Testimonials

I consider Lighthouse Academy to be my second home. As a twelve-year staff member, I am a long time witness of the miracles that have taken place at our school. From staff to families, we are all part of a team to provide the most loving environment possible to every child. I am honored and humbled to say that I am involved with this school. I cannot imagine teaching anywhere else.

As a parent of a student at Lighthouse Academy, I am very impressed with the communication, the Leadership of the staff and the level of education my child is receiving.  My child previously attended public school and he never received the individual attention to academics that he has received at Lighthouse.  He is excelling academically and also in the sports that he participates in at the school.  He is growing in the Lord due to the daily devotions and discussions that they have regarding the things of God.  They have the freedom to pray and they pray for one another.  My child loves going to school and this was not the case when he went in public school.  Truly Lighthouse Academy was an answer to prayer.

Academy has meant so much to my family over the years…

This has begun our 7th year at Lighthouse and I have had the pleasure of watching my children receive an amazing education and then some. A hands on education with various materials that began use in the Transition class, expanded upon successfully through the years, and still now manipulating and using in the 5th grade class. I have watched my children feel safe and secure in their environment and not want to leave at the end of the day – I have to drag them out of the building. I have seen all of my children build relationships with their friends that have their normal ups and downs but at the end of the day, they are friendships that will last a lifetime. I have children that know and LOVE the Lord and a 3 year old who plays “worship” – pulls out his drums and guitar and acts out our Friday morning worship practice. So in regards to my children, Lighthouse has not just given my children a great education, but they have also helped form them into the amazing, well rounded children they are today.

As a teacher for the 5th year at Lighthouse, I have continued to be blessed. Through all of life’s ups and downs, I wake every morning praising God that I get to come to THIS school. The children make me who I am and the approach we take towards teaching the whole child brings so much life to the classroom. Through working at Lighthouse I have grown so much as a person myself. My faith is stronger, my confidence in the vision of the school has grown, and my love of children and their innocence still increases everyday that I see the smiling faces of not just the children in my class, but all the children in the school.

Lighthouse Academy is not just a school… It is a dream, a vision, God dwells here and praise Him — it is our home.

Our children, Mackenna, age 13 and Isaac, age 9, currently attend Lighthouse Academy. Isaac was the first to begin LAF in 2007 after a friend told us about the school. At the time, he was struggling in the public school. Isaac hated school. He was not able to sit for long periods of time and was often reprimanded or allowed to watch several movies in a row just to keep him occupied. Very little was expected of him academically. He was bullied by his peers and criticized by his teacher.

In the spring of 2007 we met with Mr. Scott, toured the school, and fell in love with it all. We were amazed with what we were seeing. We asked ourselves “Where are the desks in neat rows? How about the overhead lighting and the teacher at the head of the class?” Instead, on one side of the room, we witnessed children in slippers laying on their tummies quietly doing their work. On the other, a group of children were working together on a project. If they were hungry they got a snack, if they needed a break they read a book. I think what we were witnessing at the time was true respect. The teacher respected the children, the children respected the teacher and the children respected each other. We had never even heard of the Montessori Method at the time, but we could tell from a brief observation of the classroom that whatever it was, it was definitely working for these kids!!

Isaac started that fall. Over the last three years, he has accomplished so much. He loves school now. He has made friends and achieved more academically then we were previously led to believe was even possible. He is reading, writing, adding and subtracting four digit numbers, the list goes on and on. His teachers have devoted so much to Isaac over the last few years and we are definitely seeing the fruits of their labor.

Mackenna often would come with me to drop Isaac off or pick him up that first year. She was so fascinated by the differences that she witnessed between LAF and the school that she was currently attending that she asked to switch schools the following year. When we asked her to briefly summarize what she likes most about LAF, this is what she said: “I like being able to work independently…at my own pace. I also like the art programs offered there.” She went on to say that she is thankful for the patient, understanding nature of the teachers which is much different then the school she had previously attended.

We couldn’t be more happy with the education that Lighthouse is providing our children. We must say though that the teachers go beyond providing a good education. They also offer a nurturing environment. They look for those “teachable moments” through out the day when character qualities may be addressed. And most importantly, they share the love of Christ with every child that attends the school. We both graduated from public school where the focus was purely academics. We realize now how important these other things truly are in order to instill a love of learning in our children. We are blessed and excited to be a part of the Lighthouse family and can not wait to see what the Lord will continue to do in the future!!

We should start out this testimonial saying that we were both very skeptical about a non-traditional style of education for our children. In fact, our daughter started out in a traditional school setting that worked well up until first grade. It was at that point the school she was attending became unnecessarily strict and failed to view the children as, well…children. Enthusiasm was stifled in favor of strict order and our child’s normal creative and vibrant spirit began to recede. She was crying before and after school and our normally independent child suddenly didn’t want to be without us. It was at that point we realized we had to find something different.

We weren’t pleased with the public schools in our county and so began to look for alternatives. We had known Scott and Stacie (the owner’s of Lighthouse) for several years prior and knew of the school. We had always viewed their school, however, as a place “other” parents sent their kids…you know the parents that bake their own bread and raise their own chickens (we say this all with a sense of humor). The whole Montessori approach seemed heavy on the “touchy feely” and light on the academics. We thought it was a place where children ruled the roost and were essentially left unattended to make their own way. As I said, however, our daughter was in great distress and we had to make a change.

We spoke with Scott and Stacie and they knew our concerns both about the atmosphere our child was in and our concerns about the education she would receive at Lighthouse. Without pressure, they encouraged us to visit; to watch a few days of class; to speak with other parents and to pray. We did all the foregoing and with some trepidation, decided to give it a try. We could always pull her, right? (I write this as our daughter is in her fifth year at the school!).

Our child took to the environment with vigor and enthusiasm. She looked forward to going to school. She loved her teacher and was hugged each day at the door (something many “traditional” schools don’t even allow). All that is great, but what about her learning…did she really learn without hours of homework? Did she really learn without being forced to sit in a desk for hours on end and learn what everyone else was learning? Boy…did she. I had read that, with regard to learning to read, when a child is taught with a Montessori approach you will see a “sudden explosion” of reading ability: one day they read sounds and struggle along and the next day they begin to really “get it.” This is exactly what happened with our daughter; she had been reading small words and very simple books and then one day she came home and asked us if she could read to us that night. We said of course expecting her to pick up one of her easy to read books that she practically knew by heart, but instead she picked up a much more difficult book and worked her way through it…and didn’t want to stop! It literally happened like an explosion, just like the studies about the Montessori approach had said. But please don’t miss the additional amazing point: she wanted to keep reading; we weren’t forcing her…she wanted to do it. It was my husband and I who were so worn out after an hour that we had to ask her to stop!

This “explosion” of understanding has happened in mathematics too. Fractions were very difficult for her, but her wonderful teachers just kept letting her work on them until she figured them out. Of course there was frustration on our daughter’s part, but there wasn’t the “traditional” pressure of “the rest of the class has moved on…you must understand this right now.” She was able to work at her pace until she understood them. And just like the reading, one day she just understood it. And again, just like the reading, once she understood it…she didn’t want to stop.

The only good analogy we can give to try and help others understand Lighthouse’s approach is to that of when you’re trying to teach your child how to peddle their tricycle: every day you put them on the tricycle, you put their little feet on the peddles and you push them round and round. You expect that the next time you come out to the tricycles, they’ll understand…but they don’t; and this goes on for while. Then one day, they get on and ride it all by themselves. You didn’t do anything differently, they just suddenly “got it.” Their little mind was ready to figure it out, and so they did. All you did was provide them with the opportunity and the lesson each and every day.

You should also know that our skepticism didn’t magically disappear, even after all the amazing moments where we could see and experience the success of Lighthouse’s approach (too numerous to list all of them here). It wasn’t that we didn’t believe in their method, it’s just hard for us to leave traditional measurements of success behind. Time and time again, however, our skepticism is always overcome. Just last winter when our daughter was in the middle of her fourth grade year, our area endured that horrendous winter with feet of snow. While the kids were out of school, we thought it would be a great time to “test” how well she was doing in comparison to children in “traditional” school. We went online to Virginia’s government education webpage and found fourth grade math and language SOLs. We had our daughter take them. Mind you, these would be tests given at the end of the child’s fourth grade year and our daughter was only halfway through: she passed all of them with either pass advanced or pass proficient.

We could write on and on, really. But the bottom line is that we were skeptics and never considered ourselves the “type” to put their child in this sort of environment. However, our daughter is now in her fifth year and our son is in his third year (and has known no other type of schooling). We have witnessed the results and we see how both our children genuinely love their school. They both have a love of learning that is not forced but has grown because of the type of schooling they receive. We are so grateful for Scott and Stacie and the amazing cadre of teachers who genuinely love our children; who value their individuality and creativity and who make it their God-given mission to train up our children in an environment where they are loved and in turn get to love learning.

Our experience with Lighthouse Academy began when we started inquiring as to why our son, Mason, was struggling so greatly in the fourth grade. After numerous meetings with his teacher at the public school he was attending, we were given no answers or solutions. We then decided to have Mason tested away from his school to find out exactly where he was academically before sending him into the fifth grade. To our complete disbelief, Mason was 2-1/2 grade levels behind in reading and 3 grade levels behind in math. We knew then that we needed to do something drastic and looking into private schools for us was just that. But, I had heard about Lighthouse Academy from a friend of mine so I thought I would at least check it out.

As soon as I met with Scott the first time, I knew we had found something wonderful. Scott took a look a Mason’s transcripts and immediately put me at ease. He told me it would take time, but he felt confident that Mason could not only catch up but would excel with the Montessori curriculum. He was absolutely right! Mason is now in his third year at Lighthouse Academy! He is in seventh grade and is reading on a seventh grade level and is scheduled to begin seventh grade math this year! Along with the awesome progress in his academics, Mason has also gained a whole new joy for learning! The confidence he now has in himself is just unbelievable! He enjoys so many things at school, which is so important for kids his age.

Mason has a much deeper and more serious relationship with God and has grown tremendously from the daily Bible studies, as well. He has been a member of the Praise & Worship Team, he has taken guitar lessons, he is the goalie for the Middle School soccer team and is currently playing on the Middle School basketball team! The possibilities are endless for Mason! He is having a blast, which is something we thought at one time, would not be possible.

Scott and Stacie McClung with Lighthouse Academy have given us our son back. They took something that had become such a distorted and negative experience and turned it into the biggest blessing in our lives! Mason not only gets an excellent education at Lighthouse Academy, he is also learning many character building skills that we feel are equally important for his future.

It has been over three years since Julia started at Lighthouse Academy. It is amazing how far she has come! It is the time of the year to reflect on what we are thankful for and I felt I needed to write to you.

When I think back to all the time I spent looking for a school for Julia and how discouraged I felt with my options. At the time I didn’t even know about Sensory Processing issues, I just new Julia was special. I wanted a safe, loving and Christian environment where she would be challenged academically in an atmosphere where she would be comfortable being herself. Well I thank the Lord everyday because I definitely found all of those things for Julia with you. Lighthouse Academy not only has all the things parents look for but you have a learning environment that most students could only dream of.

Lighthouse Academy has made such a difference in Julia’s life. She has had teachers that have brought out the best in her. She is a knowledgeable and interested little girl. She feels good about herself and is proud to say that Lighthouse Academy is her school.

The Montessori education at Lighthouse has made Julia’s academic achievements three-dimensional. She not only completely understands what she is being taught but she knows how to apply what she has learned. In the same regard when she needs extra time to accomplish something she has it.

Your commitment to the vision at Lighthouse Academy is obvious every day I walk into the school. From the wonderful Staff and Teachers to Worship on Friday, field trips, dance team, harvest festival. There are so many opportunities to get the students and their families involved.

It has been a long road for Julia. In my heart I feel she would never have flourished like she has anywhere else. I know her Lighthouse Academy experience will continue to encourage her spiritual, moral and academic growth.

Before we came to Lighthouse Academy our son struggled in school and dreaded each day. We appreciate how the teachers at Lighthouse have recognized his unique needs and abilities, encouraging and enabling him to pursue his potential. We are so happy to know that every day our son is among so many people who love him and appreciate him for who he is. Lighthouse has become like a second family. We are continuously amazed at the joy of everyone at the school.

Lighthouse Academy is a wonderful environment that nurtures the children and allows them to explore their individual talents and skills. The love that the staff has for the children is genuine. I think it is the only school that we have been to where it is actually a challenge to get the students to leave at the end of the day. The children feel so comfortable and at home in their classrooms that they feel no desire to rush out the door. Learning is a hands-on process at Lighthouse Academy. The children are active participants, and all the learning modalities are employed. Learning is still the number one priority at Lighthouse. It is a place left untarnished by SOLs and the national obsession with standardized test scores. Self-directed learning and the joy of discovery is fundamental here. The environment is Christ-centered, but not specific to any religion. Love is simply at the heart of all they do.

Our experience at the Lighthouse academy of Fredericksburg has been absolutely miraculous. Our children have always enjoyed school, but at Lighthouse their enjoyment has soared to new heights. Scott and Stacie have provided an instructional environment that identified our children’s learning styles and encouraged them to progress at their own pace. The atmosphere of the entire school feels as warm and welcoming as a close family.

I like my class because it’s small and we get to do a lot of neat stuff that makes learning fun. There’s absolutely no stress! I used to not be confident. I didn’t think I could do half the things I’ve been able to do at Lighthouse. This year I played on the school soccer and basketball team. The other boys on the team are teaching me how to play and believing in me! Lighthouse has been the best change in my life and I know that God sent me here.

Lighthouse Academy has helped me academically and spiritually. I really enjoy beginning with bible study and prayer every morning. The learning style is hands-on where we all participate and interact in a team environment. It has also has taught me discipline and has enhanced my relationship with the Lord by the leading and teaching of my teacher at the school. Our day is guided by the needs of the class and what we are learning about. The teachers make learning fun and simple with small classes and lots of individual attention. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of this school.

The school is awesome because we’re treated as individuals, we’re not cattle, not an army of clones.  We’re human and have problems and need to improve our lives, and LAF takes note of that.  We are being taught to learn science and geometry and algebra, but also character and skills for life.  We are taught to go above and beyond the low expectations of society, both in our advanced academics and ethic views. The teachers care and enjoy their job, they love in genuine and generously pour out for anyone within reach.  We are not perfect, will never be, but the school stands and strives for something right.

I am so thankful for my time at Lighthouse Academy. It has been such a blessing to work with creative and loving people that have truly cared for me over the years. Now I have the joy of experiencing life as a parent at Lighthouse. My son loves coming to school where he is loved just as he is at home.

Lighthouse Academy has really changed me. I am so happy now. I love our bible studies every morning, the way we dig deep into the Word of God. It really helps me understand it and apply it. Lighthouse Academy is the best school I’ve ever been too.