The Markham Center renovation is nearly complete. For those who are new to BJA, the Markham Center is the high school “snack shop,” which is used by our students as a place for enjoying food, fellowship, and studying. I hope you all will make a point of stopping by this year to see the transformation.
With great anticipation, we look forward to the start of BJA’s 90th year in just two-and-a-half weeks! We look forward to getting to know our new families and trust that the Lord will unite our hearts together as we partner in the education of your children. Overall, our enrollment total has increased about 55 students, and we give a special welcome to over 150 new BJA students—for whom we praise the Lord!
The Markham Center renovation is nearly complete. For those who are new to BJA, the Markham Center is the high school “snack shop,” which is used by our students as a place for enjoying food, fellowship, and studying. I hope you all will make a point of stopping by this year to see the transformation.
Most important, we look forward to what God has in store for us this year as we seek to know Him better, to look to His Word for direction, and to challenge our students to follow Him faithfully. Please pray that God will teach us in the classrooms, in the hallways, and on the ball fields.
It has been said that the heart of education is the education of the heart. Our goal at Bob Jones Academy is to provide quality academics to prepare our students to be effective servants in their local churches and godly influences in society. Academics alone cannot do that—more importantly, a student needs to yield his heart to the Lord.
Many truths can be drawn from the familiar story of David and Goliath. First, we need to fear the Lord—not our enemies. David did not fear the giant; he feared the Lord. It is so important that we not fear those enemies that Satan brings into our life to destroy us. They are real. Many enemies we can see. Yet we need to trust in the Lord, Whom we cannot see. That is faith.
When David protected his heart and gave it wholly to the Lord, the Lord blessed him and gave him victory. In fact, because of David’s stand, the once cowardly Israelites found courage to pursue the Philistines when they saw what God had done in David’s life. Oh, that we would see many Davids in the lives our students here at Bob Jones Academy!
Since the passing of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act in 1994, public schools have given significant attention to preparing students for the workplace. Certainly, this is an important focus of K-12 education. Learning how to make a living is important, and student success should translate into career success. Parents desire a good education for their children that will enable them to land a good job in a field that they enjoy. But are a good job, a comfortable home, and a happy family the highest aspirations in life? For many, they are—as Christians, however, we must not fall prey to this secular mindset. We must look beyond the temporal things of this world and recognize that we are citizens of the kingdom of God. Our King is sovereign. He will take care of us and has commissioned us with a higher calling.
Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to say, “Jesus never taught men how to make a living; He taught men how to live.” This is the mission of Christian educators—teaching students how to live as Christ-honoring citizens of God’s kingdom while dwelling in this temporal, fallen world. Christ challenged His followers, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:31-33) That is why we integrate the Bible with every subject that is taught at BJA. We want our students to analyze and respond to life’s situations from a biblical worldview—whether it be instruction in the classroom, interaction in the hallways, or reactions on the ballfield. The promises of God give us hope. The principles of the Bible give us direction. The Person Jesus Christ gives us the motivation to love Him and others. Paul puts it this way, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11) Christ showed us how to live—He is the perfect example! Yes, we endeavor to provide top-notch academics that prepare our students to make a living. But we recognize the more important “school-to-service” role to which God has called us—to challenge students to exalt the King and expand His kingdom. Bob Jones Academy exists to assist like-minded Christian parents in challenging students to love Jesus Christ, to embrace God’s truth, to exercise integrity, to pursue excellence, and to serve others.
The Internet is an incredible tool and is teeming with resources, information, and social interaction. With just a few clicks, one can find the answers to almost any curiosity, purchase any item, or connect live with individuals from around the world. The capabilities of such a tool are staggering—and also alarming. More than any other in the past, this generation has access to information in all forms at their fingertips (literally!). With this access comes the risks of exposure to inappropriate material, online predators, cyberbullying, and identity thieves. Even a simple mistype could grant immediate exposure to explicit content. Instead of shunning this tool because of its risks, together we can be proactive in protecting ourselves and our children.
Philippians 4:8 exhorts us to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. This challenge is echoed throughout Scripture and provides a standard for daily living, including our interactions with the world of technology. As we strive to please God in this way, there are practical ways we can put safeguards in place to keep ourselves and our students safe. To start, it is important that we stay well informed about technology and current issues so we can help make the Internet a safe place for students. Knowing how to use the sites, apps, and devices used by students helps us be a resource for them as we understand the capabilities and possible safety risks involved. In addition, talking openly with students about personal safety on the Internet is important. A child’s best online protection is the caring adults in his/her life. It helps to communicate concerns and expectations and to offer accountability. Role playing, such as “what would you do if someone online asked where you live?” provides a great segue into discussions about online activity and helps open the door for future communication should a situation arise. Following are other practical ways to help keep students safe as they access online content: Keep the computer in a high-traffic area of your home.
Today, a BJA first-grader using a small iPad has access to more information than his grandparents could have found in the Library of Congress. What do we do with those mountains of data?
A person who has learned to manage voluminous amounts of information is termed “information literate.” The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) lists specific skills for a person worthy of such designation. Some are mentioned below. In this digital age, however, you may be surprised that attaining such abilities does not require an app or a link to an IT help desk.
Accumulating and managing knowledge will continue to grow in both our personal and our business lives. In fact, there are at least two businesses operating in Greenville that could be classified as knowledge companies. Both are homes to independent marketers, public relations, and technical people who can work on their own projects or partner with those sharing the same office space, information, and knowledge. Such is the workforce environment many BJA grads will enter. The good news is that many concepts associated with information literacy are already infused into daily curriculum. |
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