Education - Christian Schools
- Aug 1, 2005
“Ask parents why they send their children to High Point’s religious schools, and you’ll hear answers that aren’t unique to High Point. Schooling with a strong Biblical foundation tends to top the list, along with factors such as smaller student-teacher ratios, a greater feeling of safety, more individual attention for students and more emphasis on areas such as art and music.
“In 1996, Valerie Millsaps had a hard time finding a religious high school in Winston-Salem for her daughter Lauren. So she and her daughter looked elsewhere for a school that was ‘distinctly nurturing not only for learning but for God.’ They discovered Wesleyan Christian Academy.
“She hadn’t planned to send her younger son, Grant, to Wesleyan, too — at least until Lauren finished her freshman year. Not only was Lauren challenged academically, Millsaps said, but ‘her faith was strengthened through relationships she formed there.’
“The following year, the Millsaps enrolled Grant.”
Eric Swensen, “Popularity of Private Schools; Triad Students Flocking to High Point’s Learning Centers,” News & Record (Greensboro, NC), March 13, 2005
“At Cloquet Christian Academy, 17-year-old Miriam Alanen of Cloquet took a break during a recent study hall to talk about her school. Like many students at school that day, she wore clothing depicting the Renaissance as part of a history project. She wore an elegant scarlet- and cream-colored dress and a tiara as she worked on writing a report on the book ‘The Case for Faith’ by Lee Strobel for a Bible class.
“‘You can’t go wrong choosing a Christian school,’ said Alanen, a senior. ‘It gave me the opportunity to stand up for faith in a secular world. It also gave me a good, strong academic background.’
“Her school is comfortable and accepting of people at the same time that it’s academically and spiritually challenging, she said. There’s a sense of understanding when people talk to each other about faith, Alanen added.
“At Lakeview Christian Academy, sixth-grader Blaine Midthun said he likes that faith is included in the studies at his school.
“‘We need to learn about God,’ said the 11-year-old Duluth boy.
“His favorite subjects are math and Bible studies, he said.
“‘It’s a great school,’ he said. ‘Everyone is nice. There are no bullies.’
“At Maranatha, senior Levi LaPorte, 18, said the people at his school are close—like a family.
“‘You get to know people real well,’ he said. ‘They know you care.’
“The Superior teen has attended Maranatha since kindergarten and as he’s gotten older, he has come to appreciate what the school has done for him, he said.
“The classes are academically challenging and he likes the small classes because if he has a question, the teacher can help him, LaPorte said.
“‘It’s good to be surrounded by kids who believe the same things I do,’ he said. ‘I have friends who brought me up and didn’t bring me down. And the teachers here care about what you’re doing.’”
Linda Hanson, “Three Area Christian Schools Work Together to Spread the Word on What They Have to Offer,” Duluth News Tribune, March 12, 2005
“‘What better investment can you make in your child’s future?’
“That’s how Steve Franklin explains why he is paying for his son to attend a private school in Richmond.
“That’s also why the 72 private schools in the Richmond area are being attended by some 16,623 kindergartners to high school seniors. The Council for American Private Education reports there are more than 27,000 private schools in the U.S. with an enrollment of more than 6 million.
“Smaller classes, more individual attention, well-behaved student bodies, better preparation for college are some advantages to which private school administrators attribute this constant growth The growth in turn enables the schools to admit students most likely to benefit from their particular programs and personality.
“Everyone has to apply for admission. Some schools also give admissions tests (even to would-be first graders) in order to make sure the student will benefit from their curriculum.
“Richmond private schools have a wide range of grade levels, subjects and sponsorships by churches.”
Sylvia Costen, “Parents See Value in a Private School; Smaller Class Sizes, College Prep Courses, Programs Are Cited,” Richmond Times Dispatch, February 13, 2005