The world is rated R, and no one is checking IDs. Do not try to make it G by imagining the shadows away. Do not try to hide your children from the world forever, but do not pretend there is no danger. Train them. Give them sharp eyes and bellies full of laughter. Make them dangerous. Make them yeast, and when they’ve grown, they will pollute the shadows.
– N.D. Wilson
ACCS Polluting the Shadows Read More »
Our fundraising committee is preparing for an end-of-the-school-year fundraiser. This will be a means of celebrating what God has done in our first year, letting others know the good work that is being accomplished at SCA, and looking forward to the growth and excitement of our second year. More information about this special event will be available next week. If you would enjoy being part of our fundraising team, please contact Teresa Fraser. If you know of people who would be interested in financially supporting what we are doing at Summit, please contact the SCA Board so that we can personally invite them to attend.
Saddle Up for Summit Fundraiser Event Read More »
In January we celebrated our dads. It was so wonderful to spend a morning honoring and celebrating the strong men in our students’ lives. We provided breakfast burritos for dads to enjoy, and the students honored their family members with special medals, cards, and paperweights. (Dads, you really do rock!)
Dad’s Day Event Video Read More »
Hi, my name is Rachelle Haid, and I am part of the Warrior Parent Community (WPC) here at Summit Classical Academy. I have two amazing boys, ages 8 and 9, and I love being part of their education and involved in their school activities.
The WPC was started, in part, as a way to get families feeling more connected and involved, while supporting the school, even during this thing called Covid-19. There are three main goals for the Warrior Parent Committee: 1) Build community among parents within the school; 2) Support the board, staff, and teachers; and 3) Foster community within the local community. The WPC believes in the importance of family and community support as a necessary component of a child’s education. We believe our children thrive in an environment where they feel encouraged, loved, and safe. Our goal as the WPC is to achieve just that for every student we support. I, personally, love being involved as a way to meet new parents, experience a day in the life of my kids, and keep a pulse on what is happening at their school. My favorite thing to say to my kids is that I have so many eyes at the school, you never know who is watching you. It is true, when you volunteer, you quickly know everyone, and no one hesitates to call or text when an issue arises on the playground or in the classroom.
While we are growing and expanding as a school, the WPC is also ramping up. This year we are building a role of “room liaison” to help facilitate and initiate communication amongst parents within the same grade level, while organizing and communicating any school-wide events. Outside of the room liaison, a few other committees have formed, including Prayer Warriors – a group of parents who pray together weekly for the school, and Warriors on Watch – a group of parents who volunteer to be an additional set of eyes for outside activities. To round out this school year, the room liaisons, along with the broader parent community, plan on hosting a Teacher Appreciation Week, organizing the Last Day of School celebration, and hosting a Uniform Swap Shop. Building on those committees for the following school year, we plan to add additional committees and support such as a Care Team, Parent Ambassadors, and adding a community page for all parents to communicate quickly and easily about things such as uniforms, class assignments, or the latest extracurricular activity all the kids want to be involved in.
All in all, the WPC is here to support and encourage engagement for your kids. The idea is for parents to come together and share in the planning and organizing of events so no one family has the burden on their shoulders, and so that any parent feels welcome to do as much or as little as they can while being part of this amazing community.
Written by: Rachelle Haid, Warrior Parent Community Chair
Kickstarting the WPC (Warrior Parent Community) Read More »
When we think of athletes who achieve athletic greatness, do we only look to their physical
performance? We recognize and appreciate that many hours of physical training have brought
them to this level of accomplishment. We understand that a solid fundamental skill set gave
them a foundation on which to build upon. But do we fail to recognize the athletes personal
virtuous character that plays an equally crucial part in their success?
My family loves sports! We watch, listen, analyze, talk, teach, coach and play sports! We have
competed at the high school level and Division 1 Collegiate level. We have reaped the benefits
and accolades of athletic accomplishments from state tournaments, conference championships,
NCAA and NIT tournament appearances and championships. Sports are important and a very
big part of our lives. I know this to be true for many other families as well!
We know that having a strong athletic skill set is important to succeed at any sport. As parents,
we spend time and resources seeking out programs and opportunities to help our children in
their desired sport. But nurturing our child’s virtuous skill set I would emphasize as being even
more important, especially in the elementary and middle school years-the foundational years.
The combination of the two is where the potential lies to go from good to great! Character
matters in athletics! At Summit Classical Academy we strive to partner with our families in
developing both of these in our students. Our physical education program combines a strong
learning of fundamental sports skills/games as well as opportunities to grow in sportsmanship,
teamwork and leadership. We foster an environment for our students whether on the
playground at recess, P.E. class, or on organized teams in the community that will help them
grow in godly virtue and athleticism. A school that helps to strengthen and develop godly
character will only help to facilitate even more success on the sports fields. The Bible says
(paraphrased) that a wise man builds his house upon a rock so when the storms of life come,
he/she will be able to stand. In athletics and life there will be storms that your children will
need to navigate. The highs and lows, trials and triumphs, perseverance and persistence.
Developing godly character and virtue in our children first and foremost can lead to not only
athletic success but more importantly serve as our Christian witness to others. It is beautiful to
see these two skill sets come together in our children.
During my sons’ elementary and middle school years, we chose to send them to a Christian
school that came alongside us as parents to encourage and develop godly virtue and character.
Their Christian education set a strong foundation for our boys, so their lives would be built on
solid ground and they would have a firm place to stand. There were not robust athletic
programs within the school so we sought out opportunities for competitive sports in our
community. My family knows firsthand that the lack of school sports was not a hindrance but
rather the invaluable Christian education helped to propel success on and off the field. A strong
foundation that helped to navigate the storms of sports/life. The virtues of perseverance,
humility, self-control, other oriented-ness, patience, fortitude, temperance, courage, ambition,
determination, leadership, promoting individual and collective greatness are key in life and
athletics. Virtue is moral excellence. Moral excellence plus athletic excellence equals success.
By: Lorene Wrapp, Summit Classical Academy Physical Education
Teacher/Athletic Coordinator.
Athletic Excellence Read More »
I’ve attended many school events like this before, but when the Summit Classical Academy Dads Day celebration opened and the administrator addressed the fathers in the room, I sensed God nudging my heart as if saying, “Son, pay attention. I’m speaking here. This is important.”
She said:
“Dads…
You are valued. You are loved. You are necessary.
And you play a key role in the lives of your children”.
Pause…
Take a breath…
Read that again…
It is easy to acknowledge those words as true and then quickly move on to the next thing, but in a world where the role of the father has been so minimized and ridiculed, it is important to stop for a moment, explore them and let them sink in.
While the media portrays fathers as unimportant and expendable, God has called us to play a crucial, irreplaceable role in the lives of our children. In fact, the mission assigned to us by God on their behalf is far larger and more dangerous than we ever imagined.
You see, we live in a world at war. I don’t mean the current conflicts between nations, the social unrest or the climate of division and hatred that we see everywhere in the news and in social media. The war that I’m referring to is greater and exponentially more vicious. I’m talking about the battle for the human heart.
In Proverbs 4:23, Solomon, the wisest man to ever live (besides Jesus) warns us saying:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Other translations say “for from it flow the springs of life”. What Solomon is trying to share with us is that our hearts are the greatest treasure God gave us when he created us. Everything— our dreams and passions, our calling and gifting, our relationships, our walk with God– all of this and more flow from the depths of our hearts. It is in our hearts that Jesus comes to dwell and it is from our hearts that we get to care and love and bring God’s goodness into this world.
But we live far from Eden, and the reason Solomon pleads with us to guard our hearts is because they are, just like our children’s, under constant assault. That’s why when Jesus describes what he wants to offer us in John 10:10, he also warns us about the context of our days:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
You see, Jesus deeply desires to give our children abundant life. But just like us, they have an enemy whose intention is to steal, kill and destroy their hearts and their lives both now and in the future. Our children are at the center of a clash between two kingdoms and in order for them to be trained “in the way that they should go” (Prov. 22:6), flourish and become the men and women that God created them to be, we’re going to have to fight bravely for their hearts. And because of that, we have been entrusted by God with far more power than we have come to believe.
As fathers, we have the power to shape and form the hearts of our children and set them free to become who God created them to be by answering the core questions that they carry in their hearts since they were born, and by discovering and affirming their true God-given identity and releasing them to live from it.
Every boy and every girl has, at the level of the heart, two core needs. First, a longing to know without a shadow of doubt that they are deeply and unconditionally loved by their fathers. And second, a deep need to be validated and delighted in, by their fathers. I see the need for validation in my oldest son when he shows me his latest jiu-jitsu lock, or in my youngest when he jumps from the top of the stairs with arms wide-open waiting for me to catch him. “Did you see that, dad?” “Yes, I saw it! You are amazing! You are wild! You’re the real deal!” I also see the need for delight in my friend’s daughters when they go with him on adventures or come to him wearing their newest dresses and twirl right in front of him. Their hearts are calling out, “Do you see me? Do you love me? Do you delight in me? Is what you see good?” “Yes, honey, I love you with all my heart, you are beautiful and smart and amazing and I delight in you!”
We even see this in the life of Jesus! When he goes down into the Jordan river to be baptized by his cousin John, God the Father breaks protocol and outloud, in front of everyone says: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt 3:17). You see? Love and Validation. “I love you and I’m proud of who you are!” And all of this took place before Jesus began his ministry. The love and validation of his father didn’t come as a result of his miracles, his medals or his report card. It came unconditionally. Simply because he is his son. It was this message that Jesus began to live from. It was this message that grounded him in the truth and allowed him to defeat his enemy during his fast in the desert, when the enemy tried to make him fall. “If you are the son of God…” (Matt. 4:7).
That is our primary mission. To answer our children’s core questions with a huge yes in a thousand different ways with both our words and actions throughout their childhood, and to speak into them their true, God-given identity so that this is the message that they live from as they grow, instead of the one that they will constantly hear from their enemy, the “father of lies” (John 8:44), through the people and the circumstances that they’ll face in this world.
The message from the school is correct: As fathers, we do play a key role in the lives of our children. One that I’m hoping to play better every day.
Last week I left Summit’s Dad’s Day celebration with a medal around my neck, my hands filled with gifts from my son in celebration of my role as his dad, and my heart filled with joy. I know that my children will need much more than just my words and actions, and I am deeply grateful that I get to be a part of a school and a community that acknowledges and celebrates the role that we play as fathers, that also understands the core needs of our children’s hearts, and that is willing to partner with us and our families in this beautiful mission of fighting for the hearts of our children. I am eternally thankful to God for Summit Classical Academy.
By Pablo Ceron, SCA Parent, Co-Founder, and President of WILDSONS
FIGHTING FOR THE HEARTS OF OUR CHILDREN Read More »
On November 13th, 2020, we hosted our first ever Veterans Day Celebration! Here at Summit we recognize the sacrifices each Veteran gave to keep this county free. Although we had to host the ceremony outdoors and socially distanced, we were still able to salute the men and women of our armed forces in a very special way. Through our wall of honor, songs, prayer, and words we celebrated this often underappreciated group of warriors. Please enjoy our video of this celebration!
Veterans Day Celebration Video Read More »
Given the excitement of 2020, we are blown away by what we were able to accomplish. Our event season was capped off with a fun, if freezing, Christmas concert. We teach perseverance to our students and had the opportunity to practice some ourselves this year. If we had to host outside, in masks, socially distanced or drive-by, we still hosted events and came together as a community! We took extra steps to make this school year as normal as possible for our students and families.
Christmas Video and Art Show Read More »
The best bit of advice I was given as a new mom was to read to my children every single day, no matter their ages.
I am a rule follower who loves a plan and believes in reviewing all of the instructions before assembly, so I took this bit of advice earnestly – especially for my youngest, who is the type of child that really should have come with an instruction manual.
Reading to children builds a bond like nothing else can. It is good even for babies who don’t yet understand words. It gives both mother and child an opportunity to sit still, as close to one another as physically possible, and to go on adventures together, laugh together, and learn each other’s voices, sounds, and reactions. As kids get older, the adventures get bigger. And though we all can experience the same story, we all feel it in different ways, a lot like life.
We happened to read Anne of Green Gables and cry together over Matthew’s dying at the same time in life that our very good, Matthew-like friend died of cancer. In a way, my children (especially my daughter) found comfort beyond what I could offer them through relating with Anne over losing someone so special. Stories help us all to cope, process, and empathize.
Reading allows a story to become one’s own, and it is a joy like no other to get to watch that happen for your child.
As a parent, I have the great honor and unique responsibility of helping to fill my children’s hearts and minds. Then I get to witness the almost magical cause and effect of the adage, “What goes in is what comes out.” Giving children stories that are full of the good, the true, and the beautiful is, in my opinion, the best tool for helping them to shape their own life stories full of goodness, truth, and beauty.
One of my favorite books to experience with my kids was The Wind and the Willows. We started reading it together one summer under a tree in our backyard while sipping mint lemonade. I never dreamed of falling so in love with a little mole, or of respecting a river rat, or of using a toad as a way of helping my kids to better understand and empathize with their oh-so-lovable yet unruly grandpa. We liked the book so much that reading it consumed our days until it was finished. We took it with us to the mountains for our weekend camping trip, reading by lantern light until we fell asleep. The next morning, the kids built a fort in the trees, and there, sitting on a rough bed of sticks and pine needles and leaning against the scratchy trunk of a blue spruce, we lost any awareness of discomfort, we lost track of time, and we lost ourselves in a beautiful world – together. We’re better for it, and I’m so grateful I got to experience that with my favorite people.
Where we read and what we read are important, but above all, reading together matters most.
A part of the mission of SCA is to partner with parents in the education of their children. Much thought and research has gone into the selection of the curriculum. Is it good, true, and beautiful? How can parents enter into it? The greatest example of this for me is the history curriculum Story of the World. It tells history in story form, and my children have loved it since Kindergarten, learning so much more than facts and dates. Just like they enter into the stories we read together, they enter into the stories of history, and that history becomes a part of them.
Case in point: currently, they are learning the history of England. Not only did my daughter get to play the part of William the Conqueror in class (a frighteningly appropriate role – I bet William’s mother wished that her son had come with an instruction manual, too), they also learned all about castles, and they got to use the creative sides of their brains to build their own castles. Over the weekend, my house was a mess of cardboard, popsicle sticks, and hot glue wounds. I found out that if you give a child a castle-building project, you’re probably going to get a whole feudal system to go with it. Castles completed, the kids spent the entire weekend playing serfs in a fort that they built. They had a field they could plow with their rocking horse, a fireplace made of construction paper (properly located in the center of their serf home), and a lunch of peasant bread.
And it was all because of a story their teacher had read to them.
There are heart-changing benefits of reading together. Not only was this the best advice I’ve received for parenting, but it was also the best first step in engaging in my children’s education. The stories we share together are their education. Whether the Miller kids are acting the part of poor English serfs or the March little women are acting out Pilgrim’s Progress, our children take ownership of their education by imaginatively engaging stories.
Written by: Danette Miller – Vice Chairman of the Board | Summit Classical Academy
Extending Classroom Learning Into The Home Read More »
I am so excited to be back inside the walls of Summit Classical Academy! As a Teacher Assistant, I will be able to work with students in small groups and provide additional support where needed. The teachers at Summit have done a phenomenal job of teaching two grades at once and learning how to teach in a classical Christian school. They love their students and put a lot of time and energy into their lessons. The students, teachers, administration, and families are the most friendly and positive community of people to be around.
I took the fall semester off to travel and spend time with my family. Previously, I taught kindergarten for four years and taught one semester of the SCA homeschool co-op, which was first and second graders. I have taught some of the students every year of their schooling so far, which is so fun! Now that I get to spend my mornings at Summit, I will be able to assist in all of the classrooms. This could be taking small groups to review the concept of the day, playing a game to supplement what the students are learning, or providing guidance on their assignment. Students will receive even more opportunities for direct instruction and small group lessons. I will also be able to provide the teachers with more breaks while I take students out for recess. I was lucky enough to have an assistant teacher for two years while I taught kindergarten, so now it is my turn to give back and bless the teachers with extra help.
I am looking forward to the spring semester at Summit Classical Academy and am so thankful everyone has welcomed me back with open arms. In the few days that I have been at school this semester so far, I can see how well the students respect authority, treat others with kindness, and love God with all of their hearts. It will be an amazing spring semester witnessing God’s beauty in this school.
– Stephanie Fiechtner
Meet Our Teacher Assistant Mrs. Fiechtner Read More »
