Hope for the future

This week’s blog is shared by Madonna Parent Jayne Klein

Lane hasn’t always gone to the Madonna School. He had great teachers and experiences in his elementary school. When it became time to transition into middle school I worried because academics become more important and classes get harder. But sixth grade went well, again with a good school with good teachers. There were still “Lane meltdowns” but he learned the ropes pretty quickly.


Seventh grade turned not so good. Lane had a harder time fitting in and disrupted classes more often. My sister-in-law is a special-ed consultant in Omaha so I called her when nearing my wits end, very stressed out and looking for advice, ideas I could bring to the school, new things to try for Lane, etc. She set up a couple appointments for me to observe classrooms to get ideas.

My first appointment was at Madonna School but still a week away. On a very stressful Thursday because Lane had another meltdown at school, I called Madonna and asked if I could visit the next day.

Another brief commercial break: Why we “Like” Who we “like” and How you can help

Thank you for Celebrating with us!

You may wonder why the Madonna School Celebration page “likes” certain businesses and organizations. This is because these are folks who support the Madonna School Celebration and other events.  If you see a “like” on the MSC page this business has donated time, money or items to the Madonna School Celebration.  Yes!  If you are a fan of this business, you can look forward to a sweet deal on August 25^th. 

In the Sikora house we often use the phrase “Vote with your dollars.” The Madonna School relies on the support of the community; you can keep the wheels moving in a positive direction by supporting the business that support the Madonna School. Periodically you may want to check this page on the blog for links to the websites of our growing list of donors.  

Also in case you haven’t figured this out yet, this is a great way to have a sneak peek at some of the awesome items and events that will be up for bid on August 25^th at our Celebration Event.   I will begin highlighting an item or two on Facebook every week up to Celebration.  That’s right – every week – that’s how much great stuff or activities we are gathering for this year’s event.

All right, one more thing for those of you who have stayed with me.  Please share the news via Facebook pages, private messages, emails, or if you’re old fashioned, phone calls and tell them about our event and the items and/or activities that are being featured.  And, to make your life easier, invite your friends, family, and co-workers to “like” our site.  Then they will get the news directly. Neat, eh?

OK FANS – Let’s Rock this thing!

If you are not yet a Fan – Please “like” us here

Fear of the Unknown. Trust in God

This week’s guest post is by Maria Sauvageau, parent of a pretty special person

Fear of the unknown and trust in God: these two polar opposites became the central theme in my life as a mother. Ashley was born the younger sister to five-year-old Andrew on July 26, 1989. Two weeks before her second birthday, she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor which was one third the size of her brain mass.

This was the first time true fear of the unknown crept silently into my life. Before she was rushed into emergency surgery, our pastor arrived to administer her outstanding sacraments and most importantly, the sacrament of the sick. I was told to say goodbye as she was not expected to survive.

Trust in God…this became my only hope. Not just trusting in Him to save my daughter, but finding the strength to trust in Him that whatever His will, I would be strong enough to handle it.

Music Day!

The Madonna School is a rare gem to offer music therapy as part of its program to educate the whole child.  As Mrs. Bennett related to us, it is about connections.  For the analytical types out there who need some hard facts, important research below: For everyone else, a fun video of one music day at the Madonna School follows J

*In the last five years researchers also have begun to explore the benefits of an arts education on a child’s mind. In particular, the field of neuroscience is beginning to unravel the many ways that the arts can influence cognitive development. Their findings include: