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Our History
In the spring of 1999, a group of teachers began meeting and praying about opening a classical Christian school in Sierra Vista. Soon Calvary Chapel and Grace Church joined in this mission and became sponsoring churches. As we searched for a facility we were welcomed by the staff and congregation of Sierra Vista Baptist Church and were able to open our doors in August of 2000.
As we sought guidance from those more experienced in starting a new Christian school, we were told to start small, Kindergarten through Third Grade. However, it is our understanding that we are to instruct our children within the parameters of a Christian worldview from beginning to end. Therefore we jumped right in with a full Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade program. In August 2000, having furnished our rooms with used furniture and equipment from a closing school, we welcomed our first students and staff members. And so our incredible journey began.
That first year flew by as we diligently applied what we were learning as classical teachers amidst the usual activities of school, i.e. spelling bees, sports competitions, programs, etc. At the completion of our first year, we marveled at God's goodness to us as we clearly saw the wisdom in the advice to start small and yet were incredibly blessed by God’s sustaining love and power. We all were very tired but all the more convinced of the importance of this ministry. We were a group of committed Christians from all walks of life, homemakers, teachers, missionary, florist, military, seeking to teach using the classical method, yet none of us had been taught classically. It was and still is a daunting task, and yet it has become an opportunity to show forth the truth of 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31:
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.
By the spring of 2008 we will have completed our eighth year and graduated twenty-seven students. Of the seventeen graduates with all four years of high school at Veritas, there is one National Merit Finalist (top 1% in the nation), two National Merit Commended students (top 5% in the nation), and one United States Military Academy at WestPoint appointee. Although our primary goal is to equip Christian youth to be effective ambassadors of the Lord, the Lord has seen fit to add academic excellence to the blessings he has bestowed upon us.
It is tempting to measure success by these things, the things one can see, however, we measure our success by the intangible, the things not easily seen or understood. Simply put, our success lies in this: we have remained steadfast in our vision to train up Christian children who are able to navigate through life maintaining a Christian worldview. The times in which our students our growing up are more difficult in many ways than in the youth of their parents and grandparents, more difficult especially in the realms of morality and spirituality as humanistic worldviews continue to infiltrate even Christian institutions. Our primary goal is simply this, that when they are faced with temptations and persecution our students will be found standing firm in their faith with the desire and ability to bring as many into the kingdom of God as possible.
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