Guiding Principles

MISSION & VISION
Saint Augustine school exists to cultivate excellence, wisdom, and joy by assisting parents in the education of their children, so that they may grow into a thorough understanding of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty. We aim to accomplish this mission through a classical Christian curriculum within a collaborative model of education. This collaborative model means that we have fewer on-campus hours than traditional model schools. We believe this approach helps strengthen families and increase student independence, while preserving the academic structure and professional instruction found in a traditional school environment. The classical and Christian approach to education is designed to cultivate wisdom and endow the student with the tools for lifelong joyful learning.

ASSOCIATIONS
Saint Augustine is not associated with any particular Christian congregation or denomination. As a registered non-profit school, Saint Augustine is independently governed by men and women who attend various local churches. We seek to promote unity among Christians and so will emphasize those beliefs that unite all Christians. Saint Augustine is accredited by the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) and Cognia (formerly AdvancED We are members of the Association of Classical, Christian Schools (ACCS) and of the Society of Classical
Learning (SCL).

COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION
At Saint Augustine we affirm that parents play a vital role in the education of their children. Parents are the most influential factor in a child’s academic success, as well as their social and spiritual growth. Therefore, Saint Augustine seeks to assist parents in raising theirchildren in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. By providing time, flexibility, academic expertise, and a school setting which supports the values of the Christian family, Saint Augustine hopes to serve as a partner with parents in their God-given responsibility to raise children to His glory.

CLASSICAL & CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Saint Augustine employs classical education as the means to gaining a fuller understanding of God’s world and promoting excellence in education. Classical education emphasizes that all truth is unified. A Christian, classical education finds that unity in the Triune God who is Truth itself. A classically educated student is trained to love truth, goodness, and beauty in God’s world and to express this love in a way that persuades others to do the same.

Classical education has as its goal a person who is equipped with the tools for learning. This education serves the child well as he pursues learning in any field throughout his life. Classical education is not aimed toward vocational training, but it will serve as a foundation to any future vocation. A liberal-arts education is the foundation of the classical approach, and it includes instruction in grammar, logic, rhetoric, math, arts, and sciences. Classical education was the education that all of our past great leaders received, and it shaped many of our country’s founders, the apologists of the Christian faith, classic authors, and great scientists.

Saint Augustine acknowledges that no education is neutral. An education does not simply transmit facts, but, rather, it cultivates virtues and orders loves. Because the only proper view of the world is one that acknowledges Jesus Christ as Lord, Saint Augustine makes this the foundation of all its teaching. The student is taught to see God in all subjects. The beauty of God’s design can be seen in mathematics, science, literature, and art. The student who is taught to embrace this perspective will find new understanding and delight in all subjects. Because young people are formed primarily through example, Saint Augustine hires faculty who embrace a thoroughly Christian life .

EXCELLENCE, WISDOM, AND JOY
We know that wisdom begins not in man-made endeavors but in the fear of the Lord. We want to see our students work for mastery, taking their work seriously, and glorifying God with all their minds. And we want to train in our children to rejoice in the Lord always, so that while they take their work seriously, they never take themselves seriously. To encourage growth in wisdom, we endeavor to submit all that we do to the lordship of Jesus Christ by covering our school and community with prayer and affirming the authority of Scripture for all of faith and practice.
To cultivate excellence, we maintain high academic standards, and we point our students to the reality that while all are not called to the same level of excellence in all areas, we are all called to intellectual discipline and diligence. To cultivate joy, we embrace the natural delight and wonder given to children by their Creator, encouraging singing, laughing, and resting within a slower-paced model.

ADMITTING AND EQUIPPING FAMILIES
The student body of Saint Augustine is selected by a thorough application process. With high academic standards and a distinctly Christian environment, Saint Augustine asks parents to consider joining only after careful consideration and much prayer. A collaborative model of schooling requires a high level of parental involvement in the younger years and intentional discipleship as the child grows into his or her teen years. Saint Augustine seeks to equip parents through co-teacher training, weekly assignment sheets, and periodic forums designed to assist families. We strive to cultivate independence in our students as they grow, so that they may be thoroughly equipped to take ownership of their own education.

STUDENT CONDUCT
Saint Augustine School’s goal is to promote a Christian learning environment and to encourage the development of positive Christian relationships among its students. Christian virtues such as respect for God and others, love, obedience, and service are emphasized. Discipline concerns are brought to the parents’ attention, and principles of Christian communication are maintained.

DRESS CODE
Saint Augustine’s uniform dress code is designed to create an atmosphere conducive to learning and respect for God and others. The uniform helps to ensure professionalism and propriety, while creating a sense of unity among the students.

DIVERSITY AND NONDISCRIMINATION
Saint Augustine School admits and welcomes students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Saint Augustine does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, staff hiring and advancement, admission policies, scholarship or loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

At Saint Augustine, we firmly uphold that our God creates and redeems people of all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. All humans bear the image of God, equal in worth and dignity, and all Christians are unified to Christ, making them equal in status and position. We want to think God’s thoughts after Him, and so we seek to create an environment that welcomes all who desire to join the Saint Augustine community as we strive to accomplish our mission. We are praying that the Lord will continue to mold Saint Augustine into what He would have it to be, including growing in our school community diversity in many areas.