1. A Christ-Centered Education
We believe Christian education begins and ends with Jesus Christ. As the “firstborn over all creation” (Col. 1:15) and the one through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3), we submit to the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life, including the education of our students.

Because all of creation is headed towards a Christ-filled end (Rev. 21-22), we believe every aspect of the education of our students should draw from this vision. If one day the “earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,” (Hab. 2:14), we want to prepare students for this future by leading them into the knowledge of the glory of the Lord in the here and now.

We believe this will help students grow into their God-given destiny—becoming more like Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). It will also prepare them to bring their Christ-centered identity and gifts into whatever area of life and culture God calls them to after their time at Chapelton Christian Preparatory School.

Philosophically, we believe that Christian knowledge and education depends upon the authoritative Word of God Himself, Jesus Christ (John 1:1), and the inspired words of God as revealed in Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16). Jesus and the Scriptures are our highest authority in education. Every administrator, teacher, class, chapel service, and lesson plan are submitted to this authority.

         ✓ We are a discipleship school, not an “outreach” or “mission” school.

Chapelton is raising the next generation of Christian leaders. We are committed to helping students to develop a faith of their own amidst social and cultural pressure.  We develop our students spiritually through relational discipleship as we build relationships, pray for them, and identify next steps.

Partnership Expectations

At Chapelton Christian Preparatory School, our goal is to raise the next generation of Christian leaders. We prepare leaders by staying true to our Founding Principles, our Mission, and our Vision.

Life’s tough decisions are made so much easier when we are led by a guiding philosophy. Decisions are best made by establishing priorities during training – not waiting until pressures are encountered.

Through partnership and remaining true to our founding principles, mission, and vision, we work diligently to enable students the opportunity to discover, develop, and deploy their God-given talents while preparing them for a lifetime of learning, serving, and honoring God. We are determined to keep our priorities in that order.

At Chapelton, we endeavor to provide an atmosphere where the Word of God is preeminent in all we do. Our blueprint to do this is to prepare leaders by teaching theory, practicality, and actuality under five main headings: Spiritual, Physical, Academic, Intellectual/Developmental, Social Leadership, and Purpose-Driven. Students apply knowledge and skills to work individually and collaboratively as they discover their giftings and talents and how best to use them in their next steps.

         ✓ We champion the partnership between the home and the church.

God has ordained only two institutions for the training of children: The Home (Ephesians 6:1-4) and The Church (Matthew 19:14; 28:20; John 21:15). The church and home must cooperate to effectively train your young person. The greatest damage we can do to children is to submit them to divided authority. As the Bible says in Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” – and a Corinthians 1:10, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Our Partnership is defined as a mutually supportive, cooperative, and engaging relationship between parents and our School.

At the same time, Chapelton is not led through democracy.
We recognize that while we may take the lead in educating your child in curricular and co-curricular endeavors, you are primarily responsible for your child’s spiritual education and growth as well as the development of your child’s fundamental character. We are allies and partners; however, you are the parents. We respect and assist your role as parents to prayerfully lead, guide, and direct your family in wisdom. As the junior partner, it must be noted that we have many kids from many homes with multiple systems of upbringing. Without systematic clarity, divided authority can be a source of confusion for students and families. As we work together toward molding children who are both academically and spiritually strong, we ask that you remember and commit to the following partnership requirements and expectations at Chapelton.

All parties in this partnership must commit to Christ-like character in our interactions. We are committed to partnering with you and helping students develop a faith of their own amidst social and cultural pressure. We are committed to a vibrant partnership with parents by providing resources, support, and community to aid the growth and development of your children.

We are a discipleship school which means your support is required in:

1A: Doctrinal Matters

Expect us to teach sound Christian doctrine and advance a Christian worldview throughout our academics and activities. See our Statement of Faith.

We expect you to uphold and advance our “Statement of Faith,” Biblical concepts of discipline, and moral integrity; as well as to faithfully attend New Chapel or another Bible-believing church with your child.  

Any disagreements with minor doctrinal issues should not be vocalized publicly in such a way to create division.

1B: Standards of Behavior

Discipline introduces us to the foundational principle of following Christ: "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24 NLT) The word “discipline” is from the Latin word “disciplina” meaning “instruction and training.” It is derived from the root word “discere” - “to learn.” Simply put, discipline is to study, learn, train, and apply a system of standards.

We will not permit students to violate standards of behavior with impunity.

We will monitor behavior and actions of students and enforce appropriate standards of behavior through non-punitive and punitive actions if necessary.

We ask you to monitor your child’s behavior and assist in enforcing standards of behavior consistent with the Chapelton Honor Agreement, as the primary deliverers of punitive actions for repeated poor choices.

1C: Relational Questions, Conflict, and Differences

Appropriate and timely communication is king! We agree to conduct dealings with all in a civil, Christ-like manner. As partners, we agree to deal directly with each other on all Chapelton-related matters.

Please do not seek answers, air frustrations, question policy, action, or protocol on Chapelton related matters on social media. Do not “vent” strife, gossip, to others publicly or online in a way that creates division. Such behavior erodes trust and destroys relationships.

In the spirit of Matthew 18, any concerns or criticisms are to be dealt with by involving the appropriate parties directly. This could be school-to-parent, parent-to-school, or parent-to-parent. We will discuss concerns regarding your child with you—not other parents.

1D: Financial Integrity

• We will operate with fiscal integrity and return value for investment. We expect you to stay current on tuition payments and communicate honestly with the office regarding the status of payments. You will not be required to participate in fundraising activities or to assume any financial burden relating to the school other than tuition and appropriate activity fees.

_______________________________________________________________________

2. We partner with like-minded parents.
We are not a school for everyone! We are committed to an engaged and collaborative partnership with parents by providing them with resources, support, and community to aid the growth and development of their children.

We Foster Committed Partnership
We believe the education and formation of students at Chapelton happens best as a partnership between the school, New Chapel, and the family of the student. This partnership is not accidental nor is it an obstacle to the education of the students. We believe each partner serves a unique purpose. We believe Chapelton Christian Preparatory School and New Chapel are two distinct partners with overlapping responsibilities. The school is not pastoral in purpose but requires pastoral gifts and input. The school’s primary role is education and character development. The church provides oversight, vision, content, and training for biblical education, spiritual formation, and pastoral guidance for both parent and student.

         ✓ All concerned parties must do their part in pursuit of academic excellence.

• Combinations of classical, experiential, and project-based methods are experienced daily. Content acquisition in conjunction with critical thinking processes are emphasized. Students are encouraged to think creatively and critically, become problem solvers, and performers. We work diligently to enable students in the discovery and development of their God-given talents and to prepare them for a lifetime of learning, serving, and honoring God.

• At Chapelton, pursuing academic excellence is combined with the development of intellectual capacities and skills. We invest in the gifts and talents of our students. We help them find opportunities to discover, develop, and deploy those gifts and talents in: our school, church, the Church at large, and the world.
• Chapelton will provide academically rigorous, challenging courses, and programs. Homework may be part of that (not unreasonable amounts but enough to support the content taught). We expect you to monitor your child’s academic performance, assist them as needed.
• A commitment to Christ-like character speaks directly to Academic Integrity. Like you, we aspire to teach kids to do what is right even when it is hard. This includes all forms of academic honesty in the educational setting.

_______________________________________________________________________

3. Discipleship is the goal.

Spiritual Formation Goals
The spiritual formation goals at Chapelton are focused on our mission of raising the next generation of Christian leaders with Godly Character and Academic Excellence. We say it this way: We are for students to connect with God and to be raised to new life in Christ.

Godly Character:
The Apostle Paul wrote that if we Christians possess all knowledge but fail to love, we are nothing (1 Cor. 13:2). The end goal of education, then, is to be formed into the kind of person that not only knows well but loves well; That is: Has faith and a demonstration of that faith. We want every student to live a life worthy of their calling (Eph. 4:1) and exude The Fruit of the Spirit over the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:13-26). We believe this fruit is the ultimate proof that Christian education has taken place.

Academic Excellence:
All truth is God’s truth. No matter the subject, we believe it is the responsibility of the teacher and the student to take academics seriously. Regarding the Bible, we want students at Chapelton to leave with “Biblical imaginations,” steeped in the Story of Scripture and able to discern the alternative stories in our culture.

         ✓ Discipline matters in discipleship.
                  We finish what we start! We don't bail when the going gets tough.

_______________________________________________________________________

4. The Body of Christ is all about team
The part we play on a team is greater than the part we can play individually. We’ve heard, “there’s no I in TEAM…” – That is: We need each other! By being on a team, we discover what it means to serve. "God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another…" (1 Peter 4:10 NLT). Shared experience and teamwork create a lasting brotherhood. 

Extracurricular Activities: We believe activity outside of the classroom will provide students the opportunity to learn some of the most important values of the Christian life: Service, self-denial, and working as part of a team. Involvement in activities like athletics, the arts, Trail Life (and the like), or serving on a church team needs to be priority as we develop “whole students.”

         ✓ Students should have a co-curricular pursuit.

It is important for students to experience age-appropriate, competitive, and performance-based opportunities.

• By participating in co-curriculars, serving at church, and/or being on a team, students discover what it means to be a servant. "God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." (1 Peter 4:10)  

✓ The Body of Christ is a team.
         Shared experiences create lasting bonds.

SO: We finish what we start: We do not quit.
That is: We finish the commitments we make to the end. We expect parents to ensure students attend required meetings, practices and/or events. We expect parents to ensure students comply with rules of their activities with honor, dignity, and class.