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Where Academic Excellence and Human Wholeness Meet

Educational Philosophy

כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה קָנִ֣יתָ כִלְיֹתָ֑י תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי בְּבֶ֣טֶן אִמִּֽי׃

אֽוֹדְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נוֹרָא֗וֹת נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יֹדַ֥עַת מְאֹֽד׃

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

It all starts with the way God made us.

Cornerstone believes that each student is created by God with a unique set of virtues, that is, characteristics, gifts, skills, traits, etc., specifically designed to make the individual “fitted” to fulfill God’s plan for their life. Not only does this virtue set specifically suit the individual for blessing them and fulfilling God’s plan for them, it is meant also to bless their families and the whole world. Christian/Biblical education, therefore, seeks to provide an environment whereby each student’s virtue set may be maximally developed.

The virtues, as far as Christian education is concerned, are divided into four categories: the academic (intellectual), aesthetic (creative), athletic (kinesthetic), and spiritual/moral (character and salvation).

How does my uniqueness relate to education?

In the proper educational environment, the virtues within each category are allowed to flower fully according to the student’s gifting. By providing this environment, learning is more permanent, more enjoyable, and more productive. Moreover, it leads to higher levels of educational autonomy and a life-long hunger for learning. Ultimately, the student’s learning experience results in becoming what God intended, that is, by “becoming” what God gifted them to be. This brings maximal glory to God, happiness to the individual, and ministry to the world.

So, how does CCA make this happen?

CCA provides this fertile environment through a highly engaging teaching methodology that appeals to all types of learners, takes advantage of the latest brain and educational research, creates a learning-conducive atmosphere, and takes advantage of the parent/teacher role to help the student grow spiritually and in emotional maturity. 

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Below is a quick glimpse of each of the virtue areas Cornerstone emphasizes along with a description of our philosophy on hands-on, immersion-style learning:

Explore our program Areas

  • Academics

    Retain Content and High-level Thinking
  • Aesthetics

    Creativity
  • Athletics

    Kinesthetic Intelligence
  • Spiritual Development

    Emotional Maturity
  • Immersion Learning

    Inductive Reinforcement

    Academics

    CCA’s commitment is to provide an environment where our students can maximize their intellectual virtues under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The goal is to produce students who are prepared against intellectual predators, who are able to defend their faith, and who are fully equipped to provide a redemptive answer with gentleness and respect. Our methodology is multi-sensory, oriented to all learning styles, and focused on Christian nurture. Our students will receive superlative teaching to ensure they have every opportunity to fulfill God’s plan for their life.

    Our goal is to make learning fun, interesting, and meaningful so the student is engaged in the learning process. By doing this, we maintain uncompromising standards while at the same time make learning easier and more productive. Our teachers are specifically called to minister at CCA and are empowered to teach using the gifts God equipped them with. The effect is an environment where students love learning, experience academic success, and enjoy the benefits of a rigorous preparatory education.

    CCA also believes in a workload that is versatile and caters to a healthy family environment. All students have the opportunity to meet the expectations of the challenging curriculum with ease; and those families who crave even further enrichment have the opportunity to do extended study in any or all areas.

    Aesthetics

    Aesthetics, the virtue of appreciating and reflecting the beauty of God’s creativity, is an integral part of our comprehensive educational program. At CCA, we are working to expand our fine arts programs to help train students to reflect this creativity. The type of development in aesthetic areas will lead our students to more creative thinking, strategizing, appreciating order, and proficiency in higher order thinking. Students who master aesthetics perform better in their studies, perform better on the athletic field, respond with fresh ideas in ministry, and have a creative edge over their peers. At Cornerstone, we seek to produce students who will take the lead in the aesthetic expressions of the next generation and use it for the Kingdom of God. We plan to expand our fine arts program to include art, music, dance, rhetoric, graphic art, drama, and beyond. Students will wield their aesthetic skills as an effective tool for pointing others to the Savior. To accomplish this our students will be trained to define the aesthetic expressions of the next generation, from websites to art galleries, and from writing to witnessing.

    Spiritual/Moral

    All the educational virtue in the world is worthless unless it is solidified with the development of a genuine relationship with God that produces fruit. At CCA, God is preparing next-generation disciples who will act as His instruments to affect the nations for His glory. For this reason, any educational program is incomplete without engaging students in spiritual development and ministry opportunities. However, our students are not taught to seek these opportunities simply because they are available. Our desire is for students to learn to discern the Lord’s voice and respond accordingly. In this way, they learn that their works are empowered by the Spirit, contribute positively to God’s kingdom, and give all the glory to the Creator.
    The spiritual/moral area of our discipleship program is an opportunity for our students to take what they have learned in the classroom and use it to minister to the world. These opportunities include mission projects, community service, character development, chapel/higher ground, and worldview/apologetics training. CCA students learn to serve the Lord on His terms and for His glory.

    Immersion Learning

    At CCA, we understand that unforgettable learning is experiential in nature. Consequently, we are committed to providing the best quality in experiential immersion learning for students at all levels. Our students have many exciting opportunities to make learning concrete, from classroom experience to day trips, from overnight exploration of famous sites to languge immersion in foreign countries. Here is just a sample of the opportunities our students will have this year:
    • Medieval Times (Fall, grade 4)
    • Historical Simulation Conference (Spring, grades 9-12)
    • Adventure Science Camp (grades 4 & 5)
    • CLAW, Critical Thinking, Logic, Apoogetics, and Worldview (Fall, grades 9-12)
    • CLAW Jr. (Fall, grades 7-8)
    • Summer Immersion Spanish – Costa Rica (May-June, grades 9-12)