Curriculum based on biblical world view
By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Education Writer
At the Christian Academy, God is not only in the classroom but also on the lesson plan.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
The private school, part of the First Assembly of God, a Pentecostal church, takes a biblical world view as the foundation of its academic curriculum.
Siohban Mindoro-Kosasa, far left, and Jessica Baughman twirl the jump rope for Christian Academy classmates Amber Acedo, Kayla Aiello and Tammy Kim. The Moanalua Road campus now includes a high school.
"If you have the belief that God exists and that he created everything," said Kenton Werk, the school's superintendent, "then he created reading, math and science, too."
The "principle approach," modeled after a curriculum developed by the StoneBridge School in Chesapeake, Va., stresses the four R's — research, reason, relate and record. It takes lessons from the Bible, applies the lessons to other facets of life, and expects students to write down the results.
So, for example, a math lesson on how numbers are infinite might start with a discussion of how God's powers — if you're a believer — are infinite.
Werk said the school has been using the approach for only a few years, about the time it added a high school to its preschool and elementary school, but he believes it prepares students in a better way by teaching them how to apply concepts rather than simply memorizing facts.
"We find that public education, and even some other Christian schools, have failed students," Werk said. "They can recite the information but they can't always formulate thoughts and apply them to principles."
• WHERE: 3400 Moanalua Road • PHONE: 836-0233 • SUPERINTENDENT: Kenton Werk, nine months • SCHOOL NICKNAME: Patriots • SCHOOL COLORS: Blue and white • HISTORY: Part of the First Assembly of God, a Pentecostal church • COMPUTERS: 32 computers for student use • ENROLLMENT: 265 students, with capacity for 300
As a private school, Christian Academy is selective, so it does not have the challenge of educating many low-income students or those just learning English or those with special needs. Potential students typically have to show they can perform at grade level and are not disciplinary problems.
School is part of Pentecostal church
About 75 percent of the students attend church at First Assembly. The school is small, with 265 students, but hopes to grow.
"We teach basic Christian values," Werk said.
• What are you most proud of? His students. The high school graduated five students last year, Werk said, and all received some type of scholarship, including one who went on to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
"We believe they are created in the image of God," he said. "We want to value them as individuals, but we also believe God has a destiny for them."
• Best-kept secret: The high school, which is still relatively new.
• Everybody at our school knows: Annette Akutagawa, the school's secretary. "She loves the kids," Werk said.
• Our biggest challenge: Money. Werk said the school tries to keep tuition competitive, so he cannot always pay teachers and staff what he would like. "It's a real calling and a passion that they have," he said.
• What we need: Athletic facilities. Students are bused to nearby gyms and fields. The academy is building a new basketball court and would like to have a gym.
• Special events: Open house in September, when visitors can view student projects.
Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
