The CCS

Patriot

Issue 2 - High school plans

May 2006

"From the day of the Declaration...they (the American people) were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of The Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledge as the rules of their conduct."

John Quincy Adams July 4, 1821

I would like to take some time to update you on a few high school related items that we have been working on.  As you read about these items, you can be thankful that we live in a day when we have many more options available to us than in the past.  The advances in technology are making it possible for small Christian schools like ours to provide students with many more options than what was available even a few years ago. 

The first thing I would like to do is invite all parents of current 5th – 8th grade students to attend a demonstration by Bob Jones University on Tuesday May 16th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 noon.  We will be sitting in on a live demonstration of their LINC program, which stands for Live Interactive Network Classroom.  The LINC program is taught by Christian instructors at Bob Jones University and our students would watch these classes live over satellite television on a large projection screen.  They will be able to ask the teacher questions through a direct telephone line.  We would like to have parents here to provide us with feedback on this program.  It is just one of the options we are considering for a few of our high school classes.  Please contact Mr. Masseth at 235-0592 to let us know if you will be attending this meeting.  It is important that we have an accurate count by Monday the 15th.   

I would also like to mention that we are in the process of exploring PSEO options for our high school students.  This is an area where technology is opening up new opportunities that were not available in the past.  For those of you who may not know, PSEO is Post Secondary Education Option, which allows high school juniors and seniors to earn college credits while still in high school.  We will keep you informed as we gather more information about these options.

We also realize that extra-curricular activities are an important part of a well-rounded high school program.  We have contacted the Minnesota State High School League and were informed that until we have two grades we cannot coop with other schools for sports.  With that being true, our plan is to have our 9th grade students participate with our Jr. High teams next year while we pursue coop possibilities with area schools for the fall of 2007.  Our goal is to provide students with options to participate in the sports that they desire until we have adequate numbers to support our own athletic programs.  We have already contacted Willmar and CMCS regarding this issue.  The door seems to be closed with Willmar at the moment but CMCS has expressed a willingness to continue discussing this possibility.  Pray that the Lord would open the right doors to allow our students the opportunity to participate in athletics while we strive to develop our own programs.

 “From the day of the Declaration...they (the American people) were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of The Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledge as the rules of their conduct."

John Quincy Adams July 4, 1821

The above quote illustrates very clearly what has gone wrong in our society today.  There was a time in this nation’s history when the vast majority of people recognized the one true God and acknowledged that there are, in fact, moral laws that God gave us to live by.  We no longer live in such a society.  Today, moral truth is relative and the culture around us is attempting to push the one true God out of the public square and replace Him with no god or any god. 

The result has been the weakening of our nation, but this weakening occurred not from the top down but from the bottom up.  As individuals turned from God and God’s ways, families followed.  As families slowly turn from God, churches weaken and communities falter.  As this trend continues it results in what we see today; a nation that is morally bankrupt and becoming more and more reliant upon a large, intrusive federal government to meet our needs.

Our vision for the CCS high school program is to… “assist in the restoration of the American Christian family and nation; equipping Christian young people to be strong disciples of Jesus Christ, able and eager to defend their faith and proclaim the Gospel in words and deeds.”  If there is any hope for our nation it is the strengthening of our Christian homes.  It is our goal to assist you in developing the character and skills necessary for your sons and daughters to be strong soldiers for Jesus Christ, fulfilling the purpose for their lives and reclaiming ground that generations before them have allowed to slip away.

Over the past several months we have been busy putting some of the foundational pieces in place, none of which is more important than putting the high school philosophy down on paper.  It is the philosophy of every school that determines what is taught and what methods are used.  It is what makes a school secular or Christian in nature.  We have completed the Parent Handbook, which contains the philosophy behind our program as well as some other vital information such as graduation requirements and high school policies.  This handbook is being reviewed by the Board and should be ready to be delivered to parents by the end of next week.  I encourage you to read this handbook and pay careful attention to the philosophy, remembering that it is the foundation that everything else is built upon. 

As you consider your educational options I would strongly recommend that you research the philosophy of each school you are considering.  Ask them what their goals are.  What do they desire to produce in their students?  Ask them what they believe about the nature of truth and man.  Ask them what the purpose of education is, and what makes a person educated.  The school may be attractive for a number of reasons but if the foundation (philosophy) is weak or flawed, the results will be flawed also.  Ask yourselves as parents what is most important to you.  What do you want your students to learn and become?  Examine the foundations and look carefully at each option and choose the school that best reflects what is important to you.

May God bless you all as you continue on the wonderful journey of parenting.  May He provide you with wisdom and direction for every decision that you make and may His love and grace shine upon us all.

Steve Masseth

High School Principal