More Than Just A Diploma
We used to joke that “I don’t know how to balance a checkbook, but at least I can tell you all about Pythagorean’s Theorem!” Of course, balancing a checkbook isn’t done as often anymore, but the concept of learning all but the most necessary things while in high school is still alive and well!
At Fieldstone, we teach our students all about Pythagoras, of course, but we also teach them a lot of other things. Our school director teaches a class specifically about Life Skills, but it doesn’t end there.
Before school, during school, and specifically after school, we are continually working on teaching them things they will need when they are on their own. We go out of our way to talk about the simple, everyday, necessary things that are often overlooked.
The Simple, Important, Things
Far too many students are headed to college these days who don’t know some of the simplest, most crucial, things they need to know. They know nothing about finances, so they end up with loads of credit card debt or student loans because they don’t understand interest.
They don’t know how to regulate their own electronics use, don’t know how to shop for groceries or cook them, and they have no idea how to budget their money.
These are the things we tend to overlook when we educate the typical student, but we think they are at least as important as their regular education.
If they graduate, but can’t thrive, then we’ve condemned them to go no further than high school.
For Example:
Here are some of the topics, practices, and concepts we teach our students:
- Budgeting
- Nutrition
- Confrontation styles
- Negotiation
- Decision Making
- Legal rights
- Banking
- Taxes
- Fitness
- Car Maintenance
- Disease Prevention
- Proper use of electronics
- Proper use of social media
- Entrepreneurship
- Self-control
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Grocery shopping
- Conflict Resolution
- Current issues
- Written Communication
- Oral Communication
- Emotional Intelligence
- Interviewing
- Job searching
- Resume Writing
- Relationship best practices
- Proper use of videogames
- Phone etiquette
- Email etiquette
- Family Relationships