Sacred Education
Last Sunday evening, I was trying to get my five kids (4-13 yo) to get focused while we sat in our living room for a small time of worship. Not surprisingly, they were wiggly, giggly, and basically like they normally are in that space. What can you expect, they’re kids right? At the same time, what should I expect from kids in that kind of moment?
Written by Mr. Rob Muñoz, K-6 Vice Principal
Last Sunday evening, I was trying to get my five kids (4-13 yo) to get focused while we sat in our living room for a small time of worship. Not surprisingly, they were wiggly, giggly, and basically like they normally are in that space. What can you expect, they’re kids right? At the same time, what should I expect from kids in that kind of moment?
Dressed in their formal attire, students gather for chapel every Wednesday morning. Students receive biblical teaching from a variety of their teachers and often activities that reinforce the value being shared!
In the midst of trying to settle my thoughts and teach them a new worship song, I grew impatient. I put down the guitar for a moment, and gave the kids my dad stare (you know, the this-is-about-to-get-serious look). The conversation with them that followed made me think more deeply about the lack of understanding about what is ‘sacred’ among kids these days.
According to research, Generation Z (anyone born after 1994) is the least religious of the generations preceding it. For kids, that means less going to church, less youth groups, less spaces for meeting and interacting with one another and the Lord.
So I told my kids, “Look, I’m not upset. I do want us to have some fun, but I also expect that when we worship the Lord we focus and ready ourselves to interact with the Lord in his Spirit, which makes even this living room…set apart, and sacred really.” The kids, while mostly quiet and trying to figure me out, sat up, engaged, and started to make connections with expectations on their behavior and attitudes during worship times at their school (the Academy) and times in prayer we have had at home.
Mr. Muñoz, with the assistance of some of his former students, lead worship for the entire student body during a school wide chapel service.
It made me think how Christian parents and educators need to be intentionally defining what sacred is for children, especially when it comes to spaces where they interact with the Lord. This is why I am so thankful for our Wednesday “Spiritual Emphasis Days” at the Academy.
From kindergarten through high school, Wednesdays are centered around worship in song and hearing the word of God during chapel. Students also dress in their formal day clothing showing the ‘set apartness’ of the day. Younger students engage in classes like Heroes of the Faith and Jesus Movie, connecting biblical values to historical characters and popular media. Collaborative classes like Exploratory Hour and Games give students an opportunity to practice themes they are introduced to each week like perseverance, kindness, and cooperation. The older students spend significant time learning to worship in bands with expert worship leaders as instructors. Extended chapel times allow them time to be guided in the development of their own spirituality. It is all quite the effort on the part of the staff and volunteers, but well worth it.
Exodus 3:4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
Students and teachers share a moment of worship together on the last day of the fall 2019 semester. These are some of the most prioritized, sacred moments of our school year!
One of my great hopes is that the Academy will be a place where children can be educated in how to keep the name of the Lord and our interactions with Him a sacred space.
Fall 2019 Semester Reflection
As the semester and calendar year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the goodness of the Lord. As an educator, I’m blessed to work for an institution that does what it says it will, and is preoccupied with the whole child and not solely a test score. As a parent of a student at the Academy, I am blessed to know that the Lord has placed adults in the life of my child that will help him grow into a man…
HOLISTICALLY EDUCATING CHILDREN TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE, KIND AND ETHICAL NEIGHBORS; COMPETENT PERSONS, GLOBALLY CONSCIOUS, AND HISTORICALLY RELEVANT.
Written by Mr. Alex Castro, Principal
Mr. Castro welcomes visitors to one of our largest school events of the year: Grandparents Day.
As the semester and calendar year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the goodness of the Lord. As an educator, I’m blessed to work for an institution that does what it says it will, and is preoccupied with the whole child and not solely a test score. As a parent of a student at the Academy, I am blessed to know that the Lord has placed adults in the life of my child that will help him grow into a man that will one day walk from this campus and live out the expectations of our mission statement.
This semester I’ve seen children resolve conflict by using mediation, fears being cast aside when having to engage in new content, new technology used to present problems and solutions to administration, and much more. I have also had the pleasure of being spoken to by students who can truly engage in conversation with adults. There are so many things that have happened this semester that have both amazed me and sparked a new passion.
Whether participating in a PTO fundraiser, volunteering in the classroom, or showing up for a campus tree-planting day as seen in this photo, Academy parents are a blessing to our students and staff!
Having worked in public education, I am constantly reminded of the contrast between our school and others. One area that is overwhelming is parental support. The willingness of our parents to partner with what the Academy values is one area that I can personally say is a strength of our school. It is astounding to see the support through events, donations, and teacher appreciation. It is with this that I offer a huge THANK YOU to all parents who have participated in partnership with us in so many capacities this first semester. Thank you for entrusting us with the education of your children. We are committed to holistically educating your children in becoming responsible, kind and ethical neighbors; competent persons, globally conscious, and historically relevant.