Educational Philosophy and Our Christian School
The Goal of the University-Model® School
The University-Model® School (UMSI) was developed as a result of two goals. The first was to offer students a high degree of academic achievement in a Christian school. The second was to preserve and strengthen God-ordained family relationships. It’s these family relationships where the Christian faith is most effectively fostered. UMSI provides an academically challenging education and integrates the home and school in the common goal of discipling children.
Integration
The key to the success of UMSI is the integration of a biblically based, parent guided, Christian faith and a sound, teacher-facilitated, academic environment. The Bible gives parents authority and responsibility for raising their children with the goal of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. In matters of education, that parental authority and responsibility, although not surrendered, is shared with an educational institution when the parents consider it desirable or necessary. In such cases, a UMSI will assist, and not replace, parents in their work of guiding and educating their children.
Parents as Partners
Parents will retain the oversight of their children’s educational progress. Parents will also be involved in the out-of-class instructional responsibilities of their children’s courses based upon each child’s age and stage of academic development. In addition, parents will continue to build into their children those character qualities that reflect their own understanding of the Christian faith.
Equipping Students and Parents
The school will boldly speak and teach in a manner consistent with the school’s statement of faith, emphasizing the necessity of a personal relationship with Christ and growth in Christ-like character. The school will also help parents properly place each of their children in an appropriate stage of academic development. Moreover, the school will develop and implement academically challenging, college-preparatory courses that integrate an appropriate level of parental involvement into each student’s out-of-class study.
The school will encourage and expect the student to learn the material assigned and will provide regular feedback to both the student and parents concerning the student’s progress in each class enrolled. Finally, as a Christian school in Pinellas County, Covenant Academy will integrate the Christian faith and a biblical worldview into the context of the various subject areas offered; to the end that Christian character building will receive support and enhancement outside the home.
University-Model® Schooling is designed for those families in which parents take an active role in the oversight and implementation of their children’s education. As the level of parental involvement progresses from being a co-teacher in the elementary years to a guide for independent study in middle school, parents continue exercising love and active responsibility for their children. In partnership with these committed parents, the school is then able to integrate the home and school effectively toward the common goal of Christian character development and solid academic preparation for college.
Discipling
As a Christian school, Covenant Academy adopts the historic Christian view of life as presented in the Bible. Since God created and sustains everything through His Son, Jesus Christ, the world and life are God-centered and should glorify Him. Man, being a sinner by nature and choice, cannot glorify, or know God apart from being recreated in God’s image through committing his life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The total process of education, therefore, must seek a restoration of the pupil to a position of true knowledge, righteousness and holiness in Christ by relating the whole person to God spiritually, mentally, socially and physically. All truth is God’s truth and must be integrated into every area of school life. Such education is primarily the parents’ responsibility and the school functions as an extension of the home to aid the parents in providing this education.