MPCS Core Values
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.
Letter to My Alma Mater: Arts
From encouraging creative thinking to working collaboratively, from honing skills to building confidence, the arts provide both an outlet for expression and input for developing innate artistic talent.
For the second part of the “Letter to My Alma Mater” series, MPCS alumni share how participation in the arts at the school changed their lives and offer advice for aspiring artists.
Letter to My Alma Mater: Academics
To accomplish its mission of uniting with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth, Mount Paran Christian School focuses on four pillars in everything we do: Academics, Arts, Athletics, and Christian Life. Through participation in these key areas, MPCS students graduate with a strong foundation for beginning their adult lives. For this “Letter to My Alma Mater” blog series, we asked several alumni to share their experiences at MPCS and how their time at the school made an impact on the path they took upon graduation.
Robotics and the Body of Christ
If you’ve never been to a robotics competition, you need to go. You would be amazed—not just at the fascinating robots that are on display, the enormous amount of intelligence present, or the surprisingly satisfying smell of aluminum, plastic, and rubber—but by the way robotics teams have to strive to be the best they can be as a team. It’s also about how they can use their strengths to help other teams be successful.
One Language, 21 Cultures: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Barbeque. Hurricane. Canoe. Though you may not realize it, these commonly used English words—among many others—originated from the language of the Taino people, indigenous to Puerto Rico and several other Caribbean islands. Beyond language, the Spanish culture has deeply influenced our society today. Chips and salsa have become so popular they are now one of the highest-selling snacks in the U.S., according to Interexchange.org. The rise of soccer as a popular sport in America can be partially attributed to its popularity within the Spanish culture. Famous Latin names are easily recognized, such as musician Jennifer Lopez, film star Antonio Banderas, actress Sofia Vergara, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and sports star Cristiano Ronaldo. And, so, for these—and many more—important contributions to America’s story, each year the U.S. government recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month.
A Lesson on Love
Often, we wonder, “What does it take to be a good Christian?” In response, we may think about right versus wrong: saying the right thing, doing the right thing, thinking the right thing. Christianity is, however, more accurately summed up as love. It is our response to the love that God has for us that should compel us to want to do the right things, say the right things, and think the right things—not the other way around.
ParentEd.: A Generation of Screenagers
Over the last two decades, our society has been transformed by technology, especially high-tech tablets and smart phones. Technology touches our lives in so many ways that the children of today are surrounded by it at every turn. It is not uncommon for today’s elementary-aged children to have their own personal tablet, smart phone, or wrist watch that communicates with parents. Toddlers can often navigate a tablet with ease. Even new kitchen appliances are incorporating smart communication technology into their design. The challenge facing our society is how to best navigate this high-tech culture in a healthy manner. How can we balance our use of technology in order to avoid falling into negative patterns of too much screen time?
Developing Leaders: Student Perspectives on How to goLEAD
GUEST STUDENT AUTHORS
A recently developed leadership program at Mount Paran Christian School is providing high school students with the opportunity to learn, practice, and reflect on leadership. Developed by Jason Beard, Assistant Head of High School, the goLEAD program’s goal is to develop and empower today’s servant-leaders by teaching essential principles of leadership, collaborating with community and school leaders, and providing authentic experiences in leadership.
goLEAD Year 2: Experiential Leadership
The goLEAD program has officially launched as a two-year curricular program, designed to prepare servant-leaders by teaching leadership principles, collaborating with community and school leaders, and providing authentic experiences for students to learn, practice, and reflect on their leadership. The thought of doing leadership intentionally was the spark that created a leadership-development program that incorporates a balance between learning about leadership and actually experiencing it.
15 Strong
What does it take to create a successful football program? How can smaller high schools and private schools nurture and sustain a culture of winning? Championships are the goal of every program and finding the formula for achieving that goal is the challenge for every high school football program. To help define and reach this goal in a tangible way, 15 Strong was born.
ParentEd.: Redshirting - Do They Need That Extra Year?
MPCS recently held a ParentEd. talk titled “Redshirting: Should They Stay or Should They Go?” The seminar delved into the recent trend of giving students an additional year between preschool and Kindergarten. Both sides of this controversial issue were discussed, and the benefits of each side were outlined. Here are some takeaways from this informative ParentEd. seminar.
Get There From Here: Military Academies
CO-WRITTEN BY SHAUNDA BROOKS
“I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.”
Get There From Here: Ivy League
The ivy covered halls of the nation’s most selective academic schools are the dreams of many high school students. What is the key for unlocking the door of admission to these schools? Is it extracurricular activities? The number of AP classes? Glowing teacher recommendation letters? How do GPA and test scores fit into all of this? We have some answers.
Get There From Here: Collegiate Athletics
Picture yourself on a Saturday afternoon in September. Where are you? Sanford Stadium? Bobby Dodd Stadium? Your friend's living room with three TV’s hooked up for all the big games? How about the month of March. Are you constantly checking scores on your lunch break to see which team will be “The Cinderella Story” on the way to the big dance? The same could be said for June as we are watching softball and baseball Championship Series being played or in July on an Olympic year. We all have a team that we are rooting for to win for a variety of reasons.
Get There From Here: Arts in College
The ability to pursue arts degrees and careers after attending MPCS is simple and well-proven. Mount Paran Christian School has a unique, world-class facility and capable staff focused to prepare students for the study of the arts in higher education, be it instrumental or vocal music performance, dance, theatre, technical theatre, commercial music, traditional and digital visual arts, arts education, arts therapy, film-making, or cinematography – you name it. If an MPCS student can dream it, the arts program at MPCS can deliver instruction and provide experiences to help get them ready for arts majors in college. More importantly, we do so through the lens of our mission to fulfill the calling placed on them through their artistic gifts.
Get There From Here: Christian Colleges
Choosing a college that is a best fit academically, socially, and financially is an enormous decision. Some students go for a school with an easily recognizable reputation, while others choose based on practicality of location and/or finances. While there are many factors involved, one factor is often overlooked: choosing a college that will support and encourage a student’s faith while challenging him/her to apply faith to their studies.
WingTips
Welcome to WingTips, a Mount Paran Christian School Blog. The MPCS Blog features many independent school contributors and thought-leaders.
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Recent Posts
Learn More About MPCS
Recommended Series
PRIVATE SCHOOL PRIMER:
- How School Choice Programs Increase Educational Opportunities for Families
- 5 Tips for Making the Middle to High School Transition
- What Families Should Expect
- 2 Most Important This to Consider When Choosing a Preschool
- 4 Benefits of Choosing a K-12 School for Life
- 3 Reasons Why I Believe in Christian Schools
- 7 Tips for Affording a Private School Education
- 4 Reasons We Chose Mount Paran Christian School
- How to Choose the Best Private School for Your Family
PARENTEd. TALKS:
- Helping Students Boost Their Brain Capacity for Success
- Teaching Children Fiscal Responsibility
- Tips for Parents to Help Teens Avoid Drugs and Alcohol
- Excelling in the Midst of Adversity
- 3 Tips for Navigating the Hidden Dangers of Social Media
- The Blessing of a B Minus
- Real Talk for Moms
COLLEGE SERIES:
- Finding the Right Fit - An Individualized Approach to College Counseling
- ParentEd.: Here’s What You Need to Know About College Admissions
- To Save or Not to Save: 529 Plans are the Question
FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK:
- The Importance of Play
- What Families Should Expect
- Play is Learning Through the Arts
- 4 Tips to Capture the Minds of Your Students
CHRISTIAN LIFE:
- What is a Covenant School?
- Seeing Through a New Lens: A Biblical Worldview
- Faith and Intellect as One
- Philosophy of Belonging: 4 Tips for Fostering a Diverse Culture
- Innovation in Education: Teaching Cultural Awareness
- A Call to Brotherhood: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Wisdom for Today
- CommUNITY: How Do We Love One Another?
- Campaign for CommUNITY
- How to Raise Empathetic Children in Today’s Culture
- Imageo Dei: Why Diversity Matters
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.
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...
Letter to My Alma Mater: Arts - 10/24/2019
From encouraging creative thinking to working collaboratively, from honing skills to building confidence, the arts provide both an outlet for expression and input for developing...
Letter to My Alma Mater: Academics - 10/17/2019
To accomplish its mission of uniting with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth, Mount Paran Christian School focuses on four...
Robotics and the Body of Christ - 10/03/2019
If you’ve never been to a robotics competition, you need to go. You would be amazed—not just at the fascinating robots that are on display, the enormous amount of intelligence...
Barbeque. Hurricane. Canoe. Though you may not realize it, these commonly used English words—among many others—originated from the language of the Taino people, indigenous to...
A Lesson on Love - 09/12/2019
Often, we wonder, “What does it take to be a good Christian?” In response, we may think about right versus wrong: saying the right thing, doing the right thing, thinking the right...
ParentEd.: A Generation of Screenagers - 08/28/2019
Over the last two decades, our society has been transformed by technology, especially high-tech tablets and smart phones. Technology touches our lives in so many ways that the...
GUEST STUDENT AUTHORS
A recently developed leadership program at Mount Paran Christian School is providing high school students with the opportunity to learn, practice, and...
goLEAD Year 2: Experiential Leadership - 08/15/2019
The goLEAD program has officially launched as a two-year curricular program, designed to prepare servant-leaders by teaching leadership principles, collaborating with community...
15 Strong - 07/25/2019
What does it take to create a successful football program? How can smaller high schools and private schools nurture and sustain a culture of winning? Championships are the goal of...
MPCS recently held a ParentEd. talk titled “Redshirting: Should They Stay or Should They Go?” The seminar delved into the recent trend of giving students an additional year...
Get There From Here: Military Academies - 06/17/2019
CO-WRITTEN BY SHAUNDA BROOKS
“I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear...
Get There From Here: Ivy League - 06/06/2019
The ivy covered halls of the nation’s most selective academic schools are the dreams of many high school students. What is the key for unlocking the door of admission to these...
Get There From Here: Collegiate Athletics - 05/30/2019
Picture yourself on a Saturday afternoon in September. Where are you? Sanford Stadium? Bobby Dodd Stadium? Your friend's living room with threeTV’s hooked up for all the big...
Get There From Here: Arts in College - 05/24/2019
The ability to pursue arts degrees and careers after attending MPCS is simple and well-proven. Mount Paran Christian School has a unique, world-class facility and capable staff...
Get There From Here: Christian Colleges - 05/17/2019
Choosing a college that is a best fit academically, socially, and financially is an enormous decision. Some students go for a school with an easily recognizable reputation, while...
WINGTIPS
Welcome to WingTips, a Mount Paran Christian School Blog. The MPCS Blog features many independent school contributors and thought-leaders.
Recommended Series
PRIVATE SCHOOL PRIMER:
- How School Choice Programs Increase Educational Opportunities for Families
- 5 Tips for Making the Middle to High School Transition
- What Families Should Expect
- 2 Most Important This to Consider When Choosing a Preschool
- 4 Benefits of Choosing a K-12 School for Life
- 3 Reasons Why I Believe in Christian Schools
- 7 Tips for Affording a Private School Education
- 4 Reasons We Chose Mount Paran Christian School
- How to Choose the Best Private School for Your Family
PARENTEd. TALKS:
- Helping Students Boost Their Brain Capacity for Success
- Teaching Children Fiscal Responsibility
- Tips for Parents to Help Teens Avoid Drugs and Alcohol
- Excelling in the Midst of Adversity
- 3 Tips for Navigating the Hidden Dangers of Social Media
- The Blessing of a B Minus
- Real Talk for Moms
COLLEGE SERIES:
- Finding the Right Fit - An Individualized Approach to College Counseling
- ParentEd.: Here’s What You Need to Know About College Admissions
- To Save or Not to Save: 529 Plans are the Question
FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK:
- The Importance of Play
- What Families Should Expect
- Play is Learning Through the Arts
- 4 Tips to Capture the Minds of Your Students
CHRISTIAN LIFE:
- What is a Covenant School?
- Seeing Through a New Lens: A Biblical Worldview
- Faith and Intellect as One
- Philosophy of Belonging: 4 Tips for Fostering a Diverse Culture
- Innovation in Education: Teaching Cultural Awareness
- A Call to Brotherhood: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Wisdom for Today
- CommUNITY: How Do We Love One Another?
- Campaign for CommUNITY
- How to Raise Empathetic Children in Today’s Culture
- Imageo Dei: Why Diversity Matters
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.
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