The Schaefer’s joined our Solid Rock Community this year, and already have been such a blessing to us! Tim and Dawn have lots of great ideas for our school, and we know God has led them to us!
Tell us a little about your family.
We reside on Tim’s family home place outside of Tremont where we are thankful to be. It’s a place where the boys can explore, play in the creeks, go fishing at Gramp’s lake, go swimming in the summer, and go sledding on those “rare snowy days”. Tim followed in his dad’s footsteps as an engineer, and started at Caterpillar during college until God took him to Precision Planting in 2008. I (Dawn) started life in Iowa and was working with the Target Corporation right after college that eventually brought me to Tremont in 2003.
Tim and I both were attending the Apostolic Christian Church of Tremont at this time and we got to know each other through single group functions and church mission trips. As God would have it, I left Target around 2011 and ended up at Precision Planting and actually worked with Tim on different projects until 2014. Little did I know it, Tim was thinking about me for about ten years. Long story short, Tim asked me to marry him in 2015 and we got married in 2016. We now have two young boys, Jonny (6.5) and Josiah (almost 5), and they keep us hopping! Jonny is a Kindergartner at Solid Rock.
If I would have to describe our family, we love to be involved: in our church, in our community, with our friends, and with our families. We love to be active, we love to camp, we love to host people, and we love a project (woodworking, landscaping, redoing a bathroom, etc).
Why did your family choose Solid Rock?
When Tim was single, it was laid on his heart that if his wife would ever homeschool, he would be all for it! Well, that is probably not my (Dawn’s) gift and really desire. However, God had us on a path that we didn’t know we were going down initially.
It was really timing for us. I (Dawn) saw a post on social media about Solid Rock about a year ago and we started looking into it. The more and more we read about it, the more we liked it. We liked the idea of small class sizes, we like having a Biblically-based curriculum, and we counseled/talked to other parents. And obviously, we prayed about it.
We came to a peace that God wanted us to take this step of faith for our boys in these early years of their education. We do know that God works in all situations and that God can work in this. So, we reached out to Maria (the school director) to talk to her. After that conversation, we knew that this is where God was leading us!
What is your favorite part or what excites you most about Solid Rock?
Lots of things! We love the class size, the four day schedule with Fridays off, that God is weaved into every subject, and that our kids have faculty who openly talk about their Faith and God throughout the day. We like how our home conversations dovetail naturally with what is taught and discussed at school.
What is your child’s favorite part of school?
I asked him the other day and he said “Math”. That made me laugh. I would say he likes “to earn Fruits of the Spirit” (rewards), recess, and his friends. However, if you know a 6 year old, it changes by the minute.
What does your child want to be when he grows up?
Currently, Jonny wants to be an “electricity man” or “someone who studies spiders”. He loves to tinker with DC circuits, disassemble old RC cars, make “robots”, and is curious. However, his other current love and obsession is learning about spiders and is constantly making spider enclosures around the house. He currently wants a tarantula for his next birthday (mom is not so sure about that).
What is your go-to family favorite dinner?
Breakfast for dinner! It is the one meal that NO ONE hesitates to eat right up and it is easy to clean up!
What is a character trait you want to instill in your children?
To know that God is real, in the small and big things. He cares, He knows, and He is sovereign. We want God to be REAL in our lives and that our children NEED HIM above anything else that this world tries to offer them. To show that to our children, we as parents need to be REAL in our walk with the Lord.
What would be a perfect family day for your family?
CAMPING! To head out to a campsite with our camper. We love the outside experience of campfires, hiking, fishing/exploring, and campfire food!
What is your advice to families that are on the fence about sending their child to Solid Rock?
First of all, pray. School choice is different for every family.
Secondly, counsel with others. In the multitude of counselors, there is safety. Talk to Maria, talk to other parents, and if you are married, be on the same page with your spouse.
Lastly, pray again and He will lead you in faith and peace about your decision!
Thanks Dawn for this lovely conversation! We loved getting to know the Schaefer’s more, and we love having you a part of our Solid Rock family.
