Lake Castle Madisonville Private School, Inc. is a school that delivers what it promises: an educational environment that provides an academic curriculum second to none, run by a faculty and administration that is caring and loving with its students. There are no cutting-edge concepts in vogue here; in fact, we have no doubt that the old-fashioned, conservative way works. And if you consider an average test score of 87% on the Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition, to be successful, then you, too, would agree that it works.

 

A basic philosophy at Lake Castle flies directly into the face of many ideas in education today. We truly believe the single biggest mistake adults make is underestimating what children are capable of accomplishing. Children love to achieve, and their achievement is the number-one motivational tool that leads them to accomplish even more. In our pre-kindergarten classes, all four-year-olds learn to read, and they are ecstatic about their new ability. Yes, the standards at Lake Castle are high, but I don’t believe you help children by demanding nothing of them; indeed, children respect most those who provide discipline and structure in their lives.

 

Another primary concept at Lake Castle is the tenet that memorization is not learning. We place memorization at the very bottom of the totem pole because it is not the recitation of the theory but the application of it that demonstrates true knowledge. People who memorize others’ theories do not change the world. People who come up with the theories do. By teaching children to think on their feet and come up with their own ideas, we are producing leaders.

 

Although we take great pride in the accomplishments of our students, one thing is certain: Lake Castle is as much about developing the intangibles of pride, work ethic, responsibility, accountability, self-discipline, and respect for authority as it is about teaching the curriculum. The true qualities of successful people are not I.Q. and G.P.A.; the qualities that lead to success are these intangibles. After all, we will not be judged in the end by the talents we have and the gifts we have received. Instead, we will be judged by the way we used them to make the world a better place. At Lake Castle Madisonville Private School, Inc., we truthfully believe that with each graduate we turn out, we are doing our part.

 

Barry M. Butera