
MISSION STATEMENT
Ourmissionistocultivatewonder,trainintruth,andshapeourstudents’loveforGodandHisworld throughrobust,objectivebasedClassicalEducation
STATEMENT OF FAITH
ImmanuelClassicalSchoolholdstothehistoriccreedsoftheancientchurch,includingtheApostles’ andNiceneCreeds.AsaministryofSaintAndrew’sPresbyterianChurch(PCA)weupholdthe summaryofdoctrinecontainedintheWestminsterStandards.Belowisasimplesummaryofour doctrinalcommitments: GodIs.
WebelieveintheHolyTrinity.ThereisoneGod,whoexistseternallyinthreepersons:theFather,the Son,andtheHolySpirit. Sinistheproblem.
WebelievethatallaresinnersandtotallyunabletosavethemselvesfromGod’sdispleasure,exceptby hismercy. Jesusistheanswer.
WebelievethatsalvationisbyGodaloneashesovereignlychoosesthosehewillsave Webelievehis choiceisbasedonhisgrace,notonanyhumanindividualmerit,orforeseenfaith WebelievethatJesus ChrististheeternalSonofGod,whothroughhisperfectlifeandsacri cialdeathatonedforthesinsof allwhowilltrustinhim,alone,forsalvation.
Jesussavesthroughhiscovenantpromises.
WebelievethatGodisgraciousandfaithfultohispeoplenotsimplyasindividualsbutasfamiliesin successivegenerationsaccordingtohiscovenantpromises. Godsentusahelper.
WebelievethattheHolySpiritindwellsGod’speopleandgivesthemthestrengthandwisdomtotrust Christandfollowhim.
Jesusiscomingback.
WebelievethatJesuswillreturn,bodilyandvisibly,tojudgeallmankindandtoreceivehispeopleto himself.WebelievethatallaspectsofourlivesaretobelivedtothegloryofGodundertheLordshipof JesusChrist TheBibleisGod’sword.
WebelievetheBibleisthewrittenwordofGod,inspiredbytheHolySpiritandwithouterrorinthe originalmanuscripts.TheBibleistherevelationofGod’struthandisinfallibleandauthoritativeinall mattersoffaithandpractice
CULTURAL ISSUES
ImmanuelClassicalbelievesthatallhumanlifeissacredandthatwearecreatedintheimageofGod andcalledtodefendandprotectthatlife Webelievetherearetwodistinctgenders,maleandfemale andtogethertheyre ecttheimageandnatureofGodandtheBiblicalmeaningof“marriage” describedinScripture.(Gen.2:18-25).
ImmanuelClassicaliscommittedtoahealthydiscussionofthisissueinawaythatvaluesallthoseof otheropinions,yetdoesnotcompromiseourvalues. OurultimategoalisChristianunitywithinthe parametersoftheApostles’CreedandthetruthofScripture.
SECONDARY DOCTRINE POLICY
Baptism
Asitcomestobaptism,weholdtoWestminsterConfessionofFaith,butweteachtheviewsofcredo andpedobaptismandwillholdfriendlydebatesregardingthedistinctionsinsecondaryschool
Youngearth/Oldearth
Allthingsarecreatedinthespaceof6“yom”(days)“anditwasverygood” Theword“yom”hasbeen debatedasadayoraperiodoftime. ButweultimatelyholdColossians1:17,“Andheisbeforeall things,andinhimallthingsholdtogether.” Wewillholdfriendlydebatesregardingtheageofthe earthwithinthescopeofScripture.
Eschatology
Wewilldiscusshistoricalpremillennialism,amillennialismandpostmillennialismasimportantviews thatourbrothersandsistersinChristhold. Thesethreeviewswillbediscussedinsecondaryschool
andahopefuleschatologywillbeheldbyourteachers.(PleaseseeWestminsterConfessionsofFaith Chapters32and33formoreendtimesinformationthatisfoundationaltoourviews).
EDUCATIONAL CONVICTIONS
Family
ImmanuelClassicaldesirestopartnerwithfamiliesinawaythatserves;andtoservefamiliesinaway thatcreatesapartnershiptoful llthemandateoftrainingchildreninthePaideiaoftheLord. We knowthatchildrenwillspendanenormousamountoftimeinschool,andweconsiderthisadeep responsibility ImmanuelClassicalisnotasubstituteforfamily;wecomealongsidefamiliestocreatea communitythat,together,desirestodirectthelovesofchildrentowardstruth,beautyandgoodness.
Knowledge
Ourpedagogyendeavorstolayafoundationoftruthsothatstudentsviewtheworldthrough Scripturallenses.EverythingisrelatedtotheworkofGodandthisinformsthewayweteach,the curriculumwechoose,andthemethodsthatweuseforinstruction
Love
TheknowledgegainedatImmanuelClassicalmustbecoupledwithrobustlove Wedesiregraduates whoaregracious,whoengageculturewithhumility,andwhoarepreparedwithtrinitarianthinkingto discernthenatureofGodincreation.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES
Mathematics
Mathbuildsuponitselfandthereforemasteryiskey. Ifachildmissesaskill,theywillstruggleto understandthisimportant,symbolicrepresentationofthewayinwhichGodorderedtheworld. Instructionwillbeo eredinawaythatfostersdeepunderstanding,instillslogic,andalwaysaims towardstruth LikeGod,mathisin niteandthereforegivesusanotherglimpseintothenatureofthe Creator. Beyondsolvingmathematicalproblems,mathmakesstudentswrestlewithtruthwhilebeing equippedwithskillstonavigatetheworld.
Science
“Scientia”istheLatinwordforknowledgeandknowledgediscoverswhatalreadyexistsinGod’s creation--itisunderstandingwhatIS Godmadetheworldinanorderedway,andsciencediscovers thisorderthroughinvestigation,explorationandexperimentation--itisanactiveprocessthatshould cultivatewonder. Theseskills,welldeveloped,promotediscoveryoftruth;andthispreparesstudents formoreformalstudies. Theultimateresultofscienti cdiscoveryisful llmentofthecreation mandateinGenesis,andthisinformshowweengagewithethics,moralityandpolitics
Humanities
HumanitiesisthestudyoftheimageofGodthroughliterature,history,writing,philosophy,and Scripture Thetoolsofthisstudyaregrammarandlogicwhicharedevelopedthroughoutour program Ourhumanitiesprogrampartnerswithparentstodevelopabiblicalworldview,andto equipstudentstoengagein,whatissadlymovingtowards,apost-Christianculture. Theresultofthis studyshouldbestudentswhowrite,speak,andthinkcritically:apeopleequippedtoexpress themselveswithclarity,andpersuasivenessthatisaimedtowardstruth Webelievethathumanities instructionshouldresultinconsciousdependenceuponGodandHissovereignreignoverallthings, gratitudefortheredemptiveworkofChristintheworld,andanemphasisonthecultivationof Christianvirtue.
Music
Musicisanaspect ofChristiancommunitythatistobenurturedandenjoyed. Wedesirethatour studentsknowmusicthroughsinging,theoryandmusicianship. Ephesians5:19says,“addressingone anotherinpsalmsandhymnsandspiritualsongs,singingandmakingmelodytotheLordwithyour heart,”andwewantourchildrenworshipingtogetherasawayoflife Knowingandreadingmusicisto speakanotherlanguageandtoappreciateothercultures.Whenstudentsareconcurrentlylearning boththepracticalandthehistorical,theyhaveagreaterappreciationforbeautyandtheskillsneededto createit WorshipingGodinthiswayisto“makeajoyfulnoisetotherockofoursalvation”(Psalm 95:1)Musicaddstothecultureofourschool,andmusicinstillstruththroughtherepetitionof beautifulwords.
VisualArt
Wewantourstudentstorecognizethetrue,thegood,andthebeautifulandnotjustthingsthatare utilitarian. WecreatebecausewewerecreatedintheImageofGod. AsFrancisSchae ersays,“A ChristianshouldusetheseartstothegloryofGod,notjustastracts,mindyou,butasthingsofbeauty
tothepraiseofGod. Anartworkcanbeadoxologyinitself.”Wewantwellroundedstudents,students whoarenotjustacademicbutstudentswhorecognizeandcancreatebeauty.Thestudyofartgivesus alensintoothertimesandcultureswhilealsoeducatingusinthehistoryoftheimagebearersofGod
Language
Godhasgivenuslanguageandeachlanguageisrichwithcultureandhistory Studyinganother languageistostudypeopleandtostudyLatinistostudytheoriginofwordsweuseinmedicine,law, science,and inourdailylives. WeteachLatinasafoundationalsecondlanguagebecauseoftherich historythataccompaniesitforChristians ThisisthelanguagethatsurroundedourfoundingChurch fathersandalanguagethathasclarityinitswords Latinlendsitselftologicalskillsandreinforces grammaticalconceptsinreading,writingandanalyzingliterature.Latinisfoundationaltothe Romanticlanguagesandcultures,andwithalargeSpanishspeakingpopulationinYakima,Latinsets ourstudentsuptolearnSpanishreadily Theyareembellishingtheotherdisciplines
StrugglingLearners
ImmanuelClassicalaimstoteachstudentsofallabilitylevelsthroughsolidChristianpedagogyand materials. Becauseweareabletotakebothconventionalanduniquelearners,ourprogramisvery distinct.Weo erclassicalteachingasinputbutonlyexpectclassicaloutputbasedonthegiftingof eachindividualstudent. Ourteachingisdoneinaroundtablesetting,wherewemovefromthe concretetothephilosophicalasthestudentsareready
OUR DISTINCTIVES
1. Lowstudent/teacherratio(backgroundcheckedteacherassistantsandvolunteersavailable).
2. Familyinvolvementandengagementisencouragedandenjoyed.
3 Integratedages,wherestudentsmovethroughlearninggroupsratherthansolely age-designated grades
4. Curriculumistailoredtostudycoredisciplinesthrough:
a. Mathematics
b Science
c. IntegratedHumanities
i. Literature
ii. History&Geography
iii Language&Grammar
iv. Bible
v. Philosophy
d. Latin
e Arts(choir&