Meet the Delaney Family!
How did you first hear about ICS?
Before we moved to Utah in early 2018, we were visiting Salt Lake City to get a feel for the community and tour potential homes and schools for our family. While eating breakfast in a local hotel (near ICS), my wife and I met an Alumni of ICS who shared his family's experiences with the school and encouraged us to visit the school to see if it might be a good fit for our kids.
How did you choose to send your children to ICS?
We had already made the decision that a Christian-based school system and community was what we wanted for our children and family. After meeting with several Alumni and staff members of ICS (including the head of school), the experiences they shared were consistent with the experiences we were seeking out for our family. After our daughter's first year with ICS (kindergarten), it was no question that we would stay at ICS and also bring our son into the pre-K program that following year.
The Delaney Family
What do you feel your children get at Intermountain Christian School that they would not get somewhere else?
1. Strong organizational foundation in our Christian faith. Not simply a class or time slot in the week, but principles and lessons woven into each daily interaction.
2. Individualized experiential care and learning from teachers and staff. We are all different and so are our kids. The teachers and staff know our kids and us as parents at a relatively deep level. Proactive discussions and actioning among staff, parents and students are commonplace at ICS and they help optimize our children's learning and growth experience. I also believe that the ICS culture allows for a stronger community based upbringing that promotes overall well being across all modalities of life.
3. Connection to older students as informal (and maybe formal) role models. There are programs that promote older students to coach and guide the younger students. Both of our kids already have older classmates that they look up to and that have inspired them to become more engaged with extracurricular activities.
4. Compassionate discipline. Not discipline for the sake of discipline, but instead, having compassion for when we make mistakes and staying disciplined to the principles of how and why we do things and treat one another.
What do your children like the most about their education at ICS?
For our daughter - Teacher, friendships with students, extra curricular activities (dance)
For our son - Teacher, "block time", bible verses, outside play, friendships with students
What advice would you give families who are considering ICS?
Spend time thinking introspectively about what you hold important to your kids and family. Once you have that clear in your mind and heart, talk with several ICS staff and alumni about their experiences (along with other schools to compare with). Decide on what is most important for you and your family.
What makes ICS special for your family?
The community and culture across ICS staff, students, and alumni.