been altered on that one since these discussions. Respect must be taught at home first. Thank you for setting me straight on that one.
Now, I don't have children at WHS, I only have outside relationships with many of them. Some with behavioral issues, others who are very respectful. In fact, it's funny how my experiences with several of them have been the exact inverse to several teachers who have had them as students. So I would truly love to hear (or better yet be put in my place) from anyone that teaches at WHS and could give us a different perspective.
Regardless of which high school our kids attend, they all have a very good chance of becoming prominent members of society as we do have an excellent school system. When comparing the two, try to keep in mind we're discussing whether one is better than the other, not whether one is worse than the other. So please don't take anyone's comments, especially mine, as being negative towards either system.
Thanks to those who very kindly brought those comments to my attention.
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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4
Couldn't agree more that parents have the biggest influence on the outcome of their children. But I believe there's more to the issue than drinking. I personally feel there's the "respect" part of the arguement. I've visited with kids from both schools and it just seems that kids, as a whole, from TCHS show more respect for people. I don't feel the public school system goes the extra mile to instill the kind of respect you see from the TCHS kids.
Good to hear from people closer to the issue though. Thanks!
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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4
Kind of like Spacecase, I graduated from WHS a relatively short (like 8 years) while ago. Aside from being able to pray at TCHS and just to let you all know, I would pray if I felt like it at WHS. I never got told that I was going to be in trouble for making the sign of the cross.
Sorry, got off track for a second there. From my experience with students from both high schools, there were students that broke curfew, drank, and did other unlawful acts, but it seemed almost acceptable for WHS students to do these things. With TCHS, they just learned how to hide it really well. TCHS would expel a student based on hearsay. I had a relative that, yeah, she took a couple of drinks out of a zima, but just because a fellow classmate of hers saw her do it and told the administration, my relative got expelled from Trinity.
If she would have went to WHS, she probably would have been asked if she wanted to go to party rather than be around the people she was at the time. Parents can say what they want about either school, but I am a firm believer that if the parent(s) believe in their children and want that they want their kids to succeed in life, that the kids will because of positive reinforcement, NOT because their parents believed that paying through the nose for tuition would get their kids the best education.
Now, please do not think I am putting people down, I am speaking from personal experiences from over 8 years ago. Hopefully both schools have gotten better since then.
I agree with you. I haven't been out of school too long...about 7 years and I am taken back by what the kids are doing today also.
Algebra in grade school, yep! It's crazy! I think I started algebra in 8th grade, maybe touched on it in 7th! LOL!
Mental math - being able to look at something and knowing right away. 2+2=4, etc. without having to do any calculations. I guess you could say your fluency in able to do math questions quickly.
It's also crazy, the varying curriculum's between schools. Some of my schools are far ahead then others, whereas, others are WAY behind in their teachings, which is obvious when the kids transfer among schools.
I guess, I can put this as a topic for discussion. What are your opinions on at least a district, if not, state, curriculum to make sure our students are on track with the other schools. I mean, if financing was not a problem as in most districts?
No apologies! I wasn't arguing a point, merely adding to your comment. It was a good point you made and was well taken.
Parent participation keeps growing more and more important. In fact, as my kids get older, it becomes more and more difficult for me to help. They're doing things far earlier than I remember ever doing. Algebra in gradeschool? And what the heck is this mental math?
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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4
I agree with Spacecase completely. Children need total support of their parents, which I feel alot of children are not getting from Breakfast to Supper to Studies. And I also believe alot of Teachers do not like to deal with children that don't catch on as fast as their better students. (I personally am the one that did not catch on.) Just my opinion and I don't have little ones any more.
This is why I said, "with those willing to learn and who are preparing for college."
No matter what the situation, the kid has to want to learn and has to want to put the time in regardless of the school/class size.
Thanks again!
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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4
I guess this doesn't have to do with WHS or Trinity, but I do work in the school system in Eastern Montana.
There are many kids who fall through the cracks very easily even with the small classes. Most classes (of the 7 schools) that I cover probably don't have more than 15 students per classroom; however, I am receiving more and more referrals for special education placement because the student "missed" something in the building of their basic education.
My opinion on the private vs. public debate isn't what I wanted to post. It's the quality of the teachers and staff, the participation of the parents and definitely both of them together that help would incredibly in the big picture of things. There are definitely parents who don't want their children held back and there are also teachers (at least over here) that don't want to "deal" with the student again for another year, so the student suffers and is pushed through the situation and ends up getting the blunt end of things come testing time for state and federal yearly progress for the schools.
I am a graduate of WHS and I feel that I got the attention that was needed as long as I was also willing to put my work into the teaching/learning situation, which I believe every student has the choice to make. There are those students who won't put a whole lot of effort into anything and those students who at least try to make something of themselves, which orginates in the high school level of educaiton.
I guess I"m just ranting now, but I thought I would put in my two cents on public vs. private schools, or more so, large vs. small schools.
Well, when I think about school uniforms I can't help but think of Pink Floyd.
Seriously, good points Jeremy, but kids in smaller schools are better prepared for college because of the one on one attention they receive. It's much easier for teachers in smaller schools to spend the time necessary with those willing to learn and who are preparing for college.
I asked many questions like this to a number of teachers in the Hettinger school system when I was there. In fact, some of our childrens' good friends who moved away to bigger school systems (Rapid City and Bismarck) would tell us how far ahead they were than kids at those schools.
Above all, and I know many from both schools as I'm sure you do also, I believe kids as a whole in the Trinity School system show more respect for adults than those at WHS. Again, this is merely from my personal experience with kids from both schools.
I'm not a huge fan of uniforms but I do feel a dress code is necessary. Dressing respectfully is very important.
Thanks Jeremy.
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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4
I believe that there are a lot more advantages to WHS other then athletics. I believe (and I fully admit that I could be wrong) -WHS students have an easier time adjusting to larger colleges. The classes/enviroment/community at TCS is small. Then adjusting to a school that has 10000 or more students could be a difficult thing. -WHS students have many more choices for athletics, but also class variety and other activities. -WHS has more resources and money.
Now that is not to say that bigger is always better.
TCS is a family enviroment. -TSC students will not slip through the cracks. -Small class size means more one on one attention.
I think we are lucky to have both schools. I also think we shoud not be satisfied with either school. Parents should constantly be questioning things they do not like. Parents should help to make a difference in the schools. Parents should also thank the teachers of your students, teachers get a lot more complaints then complements and need and deserve both.
On a side note what do you think about uniforms/dress code?
Ok, so Saint Joes, is a Catholic school. Do the parents pay for them to attend school there? I would love to send my son to Trinity if I could afford it. Im not knocking the school he attends now cause I think the teachers and staff are great, but I hate the way the laws have tied their hands when it comes to prayer and the pledge. Its like the law has said if you want to teach in public schools, you cant be a Christian or love this great nation of ours. I say if a teacher or student want to pray in class, more power to you!! And when did prayer become such a bad thing? Good grief, the muslims pray 5 times a day, but Lord forbid a Christian pray. And the 10 commandments, now how can your life be worse off for following them?
I agree that paying taxes towards public schools while your children attend private school is rather unfortunate. Here is where our neighbors to the north in Saskatchewan seem to have a step up on us. Residents in that province get to decide where their school benefitting taxes go. My wife went to a catholic French immersion school, though still considered public. Her parents got to chose to have their tax money benefit that school.
Anyway, the athletics point that Steve brought up definetly held true when I was in school (TCHS vs WHS). I played on the tennis team, and we lost a couple of very good players when they switched to Trinity. WHS didn't have any sort of reciprocity agreement with Trinity, so those two guys didn't have a tennis team to play for anymore.
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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -Dr. Johnson
Private schools teach Christian values. That's the main difference that comes to my mind. They must teach to the same standards that public schools do as far as testing goes though. The toughest pill to swallow is having to pay both taxes to the public schools which equivilates to roughly 54 percent of your total property tax bill and also the tuition to the private school.
Hoeven mentioned a possible plan to take roughly $150,000,000 or so from the states $1Billion surplus and put that into the education fund. If he does this he is going to propose working with the school districts to lower the tax burden on the taxpayers which could, in turn, make paying for private schools more feasable for us ordinary Joe's.
The bennies of going to WHS are more down the lines of visibility for athletics and things like that. Other than that, I'm not sure what other bennies there are.
Excellent question.
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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4
I don't know as my son graduated at WHS and I was happy he finally got thru it. But interesting was watching a Public School and I forget where but they are not allowing Students to say the Pledge of Alliegance. (sp) unless they go to Study Hall and say in their heads... Maybe since people who, I do not agree with, in Public Schools have this policy have two classes one who agree with Prayer and the Pledge and another for who are against it, and quit having so called Teachers brain wash our children in public schools.. I understand why there are Private Schools and Home Teaching. If Public schools are taking this policy maybe parents who send them there could pay the tax. And then Parents who want to send there kids to private schools - No Tax to them as they have to pay the Private Fee. Don't start me on Schools please.. lol
The birth of Williston's Trinity Christian school and high school occured during my time at WHS, and now that it's been around 10 years since I've been out of high school I was wondering what the comparisons are between the two programs?
What are the benefits of going to TCHS/WHS? Is a more quality education available at one school compared to the other? Is the ratio of graduates that move onto university higher at one than the other?
Does it benefit Williston having 2 different high schools?
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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -Dr. Johnson
), I think I portrayed my thoughts as likewise.
) from anyone that teaches at WHS and could give us a different perspective. 
