The Tarta Family’s EC Story

What do you love about EC?
What I love about EC is too much to list but I’ll share a story. We are from this region originally but lived abroad for over a decade. My eldest kids were born & grew up on an island in the Caribbean and though they’ve been at EC for 6+ years and are now at the MS, they still love their island home. In the last 18 months we’ve had opportunity to return and the #1 thing that keeps us rooted in NJ, (other than family who will surely read this), really is EC. My kids told me this summer that even if they could return to the island, they wouldn’t want to leave New Jersey because of EC and specifically cited the teachers! For a family that works hard to make sure they have this opportunity it was both financially validating but also reinforced that God has us just where we should be. And if you’ve ever tried to get a direct answer from a teenager, this is even more to the point.

Why did you choose Eastern Christian School for your children?

• Christ-focused spiritual reinforcement from the place they spend the majority of their time
• Excellent education, teachers & support systems
• Service oriented approach to building life skills
• Community & relationally driven environment

In what ways have you seen your children grow in their faith as a result of their experience at Eastern Christian School?
My kids pray openly. They pray for others first, they pray for those in need and they have developed a sense of service that surprises this mom. From my preschool student to my middle school students, they think beyond themselves and while I’d like to claim credit, the truth is, I know it comes from the style of education where they’re taught about what sacrifice & service looks like. This lesson has extended into how they act at home too.

Their educational growth should be noted as well, they have all become stronger learners even through the pandemic. We are so grateful for their teacher’s level of commitment academically and spiritually especially on those really hard long days!

What would you tell another parent considering enrolling their child(ren) at Eastern Christian School?
My husband and I met in 6th grade. We’ve been married 20+ years. It has been a wild ride even before the 3 kids. We grew up in Bergen County and went to public school. We got an amazing education at those schools. We got amazing opportunities because of them as well. Those schools gave us state championships in sports and expansive extracurriculars rivaling colleges. We got so much out of it including each other. What we did not get, however, was a sense of self through the eyes of Jesus. That came much later, in God’s good timing. But now as parents, given the choice, we want our kids to be in a place where that is reinforced, daily, hourly and by everyone they encounter at school. What is even better is that we don’t have to give up the other side of things either. EC’s education, programing and activities opens doors for our kids just like our own schooling experience BUT our kids have the signs of being rooted in faith sooner than we were. I think God is everywhere, every school, every grade with everyone who calls on Him, but what I love about EC is that when my kid isn’t calling on Him, those around them are and we can all feel the difference.

– Katie Tarta, EC Parent