How Laurel Springs Offers Military Family, The Moores, Consistency and Peace of Mind

Ninth-grader, Grace Moore, and her seventh-grade brother, Eli, are two bright students in their third year at Laurel Springs School. As they prepare to travel to Maryland and DC with their parents, Hope and Joseph, this year, they feel grateful they can bring their schoolwork with them or choose to get ahead in their courses before their travels.

Traveling is nothing new for this military family. After spending some time stationed in Missouri for a few years, the Moore family left their traditional brick-and-mortar school environment and the life they’d known behind to move to Virginia.

The Journey from Brick and Mortar Schools to Laurel Springs

Eli and Grace were in kindergarten and second grade when they first moved to Missouri. After finding themselves ahead of their classmates in public school and being assigned independent work, they desired something more. They were losing interest in school and Hope decided to enroll them in a private school.

Military kids … don’t ask for this life,” says Hope. “It’s so nice to give them as many choices as I can as a parent, understanding the stress that we put on them just because of our lifestyle choice.”

By the time Grace and Eli were in the fourth and sixth grades, their family had to move to Virginia, and Hope decided to give homeschooling a try.

After one year of homeschooling her children, Hope was offered a nursing position she couldn’t refuse, so she began her search for an online school. She wanted Grace and Eli to continue to have more free time than they would at a brick-and-mortar school and to find their passions and hobbies—the things that bring them joy. She also wanted to prepare them for success in college by providing them access to a robust educational program.

“The philosophy I used to base my decision making …[is] when you’re young, you should be like a pollinator, put a little of yourself here, and a little of yourself there, and see what you like…really experiencing and finding your passion. That’s what we want for them.”

Hope soon found Laurel Springs and was able to check off all of her boxes for what she was looking for in a school—including accreditation, robust course offerings, flexibility, organization, a core studies focus, price, and the education and diversity of faculty.

A Day in the Life of the Moore Family

Now that Grace and Eli are students at Laurel Springs, Hope says, “We follow our own patterns…they don’t have to wake up at 5:30 every morning…they can sleep in a bit longer, start a little bit later. And, of course, we like to travel, so there’s that benefit too.”

Grace and Eli get involved in new activities, no matter where the family moves. They’ve enjoyed ice hockey and figure skating, and Eli is preparing to learn how to ski this winter. Grace is enrolled in electives at a local high school as well. She plays in the band, takes a photography course, and will be appearing in the drama department’s production of Clue as Madame Peacock this year.

Now that Grace is in high school, it’s time for her to start thinking about college. Hope believes Laurel Springs is preparing her daughter for success as she is already learning many of the skills that a college student needs to thrive, such as time management and self-advocacy. She can look at a syllabus and understand due dates, schedule out time to complete her work, reach out to instructors for clarification, and appropriately communicate with faculty, staff, and peers online. Laurel Springs is helping build Grace’s confidence by familiarizing her with the level of responsibility that will be expected of her once she attends college.

The Moore family is scheduled to move again next year. As of now, they do not know where they will be calling home. “It’s nice to not have to think, ‘Oh my gosh, where are we going to be next year?’ and to bypass that whole transition of switching schools and meeting new people,” says Hope. Now the pressure of transferring to a new school has been eliminated. Eli and Grace already know what to expect from school each year. “With Laurel Springs,” Hope continues, “It’s nice to be able to say, ‘Okay, well, that’s one thing I can give you that’s consistent.’”

Ready to learn more? If you’re interested in offering your children a consistent learning experience with the flexibility to pursue their hobbies and passions like Grace and Eli, we’d love to speak with you. Give us a call today at (800) 377-5890.