Since July is winding down and the kids will be headed back to school, it’s time to look at yet another academic opportunity in Tyler. Good Shepherd School has been serving Tyler and the East Texas community since 1979. The private Tyler elementary school offers all grades from kindergarten to twelfth grade. The school’s focus is on providing a Classical, traditional Anglican, education to its students.
Good Shepherd is a “Reformed Episcopal School.” Theologically, it holds tightly to its roots in the English reformation, but it remains a conservative Episcopal school. The school uses what it calls the “medieval trivium” consisting of Grammar, Logic and rhetoric, to teach the students to reason critically and communicate their ideas clearly.
The curriculum is a mix of texts selected by the teachers and staff as most useful and effective for those classrooms. This classical approach seems to be an effective one, since the students emerge with a well rounded education. With around a hundred thirty students, the teacher student ratio is low, a plus for many parents seeking a more personal tutorial experience for their children.
The students also attend daily chapel services. The liturgical services teach the Our Father, (or the Lord’s Prayer), the Ten Commandments, the Christian Creeds, etc. The purpose of these services is to instill in the students an appreciation of the historic traditions of the Christian faith. The school hopes to provide the students with a world view grounded in reason and scripture, which he or she will hopefully carry throughout their lives. Even though the school itself is Anglican, the student body contains families from a number of different denominations.
While the education offered at Good Shepherd is excellent, the extra curriculars are admittedly light. They do offer some limited programs like basketball, and baseball. G. S. also partners with other area schools in order to offer greater athletic opportunities to its student body. For parents whose concern is largely academic however, this is not a huge trade off. If you would like more information contact the office at (903)592-4045, or see the website at www.gsstyler.org. Good Shepherd School is located at 2525 Old Jacksonville Rd. Tyler TX
Municipal Surcharge Bureau, Again!
October 26th, 2011Well as it turned out, recent financial challenges made it necessary for me to request an extension in order to avoid a suspension of my license. Upon making the request I was condescendingly lectured to by the vogon on the other end of the line, that the extension was only being granted as a courtesy, and the next payment would have to be on time. “That’s ok,” I replied; “this is my last payment.” “Well, actually,” it replied hesitantly, “you’ll be required to make another payment of one hundred dollars next year… uh… a… and the following year” the unisex voice stammered, clearly nervous about breaking the news. I hit the ceiling. “Are you kidding me?!” I yelled. “I’m afraid not,” it squeaked. “According to the driver responsibility act of two thousand whatever…” and it proceeded to quote me chapter and verse of some recent legal code, no one but an expert in legal blather could possibly understand.
I’m becoming more and more aware of how buried we are becoming in stupid red tape which serves only to complicate our lives and separate us from our money, in exchange for absolutely nothing! And unfortunately, no one can seem to stop it because its government that’s doing it! If only we could manage to elect representatives willing to divest the government of at least a portion of other people’s money. Until then, maybe we should all start to pay these fines in pennies! The bean counters may actually enjoy counting them.
To read my original article on the municipal surcharge bureau, click on the following link Municipal Surcharge Bureau and the Driver Responsibility Program in Texas
Tags: Blather, Chapter And Verse, City Of Tyler, Collections Agency, Department Of Public Safety, Driver Responsibility, Financial Challenges, Grammar, Hawks, Infraction, Installments, One Hundred Dollars, Perceptive Readers, Red Tape, Responsibility Act, Sheriff Of Nottingham, State Of Texas, Surcharge, Tax Collectors, Thief, Tyler Texas, Vogon
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