A perspective, or point of view, how you see something, is determined by vantage point. Where you stand makes all the difference in what you see.
Speaking from a parent's perspective, let me introduce myself to you. My name is David Asher. My wife, Ellen, and I and five children. Our older two boys are college age.
Our perspectives on school come from several different vantage points, including public school, a gifted school, three different Christian schools in Tulsa, and eight years of home schooling. From where we stand, St. Augustine Academy is the finest school in Tulsa.
I get to speak to you from a parent's perspective. I'm going to tell you very briefly what we like about this school, but first, how did we get here? A friend, Dr. Mark Hodge recommended we checkout his kids' school. Soon we were talking with then Grammar School principal Judy Stewart and admiring the Ancient Civilization emphasis on the walls of the first grade classroom. I remember asking Mrs. Stewart if this school required much homework. Without apologizing, she simply stated, "They'll get used to it."
SAA is our fourth Christian school in Tulsa. Our kids love this school. We're in our 3rd year here now. Our daughter, Sally, is in eighth grade. Our son Casey, is in seventh grade. Our youngest son, Chris, is in fifth grade. During our first year Ellen, recalls one morning on the way to school they reported, "We love school!" We had never heard that before. At night before bed, we have a family devotion and prayer time together. Before prayer time, we go around the room and all say our "Thankful things". Sally consistently states that she is thankful that tomorrow is Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, and that she gets to go to school tomorrow. There's something right at SAA!
There are several things to like about this school. We very much like the opportunity to participate in a school-wide musical theatre production. So far we've seen the Broadway musicals The Music Man, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Cinderella. In just a few weeks we'll be enjoying the musical rendering of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" called "Bah Humbug!" Get your tickets early: seating is limited.
We value the privilege of working with like-minded Christian parents who willingly pitch in to make things happen, who, in seeking God's best for their children, have found this pot of gold called St. Augustine Academy.
We appreciate the exceptionally gifted teachers and staff God has brought and kept here, and stand amazed at their ability to grab hold of His grace everyday to love our children into His likeness. What an awesome job you are doing!
We are so thankful to God for the leadership team that has emerged to bring us to where we are today. Our Principals and new Administrator bring multiple talents and seeming boundless energy to the task of putting flesh on a vision God gave to St. Augustine's founders. What is most amazing to me is how God takes men and women of strong personalities, humble spirits, people with clear vision, some with financial savvy, some with none, and through the SAA Board of Governors gives guidance that is very clearly His will. There's something right at SAA!
This year St. Augustine started four Houses or mentoring groups in the schools of Dialectic and Rhetoric. They are not limited to each school, but they span and include all grades 7 through 12. Each House has representation from each grade. That way, students from different grade levels interact as family members supporting each other. The younger grades are encouraged academically and socially by the older grades, and the older students stay connected to and care for the younger spiritually. They have healthy athletic and academic competition between the Houses with tangible rewards for successes. In our view, this one addition has raised morale and interest in excellence more than anything else. All of a sudden, the virtue of character qualities such as timeliness, diligence, discipline, courtesy, responsibility and efficiency have taken on substantial new meaning. Motivation is high because each student knows his or her participation in school reflects on their House and adds to or detracts from their House's point total for the quarter.
We like the fact that this school makes us and our children think. The Schools of Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetoric are structured to maximize learning potential at each developmental stage. The Grammar School is devoted to learning facts - math facts, history facts, spelling, English, Latin, science, Bible memorization, Catechism, basic art and music. The School of Dialectic corresponds to middle school in which our children learn how to use the facts they have learned, how to synthesize their knowledge into a tangible body of productive information, and to develop an understanding of how things logically relate to each other. The School of Rhetoric continues their strong academic development and offers Greek and Hebrew language studies in addition to teaching them how to defend their understanding and to persuade from a decidedly Christian viewpoint. There's something right at SAA!
Ellen and I are still learning about Classical education taught from a Christian worldview. We are very thankful that Mr. Ehrlich is offering a course to parents one night a month on understanding worldview. "Worldview" means the basic assumptions we have made, often unknowingly, which shape our view of the world. As it turns out, some are Christian; many are not. Our starting place determines our perspective and that makes all the difference in how we view a situation.
Our children's entire education is built within a Christian worldview. We're not talking about a worldly state-driven program with a few Bible classes thrown in so we can call it a Christian school. They learn the facts, they are gaining understanding of how to use them and then how to defend and persuade from the mind and character of Christ as revealed in Scripture. We're talking a solid education, academically superior to any I know of, forged in a Christian worldview. This is the product we both anticipate and realize in our students. There's something right at SAA!
Do you want to know what it is that's "right" at SAA? It's the blessing of the Lord! It is the strong hand of God. "The eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the whole earth that He might show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is completely His." Did you see that piece Mr. Post wrote for the Beacon? We're not playing church! Our heavenly father has looked down from His heavenly vantage point and found a place and a people whose heart is completely His, who have made the choice to train up their kids in the way they should go and have found at SAA a body of likeminded believers. God's blessing is on you and on SAA because of the choices you have made.
How does that blessing, that strong hand show itself? It shows up as Senior girls being ministers of grace washing the feet of the younger girls on the retreat at the start of school year, and praying for them and encouraging them in their faith, setting the tone for the whole year. It shows up in a teacher known for her discipline being a minister of mercy by not giving a boy an orange slip for leaving his written assignment at home because she had seen him do it in class the day before. It shows up in the superhuman strength and patience of our teachers daily as they love our children. God's blessing is on SAA! From my perspective, our greatest asset is the blessing of the Lord.
Now take this home and put it on your refrigerator: Our greatest asset is the blessing of the Lord.
