Parental Involvement -- Parental involvement is a central value in the Westminster philosophy. Westminster is fundamentally different from a traditional "school" in that the ultimate responsibility for a child’s education lies in the hands of involved parents. This concept is referred to as "parent-managed education," and is viewed as an extension of home-education. Parents manage their student’s education by overseeing course work, communicating with teachers, and participating in course-related activities and home assignments.
Strengthen the Family – Westminster is an educational option designed from the inception to strengthen the nuclear family. Contemporary western culture can often tear down the family unit through minimizing and even denigrating its importance. The contemporary educational model in many cases promotes excessive busyness that pulls families apart. Westminster limits class time to 2 to 3 days per week to minimize student’s time away from home, allowing greater parental influence without sacrificing educational quality. It also serves to build self-discipline in students as they learn to manage their time in completing their studies. This parent-managed model is designed to ensure parental involvement in the educational process through the high school years. By emphasizing the integration of education and family life, Westminster’s approach serves to break down age and generation barriers, teaching students to show love and respect to others regardless of age.
Discipleship -- Westminster Academy has assumed a discipleship role with regard to its purpose and ministry. A primary goal of the Academy will be to serve students from Christian families who agree with our statement of faith and who are actively raising their children to become believers.
Academic Excellence – Westminster Academy is committed to academic quality and excellence in all of our offerings and activities. We believe the Lordship of Jesus Christ imposes upon us the obligation to seek and work for excellence in every activity, and therefore will not be satisfied with mediocre teaching or mediocre work.
Christian World View -- Westminster Academy will teach all academic classes from a Christian worldview. All subjects in all academic institutions are taught from some worldview -- humanism, materialism, etc. The foundation of our knowledge is our faith in Jesus Christ, and all events in the sciences, arts, and humanities must be interpreted in light of this understanding.
Character Development -- Because developing a Godly character is vital to the Christian life, Westminster will nurture an environment where Christian love, respect, and behavior is universally expected. To this end, the Academy will clearly define behavioral expectations for students, teachers, and staff, and will readily set consequences for behaviors that conflict with our high standards.
