Financing an independent school education may seem unattainable, but affording private school can actually be within reach. While the cost of private school is an important commitment for families, it is the aim of many academic institutions to work with families to make an independent school education possible.

"[Private school] is a serious investment for a family. But to have our child surrounded by other students who are there to learn from teachers who are invested in how well my son does in and out of the classroom has been a true blessing. The evidence of [schools like] MPCS being 'worth it' is in the relationships he has built, the spiritual growth he has experienced, and the bright academic future that college will give him."

—David Epps, Parent

Parents - it’s decision time. You’ve explored the educational opportunities available for your child(ren) – from the local public school, to online, homeschool, or charter schools – and have winnowed your choices to a list of independent schools. You’ve read blogs about how to choose the best private school for your family and have further narrowed your focus to a Christian school to align with your family values. So, where do you go from here? Why should Mount Paran Christian School - the largest private Christian school in Cobb county - be at the top of your school choice list? Read on for first-hand experiences from current students and why parents chose Mount Paran Christian School for their children’s education.

Real classroom innovation at Mount Paran Christian School starts from within; from the open hearts and minds of the teachers, students, parents, and school leadership. Never has this been more true than during the 2020 academic year, when the coronavirus pandemic put the innovative practices of MPCS to the test.

Oh, the places they will go. The Mount Paran Christian School Class of 2020 will head off to a variety of universities in the fall, bringing with them the solid academic foundation built at MPCS. These rising college freshman will be pursuing career pathways as varied as Forestry, Athletic Training, Forensics, Vocal Performance, as well as Business, Engineering, or Medicine. Read on to learn more about how some of these seniors came to choose their career pathways. 

There’s no question that a Mount Paran Christian School graduate is remarkable. But, what exactly is it about an MPCS student that sets them apart? How can their remarkability be defined – the “secret sauce,” if you will – that characterizes MPCS alumni? 

The MPCS family is comprised of students who feature six key characteristics: MPCS students crave deeper faith; embrace intellectual curiosity; prepare completely; refuse to be bystanders; live courageously; and reach forward, pressing on toward their goals. What does this look like, in reality? The 2020 Senior Spotlights - the five students who earned the top grade point averages in the class - beautifully represent this “Portrait of a Graduate.”

Families in Cobb County and the northwest metro-Atlanta area have many options when it comes to choosing the best school for their children, from great neighborhood public schools to several private school alternatives. For those who feel certain about the value of an independent school education for their child, how should families make the decision on which school is the best for their family?

GUEST MPCS STUDENT AUTHOR

Mock Trial is an enriching extracurricular activity that enables students to live out a courtroom experience and compete from both the attorney and witness roles. In addition to being competitive in nature, Mock Trial presents different challenges that both stretch students’ critical thinking skills and educate them on the law.

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. 

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. 

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? 

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.

PHOTO: Associate Pastor of Mt. Paran Church of God, Dr. Darrell Rice (whose son, Dr. Josh Rice '96 recently served a term on the MPCS Board of Trustees) met President George H. W. Bush at the Allgood Road campus.

"PLTW empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges. Through our pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, students not only learn technical skills, but also learn to solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate, and collaborate. Teachers are equipped with the training, resources, and support they need to engage students in real-world learning."₁

CO-WRITTEN BY DR. TIM WIENS

"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts." — C.S. Lewis

Technology is playing a more significant role in the education of today’s student. More specifically, the teaching and learning taking place within our classrooms, in many regards, is becoming more dependent upon technological innovations that historically have not been necessary to produce well-rounded, holistic students. While technology does not answer education’s great questions, we know that our students’ abilities to thrive in the 21^st century are dependent upon their aptitude to think deeply and logically and to apply modern methods of problem solving that are accessible due in part to greater technological innovation.

On December 14, 2007, Mount Paran Christian School received the keys to a marvelous facility now known as The Murray Arts Center. Only six short weeks later, MPCS high school students took the stage presenting “Beauty and the Beast.” Our small staff utilized every tool at hand — all the lighting, mics, rigging, effects, and even flew two actors. It was not theater magic, but a wonderful act of God answering prayer. 

In the summer of 2001, after my second year of teaching biology and chemistry at a suburban high school in Minnesota, I packed up my SUV and headed to Colorado. I needed some time away to pray and to ask God for his leading in my life. Every day that summer I would hike a new trail and pray that God would give me a husband that would make me a better woman. And just as God has done so often in my life, on the first day back at work in August, in a ballroom with hundreds of other educators, Tim Wiens was assigned a seat next to me. I remember almost every detail of that day (well, maybe not the actual professional development program): his sense of humor, his sharp mind, the way he interacted with everyone at the table and listened to them intently. I will save you the details of the embarrassing crush I developed on that day, but 18 months later, in that same ballroom, Tim Wiens asked me to marry him — and 15 years of marriage later, here we are, ready to begin our ministry at Mount Paran Christian School.