Cary Christian School
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| Motto | Ad maiorem Dei gloriam |
|---|---|
| Established | 1996 |
| Type | Classical and Christian |
| Students | 708 |
| Grades | K–12 |
| Location | Cary, North Carolina, USA |
| Superintendent | Larry Stephenson |
| Website | www.carychristianschool.org |
Cary Christian School is a private classical Christian school located in Cary, North Carolina.
Contents |
[edit] Vision and mission
"We aim to graduate young men and women who think clearly and listen carefully with discernment and understanding; who reason persuasively and articulate precisely; who are capable of evaluating their entire range of experience in the light of the Scriptures; and who do so with eagerness in joyful submission to God."[1]
The full vision statement of the school is summed up in its mission statement, "Providing an excellent classical education founded upon a Biblical worldview."[2]
[edit] Classical education
Cary Christian School's philosophy of classical education, derived from Dorothy Sayers' essay The Lost Tools of Learning, is based on three learning stages, known as the "trivium," which are suited to a child's natural development. The grammar stage (kindergarten through grade 5), focuses on memorization of raw facts, the logic stage (grades 6 through 8) focuses on critical thinking and succinct reasoning, and the rhetoric stage (grades 9 through 12) focuses on effective and persuasive delivery of arguments, speeches, and dramatic presentations.[3]
[edit] Biblical worldview
Cary Christian School promotes a biblical worldview in two ways: First, education is centered on Scripture. All subjects are taught from a biblical perspective, and students are encouraged to pursue a relationship with Christ. Second, students are taught to evaluate their own beliefs, and the beliefs of those around them, on the basis of both logic and Scripture. [4]
[edit] School history
Cary Christian School officially opened its doors September 05, 1996, with 84 students meeting in two trailers. The school experienced rapid growth, expanding to three temporary campuses and eventually to a building of its own, construction of which was completed in 2004. Cary Christian graduated its first senior class in 2005.
In 2007, the school opened its second building on its current campus, which houses two science labs, a weight room, and a theatre.
[edit] Slavery curriculum controversy
In 2004, the school was criticized in the local press for including the booklet "Southern Slavery, As It Was" on its required reading list for ninth graders studying the Civil War [5]. The booklet, written by Pastor Douglas Wilson of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools and Pastor Steve Wilkins, promoted the view that conscientious Christians could have owned slaves in the antebellum South. It asserted "that slaves weren't treated as badly as people believe," stating that "[s]lavery as it existed in the South was not an adversarial relationship with pervasive racial animosity" and that "[s]lave life was to them a life of plenty, of simple pleasures, of food, clothes, and good medical care."[6]
When the article alerted school officials to documentation errors in the booklet, they immediately pulled it from the curriculum.[7] The publisher had already ceased distributing the title when it had become aware of the errors. Cary Christian says it continues to support its policy of presenting various sides of issues. For instance, students also read Uncle Tom's Cabin, which portrays poor treatment of slaves by white Southerners, as well as Abraham Lincoln's speeches. "As a classical Christian school, we think it's important for our students to be able to think and not be slanted to a particular position," Principal Larry Stephenson says. "We want them to think for themselves."[8]
