Page 28 September 2011 Choice of school vital for students Siblings served by 3 schools Emma (top left) and Grace Schlenker and their brother Matt attend three different schools, chosen by the family to meet the individual needs of each sibling. All say they are happy with their choice of schools. Photos by Dale Messmer. By Jessica Abercrombie The traditional back-to-school story is anything but for Linda and Brent Schlenker who spent the last days of summer basking in family time and preparing their children to go back to not one school, but three. Emma, 14, Matt, 12, and Grace, 9, each attend different schools that cater to their individual learning styles and preferences. “We are in such a unique situation that we can do it, but it’s a juggling act,” Linda said. “There are some days that roll really smoothly and then other days we consider it a success if everybody’s got clean underwear.” Brent and Linda both work out of their Arcadia home and have maximized availability to support their three children. “Everybody has kind of got to do their part to make it work,” Linda said. “That’s partially why we have our kids at three different schools, because everybody is really different in doing their part.” Continued on page 43 By Dale Messmer My son navigates the streets of Tokyo, the world’s largest city, with ease, speaking Japanese as fl uently as nearly any native of the country. He started at Scottsdale Community College at 13. He earned his degree from an exceptional liberal-arts college in Ohio, graduating with highest honors. And he was a homeschool student. I am convinced that the con fi dent, self- assured and self-ef fi cient young man he has become is due primarily to that educational choice made by our family when he was young. His temperament and intelligence as a child were not suited for the public school in our neighborhood. We used Montessori for preschool and kindergarten but weren’t fond of the approach for fi rst-graders. After a tepid, at best, and expensive experience at a private school, we moved his classroom into our living room. It remains one of the best times of my life and was the key to his development. Extolling the virtues of homeschooling, as many of them as there are, is not the point I want to make, however. What I want to do is point out how lucky children in Arcadia can be if parents tackle the challenge of choice. There are few places in the city, maybe just as few anywhere in the country, where a kid can get the kind of education best suited for his/her needs. You have good public schools in the area. Outstanding private schools. Strong church schools. Online classes. Your living room. I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of Arcadia families, and it seems to me that many are taking advantage of these educational opportunities. So let’s for a moment address those with preschool-aged children. Or those unhappy with their child’s school. At fi rst glance, fi nances and/or transportation too often seem to determine the school a child attends. And not every parent can afford the time to homeschool. But there are many options that can, maybe even should, be explored before you send your child off to the closest school. The Scottsdale Uni fi ed School District has open enrollment. Your kid can go to any SUSD school, and in the Arcadia area alone, the district offers a variety of approaches to education, from traditional to alternative and everything in between. Many private and church schools have strong scholarship programs to help families. Never hurts to ask. And speaking of asking, homeschool parents are more than willing to share their experience and expertise. Email me (editor@arcadianews.com) and I’ll show you what I mean.

Susan Tibbets , Associate Broker, REALTOR® SFR Certi fi ed Of fi ce: 602.463.7000 E-mail: susan.tibbets@azmoves.com Web: www.ArcadiaHomes.com When you are ready to SELL your home, Call Susan....602-463-7000