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Tuesday, 13 December 2011
An Associated Press article expressed the fact that the iPad and app builders are tapping in to the toy market for Christmas 2011. Products such as the iMarker by Crayola allows children to doodle on the iPad just like they would a crayon on a coloring book. And that Apple products have a certain "cool factor" with kids that toy companies, which can make up to half of their revenue during during the holidays, are hoping to tap into. The article states that 44 percent of 6 to 12-year-olds want the iPad this year, according to a survey by research firm Nielson.
While games are a tremendous percentage of apps developed for the iPad one Christian school in southeast Texas is tapping into the wealth of educational apps. At Ridgewood Christian School we encourage the students of all ages to bring their iPads to class where educational apps such as Anatomy Quiz, Stack the States and Math Bingo are used on a regular basis. We believe that educators across America will begin to recognize the tremendous benefit of the interactive aspect of the iPad. Younger children can trace letters in a new and exciting way, middle school students can interact with math apps which makes learning their math facts (2 + 2 = 4 or 3 x 5 = 15) actually seem fun. Older students can dissect a frog without all the mess, muss and smell.
Every year in our Biology class the students simply have to memorize the parts of the body. Memorizing bones from a two-dimensional picture has been the method of study for decades. And when it comes time for a quiz or test the student must simply label the parts. With apps such as Bone Scan Bob and the Anatomy Quiz students can interact with and instantly receive feedback. When asked, one student commented that the interaction of the app has greatly improved her grades, not only because it makes learning easier, but fun. Chemistry students across America are asked to memorize the periodic table. All well rounded students should know that the symbol for the element oxygen is O and the symbol for the element hydrogen is H. Flash cards have long been the study method of choice but with the app MajhongChem they can play a relatively popular game while learning the elements and their symbols. The Elements app, while somewhat expensive, gives the student an interactive three-dimensional way to dig deeper into the details of each element.
Many parents will read the AP article and give in to the massive media push that promotes all the exciting games that can be played on the iPad. But take heart parents who desire more than just an expensive toy. The iPad is a tremendously effective educational tool as well. So go ahead and buy that iPad for little Susie or Johnny but don't just download games for them to stare at for hours. Check out and download apps that will challenge him/her to learn. Or better yet, download some of the educational apps that will be fun for both of you.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Christian schools offer parents alternative reads the headline of the September 19, 2011 special edition of the Southern Baptist Texan. "In today's education environment, there is an overwhelming need for Christian education." says Dwayne Oxner, principal at Ridgewood Christian School in Port Arthur, Texas. He told the TEXAN that God's instruction in Deuteronomy 6 for parents to teach their children is more than just a suggestion to teach biblical concepts.
Read more >>>
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Mission Statement
To glorify God by offering parents a choice of an academic institution that will assist them in giving their children a chance to become Christian leaders in professions that meet their God-given abilities and interests.
Motto
Offering parents a choice and children a chance.
Philosophy
Ridgewood Christian School’s philosophy is to give Christ His rightful place in education; to teach as He taught and as the Holy Spirit is still teaching today through His Word. The school seeks to assist parents in training the student spiritually, academically, emotionally and physically.
Goals
The school’s core objective is to develop each child's skills in the following dimensions:
- Spiritual — To gain knowledge and understanding of Scripture. To develop Christ-like attitudes, desires and self-control, conforming into His image as the student grows in faith, behavior, and service.
- Academic — To encourage and challenge each student to realize his or her highest individual abilities. Developing skills in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and mathematics will form the foundation of the curriculum.
- Social — To train students in the skills needed to develop and maintain quality relationships with others. Students are made aware that they are God's servants on earth and, as such, are in positions of ministry toward their parents, teachers, fellow students, and neighbors through their words and actions.
- Physical — To promote good general health through nutrition and exercise in an effort to care for the temple of God. To encourage an appreciation for activities which promote lifetime health.
Biblical World-View
The purpose of the school will be to teach a Protestant Evangelical world-view regarding the nature and relationships of God, man, and the universe. Doctrinal issues non-central to the Protestant-Evangelical world-view — such as methods of baptism, presence of contemporary sign gifts, eschatological views, etc. — will be left to individual instruction in the home or church.
Biblical Principles
One of the basic reasons why parents enroll their children in a Christian school is to obtain an education grounded in moral values. This school uses mainly the Abeka Curriculum which includes scripture, a biblical worldview, and references to God and Jesus Christ which are all designed to help students develop moral character, a sense of accountability, and wisdom in their lives.
Relevance to Real Life
Students have the highest motivation to learn when they can clearly see how, as adults, they will use the skills they are currently learning. The staff will seek to maximize this motivational approach by relating learning experiences to real life events. Periodic field trips will give the students out of classroom experiences. In some instances, the school may make use of vocational and apprenticeship opportunities to let older students.
Monday, 05 September 2011
How does God see the family?
- The family is the first and most basic social institution created by God.
- Genesis 1:27-28 — “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.’” …
- Genesis 2:24 — “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
- Exodus 20:12, 14 — “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. … You shall not commit adultery.”
Ridgewood Christian School wants to honor and support the importance of the family and the authority of parents in each child’s life.
- That is why our mission statement says RCS is “assisting parents”, rather than “teaching children.”
- That is why we call you in when your child will not submit to the school’s rules.
- That is why we want you physically present at RCS with your child (parenting points).
Every school has a problem it can’t avoid. The school is involved in the life of a group of families. But no group of families is homogeneous; each family has a slightly different value system or emphasis. The more uniform the families, the easier the task of assisting each family well. One school cannot be everything to every family.
What is a school to do? Ridgewood Christian School must clearly define itself (its value system and goals). This way each family can examine RCS’ value system and goals and decide if the school is enough closely aligned to the family’s value system and goals for the parents to “hire” Ridgewood Christian to “assist” them in raising their children.
The RCS mission statement is its attempt to succinctly define the school clearly:
To glorify God by offering parents a choice of an academic institution that will assist them in giving their children a chance to become Christian leaders in professions that meet their God-given abilities and interests.
By focusing on the five highlighted nouns (and their adjectives) within the mission statement, a more elaborate definition for RCS may be understood:
- Glorify God — RCS seeks ultimately the approval of God, not men
- Parents — RCS requires parental involvement (time) in your child’s life and at school (see “Parent participation requirements” on the following page)
- Christian leaders — RCS will encourage Christian maturity by providing a Christian environment that includes Bible study, prayer, encouraging the fruit of the spirit, and discouraging the “deeds of the flesh”.
- God-given (individual) abilities — God has created each child uniquely (fearfully and wonderfully/ Psalm 139:14), with their individual strengths and weaknesses. RCS’ aim is to approach each child as an individual despite the school’s group environment. That is why RCS teachers strive to modify the classroom experience to meet the needs of each student.
- Professions (or vocations) — RCS believes that the ultimate goal of childhood and adolescent education is for a young adult to understand his vocation (Christian calling) and has the training to enter that vocation. That is why our motto is “...offering children a chance”. Some of the important steps in this preparation are:
- reading, writing, and math — verbal and number language skills that are the tools for further learning.
- stewardship of the body — P.E. and health.
- submission to authority — obeying school rules.
- discovering each student’s special interests and talents — studying the world of knowledge and finding what parts “come easy” and are interesting.
- learning which vocations employ the special interests and talents of each student — encouraging students in regards to different professions, career choices, and ministry opportunities.
Thursday, 01 September 2011
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (Ex. 24:4; Deut. 4:1-2; 17:19; Josh. 8:34)
We believe that there is but one Living and true God, eternally existing in three persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Gen. 18:1; Psalms 2:7; Gen. 1:2; Judges 14:6)
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory. (Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10)
We believe that the salvation of man, who is sinful and lost, is instantaneous and accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God when the repentant sinner – enabled by the Holy Spirit – responds in faith. This salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, the merit of his shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works. All the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. Gen. 3:15; Ex. 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matt.1:21; 4:17)
We believe in the Spirit-filled life. As the supernatural and sovereign Agent in regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers them for service, and seals them unto the day of redemption. (Ex. 17:12; Judges 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69)
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one's gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. (Luke 10:1; Acts 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 8-9)
We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous and the endless suffering of the wicked. (Isaiah 2:4; Matt. 16:27; 19:28; Mark 8:38; Luke 12:40, 48)
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