Skip To Main Content

Custom Class: header-utility-outer

What is a Covenant School?

January 12, 2023

There is something really special about Mount Paran Christian School. Current families and students, as well as alumni and their parents know this well. It’s something you feel when you’re on campus. Something you see in your children when they come home from school. Something almost intangible. I felt it the first time I stepped foot on this campus in 2014, long before I ever envisioned myself as Head of School.

 
DSC06914 

Faith and Intellect as One

December 01, 2022

The motto of Mount Paran Christian school is, “A place where faith and intellect grow as one.” In Latin, it translates to, Fides et intellectus simul unus. It is on our crest, but more importantly, this principle is woven into the fabric of what, how, and why we teach and learn together at MPCS.

 

Saint Augustine, in the 4th century, was known to have said, “All truth is God’s truth.” Since the beginning, we, at MPCS, have wholeheartedly endorsed this ideal and the theological position that affirms there is and can be no separation of the sacred and the secular in life and learning. In other words, we believe in the immersion of biblical understanding and truth in all we do and in all we study.

 
MS bible 

3 Reasons Why I Believe in Christian Schools

January 06, 2022

Why do I believe so strongly in Christian education, and particularly in independent Christian schooling? There are numerous reasons, starting with my perspective on education in general, specifically, K-12 education. Beyond that, the benefits of an independent Christian education for today’s learners are eternal.

 
Preschool worship 

Innovation in Education: Balancing Proven Curriculum with Out-of-the-box Instruction

August 23, 2021

Look anywhere in education today. The words innovate and innovation are displayed everywhere. For some, innovation in education is a fashionable trend. For others, innovation ensures students are prepared for jobs in a world of work where science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are dominant. For Mount Paran Christian School, we have taken a different approach to innovation, STEAM, and education as a whole. 

 

MPCS6602 

Becoming a Thinking Christian

June 24, 2021

Have you ever been asked a question about your faith you just could not answer? Have you ever questioned your own beliefs and wondered if what you were taught was actually truth? I can gladly say “yes” to both questions because, in so doing, I have come to realize that I must improve my understanding of my faith, of my beliefs, and of my intellectual understanding of Christianity. 

 
blogDSC03571 

Strategically Planning to Elevate Our People, Programs, and Place

March 24, 2021

In September 2019, the Mount Paran Christian School community embarked upon a comprehensive, community-wide strategic planning process meant to engage all stakeholders, solicit feedback, ask bold questions, and create a plan to guide all decisions and goals in the ensuing five years. 

The board of trustees, head of school, faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni examined and then affirmed or adjusted the mission, vision, and core values of MPCS to ensure all new strategic initiatives met missional specifications. The result is “Elevate: The 2021-2026 Strategic Plan for MPCS.”
 

StratPlanCover wide 

Imago Dei: Why Diversity Matters

February 19, 2020

Writing and/or speaking about diversity is never easy. In some ways, I feel as though I will never satisfy everyone who reads or hears what I have to say. However, to remain silent about such issues, especially as the head of school at a good-sized Christian independent school would be wrong. It would be cowardly. Now, I know I do not have all the answers. I may not even have a lot of the answers, but I am always seeking them. Likewise, I am hopeful that you will come to this blog desiring to learn, to understand others’ perspectives, and to better exemplify the kindness of God here on earth.

 
TimwithPK twins with HM IMG_2213 

School Strategy In The Pursuit of Excellence

November 18, 2019

Strategic planning is a process that independent schools, non-profit organizations, and for-profit businesses and industries typically undertake on a regular basis to ensure they are meeting their mission, acting upon their core values, and appropriately setting goals around those strategic initiatives. As such, over the course of the 2019-2020 school year, MPCS is engaging in the strategic-planning process. This process is meant to be comprehensive and allow every stakeholder (students, alumni, parents, grandparents, board, faculty, and staff) to provide input into the direction of the school over the next five years. By engaging our people, our goal is to inspire and unite our community through the process, allowing us all to be a part of something bigger, so that our students may flourish.

 
strategyLR-8657 

MPCS Core Values

October 29, 2019

Over the past sixteen months, the Mount Paran Christian School Board of Trustees and Executive Council have spent extensive time discussing the mission of the school, the culture of our community, and the direction we are going in the future. As we head into the winter and spring quarters of this school year, we will engage the entire community in the strategic planning process (my next blog post will explore this process).  However, before we get there, we knew we would need to first examine the school’s mission as it was written years ago and determine the core values that will help us consider and make decisions about every area of the school for the coming years.

 
worshipLR-0845 

Our World Needs the Liberal Arts

March 21, 2019

A COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERAL ARTS PART 3:

At MPCS, we see the study of the liberal arts (humanities, science, mathematics, and the arts – broadly categorized) as a vehicle for enabling our students to develop as well-rounded individuals and to mature in community with one another. We see the liberal arts as a means of delivering truly important information and providing the tools that enable our students to think and process that information, so that upon graduation they have become well-informed, civically minded, flourishing humans. 

BlackHistoryLR-2910

Technology and the Liberal Arts

February 18, 2019

A COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERAL ARTS PART 2:

Technology is playing a more significant role in the education of our students today. More specifically, the teaching and learning taking place within our schools, in many regards, is becoming dependent upon technological innovations that historically have not been necessary to produce well-rounded students. My own perspective is rooted in the liberal arts and the role they have played for centuries in building and equipping Christians for service and leadership. Mount Paran Christian School’s perspective is rooted in the knowledge that education is deeply relational and that every student must be known and loved to be effectively educated. Christianity is, after all, about relationship. 

teacherLR2-5592

An Introduction to the Liberal Arts

January 23, 2019

A COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERAL ARTS PART 1:

I am a dinosaur. I know it. Sometimes I am ashamed of it. Sometimes I am proud of it. I do not do technology well. If it has parts, I probably can’t fix it. If it requires batteries or electricity, the rule in our home is, “Bring it to Mommy.” I know, pathetic, right? I love paper books, libraries, and pens. I like to take notes with a mechanical pencil. Does that count as technology? 

classkidsLR2-5677

Resolute For the New Year

January 08, 2019

 

Welcome to the New Year! I have a lot of hope in what promises to be a wonderful year living and learning together in community. Each year, right around this time, Americans (and maybe people in other nations as well) take to setting New Year’s Resolutions. In all honesty, I have never been much of a resolution-setter, and while I could certainly resolve to lose a few pounds (or more than a few!), resolutions like that have never been effective in my life. I have always been a big-vision, long-term thinker and doer. So for me, this year I pray I will be determined, dedicated, committed, and devoted as a Christian, husband, father, friend, and employee of MPCS.

DrWiensLSLR-8649

Vision for the Future

July 19, 2018

What a pleasure it is to be a part of the Mount Paran Christian School community. As Katie, Eliot, and I have settled into our home and have been getting to know much more about the school and the many families that make up our community, I am more excited today about being at MPCS than ever before! Thank you for welcoming us so warmly and inviting us to be a part of your school family.

Since our arrival in March, it has been my privilege to sit down over meals, in your homes, by your pools, and in my office and to get to know so many of you. I look forward to much more of that in the future. I have also been blessed to hear so many of you express your love and gratitude for MPCS and for your children. Again, I look forward to hearing more about what makes Mount Paran Christian School such a special place. 

wiens at graduation

1

WingTips

Welcome to WingTips, a Mount Paran Christian School Blog. The MPCS Blog features many independent school contributors and thought-leaders.

Subscribe Here!


    Recent Posts


Learn More About MPCS

Recommended Series

PRIVATE SCHOOL PRIMER:

PARENTEd. TALKS:

COLLEGE SERIES:

FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK:

CHRISTIAN LIFE:

Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, Mount Paran Christian School unites with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth.

DR. TIM WIENS

Recent Posts

There is something really special about Mount Paran Christian School. Current families and students, as well as alumni and their parents know this well. It’s something you feel...

The motto of Mount Paran Christian school is, “A place where faith and intellect grow as one.” In Latin, it translates to, Fides et intellectus simul unus. It is on our crest, but...

Why do I believe so strongly in Christian education, and particularly in independent Christian schooling? There are numerous reasons, starting with my perspective on education in...

Look anywhere in education today. The words innovate and innovation are displayed everywhere. For some, innovation in education is a fashionable trend. For others, innovation...

Have you ever been asked a question about your faith you just could not answer? Have you ever questioned your own beliefs and wondered if what you were taught was actually truth?...

In September 2019, the Mount Paran Christian School community embarked upon a comprehensive, community-wide strategic planning process meant to engage all stakeholders, solicit...

Writing and/or speaking about diversity is never easy. In some ways, I feel as though I will never satisfy everyone who reads or hears what I have to say. However, to remain...

Strategic planning is a process that independent schools, non-profit organizations, and for-profit businesses and industries typically undertake on a regular basis to ensure they...

MPCS Core Values - 10/29/2019

Over the past sixteen months, the Mount Paran Christian School Board of Trustees and Executive Council have spent extensive time discussing the mission of the school, the culture...

A COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERAL ARTS PART 3:

At MPCS, we see the study of the liberal arts (humanities, science, mathematics, and the arts – broadly categorized) as a vehicle for...

A COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERAL ARTS PART 2:

Technology is playing a more significant role in the education of our students today. More specifically, the teaching and learning taking...

A COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERAL ARTS PART 1:

I am a dinosaur.I know it.Sometimes I am ashamed of it. Sometimes I am proud of it. I do not do technology well.If it has parts, I...

Welcome to the New Year! I have a lot of hope in what promises to be a wonderful year living and learning together in community. Each year, right around this time, Americans...

What a pleasure it is to be a part of the Mount Paran Christian School community. As Katie, Eliot, and I have settled into our home and have been getting to know much more about...

WINGTIPS

Welcome to WingTips, a Mount Paran Christian School Blog. The MPCS Blog features many independent school contributors and thought-leaders.

topcampusMtn DJI_0070crop

Recommended Series

PRIVATE SCHOOL PRIMER:
 
PARENTEd. TALKS:
 
COLLEGE SERIES:
 
FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK:
 
CHRISTIAN LIFE:

Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, Mount Paran Christian School unites with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth.