Melinda Abbott

Child’s Name: Elisha, Nina, Maytal

Grades:  6-7’s, 5-6’s

Why are we staying? The short answer is because we love - I love - this school. The long answer is, in 2019, I went to the independent school fair. And I saw so many schools and was impressed/ kind of. Just so happens that MCS wasn’t there, so I didn’t know about MCS at the time. I left that event feeling like “hmmm, it’s just not “it”- I knew I hadn’t found “the one”. After casually mentioning to friends and family, MCS came up again and again. As soon as I started the application process, I immediately felt at home. Being a single mom of twins, with a third child as well, MCS was the school that said to me “it’s ok, your twins can interview on the same day and you won’t have to miss work”. And I said to myself  “They get it. They understand that I work. They see me- they see that I want this and they’re meeting me halfway”.

With that we entered 4/5s, and the year after my little one entered 4/5s and the magic hasn’t stopped. I love the use of the city and the diversity of our students as curriculum in the home study. I love the school as curriculum in the school study. I can’t wait till they go to the farm and do their MLK speeches and everything in between. Yes it’s bumpy at times, sometimes very bumpy, bordering on questionable levels of Who is driving the bus. That’s ok. It will settle and level and be ok. The magic, the dream and the vision far outweighs the bumps. For me. For us.

The fight for economic, racial and social  justice is far from over- in fact it may just be the start as we see our rights wither away before our very eyes. Sometimes I think my small part in this resistance is sending my kids to this school. Choosing this school- over any other school. Investing my time, energy and what little money I/we have in this school. Believing in this school. Fighting for this school. And so I will continue- For the next 8-9 years. MCS here to stay. No doubt.