School Philosophy

DIVISION A DOCUMENTS

Section 4 Position Statements

4.1 School Philosophy

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY IN JAPAN SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY

Foundation of education

We believe all things have been created to glorify the Triune God. Thus, the foundation of education is the Creator-creature relationship. Absolute truth exists because Almighty God, the source of all truth, exists. We can know truth because we have been created in God's image, and because God addresses us through His creation and His special revelation of truth, the Bible. Because our ability to discern all truth is affected by our rebellion against God, our deepest need is to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives, responding in love and obedience to Him, and applying God's truth to every sphere of life.

Vision

Our vision for education is to equip students for a life of loving, obedient response to God, and of care for and restoration of His creation. Through education, students are equipped to discover God's grace and truth, to embrace their identity as human beings created in His image and for His glory, and to develop their God-given potential. To this end, we aspire to be a school where, in reliance upon the Holy Spirit:

1. Parents assume the primary responsibility for their children's education, with CAJ assisting them in providing Christian education. CAJ exists to educate children of evangelical missionary parents, and also welcomes other families desiring their children to have a Christian education.

2. Students are valued as persons created in God's image; are responsible for their learning; and can influence it by diligence, prayer for wisdom, and the application of God's Word to their lives. We recognize and value student diversity seen in ways of learning, abilities, and cultural backgrounds and identities. We believe that students mature spiritually, intellectually, aesthetically, physically, emotionally, and socially.

a. Spiritual maturity includes accepting salvation through Christ alone, loving God and neighbor, and sharing the Gospel in word and action.

b. Intellectual and aesthetic maturity includes breadth of knowledge and understanding; thinking clearly, logically, creatively and from a Christian perspective about all subject matter, life, and experience; and appreciating beauty.

c. Physical maturity includes the development of physical abilities and health potential, in recognition that the Christian's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

d. Emotional and social maturity includes the ability to meet life's situations as a responsible Christian; to act with poise, initiative, decisiveness, and self-reliance; to relate to others with love, care, and forgiveness; and to value one's own and others’ cultural identities. (SY 15-16:55)

3. Teachers model a Christ-like lifestyle; teach all subjects from a biblical perspective; implement CAJ's school philosophy in order to inform, motivate, direct, encourage, and discipline students; and avail themselves of resources and training opportunities for ongoing professional growth.

4. Learning occurs as students are equipped with knowledge, skills, and attitudes, so they can love and serve God and others. Students learn best within a nurturing environment which fosters an enduring joy in learning and the desire to honor Christ through learning; and where teachers pray for students and use biblical principles and sound, current educational research and practice to determine what students learn, how they are taught, and how they show what they know.

5. Program fosters the development and application of a biblical worldview to all of life by grounding students in biblical practices and values; training them to use biblical discernment as we expose them to selected non-Christian worldviews and ideas; and encouraging them to apply God's truth in daily life.

Our program is communicated in the English language and is based upon an American approach which uses US educational standards, course sequences and options (college preparatory and career), instructional materials, standardized tests, educational research, and cocurricular activities.

Date of adoption: 1971

Revised: 11/75; 1/82; 3/18/86; 2/16/88; 3/20/90; 6/8/93; 5/6/97; 6/11/02; 4/19/ and 6/14/05; 9/24/13

School Philosophy, Japanese (English is official version)

Procedure for revising School Philosophy Statement:

In addition to the annual review of ends policies called for in Division B 4.3, triennially, to coincide with the full WASC self-evaluation and mid-term WASC review, the board shall establish a committee of board members, faculty, and administration to review and evaluate the school’s philosophy and its implementation. It is to be chaired by the board chair.

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