The Tale of Our School

First day of kindergarten

Our “Why”

We started homeschooling when my oldest child was about to begin kindergarten. We had several reasons, but the two biggest were simple: I wanted him to have a better education (the schools where we lived at the time were… not great), and he was what you might call high energy to the extreme.

This child could not sit still if his life depended on it. Even watching a rare movie meant he was marching around the room or leaping off furniture. Sitting quietly in church? Ha! Not a chance. I became a “stand-in-the-back” parent.

People would reassure me, saying, “Just wait until he’s in school. They’ll teach him to sit still.”

But I started to wonder: why? Why does he need to sit still? Yes, he needed to learn not to be disruptive, but did he really need to spend eight hours a day glued to a desk? People are meant to move. Being sedentary isn’t just unnatural; it’s unhealthy. For my son, sitting still that long would feel like torture, not just for him, but probably for his teachers, too.

And so, our homeschooling journey began.

I dove into researching different styles of homeschooling and, honestly, loved bits and pieces of them all. Over time, we built our own eclectic approach, leaning toward Waldorf for its sense of whimsy and adventure, but blending in more traditional methods as well. My hope has always been that my children would grow up both enchanted by learning and prepared to succeed in college, should they choose to go.

What’s with the dragons?

I’m glad you asked. The truth is, I’m a nerd through and through. I’ve always loved fantasy, dragons, and other mythical creatures. When I thought and prayed about the kind of people I wanted my children to grow into, the answer was clear: Dragons.

Dragons are strong. They’re fierce. They’re wise, enduring, and nearly undefeatable. That’s exactly the sort of strength and character I hope my children will carry into the world.

As for the name Winter Mountain School for Dragons—well, that came about in a much less profound way. When I was applying for the teacher discount at Target, one of the fields asked for a school name. I could have just typed “Homeschool,” but that felt far too dull. After staring at the screen for a moment, my fingers simply typed out: Winter Mountain School for Dragons.

And the name stuck.