Our View Of Education At LHCS

Table of Contents

The Christian School Values

Purpose, Mission and Vision Statements

10 Worldview Statements

The Basis for the LHCS Curriculum

Christian Values are the standard for atmosphere, behaviour, curriculum and policies in each school.

Christian Perspective permeates the entire curriculum through the use of Christian textbooks and learning materials written by committed teachers and produced by OACS and CSI.

Curriculum Organization follows the general pattern suggested by the Ministry of Education.

Certification all teachers are certified and meet Ontario Professional standards.

Achievement. In addition to each school’s own assessment, students participate regularly in national tests and competitions and score well above the national average in all subject areas.

Evaluation. The OACS School Quality Assurance Program (SQAP) reviews the viability of the entire school operation on a regular cycle

Family Basis. The entire school budget is dependent on parental contributions and donations from the community. Christian educators listen to parents!

Responsibility. The Board of Directors is elected by the parents, not by a church council or the government.

Relationships. As many as 20 church denominations support OACS schools in any one town or city. The school is open to all who meet the enrollment criteria.

Sensitivity. The school, while directed by historic principles, encourages a broad understanding of the Christian life and witness in Canada.

Community. An OACS school is a small, caring community of adults and children in which individuals are encouraged to develop their God-given talents. Teachers know the child and the family and are dedicated to preserving a family-oriented Christian lifestyle.

Open. Parents are involved in all aspects of the school’s operation. They make decisions, they are consulted, they participate, and they see what is happening in the school.

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Purpose, Mission And Vision Statement Of Laurentian Hills Christian School

Statement of Purpose

"We believe it is our responsibility as Christian to raise children in the light of God's Word.  The education of children must be Christ-centered equipping them to become responsive disciples of Christ who seek the will of the Lord in all aspects of life."

Mission Statement

"For the children of Christian parents, Laurentian Hills Christian school provides Christ-centered quality education to

the whole child in a supportive, loving, diverse, dynamic and growing parent run school."

Vision Statement

"Kitchener-Waterloo Christian School Society advances dynamic, excellent Christ-centered education through

unconstrained facilities, exceptional programs, and extensive resources that cultivate responsive disciples of Christ."

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Ten Worldview Statements*

1.   God is sovereign over all creation, including the field of education.

We make a connection to God’s claims in every subject (not just biblical studies or chapel) and in all behaviour, including language dress, and attitude toward others and toward property.

2.  Jesus is Redeemer of the cosmos, not just Savior of mankind.

Christ, through the agency of human beings, wants to restore everything in the world to his definition of how it should be.

3.   The Bible is the divine pair of glasses through which we look at reality.

Apart from studying the Word of God diligently to know more about God’s way of dealing with humankind, we also look to it for guidance in developing a biblical world view.

4.    God reveals Himself though His creation (not only through Jesus Christ and the Bible)

In spite of the fall into sin, the original goodness of creation still shines through the character, structure and connectedness of things.

5.    God’s revelation calls for an active response (Not just assimilation of information)

Education, therefore, always appeals to the heart, and has its purpose to lead students into responsive discipleship.

6.   This world belongs to God (Not the evil one)

The Christian school needs to engage culture, not flee from it, and it needs to do so in the confidence that God is in control.

7.   The creation tension runs through people and organizations (rather than around them).

No person and no thing is absolutely evil or absolutely good.  The world cannot be divided into good and bad guys.  We all fall short of the glory of God.

8.   The school is to equip students with the vision and skills for the redemption of this earth.

This is not a throw-away world; God will renew it rather than destroy it.  This makes all actions to improve life on earth worthwhile.

9.    Christian schools focus on the nurture of children who have been consecrated by God.

Christian schools are not established to evangelize children from non-Christian homes.  They complement and extend that which is already taking place at home and as such encourage commitment to Jesus Christ.

10.   The focus in the school community is on community rather than on individualistic advancement.

Children are to be taught interpersonal skills and a sense of belonging to the Body of Christ.  Also, the entire Christian community bears responsibility for the Christian nurture of God’s children, not just the parents.

* the 10 Worldview Statements were taken from the Christian Educators Journal - Bert Witvoet, "Ten Worldview Statements for Christian Schools" CEJ (February 2002):34

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The Basis for the LHCS Curriculum

·         We affirm that scripture is the foundational “rock” upon which we build and the “prism” through which teachers and

      students must view the world.

·         We believe that the Bible serves as the basis for all thought and action.

·         We believe that the biblical concept of creation imparts sanctity to all realms of nature and to the history and culture of mankind.  Or “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen.”

·         We acknowledge that Jesus is recognised as the Truth, the Bible is Truth, and Truth is found in God’s world.

·         We believe that the entire created order is subject to God’s will, laws and ordinances.  “There is not a single inch on which Christ does not exclaim, “Mine!”  Each sphere of life is subject to the all-encompassing sovereignty of God.

·         We believe that the Bible offers us new ways to see the world.

·         The natural sciences:

·         the world is structured and responds to God’s Word.

·         The social sciences:

·         God’s laws for societal structures such as state, family, marriage, school, labour and industry are laws to which we must adhere.

·         The humanities:

·         the humanities can no longer simply instill a set of values and a sense of morality but must also motivate the student to ask what is the nature of arts and language and how these can be reclaimed to that which God originally intended.

·         We believe that renewed through Jesus Christ, in stewardship under God, guided by God’s will, mankind is still given the task to dress the garden, subdue the earth and govern it.

·         We believe that the purpose of education must be to teach our students to rule over creation in ways that honour and please God.

·         We believe in educating the whole person.

·         We believe that the Christian school teacher directs the learning process with God’s Word in one hand and God’s creation in the other.  Neither can be understood without the other, but the Word comes first in Christian education.

·         We believe that the Christian school is called not just to couple piety with intellect, not just to preserve Biblical studies in our schools, but more basically to see every area of thought and life in relation to the wisdom and will of God.

·         We endorse a socially relevant curriculum broader in its scope than the teaching of Biblical concepts and basic skills.

·     We believe that the Christian school does not rest on any presumed or real deficiencies in the isolated practices of the publicly funded school system or a desire for social isolation.

·     We believe that Christian education today aims at training children to take their place in society as Christians to work at the renewal of culture in the name of the Lord.

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