When a school takes its mission to heart, pouring into students and families with intention through the years, the results are graduating seniors who continue to live out the school mission years after turning the tassel. To maintain relationships with students who have reached alumni status, many schools build out alumni relations programs that continually keep the mission of the school at the forefront of the minds of the alumni community. But, just how can schools build a robust program that extends beyond the norm? At Mount Paran Christian School, through service opportunities and various partnerships, alumni are invited to keep living as servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth.

Many schools have great arts facilities, programming, performances, and faculty. The quality of arts in the metro Atlanta area is some of the best in the country. How, then, does a school separate itself uniquely from the rest? The answer for Mount Paran Christian School lies in the mission of the school and how it is lived out through the arts program. While most schools focus on students developing their skills to serve their personal performance goals, MPCS goes a step further, infusing the idea that God gives us gifts to be used to glorify Him. Faculty make all the difference in helping students understand that we bring glory to God when we love others as He loves us and to act as servant-leaders through the use of artistic gifts and skills.

Excellence as a measure of quality in education is difficult to quantify. But, one might recognize it when setting foot into Dr. Bonnie Stephens’ high school science classroom at Mount Paran Christian School. Dr. Stephens, who received a B.S. in Applied Biology from Georgia Tech and a Ph.D. in Biology from Georgia State University, is known to enliven content for her classes. Here, she shares how she brings learning to life for her students.

While parents may shed a few tears when their kindergartener heads off to the first day of school, for students, the biggest transition in learning comes much later. Students often find that the move from middle school to high school is especially daunting. These rising freshmen are full of hopes and dreams, as well as fears and freedom. Here are five tips that can help any rising freshman make for a smooth transition into the high school years.

Between preschool and their senior year of high school, children grow, learn, and develop at an astounding rate. When families entrust their children to schools to partner in shaping the worldview of these future citizens, it is essential that the relationship between home and school be one of open communication and true partnership. 

We all enter relationships with our own set of expectations, based on our personal experiences and values. The learning process requires effort from both the teacher and the student. What follows is a guide from the leaders at Mount Paran Christian School to help families navigate expectations from teachers, and vice versa, all with the ultimate aim to ensure the best possible outcomes for students.

On any given day, Mrs. Cindy Gibbs fields phone calls from independent schools across the country, seeking advice on how to successfully build an annual fund program. As the Assistant Director of Development for Mount Paran Christian School, Mrs. Gibbs and her colleagues in the MPCS development office are joined by a committee of enthusiastic parent volunteers to conduct a five-day “blitz-style” fundraising campaign, dubbed Annual Fund in Five. 

So, just how did MPCS grow its annual fund participation rates from a mere 28-percent in 2004 to 88-percent parent participation in 2022? By listening to families and engaging the school community.

Welcome to Y’allywood! The state of Georgia has become a booming location for the entertainment industry. Building on its long history as a musical powerhouse, Georgia has become the undisputed “Hollywood of the South,” with film and television generating billions of dollars each year - an astounding $9.5 billion in 2018, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The economic impact extends even further when considering the thousands of jobs that are created as a result of the Georgia entertainment industry. This is due, in part, to one of “the most competitive tax incentive programs in the country, along with a broad network of production and recording facilities, a large and skilled workforce, the latest production equipment and suppliers, gaming and interactive media developers, and technology and support services.”

This skilled workforce is being trained at schools across the state. While it is unusual for a K-12 school to have a recording studio, an increasing number of high schools and career centers in America are creating audio education programs to give students a head start on entertainment-centric college curricula and careers.

“...[I]f education is to succeed in its tasks, curriculum as its core should be restructured or repacked around the four pillars of learning: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to be.”

-Zhou Nanzhao, Ph.D., Director, International Center of Teacher Education, East-China Normal University, and Advisor to the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO

Globalization. A 24/7 news cycle. The growing influence of social media. Ever-changing technological advances. These are but a few of the challenges facing today’s teachers and their students. While the field of education may find it challenging to keep pace with the rapid changes in communication and technology, all is not lost in equipping 21st-Century learners for future success. In addition to providing a strong educational foundation - to include learning important facts, reading, writing, and arithmetic - it is crucial, according to the UNESCO International Commission on Education, that education today needs to teach students to be lifelong learners.

TUCK ALFORD '13 AND SLATON SMITH ‘22

Prom. It’s one of the most anticipated rites of passage for high school juniors and seniors. The word itself conjures images of sequined gowns, sharp tuxedos, flower bouquets and boutonnieres, pre-parties and pictures, limousines, fancy dinners, and post-event celebrations. Hours are spent shopping for the perfect attire and planning details for the night. Thousands of dollars are spent for this one special occasion. It’s little wonder that, on average, Americans spend nearly $7 million on prom each year. A group of Mount Paran Christian School alumni aimed to change all that, encouraging high school students to rethink prom.

 

To most people, money feels amoral at best and unspiritual at worst. Jesus probably owned next to nothing, yet He talked about money, or used it to illustrate His teachings, quite a bit. In fact, 11 of His 39 parables have money included in some way. Why did money seem to matter so much to a man unconcerned with accumulating it Himself? 

It’s a staggering statistic: Teenagers can make a life-altering decision with drugs and alcohol in a matter of just 5-10 seconds. Students face hundreds of daily decisions, and, in an instant, that one moment can affect their lives forever. So, what can parents and educators do to prepare young people before they face a situation involving drugs and alcohol?

Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?

-Job 2:10

When everything’s going our way, life feels easy. We know what to do when all goes well. So, what happens when we’re faced with adversity - a loss, a health scare, financial strain, a pandemic? Most often, our initial reaction is panic. We revert back to what we know - worry, anger, tight-gripped control. Without practice and planning, we cannot expect that we will rise to the occasion when faced with a challenge. Yet, with a combination of faith and mental conditioning, we can learn to not only survive in the face of an obstacle, but to thrive. 

Social media has become a powerful tool that connects, informs, and entertains. Today’s children, teens, and young adults can not recall a time without cell phones and social media. For Generations Z (born 1996-2010) and Alpha (born 2011-2025), technology is ubiquitous. For all the good it can do, social media also has a darker side. With increased use of technology and social media amongst children and teens, parents must arm themselves with information to help children navigate the changing complexities of an online presence.

Parents who have survived sleepless nights with an infant leading to loud, messy days with a toddler soon find themselves on the precipice of yet another milestone — parenting a preschooler. Those never-ending long days and nights may, in retrospect, seem benign when in the throes of wrangling a preschool-aged child, who naturally tests boundaries and pushes the limits of authority. Finding ways to guide these little people into the independence they crave, while also maintaining boundaries, is no easy task.

At the age of three, when a child is officially considered a preschooler, many parents find they need support in teaching and guiding their quickly-changing child. The hope for the haggard parent is a great preschool partner. But, what makes for a great preschool? What sets one preschool apart from the others? These are the types of questions parents ask as they peruse websites, tour schools, and talk with their neighbors who have gone before them in exploring the best preschool programs out there. 

For families who have decided on an independent school education for their children, the private school choices seem endless. Options range from religious to secular, co-ed to single sex, day or boarding. One especially important consideration for families is the school’s organization – the grades/school levels offered. Schools vary from solely primary or secondary offerings to a combination of preschool through high school. For families choosing one school for their children’s entire academic experience, the benefits are many.

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.