Issue 4 - The Four R's
July 2006
“Community Christian High School is established
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.”
This is the CCHS vision statement. If you want to know what it is that we are setting out to do with our high school program, this is a good place to start. This vision statement gives purpose and direction for everything we do. The first part of the statement describes the need for the specific type of high school program we are creating. We believe that we are living in a time where our Christian nation is in jeopardy. Most Americans have forgotten our rich Christian history and we are becoming more and more secular and even pagan as years go by. We also believe that the best way to restore our nation to its former greatness and Godliness is the strengthening of the Christian individual and family. The second part of the statement is what we are setting out to do. Our high school could be considered a four-year spiritual boot camp, in which we are equipping strong Christian soldiers with a solid Biblical worldview. We are establishing a program that will provide the best opportunity for young Christians to discover and embrace who they were created to be and live transformed, Spirit filled lives. The last portion is a description of what that would look like. The end result will be powerful Christian young people able to defend their faith and advance the Kingdom of God in this generation, sharing the Gospel in both word and deeds.
We are excited about what God will do through His PS-12th grade program at CCS. It is our desire to follow His leading and establish a full educational program that will strengthen the Kingdom of God and bring Glory and Honor to Him. While there are still pieces of the high school program that are being developed, the 9th grade curriculum is in place and ready to be delivered.
The 9th graders will have Spanish II taught by a graduate of CCS, Andrew Hendrickson. Mr. Hendrickson is involved in a Hispanic church plant here in Willmar and brings many gifts and abilities to the classroom. Mr. Greene will be teaching them Physical Science and you all are familiar with the great many blessings that he provides for our students. We are thrilled to have Mr. Elmhorst teach them English, Literature and Geography. The 9th graders will be combined with the 8th grade for physical education and they will add their talents to the 7th and 8th grade band this year. Those 9th graders taking Geometry will have the opportunity to take the first class offered at CCS by satellite through Bob Jones University. This is cutting edge technology that is being utilized more and more to deliver quality distance learning opportunities to both high school and college students. The 9th graders will be challenged to grow spiritually through the study called “The Inner Man” which focuses on the transformation from the inside out and not simply conforming to outward standards of behavior. I am looking forward to the opportunity to teach this course.
It is also important to note that each of these courses will be taught from a Christian perspective using methods of teaching that will cause our students to grow in their abilities to think and reason from Biblical principles. As you have heard by now, we are utilizing the educational method known as the “Principle Approach”. This method of teaching and learning emphasizes the “Four R’s” of Research, Reason, Relate and Record.
I will briefly describe the “Four R’s” but realize that there is more to it than this brief overview allows for. As you read through this, keep in mind the modern approach to education that relies heavily on recall, recognition, regurgitation and reliance upon the teacher to give the student what they need to know for the test.
Research involves doing word studies to understand the vocabulary of the subject. Students will also learn to use primary sources to research from. This is especially significant in the study of history. Students will read first hand accounts and journals written by people that lived through the events instead of relying on someone else’s interpretation of the events. They will also learn to use their Bible concordance to research key ideas and concepts that relate to their subject of study.
Reasoning is becoming a lost skill in our society today. Our high school students will take the information that they gathered in their research and reason with it. Pondering upon it and thinking deeply about how the information they gathered relates to other knowledge they have acquired and applying Biblical principles to the subject of study. This is a key element in the development of a Biblical worldview.
After reasoning upon their research, students will Relate this information to their own life and other subjects in the curriculum, creating an integrated worldview rather than a compartmentalized one. This step will help make the study relevant to their lives.
The last step is Recording the information in their notebooks. The high school students will be required to keep a record of their learning in the key subject areas. This will include notes on their research, reasoning and relating as well as assignments and other assessments. This three ring binder will become a permanent record of their scholarship and learning. The production of the notebook also develops diligence, neatness, organization and stewardship in the students.
In summary, this process is teaching students to become independent learners that will be able to apply these skills to research any subject from a Biblical perspective. We are teaching them how to learn and giving them the opportunity to become true scholars that possess a Biblical worldview.
In closing, we would like to encourage you to pray for some items that will be worked on this fall and throughout the school year. But first, I would like to give a praise report. As you saw, we were able to hire an exceptional young man to teach Spanish I and II. Mr. Hendrickson is a great addition to our staff. We thank the Lord for bringing him to us.
As the school year gets underway, pray that our students, staff, parents and leadership would embrace the vision of the high school and work alongside one another to foster the development of each student enrolled. Pray also that we would be effective in communicating the vision and programming to this year’s Jr. High parents. Pray that each family would gain a clear understanding of the educational options available to them and that they would each prayerfully consider how best to fulfill their responsibility to educate their child. A few other areas to pray about include extra-curricular activities, post secondary education options, future staffing needs, budget issues, and wisdom to make decisions in all of these areas.
Thank you for taking the time to read this edition of the CCHS Patriot. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas regarding the high school, I would love to hear from you.
In His Service,
Steve Masseth
High School Principal