Ethos
If you come to visit Pinnacle Classical Academy you may experience a class or two. You may get answers to your questions about the curriculum. You may have a conversation with one of our wonderful instructors. You will undoubtedly meet with our venerable and dapper headmaster Dr. Collins. You might even leave thinking that it is not very different from other Christian schools.
It is true that curriculum is incredibly important and that it is the main source of instruction, but there is something that is more important, more substantive, and more transcendental than the curriculum of the school. It is the characteristic that all other things must flow into and out of; it is the ethos of the school. There are several key factors that contribute to the ethos of Pinnacle. We desire high academic achievement, the development of character and virtue in our students’ souls, and the formation of students’ worldviews through an understanding of their place in God’s plan for their lives. To achieve these crucial goals, we must foster an educational experience that supports them. We must develop a community of faith and learning.
Taken from Littlejohn and Evan’s Wisdom and Eloquence, you can think of the curriculum like the skeleton of the school. It provides a framework or a structure, but a skeleton cannot move itself. To be a living, breathing organism, it needs skin, muscles, heart, brain and other organs. These “organs” make up our ethos. The rhythms, movements, events, and gatherings are where a school becomes a community.
You may already see the quandary that many Christian schools deal with, namely, how not to be a church, a family, or even a business. There will be another blog post specifically dedicated to that question very soon. For now, the question is how does the board, administration, and staff work hand in hand to create an ethos that reflects our goals? What must happen for the school to develop into the community of faith and learning we desire it to be? It must start from its foundation. While we are not a church, we base our understanding of institutional culture on the very commandments Christ gives: love God and love neighbor. So, we must take them very seriously. We must build, critique, correct, and grow as a body of believers who display charity, joy, and servant leadership. We must remind ourselves of the vision and mission of the school often and constantly check to see if our habits align with that mission and vision. Ethos begins with us.
Ethos is also an invitation. It is our desire to show the world the good culture we have developed and invite others to join us. All families have something to offer. Whether volunteering at Greekfest, helping with an art class, or even coming to speak to upper school students about a parent’s vocation, parents are a major asset to the ethos of the school. On the reverse side of the coin, if parents partner with us because of a secondary aspect alone (small class size, low tuition cost etc.) the exact opposite effect will occur. Our ethos suffers from a lack of unity in goal and vision. That said, one of the greatest joys of the school is when parents are excited about being involved in their children’s education and desire to invest into the ethos of the school.
Lastly, our ethos is driven by the students who respond to this culture with joy. Everyone remembers the difficulties of childhood and adolescence. So, it’s no surprise that a virtue-forming school will lead to moments of gospel-centered discipline. Our ethos requires that we make ourselves nothing and make Christ everything. It is indeed a great challenge, and we teachers are sympathetic. We must remind students of the ‘good life’ and that it is worth dying to themselves and striving to live for Christ. We must help them see their place in the ethos of the community of faith and learning.
Jake Hilburn
Upper School Teacher
