OUR DISTINCTIVE ELEMENTS
WHY PEL?
Aristotle provides three important aspects of persuasion. These three aspects are called the pathos, ethos and logos.
Pathos: Having Connected Persuasion (literally "suffering", "experience")
-
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17​
-
​Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
​
Ethos: Having Character Persuasion (literally "character")
-
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 ​​​
-
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1 ​
​​
Logos: Having Coherent Persuasion (literally "word", or "from which a thought is expressed or delivered")
-
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 ​​​​
GOSPEL CENTERED
We believe that a gospel-centered education orients children to the truth and aids in their understanding of the world around them. We believe that the pursuit of truth is not a subjective venture. Rather, all truth belongs to and stems from God through Christ as found in the Word of God, our ultimate reference point. More than teaching children to simply behave, our desire is that children will discover that they need the gospel.
The good news is that Jesus came into the world, lived a perfect life unlike we ever could, died on the cross to bear the wrath of God for our sin, and was raised from the dead victorious. It is only through faith in this gospel that one can be accepted by God. As children learn to treasure this grace, they will be transformed from the inside out to become the men and women God has called them to be. We seek to view language, history, science, and the arts through the lens of grace by which we learn more of God’s character and His design for our world.
CLASSICAL
Classical Education is a centuries old methodology committed to cultivating wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness and beauty.
The aim of Classical Education is to equip students with the “tools” of learning, teaching them how to think and be life-long learners
The Trivium (Latin for "three roads") is a three-phase model that also correspond to the strengths of a child’s natural development:
-
GRAMMAR stage (K-6th grade): Students focus on the fundamental elements of each subject, focusing on memorization and content knowledge.
-
DIALECTIC stage (6th grade- 9th grade): Students start to critically analyze and interpret the facts that were memorized during the grammar phase.
-
RHETORIC stage (9th- 12th grade): Students are taught to communicate their thoughts and beliefs clearly, eloquently, and persuasively.
JOYFUL DISCOVERY
We desire to encourage children’s natural curiosities in life, art, literature and nature. We want our students to have a rich awareness of the beauty of God’s creation in all aspects of life.
PARTNERSHIP
We seek to partner with parents in their God-given task to educate their children spiritually, academically, and physically. The collaborative learning model integrates challenging academics, student activities, and Christ-like character development. Students attend community with professional mentors three days per week. Students spend alternate days at home where parents serve as teachers. Parents will conduct lesson plans as directed by the classroom tutor, creating a partnership between the community and the home to educate children in a way that will be most beneficial.