Westwood Christian School
General Philosophy of Christian Education

General Philosophy

Wisdom and knowledge come from God; therefore man’s education is complete only when God and His Word are the foundation of all learning.  The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).  Westwood Christian School is concerned with the total person: spiritual, intellectual, physical and social (Luke 2:52). The program of the school is designed to address all four areas of human need.  Further, we believe the needs of the total person can only be met by God Himself.  According as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us unto glory and virtue.  II  Peter 1:3.

Westwood Christian School endeavors to bring each student to the knowledge of God through the preaching and study of God’s Word, the Bible, and God’s works, His creation.  Working in cooperation with the family and the church, Westwood Christian School first seeks to have each student establish a personal relationship with God by receiving Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior and then to aid in the growth and development of each student into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).  In this process of Christian education, our hope is that pupils will fulfill the plan and purpose of God for their lives (I John 3:2).

The Curriculum

The school curriculum includes all those activities controlled by Westwood Christian School.  These activities are chosen to build balanced Christian character, achieve academic growth to individual potential, and to make available physical and social activities.

The home and the church were ordained by God with the responsibility of teaching and training children (Deuteronomy 6:6, Matthew 28:20). These two institutions must work together with the Christian school in promoting the student’s growth in all four areas.

The Bible is God’s Word and completely accurate, trustworthy and without error. The Bible controls the selection, interpretation of materials, methods, the perspective, and the content and activities of the curriculum.

Christian education aspires to train a child in such a way that he will have a sound, practical working knowledge of the Word of God and be able to evaluate and respond appropriately to the circumstances of life from a Christian world-view.

The works of God are an important part of the Christian school curriculum.  Creation reveals the Creator and holds man responsible for recognizing in it the works of God (Job 38-39, Romans 1:18-20).  Created in God’s image, man is the highest of God’s works on earth.  “The Christian school gives emphasis to the ‘humanities’; the study of man’s language, literature, artistic achievements, the record of history, the logic of mathematical reasoning and other forms of personal and cultural expression.”

Through the curriculum, the school endeavors to develop in the student the holiness of God (I Peter 1:16), the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and a continual emphasis upon the goal of service.  The curriculum provides for “instruction in skills and disciplines that equips students for service.  Academic subjects are studied not as an end in themselves but as a means of developing servants of God.”

Westwood Christian School encourages the development of student creativity, improvement of student “tastes”, including the development of moral as well as aesthetic perceptions thus to obey the injunctions “approve things that are excellent” - Philippians 1:10

Curricular instruction includes not only spiritual and mental aspects but also physical.  Our bodies are the temple of God (I Corinthians 3:16).  Our bodies are not to be abused or neglected but developed and disciplined to serve God.  (Romans 12:1-2, I Cor. 6:20).

Developing social graces and social interaction are an important part of the school curriculum.  Both reflect upon our testimony and service for God as students take an adult role in society.  A Biblical world-view is a curricular goal.  Some of the important societal issues are as follows:

• Individuals need manners and courtesy.  Knowledge of etiquette and the unconscious practice of good manners are vitally important for young people as they prepare for adulthood.  Consideration for the rights and feelings of others is a fundamental principle of responsible conduct.  The common courtesies of life are taught and practiced at Westwood Christian School.
• Individuals need standards of dress and appearance.  A well-rounded education includes training in good health, appearance and dress.  Although the Bible does not tell us specifically how we should dress or how our hair should be cut, it does give some principles to follow.  In light of Biblical principles, Westwood Christian School has set standards for dress in school.  The position of the school does not necessarily mean that the Christian who fails to meet these standards is sinning, but only that our students must meet these standards in order for the school to be consistent.  Some general Scriptural guidelines regarding dress are:
   1. Modesty (II Tim. 5:22)
   2. Distinction (Deuteronomy 22:5, I Cor. 11:14-15)
   3. Identification with the Lord and not the world (I Tim. 4:12, Romans 12:1-2, and I John 2:15-16)
• Westwood Christian School is co-educational, operating on the premise that it is wholesome for boys and girls to develop many friendships during their school years. These friendships should be with members of both genders. Genuine proper Christian behavior toward members of the opposite sex is expected at all times. Friendships developed during school may mature into life-long relationships.
• We believe that God commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged outside of marriage between a man and woman.  We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transvestitism, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.  (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5; Genesis 26:8-9, Leviticus 18:1-30, Romans 1, I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)  We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:22, 23).
• We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living person. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder.  (Job 3:16, Psalms 51:5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

You can find more about our subject area philosophies in the following links:

• Bible
• Business
• Foreign Languanges
  
• History
• Home Economics
• Language Arts
  
• Literature
• Mathematics
• Music
• Science
• Teaching