WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL IS CROSSPOINTE?
by Jeff Kreh

"Are you happy to be out of school?" The cashier asked my eight year old son. A few minutes later she thanked me for a business card and he went skipping off to the car. It's Friday morning in Searcy and we're together again. What a sweet refrain!

Earlier this year we enjoyed a taste of what it is like to have a CrossPointe schedule. School let out early on Thursday and did not start back up until Tuesday morning. We stayed up late playing games and watching The Andy Griffith Show on DVD. Popcorn. Tickle fights. Narnia. Sleeping in. Another tickle fight. We had breakfast without the rush, sang songs together, read stories, played in the yard and were a family again. It was wonderful.

Getting back in the groove on Tuesday was pretty easy. But Wednesday morning my son got a little emotional. "Why can't I go to a school that just meets a couple days a week?" He wishfully complained on the drive to school.

Next year he gets to go to CrossPointe. Our typical family week will start off like most other people in White County with church on Sunday. Monday is a day to make sure Tuesday's homework is finished. Of course, as my son gains in self-discipline and finishes his work early, Monday becomes a day for play and discovery so that childhood stretches out beyond the summer break.

Tuesday morning, at either 8:15 or 8:45, I'll drop him off at school. On July 9th we'll settle his schedule for the 2009-2010 school year. If we, as a family, want to start at 8:15 with an elective like PE, then we can. If we want to wait until the afternoon for his elective like Jenny Henderson's music class or chorus, then we can. And if we want to start late and finish early by scheduling his elective for Fridays, then we can. This type of choice and control is just another really cool aspect of CrossPointe's commitment to being a parent-driven school where the school revolves around the family instead of the family revolving around the school.

During the school day a professional teacher delivers all the new concepts to my son and his class. This is not a trendy "teach to test" curriculum. Rather, the goal is for my son to reach his fullest potential through a "modified-classical" curriculum. So, the lessons focus on increasing his comprehension of subject matter. This is clearly seen in choices like Singapore Math and Excellence in Writing. And excellent teachers, like Diane Anderson, Katie Lawson, and others, are definitely up to the task. On Tuesday afternoon we may get together with a school, church, or neighborhood family for play time and dinner, since school doesn't meet on Wednesday. If my son wants to spend Wednesday playfully, then I'll help him manage his time so homework is completed before Thursday. Otherwise, part of Wednesday is for completing homework and then playing. In areas where he needs extra attention, his mom and I find ways to individualize, reinforce, and supplement his learning.

Thursday looks a lot like Tuesday. However, if my son has all his electives on Tuesday and Thursday, we are free to enjoy a long weekend all semester long. A couple of families are already planning a St. Louis weekend. We'll caravan after school on Thursday and spend our typical Friday to Monday "weekend" enjoying the zoo, taking in a Cardinals game, exploring The Magic House, relaxing at Grant's Farm, and even sightseeing from atop The Arch. Another similar trip is planned for Branson, because the lines at Silver Dollar City are a lot shorter when all the other kids are in school. The Christian worldview of the other CrossPointe parents and the staff really impresses me. God is invited into every subject and teachers are free to use the Bible to supplement learning. Apologia Science might talk about Noah's Ark and how those biblical dimensions are still used in ocean-going vessels today or compare how Moses couldn't look at God's face and the danger of looking at the glory of our Sun with the naked eye. The Mystery of History curriculum places biblical and religious events alongside their secular counterparts to provide learners a more complete picture of the world. Academically, everything is presented from a Christian viewpoint as teachers strive to show how the topic reveals the character and nature of God, his creation, and his purposes. I've gotta believe that is a good thing.

But if my son has a question about salvation, the school is committed to a "Denominationally-Unbiased" position. This means CrossPointe honors my God-given role as the primary spiritual leader of my household. We expect the school to uphold and even reinforce our Christian family values. However, any questions of doctrine or faith are left unanswered at school. Instead, the teachers and staff at CrossPointe have promised to encourage my son to have those conversations at home, within the context of God's created order of spiritual authority. A note sent home about whatever it was that was asked helps his mom and I fulfill our spiritual responsibility.

So, what kind of school is CrossPointe Preparatory? We're attracting family-oriented families. And when parents catch the vision of how CrossPointe gives back time for building family, and what that extra time can mean to the spiritual, emotional, social, and academic development of their child, the response is overwhelmingly positive. How much extra time? Throughout twelve years of schooling, my son will enjoy about 7,600 more hours with his mom and me as a CrossPointe graduate than his traditional public/private school counterparts. I hope and pray every parent in White County believes extra time together as a family will be good for their child.

It's Friday morning in Searcy and we're together again. That is a refrain I am expecting to sing all through his pre-university academic career. I hope many other parents will join the chorus and share in the wonderful blessings that are distinctly available for CrossPointe Preparatory families.

CrossPointe Preparatory is scheduled to launch this August.

Contact Administrator Tammy Dawson at tdawson[at]CrossPointePrep[dot]org or visit CrossPointePrep.org and www.NAUMS.net for more information about University-Model Schooling.

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