Core Values of Education

Whitefish Christian Academy has stepped into the middle of one the greatest battles ever faced in American culture.  This battle is for the hearts and minds of the next generation and it is a battle we cannot afford to lose.
 
Whitefish Christian Academy (WCA) believes a successful educational system must begin with God as its supreme authority.  Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the holy One is understanding.” (NASB)  It is our goal to teach and equip students with a Christian worldview that will guide their lives and will provide them the tools to be successful Christian leaders in whatever career they choose later in life.

At WCA a “Trivium-based, Christian education” embraces three core components in its educational model.  The three core components demonstrate the difference in the educational opportunity offered at WCA in contrast to other schools.  Since not all education is the same, parents should know the difference WCA can make in their child’s life.  Following is a discussion of the three core components of the Trivium-based Christian educational model used at WCA.

A solid educational foundation built around God’s Word is the first core component of the WCA model of education.  We believe that within the academic education a child receives during their developmental years that it must have at the center of its axis the truth of God.  There is only one source of infallible truth and we have it in the Word of God, we integrate it into each subject, we apply its principles on the playground, and we teach its virtues for character development.

The second core component of our education model revolves around the framework of providing a “Trivium-based education.”  A Trivium-based education places a distinct emphasis on using the Trivium as the center post for education.  The term “Trivium” means “three ways” and highlights the three most important tools of learning; grammar, logic, and rhetoric.  These three tools of learning have been used for over 2,000 years to educate children and are the time-tested method of teaching that cuts with the grain of a child's natural development (see article Whitefish Christian Academy and a Trivium-based education). 

The third core component of the education model used at WCA is the force of parents and teachers working together in a child’s education.  The attitudes and involvement of parents toward their child’s education is one of the greatest influencing factors on a student’s academic performance.  The school is not the master of the child, the parents are and we honor this relationship.  We stand alongside parents who are committed to the task of raising godly, bright children who will ultimately fulfill their adult, God-given potential in life (Deut. 6:4-6; Eph 6).  Small class sizes, availability of teachers to respond to parent concerns, personalized help for students who are struggling (academically, spiritually or socially), as well as additional challenges placed before students who are ready to excel are all part of the commitment WCA makes to helping parents succeed in providing a quality Christian education for their child.
Vision for Our Learners

The vision of Whitefish Christian Academy (WCA) is to produce classically educated Christians who are passionate to engage and transform their culture for Christ. Specifically, the vision of WCA educators is that a maturing student will grow:

As a spiritual discerner

A Trivium-based Education

The goal of a Trivium-based education is to prepare students to become critical thinker so they can go into the marketplace of ideas and become successful leaders in their chosen career.  The worthiness of a Trivium-based education is found in the fact that the greatest thinkers, leaders, and scientists of the Western world were educated under the classical model of education.  Classical education is also the model by which our nation’s founding fathers were taught.  Following is a brief description of the three phases of a Trivium-based education and how it is implemented at Whitefish Christian Academy.

The first phase of a Trivium-based education is “grammar.”  First and second grade students focus on sentence structure, syntax, and the parts of speech.  Grammar development is further emphasized in third–sixth grade through the teaching of formal Latin.
Latin is the mother tongue to over 50% of our English words and is a key component in such subjects as science, law, anatomy, logic, and much more.  Latin helps to deepen a student’s understanding of syntax, sentence structure, and the parts of speech by building on what they learned in the first and second grade.  By mastering skills in Latin students are prepared for all future language study.  Latin, as well as other subjects, are taught using repetition, drill, memorization, chants, and songs.  This method of teaching, used during the elementary school years, is a proven means in helping students retain important facts of grammar, math, history, and science.

The second phase of a Trivium-based education is “formal logic.”  Formal logic is taught to junior high school students, as this is the time when the budding adult begins to develop formal reasoning skills.  Students are trained how to analyze, reason, question, evaluate, and critique an issue or a subject.  Students are taught how to think about life from a biblical foundation, and how to determine which arguments to an issue are valid and which are not.  Students learn how to make decisions based on sound reason and good judgement.  Students will become great problem solvers by applying the patterns of sound logic and reason to every subject or problem they face in high school, college, and at work.

The third phase of a Trivium-based education is “rhetoric.”  It is in the high school years that the soon-to-be young adult learns how to express what they know and what they are learning.  Students learn how to properly debate a subject, give a speech, and write a compelling essay.  Drama is introduced as a means of helping students master effective communication skills.  Well-developed rhetorical skills build upon the grammar and logic skills learned in earlier years.  It is the combination of a student’s mastery of grammar, logic, and rhetoric that brings students to the pinnacle of good reason, good judgement, and good expression.  The young adult is now ready to go off to college or pursue a career prepared with a Christian worldview firmly fixed and fully equipped to excel in their chosen field of study or work.

A Values Based Education

Whitefish Christian Academy (WCA) is dedicated to helping students develop strong Christian character and personal integrity.  WCA does this by emphasizing a Values Based Education.  Therefore, within the school setting we actively and conscientiously pursue the teaching of character traits that we want to see developed in a student’s life.  The following is not an exhaustive list of character traits we seek to cultivate in children, but the list represents a good sampling of what we seek to instill in the heart and character of a child.  Your child’s teacher will, on a quarterly basis, report to you observations they have made concerning your child’s behavior and attitudes. We believe this report is as important as the academic grades your child receives and should be given thoughtful consideration.

Measures of Behavior

Major Aspects of Good Behavior

A Values Based Education