AcademyCovenant

E-Newsletter

Coming Fall of 2012

OCTOBER 2011 / VOLUME 01

“A Classical and

Distinctly Christian

Education”

From the AdministratorBy Karen Stafford …………………………………….…..pg. 1

The Vision Statement………………………….…pg. 2

Our Educational Philosophy……....……....…pg. 3

Q&A, Prayer Requests …………………………pg. 4

A Parent’s Perspectiveby Christian Lewis………...…………………..…………..pg. 5

What Do We Mean By Classical? ..…...…..pg. 6

Trivium Chart.……………………………..….……..pg. 7

Resources…………………………….………………..pg. 8

Bulletin Board…………………………………….....pg. 9

Covenant AcademyOctober 2011 Volume 01

Table of ContentsThe Covenant Academy Newsletteris a monthly publication of Covenant Academy, Lafayette, LA.

Publisher and Editor: Shelby StaffordContributor and Editor: Karen Stafford

Contact

Address:Covenant Academy1700 East Willow StreetLafayette, LA 70501

Phone: (337)- 290- 6749

Email: karengstafford@bellsouth.netWeb: covenantacademyla.org

“Education without values, as useful

as it is, seems rather to make man a

more clever devil.”

C.S. Lewis

Contact Publisher

“A Classical and Distinctly Christian Education”

Dear Covenant family,

The count-down is on. Only ten months before the doors of Covenant Academy are scheduled to open in order

to provide a Christ-centered, classical education for children in grades K4- fourth grade. We would ask you, our

church family, to remember to lift this venture up in prayer during the days of preparation ahead of us. Pray for

leaders to have wisdom and discernment in planning, for the students whose lives will be impacted, and for the

parents who will entrust our school with their precious children. Above all else, please pray that our focus, in all

that we do, would remain on Christ Jesus our Lord.

By way of introduction, I am Karen Stafford, and I will be serving as administrator for Covenant Academy. My

husband Keith and I have been married for 22 years and have five children ranging in age from 13 to 20. I have

taught in public school in Texas for three years, but have spent the last 11 years homeschooling our children in

the "Great Books" classical tradition.

A verse that helped shape our homeschool was Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, which commands parents to teach their

children diligently the things of the Lord. At Covenant Academy we will embrace this command and look

forward to the privilege of working alongside parents in providing their children with a quality, Christ-centered

education.

Our hope is to see Covenant Baptist Church strengthened by multi-generational faithfulness. As our church is

strengthened in the faith, our desire is that Acadiana will be impacted mightily with the Gospel and influenced

for Christ by graduates of Covenant Academy.

In Christ,

Karen Stafford

From the AdministratorFrom the Administrator October 2011 pg. 1

Vision Statement October 2011 pg. 2

The Vision Statement of Covenant Academy

We aim to graduate young men and women who

think clearly and listen carefully with discernment

and understanding; who reason persuasively and

articulate precisely; who are capable of evaluating

their entire range of experience in the light the

Scriptures; and who do so with eagerness in joyful

submission to God. We desire them to recognize

cultural influences as distinct from

biblical, and to be unswayed towards evil

by the former. We aim to find them well

prepared in all situations, possessing both

information and the knowledge of how to

use it. We desire they be socially graceful

and spiritually gracious; equipped with

and understanding the tools of learning;

desiring to grow in understanding, yet

fully realizing the limitations and

foolishness of the wisdom of this world.

We desire they have a heart for the lost and the

courage to seek to dissuade those who are stumbling

towards destruction; that they distinguish real

religion from religion in form only; and that they

possess the former, knowing and loving the Lord

Jesus Christ. And all these we desire them to possess

with humility and gratitude to God.

We likewise aim to cultivate these same qualities in

our staff and to see them well paid so that they may

make a career at Covenant Academy. We desire

them to be professional and diligent in their work,

gifted in teaching, loving their students and their

subjects. We desire they clearly understand classical

education, how it works in their classroom and how

their work fits into the whole; that they possess a

lifelong hunger to learn and grow; and that they have

the opportunity to be refreshed and renewed. We

desire to see them coach and nurture new staff and

to serve as academic mentors to students. We look to

see them mature in Christ, growing in the knowledge

of God, their own children walking with the Lord.

We aim to cultivate in our parents a sense of

responsibility for the school; to see them well

informed about the goals of our classical and Christ-

centered approach. We desire them to grow

with the school, involved in and excited

about the journey. We aim to help them to

follow biblical principles in addressing

concerns, to be inclined to hearing both

sides of a story before rendering a verdict,

and to embrace the Scripture’s injunctions

to encourage and stir up one another to love

and good works.

Finally, in our relationship with our

community, we aim to be above reproach in our

business dealings and supportive of the local

business community. We further seek to exemplify

the unity of the body of Christ, to develop greater

fellowship and understanding with the churches, and

to bring honor to our Lord in all our endeavors.

“We desire they

have a heart for

the lost and the

courage to seek to

dissuade those

who are stumbling

towards

destruction”

Educational Philosophy October 2011 pg. 3

Our Educational Philosophy

Although most Christian schools would agree on certain fundamentals, it is imperative that parents

scrutinize the foundational beliefs of any school in which they may enroll their child(ren). Therefore,

below are the most important philosophical elements that we at Covenant Academy believe distinguish

our approach to education.

1. We believe that the Bible clearly instructs parents, not the Church or state, to “bring children up in the

discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The Church’s commission is essentially to spread the Gospel and

train up believers (Matt.28:18-20). The State has been directed to enforce God’s laws and protect the

innocent (Romans 13). The Church trains parents and the State protects families. The Family raises and

educates children (Eph.6:1-4). Therefore, under the delegation of the family, we seek to teach and

discipline in a manner consistent with the Bible and a godly home environment.

2. We believe that God’s character is revealed not only in His Word but also in every facet of the creation.

Therefore, we teach that all knowledge is interrelated (integrated) and can instruct us about God himself.

3. God wants us to love Him with our minds, as well as with our hearts, souls, and strength (Matt.22:37)

Therefore, we seek to individually challenge children at all levels and teach them how to learn, by using the

centuries old, proven classical method, incorporating instruction in Latin.

4. We want to help parents teach their children that all they do should be done “heartily, as unto the Lord.”

Therefore we seek to encourage quality academic work and maintain high standards of conduct. This

necessarily includes biblical discipline principles.

5. We desire a full K-12 program because we believe that as long as a child is under the parents’ authority

and undergoing formal education, he should be trained biblically (Deut. 6:6-7, Prov. 22:6)

Above all, parents can be confident that their student, at every stage of his development in school, will be loved with Christ’s love at Covenant Academy.

Q&

A How can I get in contact with the administrator?

Will my child be required to wear a uniform?

Q:

A:

Q:A:

Q:A:

Q:A:

Q:A:

She can be reached through email.

Yes, they will. Details will be published soon.

Still have unanswered questions? Send us an email

Q&A Prayer Requests October 2011 pg. 4

What are the reasons for studying Latin?

Prayer Requests

Pra

yer

Req

uest

s

Where can I find a description of curriculum?

When does registration start?

Registration starts in February, 2012. More details will be given in subsequent newsletters.

• The future students and their families• Teachers as they are studying and training in the classical method of education

The curriculum guide can be found here.

“..increased competence in English, an appreciation for literature, an understanding of the infancy of Western Civilization, practice in the analytic method, and providing a foundation for the study of modern languages.”- Veith

Dear Prospective Parent,

George Bailey, Jimmy Stewart’s character in It’s a

wonderful life, was given the opportunity to see how

his hometown would have changed had he never

been born. He learns that his sacrifice and service

kept the quaint and idyllic town of Bedford Falls

from being transformed into Pottersville, a dark

town of harsh people with a roaring red light district.

Today, we have a similar opportunity to be a blessing

to both our children’s lives and Lafayette through the

founding and establishment of Covenant Academy.

How can another Christian school be a blessing

to our children and Lafayette. First, as Christians,

we are people who are to seek, hold to, and defend

the Truth. Scripture teaches us “to be ready to give a

defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the

hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15) and to be

equipped for “casting down arguments and every

high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of

God” ( 2 Corinthians 10:5). Covenant Academy

hopes its students will be best equipped for this by

an educations curriculum that immerses them in the

Bible and promotes diligent study and evaluation of

the history, thought and great literary works of

Western Civilization from ancient through modern

times. By participating in this Great Conversation

(ie. a study of Western history, thought and culture),

students will learn from the triumphs and errors of

the great persons and minds who have gone before

us. Students with this knowledge will be best able to

discern, serve and defend the truth in serving our

Lord.

Third, Covenant Academy hopes that the tools

of learning provided to each student will lead to

excellent achievement in the Lord’s calling for each

of them now and in the future. Dante, Leonardo da

Vinci, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Christopher

Columbus, Shakespeare, George Washington,

Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams are said to have

been all products of a classical education.

Statistically, students who attend classical Christian

schools outscore their peers in private, religious, and

public schools in both the SAT and ACT

examinations. Covenant Academy hopes to

emphasize the “all-embracing” nature of the

Christian faith in our students’ lives so that

achievement and excellence in education will

translate into a blessing for our Lord, families, and

community in whatever they do.

Many of us were not the beneficiaries of a

classical Christian education. We do not claim to be

experts in this area at this time. “Hope” is notably

repeated several times in this letter. This is because

Covenant Academy is not established presently. For

our “hopes” for Covenant Academy to become

realities, a community of believers will need to be

dedicated to learning and doing that which is

necessary to provide our children this education. We

hope God will bless our sacrifice and service through

Covenant Academy to be a blessing to Lafayette in

ways even greater than that of George Bailey’s. We

trust in and will seek out the Lord’s guidance and

blessing in this endeavor by wisely and prayerfully

laying a foundation upon which a classical Christian

school can be established and mature. We invite each

of you to join us in receiving and pursuing this

calling in establishing Covenant Academy.

In Christ,Christian Lewis, a fellow parent

October 2011 pg. 5

A Parent’s Perspective

From a Parent

“The school belongs to the parents”- Pliny the younger

October 2011 pg. 6What is Classical Education?

In the 1940's the British author, Dorothy Sayers, wrote an essay titled “The Lost Tools of Learning.” In

it she not only calls for a return to the application of the seven liberal arts of ancient education, the first three

being the “Trivium” - grammar, logic, rhetoric, she also combines three stages of children’s development to

the Trivium. Specifically, she matches what she calls the “Poll-parrot” stage with grammar, “Pert” with logic,

and “Poetic” with rhetoric (see chart below). At Logos, the founding board members were intrigued with

this idea of applying a classical education in a Christian context. Doug Wilson, a founding board member

explained the classical method further in his book. Logos School has been committed to implementing this

form of education since the school’s inception.

An excerpt from Doug Wilson’s book , “Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning:”

“The structure of our curriculum is traditional with a strong emphasis on “the basics.” We understand the

basics to be subjects such as mathematics, history, and language studies. Not only are these subjects covered,

they are covered in a particular way. For example, in history class the students will not only read their text,

they will also read from primary sources. Grammar, logic, and rhetoric will be emphasized in all subjects. By

grammar, we mean the fundamental rules of each subject (again, we do not limit grammar to language

studies), as well as the basic data that exhibit those rules. In English, a singular noun does not take a plural

verb. In logic, A does not equal not A. In history, time is linear, not cyclic. Each subject has its own grammar,

which we require the students to learn. This enables the student to learn the subject from the inside out.

The logic of each subject refers to the ordered relationship of that subject’s particulars (grammar). What is

the relationship between the Reformation and the colonization of America? What is the relationship between

the subject and the object of a sentence? As the students learn the underlying rules or principles of a subject

(grammar) along with how the particulars of that subject relate to one another (logic), they are learning to

think. They are not simply memorizing fragmented pieces of knowledge.

The last emphasis is rhetoric. We want our students to be able to express clearly everything they learn. An

essay in history must be written as clearly as if it were an English paper. An oral presentation in science

should be as coherent as possible. It is not enough that the history or science be correct. It must also be

expressed well.”

What Do We Mean By Classical?from Logos School Staff Manual

October 2011 pg. 7Trivium Stages Chart

Beginning Grammar (Pre-Polly)

Grammar (Polly-Parrot) Logic (Pert) Rhetoric (Poetic)

Grades K-2 Grades 3-6 Grades 6-9 Grades 10-12

Approx. age 4-8 Approx. age 9-11 Approx. age 12-14 Approx. age 15-18

Student Characteristic Student Characteristic Student Characteristic Student Characteristic

1. Obviously excited about learning

2. Enjoys games, stories, songs, projects

3. Short attention span4. Wants to touch,taste, feel,

smell, see 5.5. Imaginative,creative6. Likes chants, clever,

repetitious word sounds (e.g. Dr. Seuss)

1. Excited about new, interesting facts

2. Likes to explain, figure out, talk

3. Wants to relate own experiences to topic, or just to tell a story

4. Likes collections, organizing items

5. Likes chants, clever, repetitious word sounds

6. Easily memorizes 7. Can assimilate another

language well

1. Still excitable, but needs challenges

2. Judges, critiques, debates, critical

3. Likes to organize items, others

4. Shows off knowledge5. Wants to know "behind the

scenes" facts6. Curious about Why? for

most things 7. Thinks, acts as though

more knowledgeable than adults

1. Concerned with present events, especially in own life

2. Interested in justice, fairness

3. Moving toward special interests, topics

4. Can take on responsibility, independent work

5. Can do synthesis 6. Desires to express

feelings, own ideas 7. Generally idealistic

Teaching Method Teaching Method Teaching Method Teaching Method

1. Guide discovering 2. Explore, find things 3. Use lots of tactile items to

illustrate point 4. Sing, play games, chant,

recite, color, draw, paint, build

5. Use body movements6. Short, creative projects7. Show and Tell, drama,

hear/read/tell stories 8. Field trips 9. Lay conceptual

understanding of letters, numbers, associated meanings

1. Lots of hands-on work, projects

2. Field trips, drama 3. Make collections, displays,

models4. Integrate subjects through

above means 5. Teach and assign research

projects6. Recitations, memorization 7. Drills, games 8. Oral/written presentations

1. Time lines, charts,maps (visual materials)

2. Debates, persuasive reports

3. Drama, reenactments, role-playing

4. Evaluate, critique (with guidelines)

5. Formal logic6. Research projects 7. Oral/written presentations 8. Guest speakers, trips

1. Drama, oral presentations

2. Guide research in major areas with goal of synthesis of ideas

3. Many papers, speeches, debates

4. Give responsibilities, e.g. working with younger students, organize activities

5. In-depth field trips, even overnight

6. World view discussion/written papers

Derived from The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers (compiled by Tom Garfield)

Trivium Stages Chart

That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit. - Amos Alcott

Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning Douglas Wilson

- Covenant Academy - Association of Christian Classical Schools- Christian Classical School statistics- Classis: A Journal Published By ACCS

Sign up for updates!

Resources

The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory (unabridged)

The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers

On Secular Education Robert Lewis Dabney

Foundations of Christian Education Louis Berkof, Cornelius Van Til

The Case for Classical Christian Education Douglas Wilson

Internet Links

October 2011 pg. 8Links

Bulletin Board

Repairing the Ruins2012 ACCS Annual

ConferenceJune 21-23, 2012 -

Dallas, Texas

More Info

Looking at a degree in Christian Classical Education?

Check out Whitefield College!

Bulletin Board October 2011 pg. 9