The Covenant School’s Statement of Principles summarizes the key items that every board member and faculty member must sign prior to being hired. The next Head of School must fully support these principles and be willing to defend them, as they are central to Covenant’s founding purpose.
The basis of The Covenant School is the scripture of the Old and New Testaments, the infallible word of God as interpreted in the historic Christian confessions. It is not an ecclesiastical body, nor is it subject to any ecclesiastical organization. The government of The Covenant School is autonomous. Moreover, this organization is committed to the following basic principles for Christian education.
The Bible ~ God by His Holy Word reveals Himself; renews man’s understanding of God, of man himself, of his fellow man, and the world; directs man in all his relationships and activities; and therefore guides His people also in the education of their children.
Creation ~ That in their education, children must come to learn that the world, and man’s calling in it, can rightly be understood only in their relation to the Triune God who by His creation, restoration, and governance directs all things to the coming of His kingdom and the glorification of His name.
Sin ~ That because man’s sin alienates him from his Creator, his neighbors and the world; distorts his view of the true meaning and purpose of life; and misdirects human culture; man’s sin also corrupts the education of children.
Jesus Christ ~ That through our Savior, Jesus Christ, there is renewal of our educational enterprise because He is the Redeemer of, and the Light and Way for, our human life in all its range and variety. Only through Him and the work of His Holy Spirit are we guided in the truth and recommitted to our original calling.
Schools ~ That the purpose of the Christian school is to complement the home and the church in a combined effort to educate children for a life of obedience to their calling in this world as image-bearers of God; that this calling is to know God’s Word and His creation, to consecrate the whole of human life to God, to love their fellow man, and to be stewards in their God-given cultural task.
Parents ~ That the primary responsibility for this education rests upon parents to whom children are entrusted by God, and that Christian parents should accept this obligation in view of the covenantal relationship which God established with believers and their children. They can seek assistance with this obligation through school associations and school boards which engage the service of Christian teachers in Christian schools.
Teachers ~ That Christian teachers, both in obedience to God and in cooperation with parents, have a unique pedagogical responsibility while educating the child in the school. That teaching is a gift and best revealed in individuals who deem teaching their great love and high calling.
Pupils ~ Christian schools must take into account the variety of abilities, needs, and responsibilities of young people; that the endowments and calling of young people as God’s image-bearers and their defects and inadequacies as sinners require that such learning goals and curricula be selected as will best prepare them to live as obedient Christians; and that only with constant attention to such pedagogical concerns can education be truly Christian.
Community ~ That because God’s covenant embraces not only parents and their children, but also the whole Christian community to which they belong, and because Christian education contributes directly to the advancement of God’s kingdom, it is the obligation not only of parents, but also of the Christian community to establish and maintain Christian schools, to pray for, work for, and give generously to their support.
Educational Freedom ~ That Christian schools, organized and administered in accordance with legitimate standards and provisions for day schools, should be fully recognized in society as free to function according to their principles.