The new school year began this week and we’ve had many new parents and guests in the building. Between Meet the Teacher night, first day drop off, vendors bringing in supplies, and a variety of other occasions, our building has been full of people with new perspectives.
There is a theme that we hear over and over from people who are not accustomed to being in our building our around our students. The message is this: there is something different about Walnut Grove Christian School.
This might seem obvious. We’re not oblivious to the fact that every private and Christian school has elements that make them unique from other schools. But we believe we can identify some of “special” that our guests and newcomers refer to when they mention it about our school.
Soft Skills
For some, they’re noticing our students possess soft skills. Our students are face up when interacting with other people, especially adults.. They aren’t buried in a device nor are they typically bashful and short-answered. It should come as no surprise, because we are intentional about facilitating these attributes.
For example, when students arrive at school they’re required to place their cell phones in a lock box for the day. We require students to make eye contact with their teachers when speaking in class and with other adults throughout the building. We even encourage them to look up from whatever they are doing when a photographer stops by.
We are intentional about celebrating connections that students make with one another, and with adults. In fact, Celebrating Connections is our 25th Anniversary theme. In a world where colleges and employers are lamenting about the lack of soft skills of students graduating from high school, we’re intentionally striving to buck the trend and produce more-than-capable citizens.
Prayer Saturated
Another aspect that often surprises guests and newcomers is how much of what we do is saturated with prayer. From the teacher meetings prior to the start of school, to the first day of school meetings to review the handbook with students — and at the beginning of class on a daily basis, we seek the presence of the Lord first and foremost. It’s not uncommon for a teacher to stop in the middle of class and pray for a situation or a request that arises. We believe in the power of prayer and our commitment to it makes a difference in the daily life of the school.
Connections & Friendships
Another attention grabber for guests is the genuine friendship connections that are visible among students, faculty, and staff. People around here like each other. Sure, we have our moments — but it’s not like at other places. We seek resolution to conflict and to build one another up. Relationships aren’t something we allow to happen haphazardly, but rather something we work on. In fact, it’s one of our Four Pillars (Academics, Faith, Relationships, & Schedule).
We are certainly biased — we believe The Grove is a very special place. But it’s not just us…we hear about our uniqueness all the time from people outside our ordinary sphere. Our goal is that we wouldn’t take it for granted. And we’re grateful to you, our families, friends, and supporters, for all you do to help make WGCS a place where people notice the difference.