How to Foster Creative Kids of Character in the Arts
Arts education in students and how it shapes their academic, social, emotional, and maturational development is within the context of a well-rounded education. This is also a truism for all schools, but more importantly, the arts plays a critical role in Christian education as it applies to creating servant-leaders who will glorify God through the use of their talents.
ParentEd.: 5 Tips for Fostering Friendships and Social Skills
Social skills are an essential part of a child’s development, but for many children and their parents, navigating social situations can feel like a daunting challenge. Whether it’s making friends, managing conflicts, or expanding social circles, these skills play a crucial role in a child’s emotional and social well-being. Some of the counselors at MPCS gathered to discuss what social skills look like at various stages of development, the common struggles children face, and how parents can help nurture these skills at home. Here are some key takeaways.
The Shaping of a Servant-Leader
Jesus’s greatest commandment comes in Mark 12 where he teaches to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts and then to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). As Christians, service is not optional, but an act of obedience. How then are children and students taught to develop a love of serving one another? Any preschool teacher can probably verify that sharing is not an innate human instinct.
From the Counselors’ Desk: A Reality Check About Kids with Phones
We are at a pivotal time in parenting communities where there is a notable shift between parents who didn’t grow up with a super computer in their hands and parents who did. Some current preschool parents in our society grew up with cell phones in their childhood, and parents (or soon to be parents) in their early 20’s grew up with a cell phone and posting pictures to document their lives. So there is a significant chasm of understanding between those parents who grew up with technology, and those parents that did not. The older generations remember being able to survive without technology at their fingertips, the younger ones never had that experience. So how can both groups of parents partner together with administrators and their own valuable life experiences to come up with real solutions to the technology challenges of today?
Why God Created the Arts
The creation of art dates back to the creation of the world — all the way back to Genesis in the Bible. We can read the story of Genesis and witness the beauty of creation all around us and everything that God created, in all his artistry. As humans created in His image, it isn’t a stretch to realize that we have that same yearning as He does for creating beautiful things. We see a continuation of this biblical alignment of creation and art within the story of Exodus when the tribes of Israel built the temples and began to use the word “artisans” and skilled workers.
ParentEd.: 9 Tips for Parenting Girls
It is often said that there are no instruction manuals for parenting. But actually, the Bible gives very specific instructions on parenting, especially in Deuteronomy 6: 5-9. Essentially: love God, teach your children how to love God, read His scripture, write His scripture, wherever you are, all the time.
ParentEd.: Rethinking Your College Outlook
As Christians we are taught to trust in God completely for the future. The Lord states in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” We hear this, we repeat it into memory, and we post it as a meme on our social media platforms, but when it comes to our children and their dreams do we really say “Your will, not mine (or theirs) Lord”? The truth is, it’s tough. Children have big dreams, and parents want them to check every possible box off their dream list that they can.
5 Tips to Reframe Hearts and Minds with a Growth Mindset
Have you ever heard it said, “Attitude is everything”? Did you know you have a unique opportunity to teach your child how to handle stress by modeling it for them? Our job as parents and educators is to encourage children to develop a passion for learning and a desire to push through life’s challenges, both inside and outside of the classroom. This can be achieved by empowering students to take ownership of their attitudes towards learning and performance, seeing failures as learning opportunities through the development of a “growth mindset.”
ParentEd.: Helping Students Boost Their Brain Capacity for Success
Executive Functions are a collection of processes or interrelated functions responsible for guiding, directing, managing cognition, emotions, and behavior, particularly in novel problem solving situations1. The fact that Executive Functions may be improved by means of cognitive training is of particular importance in childhood and adolescence, because Executive Functioning is a strong predictor for various life outcomes, such as academic attainment, socioeconomic status, and physical health2. Read on to learn more about these crucial brain skills, how the brain develops, and what parents and teachers can do to help students strengthen their Executive Functioning skills.
How School Choice Programs Increase Educational Opportunities for Families
When it comes to choosing a school for their child, parents have many options: neighborhood public school, home school, charter school, online academy, independent school, or religious private school. Academic excellence is paramount in the decision. From an eternal perspective, a Christian education is invaluable, yet affording independent options can be challenging. The calling Christian educators have for providing students with an exceptional education within a uniquely Christ-centered environment makes it worth investigating. Nurturing and equipping students to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth is an investment that will last for eternity.
Chris Eppling, Vice President of Student Services at Truett McConnell University, a private, four-year university located in Cleveland, Ga., said, “The real question to investigate is not, ‘What will I get for the money I pay to have a Christian education?’ it is, ‘What will I forfeit if I do not invest in an education from a biblical worldview?’”
How to Keep Alumni Engaged with Your Mission
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.
From the Teacher's Desk: Play is Learning Through the Arts
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.
From the Teacher's Desk: 4 Tips to Capture the Minds of Your Students
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.
5 Tips for Making the Middle to High School Transition
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.
Innovation in Education: How to Teach Children to Love Learning
Learning is exceedingly complex. It is both highly personal and highly social. For educators tasked with facilitating and supporting learning, doing it, not just well but with excellence, requires a healthy dose of both art and science. And, while much is understood about the conditions and practices that support learning, facilitating learning that is durable, adaptive, inspiring, and innovative is a daily challenge for educators and schools. Moreover, creating school learning environments where students develop robust knowledge and skills is only the beginning. If students leave school today without the dispositions and skills to support lifelong, self-directed learning, they will not be equipped to tackle the challenges thrust upon them by an ever-changing world.
So, while learning is complex, let’s take a moment to examine one of the key drivers of school-based learning – the teacher’s ability to create learning cultures of excellence in which students and educators are highly engaged with one another, with rich ideas and robust thinking and creating. Blessed with highly-skilled faculty, examples of high-engagement learning cultures at Mount Paran Christian School abound across all school grade divisions.
Finding the Right Fit - An Individualized Approach to College Counseling
Mount Paran Christian School is a college-preparatory school for students in preschool through grade 12, but our aim is to do more than simply prepare graduates for college admission. Our goal is to find colleges that offer the best possible fit for each graduating senior. We help students cultivate their talents and interests to find their academic and extracurricular strengths and passions, then focus on colleges that will best meet student goals. College selection can be overwhelming for families, but the MPCS college counseling department helps facilitate the process. By answering questions and providing advice, students are guided in their choice of coursework and ultimately towards the college that is just the right fit.
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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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.
How to Foster Creative Kids of Character in the Arts - 12/02/2024
Arts education in students and how it shapes their academic, social, emotional, and maturational development is within the context of a well-rounded education. This is also a...
Social skills are an essential part of a child’s development, but for many children and their parents, navigating social situations can feel like a daunting challenge. Whether...
The Shaping of a Servant-Leader - 08/21/2024
Jesus’s greatest commandment comes in Mark 12 where he teaches to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts and then to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). As...
We are at a pivotal time in parenting communities where there is a notable shift between parents who didn’t grow up with a super computer in their hands and parents who did. Some...
Why God Created the Arts - 07/12/2024
The creation of art dates back to the creation of the world — all the way back to Genesis in the Bible. We can read the story of Genesis and witness the beauty of creation all...
ParentEd.: 9 Tips for Parenting Girls - 06/10/2024
It is often said that there are no instruction manuals for parenting. But actually, the Bible gives very specific instructions on parenting, especially in Deuteronomy 6: 5-9....
ParentEd.: Rethinking Your College Outlook - 05/14/2024
As Christians we are taught to trust in God completely for the future. The Lord states in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to...
Have you ever heard it said, “Attitude is everything”? Did you know you have a unique opportunity to teach your child how to handle stress by modeling it for them? Our job as...
Executive Functions are a collection of processes or interrelated functions responsible for guiding, directing, managing cognition, emotions, and behavior, particularly in novel...
When it comes to choosing a school for their child, parents have many options: neighborhood public school, home school, charter school, online academy, independent school, or...
How to Keep Alumni Engaged with Your Mission - 10/12/2022
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...
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...
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...
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...
Learning is exceedingly complex. It is both highly personal and highly social. For educators tasked with facilitating and supporting learning, doing it, not just well but with...
Mount Paran Christian School is a college-preparatory school for students in preschool through grade 12, but our aim is to do more than simply prepare graduates for college...
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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