Covenant Academy

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A Classical and Distinctly Christian Education

OCTOBER 2011 / VOLUME 01

Covenant Academy
A Classical and Distinctly Christian Education

October 2011

Volume 01

Table of Contents
From the Administrator
By Karen Stafford ...pg. 1

The Vision Statement.pg. 2 Our Educational Philosophy........pg. 3 Q&A, Prayer Requests pg. 4 A Parents Perspective

The Covenant Academy Newsletter is a monthly publication of Covenant Academy, Lafayette, LA.
Publisher and Editor: Shelby Stafford Contributor and Editor: Karen Stafford

Contact Publisher

Contact
Address: Covenant Academy 1700 East Willow Street Lafayette, LA 70501 Phone: (337)- 290- 6749 Email: karengstafford@bellsouth.net Web: covenantacademyla.org

by Christian Lewis.......pg. 5

What Do We Mean By Classical? .......pg. 6 Trivium Chart......pg. 7 Resources...pg. 8 Bulletin Board.....pg. 9

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. C.S. Lewis

From the Administrator

October 2011

pg. 1

From the Administrator

Dear Covenant family, The count-down is on. Only ten months before the doors of Covenant Academy are scheduled to open in order to provide a Christ-centered, classical education for children in grades K4- fourth grade. We would ask you, our church family, to remember to lift this venture up in prayer during the days of preparation ahead of us. Pray for leaders to have wisdom and discernment in planning, for the students whose lives will be impacted, and for the parents who will entrust our school with their precious children. Above all else, please pray that our focus, in all that we do, would remain on Christ Jesus our Lord. By way of introduction, I am Karen Stafford, and I will be serving as administrator for Covenant Academy. My husband Keith and I have been married for 22 years and have ve children ranging in age from 13 to 20. I have taught in public school in Texas for three years, but have spent the last 11 years homeschooling our children in the "Great Books" classical tradition. A verse that helped shape our homeschool was Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, which commands parents to teach their children diligently the things of the Lord. At Covenant Academy we will embrace this command and look forward to the privilege of working alongside parents in providing their children with a quality, Christ-centered education. Our hope is to see Covenant Baptist Church strengthened by multi-generational faithfulness. As our church is strengthened in the faith, our desire is that Acadiana will be impacted mightily with the Gospel and inuenced for Christ by graduates of Covenant Academy. In Christ, Karen Stafford

Vision Statement

October 2011

pg. 2

The Vision Statement of Covenant Academy

We aim to graduate young men and women who think clearly and listen carefully with discernment and understanding; who reason persuasively and articulate precisely; who are capable of evaluating their entire range of experience in the light the Scriptures; and who do so with eagerness in joyful submission to God. We desire them to recognize cultural inuences as distinct from biblical, and to be unswayed towards evil by the former. We aim to nd them well prepared in all situations, possessing both information and the knowledge of how to use it. We desire they be socially graceful and spiritually gracious; equipped with and understanding the tools of learning; desiring to grow in understanding, yet fully realizing the limitations and foolishness of the wisdom of this world. to serve as academic mentors to students. We look to see them mature in Christ, growing in the knowledge of God, their own children walking with the Lord. We aim to cultivate in our parents a sense of responsibility for the school; to see them well informed about the goals of our classical and Christcentered approach. We desire them to grow with the school, involved in and excited about the journey. We aim to help them to follow biblical principles in addressing concerns, to be inclined to hearing both sides of a story before rendering a verdict,

We desire they have a heart for the lost and the courage to seek to

dissuade those who are stumbling and to embrace the Scriptures injunctions towards destruction

to encourage and stir up one another to love and good works. Finally, in our relationship with our

We desire they have a heart for the lost and the courage to seek to dissuade those who are stumbling towards destruction; that they distinguish real religion from religion in form only; and that they possess the former, knowing and loving the Lord Jesus Christ. And all these we desire them to possess with humility and gratitude to God. We likewise aim to cultivate these same qualities in our staff and to see them well paid so that they may make a career at Covenant Academy. We desire them to be professional and diligent in their work, gifted in teaching, loving their students and their subjects. We desire they clearly understand classical education, how it works in their classroom and how their work ts into the whole; that they possess a lifelong hunger to learn and grow; and that they have the opportunity to be refreshed and renewed. We desire to see them coach and nurture new staff and

community, we aim to be above reproach in our business dealings and supportive of the local business community. We further seek to exemplify the unity of the body of Christ, to develop greater fellowship and understanding with the churches, and to bring honor to our Lord in all our endeavors.

Educational Philosophy

October 2011

pg. 3

Our Educational Philosophy

Although most Christian schools would agree on certain fundamentals, it is imperative that parents scrutinize the foundational beliefs of any school in which they may enroll their child(ren). Therefore, below are the most important philosophical elements that we at Covenant Academy believe distinguish our approach to education. 1. We believe that the Bible clearly instructs parents, not the Church or state, to bring children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The Churchs commission is essentially to spread the Gospel and train up believers (Matt.28:18-20). The State has been directed to enforce Gods laws and protect the innocent (Romans 13). The Church trains parents and the State protects families. The Family raises and educates children (Eph.6:1-4). Therefore, under the delegation of the family, we seek to teach and discipline in a manner consistent with the Bible and a godly home environment. 2. We believe that Gods character is revealed not only in His Word but also in every facet of the creation. Therefore, we teach that all knowledge is interrelated (integrated) and can instruct us about God himself. 3. God wants us to love Him with our minds, as well as with our hearts, souls, and strength (Matt.22:37) Therefore, we seek to individually challenge children at all levels and teach them how to learn, by using the centuries old, proven classical method, incorporating instruction in Latin. 4. We want to help parents teach their children that all they do should be done heartily, as unto the Lord. Therefore we seek to encourage quality academic work and maintain high standards of conduct. This necessarily includes biblical discipline principles. We desire a full K-12 program because we believe that as long as a child is under the parents authority and undergoing formal education, he should be trained biblically (Deut. 6:6-7, Prov. 22:6)

5.

Above all, parents can be condent that their student, at every stage of his development in school, will be loved with Christs love at Covenant Academy.

Q&A

Prayer Requests

October 2011

pg. 4

Q&A

Q:

A: ..increased competence in English, an appreciation for literature, an

understanding of the infancy of Western Civilization, practice in the analytic method, and providing a foundation for the study of modern languages.- Veith

What are the reasons for studying Latin?

Q:

How can I get in contact with the administrator?

A: She can be reached through email.

Q:
A:

Where can I nd a description of curriculum? The curriculum guide can be found here.

Q:

Will my child be required to wear a uniform?

A:Yes, they will. Details will be published soon.

Q:

When does registration start?

February, 2012. A: Registration startsbeingiven in subsequent More details will newsletters.

Prayer Requests

Still have unanswered questions? Send us an email

Prayer Requests
The future students and their families Teachers as they are studying and training in the classical method of education

From a Parent

October 2011

pg. 5

A Parents Perspective
Dear Prospective Parent, George Bailey, Jimmy Stewarts character in Its a wonderful life, was given the opportunity to see how his hometown would have changed had he never been born. He learns that his sacrice and service kept the quaint and idyllic town of Bedford Falls from being transformed into Pottersville, a dark town of harsh people with a roaring red light district. Today, we have a similar opportunity to be a blessing to both our childrens lives and Lafayette through the founding and establishment of Covenant Academy. How can another Christian school be a blessing to our children and Lafayette. First, as Christians, we are people who are to seek, hold to, and defend the Truth. Scripture teaches us to be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15) and to be equipped for casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God ( 2 Corinthians 10:5). Covenant Academy hopes its students will be best equipped for this by an educations curriculum that immerses them in the Bible and promotes diligent study and evaluation of the history, thought and great literary works of Western Civilization from ancient through modern times. By participating in this Great Conversation (ie. a study of Western history, thought and culture), students will learn from the triumphs and errors of the great persons and minds who have gone before us. Students with this knowledge will be best able to discern, serve and defend the truth in serving our Lord. Third, Covenant Academy hopes that the tools of learning provided to each student will lead to excellent achievement in the Lords calling for each

of them now and in the future. Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Christopher Columbus, Shakespeare, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams are said to have been all products of a classical education. Statistically, students who attend classical Christian schools outscore their peers in private, religious, and public schools in both the SAT and ACT examinations. Covenant Academy hopes to emphasize the all-embracing nature of the Christian faith in our students lives so that achievement and excellence in education will translate into a blessing for our Lord, families, and community in whatever they do. Many of us were not the beneciaries of a classical Christian education. We do not claim to be experts in this area at this time. Hope is notably repeated several times in this letter. This is because Covenant Academy is not established presently. For our hopes for Covenant Academy to become realities, a community of believers will need to be dedicated to learning and doing that which is necessary to provide our children this education. We hope God will bless our sacrice and service through Covenant Academy to be a blessing to Lafayette in ways even greater than that of George Baileys. We trust in and will seek out the Lords guidance and blessing in this endeavor by wisely and prayerfully laying a foundation upon which a classical Christian school can be established and mature. We invite each of you to join us in receiving and pursuing this calling in establishing Covenant Academy. In Christ, Christian Lewis, a fellow parent

The school belongs to the parents - Pliny the younger

What is Classical Education?

October 2011

pg. 6

What Do We Mean By Classical?

from Logos School Staff Manual

In the 1940's the British author, Dorothy Sayers, wrote an essay titled The Lost Tools of Learning. In it she not only calls for a return to the application of the seven liberal arts of ancient education, the rst three being the Trivium - grammar, logic, rhetoric, she also combines three stages of childrens development to the Trivium. Specically, she matches what she calls the Poll-parrot stage with grammar, Pert with logic, and Poetic with rhetoric (see chart below). At Logos, the founding board members were intrigued with this idea of applying a classical education in a Christian context. Doug Wilson, a founding board member explained the classical method further in his book. Logos School has been committed to implementing this form of education since the schools inception. An excerpt from Doug Wilsons book , Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning: The structure of our curriculum is traditional with a strong emphasis on the basics. We understand the basics to be subjects such as mathematics, history, and language studies. Not only are these subjects covered, they are covered in a particular way. For example, in history class the students will not only read their text, they will also read from primary sources. Grammar, logic, and rhetoric will be emphasized in all subjects. By grammar, we mean the fundamental rules of each subject (again, we do not limit grammar to language studies), as well as the basic data that exhibit those rules. In English, a singular noun does not take a plural verb. In logic, A does not equal not A. In history, time is linear, not cyclic. Each subject has its own grammar, which we require the students to learn. This enables the student to learn the subject from the inside out. The logic of each subject refers to the ordered relationship of that subjects particulars (grammar). What is the relationship between the Reformation and the colonization of America? What is the relationship between the subject and the object of a sentence? As the students learn the underlying rules or principles of a subject (grammar) along with how the particulars of that subject relate to one another (logic), they are learning to think. They are not simply memorizing fragmented pieces of knowledge. The last emphasis is rhetoric. We want our students to be able to express clearly everything they learn. An essay in history must be written as clearly as if it were an English paper. An oral presentation in science should be as coherent as possible. It is not enough that the history or science be correct. It must also be expressed well.

Trivium Stages Chart

October 2011

pg. 7

Trivium Stages Chart

Derived from The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers (compiled by Tom Gareld)

Beginning Grammar
(Pre-Polly)

Grammar (Polly-Parrot)
Grades 3-6 Approx. age 9-11 Student Characteristic 1. Excited about new, interesting facts 2. Likes to explain, gure out, talk 3. Wants to relate own experiences to topic, or just to tell a story 4. Likes collections, organizing items 5. Likes chants, clever, repetitious word sounds 6. Easily memorizes 7. Can assimilate another language well Teaching Method 1. Lots of hands-on work, projects 2. Field trips, drama 3. Make collections, displays, models 4. Integrate subjects through above means 5. Teach and assign research projects 6. Recitations, memorization 7. Drills, games 8. Oral/written presentations

Logic (Pert)
Grades 6-9 Approx. age 12-14 Student Characteristic 1. Still excitable, but needs challenges 2. Judges, critiques, debates, critical 3. Likes to organize items, others 4. Shows off knowledge 5. Wants to know "behind the scenes" facts 6. Curious about Why? for most things 7. Thinks, acts as though more knowledgeable than adults Teaching Method 1. Time lines, charts,maps (visual materials) 2. Debates, persuasive reports 3. Drama, reenactments, role-playing 4. Evaluate, critique (with guidelines) 5. Formal logic 6. Research projects 7. Oral/written presentations 8. Guest speakers, trips

Rhetoric (Poetic)
Grades 10-12 Approx. age 15-18 Student Characteristic 1. Concerned with present events, especially in own life 2. Interested in justice, fairness 3. Moving toward special interests, topics 4. Can take on responsibility, independent work 5. Can do synthesis 6. Desires to express feelings, own ideas 7. Generally idealistic Teaching Method 1. Drama, oral presentations 2. Guide research in major areas with goal of synthesis of ideas 3. Many papers, speeches, debates 4. Give responsibilities, e.g. working with younger students, organize activities 5. In-depth eld trips, even overnight 6. World view discussion/ written papers

Grades K-2 Approx. age 4-8 Student Characteristic 1. Obviously excited about learning 2. Enjoys games, stories, songs, projects 3. Short attention span 4. Wants to touch,taste, feel, smell, see 5. 5. Imaginative,creative 6. Likes chants, clever, repetitious word sounds (e.g. Dr. Seuss)

Teaching Method 1. Guide discovering 2. Explore, nd things 3. Use lots of tactile items to illustrate point 4. Sing, play games, chant, recite, color, draw, paint, build 5. Use body movements 6. Short, creative projects 7. Show and Tell, drama, hear/read/tell stories 8. Field trips 9. Lay conceptual understanding of letters, numbers, associated meanings

Resources

Links

October 2011

pg. 8

That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit. - Amos Alcott

Foundations of Christian Education Louis Berkof, Cornelius Van Til

Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning Douglas Wilson

The Case for Classical Christian Education Douglas Wilson

On Secular Education Robert Lewis Dabney The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory (unabridged) The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers

Internet Links
- Covenant Academy - Association of Christian Classical Schools - Christian Classical School statistics - Classis: A Journal Published By ACCS

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Bulletin Board

October 2011

pg. 9

Bulletin Board
Repairing the Ruins 2012 ACCS Annual Conference June 21-23, 2012 Dallas, Texas
More Info

Looking at a degree in Christian Classical Education? Check out Whiteeld College!