PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK
Catechism comes from the Greek word catechesis, which means to instruct by mouth. For generation after generation, our forefathers in the faith would instruct their children by means of this valuable tool using repetitions of question and answer. Q: Why did God make you and all things? A: For His own glory. Q: How do you glorify God? A: By loving Him and obeying His commandments. Q: Where do you learn to love and obey God? A: From the Bible alone. You see, God’s law provides basic guidelines that cover the whole of life. Catechism serves as a guide to better understanding God’s law and apply it to every domain of human existence. Therefore, The Terra Nova School utilizes catechisms as an important tool for instructing our students.
SPECIFIC CURRICULUM GOALS Our teachers use our philosophy statements alongside clear objectives to choose the best tools to build mastery for students. We look at clear milestones that build student’s skills. The aim is not completing the curriculum but building thinking and learning skills with clear milestones. Bible: We seek to: 1. Have the students read the scriptures in context for themselves vs. only prescribed verses. 2. Understand God's word through a historical-grammatical interpretation of the Bible. 3. Let the Scriptures speak for themselves with clarifications and illustrations by the teacher. 4. Teach the biblical pattern of salvation: Law before Grace. 5. Encourage each student to come to the Father, through the Son, and to grow in their knowledge and love of Him. 6. Equip our students with a Christian worldview that will serve as a lens through which they see every other subject and all of life. 7. Equip our students to graciously and wisely defend their faith as they refute unbelief in its various forms. English: We seek to: 1. Equip every student with the skills necessary for good writing, including spelling, grammar, style, clarity of focus, proof-reading, and self-correcting. 2. Emphasize good writing by requiring the students to write often and correctly in each subject area.
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