The Melton Family Discovers Academic and Spiritual Community“There’s not a person who works at Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School that doesn’t know who my daughter is. Not one person,” says parent, Jim Melton.It’s this close knit environment that made it a perfect fit for Delainey Melton, a sixth grader who ended up at the school by chance almost seven years ago.But the groundwork for Delainey’s education at Wyneken was laid long before Jim and Dawn Melton visited the school, including a devastating tragedy in 2002 that forced Mr. Melton to search for answers.“I wasn’t a Christian and was one of those people who thought I did enough good things and could go to heaven,” Mr. Melton explains.
He sought out a friend who happened to be a pastor. Through that experience he came to faith, but had never been part of a Christian school like Wyneken.It was only after Delainey couldn’t get into the public school they wanted that Jim and Dawn considered other options, including a school they passed everyday on the way to work: Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School.“We lived on the north side of Decatur and worked in Fort Wayne. My wife said she was going to check out Wyneken. I told her we couldn’t afford it,” Mr. Melton explains.But after visiting Wyneken and working through the financial details, the family discovered they could afford it after all.“Don’t look at cost,” Mr. Melton says. “Wyneken has ways to help you pay for it. You will not find a better group of people to teach your child.”Jim and Dawn weren’t disappointed—the progress Delainey made in kindergarten convinced them that this was the best fit for their daughter after all, despite their initial plan to send her to a different school.“This was where Delainey was supposed to be,” Mr. Melton admits. “Before she got out of kindergarten, she was doing things first and second graders couldn’t do.”Now that their daughter is in middle school, Mr. Melton continues to be impressed by the way she is challenged academically at Wyneken.“This school has a harder grading scale—B’s at other schools are C’s here,” he says. “They have a higher standard in their curriculum.”A staff that devotes extra time to help students balances that higher standard.“The teachers are always willing to help,” Mr. Melton explains. “They will stay after school and work with your child if they’re having trouble.”
Not only is Mr. Melton impressed by what the school does academically, but also the family environment that defines the school.“It takes a village to raise a child,” he explains. “There’s not a person that works at this school that doesn’t know who my daughter is. Not one person. Everybody in the school knows who we are. It’s truly like a family.”The Melton family not only found a school community for their family, they also found a spiritual community. After sending their daughter to Wyneken, they decided to try St. Paul Preble Lutheran Church, one of the congregations that supports Wyneken. St. Paul was a good fit for their family spiritually.It was that combination of a Christ-centered environment with a strong academic foundation that sold the Melton family on Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School. “I would say that if having a Christ-centered education is important for you and you want the best education, you can’t afford not to send your child to Wyneken,” Mr. Melton adds. “It’s a great place.”
