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 4^th 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.

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. 

 

 

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.

Innovation may be the buzzword du jour, but, for forward-thinking schools, innovation is ingrained within curriculum, allowing for the exploration, creation, and implementation of solutions to real-world problems. For Mount Paran Christian School, innovative learning takes many forms in the classroom, including a very real, hands-on approach for high school business students through the Roost Coffee Co.

How does a growing high school — with 450 students learning in a space originally designed for just 250 — plan for a building expansion that captures the imagination of its community, while also implementing thoughtful design to prepare students for a 21st-century education? Mount Paran Christian School asked this very question as the school undertook the seemingly insurmountable task of creating a new, purposeful educational facility that would house radical spaces to learn, test, collaborate, and grow. The process for designing the new Murray Innovation Center was itself an unconventional exercise, with key takeaways that other schools and organizations might not consider before embarking upon large-scale initiatives.

 

Moms love and need to connect, whether it’s enjoying a cup of coffee and a long talk, sharing nuggets of broken conversation between chasing toddlers at the park, or just quickly chatting on the phone. There is something almost sacred about the wisdom and encouragement shared and gained when moms spend time together. We need one another's support as we raise our children together.

 

the past

For well over a decade, one of the greatest days each year at Mount Paran Christian School has been our day of service. It was on this day that the entire staff and students would stop their normal routine of teaching and classes and spend the day serving our community. Through that annual experience, we have formed great partnerships with ministries in our community, exposed our students to the needs of those around us, and were able to focus on one of the things we want most for our kids — teaching them to show God’s love through serving others.

With its official beginnings in 1987, Women’s History Month is celebrated in March to honor the contribution of women to American History.  Jimmy Carter, who issued our nation’s first Presidential proclamation of National Women’s History Week in 1980 explained, “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

In observance of African-American History Month, we celebrate the impact made on our country by the men and women of our African-American community. But how often do we reflect on and celebrate the children who have impacted the course of history?

UNITY: the state of being united or joined as a whole. What a powerful act… when put into practice.

In thinking about what unity looks like in a person, or someone who promotes unity as an essence of who they are, a few attributes arise. They are people who are gatherers, who bring people in, bring people together, and make everyone feel like they are valued and loved — and in doing so, they create a sense of unity.

This past year, MPCS continued its innovation-grant curriculum for project-based collaboration among different grade-levels. High school Honors Government students had the unique opportunity to explore the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement alongside fifth grade and kindergarten students. Seniors were charged with the task of mentoring the fifth graders as they collaborated on a children’s storybook focusing on civil rights and citizenship. The books were specially crafted with original artwork, computer-generated designs, and a great deal of creative thought in the storylines.

"Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment" is the opening phrase of the Mount Paran Christian School mission statement. While we do strive to provide the most academically challenging education in Atlanta, it is our commitment to become a strong, diverse, and inclusive environment that reflects the richness of what a Christ-centered environment is and how that sets us apart. In keeping with this core truth, MPCS has come together to initiate CommUNITY.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. - 1 John 3:18

Wednesday, March 14, 2018 marked one month from the senseless school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida. If you have been following the news, students in schools all over the country were joining together in remembrance of the event in a planned 17-minute walkout... many schools except ours. A group of students at Mount Paran Christian School decided to do something more — to not just walk OUTside... but to look INside.

In the early 1950’s racial tension was filling America’s borders. No part of society was untouched by this. Even our churches were shamefully segregated each Sunday. It was in these times that the Rev. Billy Graham did something unthinkable; he held crusades in the South where hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children of every race stood together and worshipped the Lord. Well as many of you know, on March 21, the Rev. Billy Graham went home to be with the Lord. He was 99. Billy Graham boldly proclaimed the Gospel for over seven decades of his life, preaching the Word of God to more people of all races than anyone else in history. In the end, Graham's legacy is one that is filled with a message of love, togetherness, and unity — a message that, even during Black History Month in 2018, is still needed.