Growing up in Southern Maryland has left me with many pleasant memories.
I will always remember Sister Mary Gustave, my second grade teacher at
St. Mary's School in Bryantown who gave me a love for poetry and a
strong foundation in my faith. I will also never forget the navy jumper,
white blouse, and navy beanie hat with SMS written across the front that
I wore everyday to school. St. Mary's School along with many other
schools in the region continue today to offer a Christian based
education to the children of Southern Maryland.
There are many different schools in the three county area that are
grounded in Christian faith. These schools use Jesus as the model of a
"master teacher." In reading their mission statements, all of the
schools focus on education of the whole child by developing the
intellectual, social, physical, moral, and spiritual aspects of life.
Pastor Ron Harris of Waldorf Christian Academy describes his school, "We
provide a positive Christian environment that helps students develop
character, values, self esteem, and greatly enhances the overall
learning experience." Father Paul S. Tipton of St. Mary's Ryken High
School expresses similar qualities in his school, "We have a culture and
mission focused on personal attention to each student where we work to
build a strong code of ethics and sense of value. Our students are given
a deep respect for their faith and a sense of responsible civil
behavior." The collaborative nature of Christian education is seen in
the King's Christian Academy's (Callaway) mission statement "to exist to
help parents and churches educate their children in truth and
righteousness with academic excellence based on the biblical worldview
for Christian character development."
At the core of each of these schools is a curriculum that is embedded
with Christianity. The National Christian School Association states,
"Christian education is much more than just a Bible class added to the
state's curriculum or daily devotional services added to an otherwise
secular environment. Christian education is about the intersection of
faith with every part of the curriculum and each activity that the
school sponsors." Each school gets its curriculum materials in a
different way. Waldorf Christian Academy (WCA) and Southern Maryland
Christian Academy use materials primarily from the Bob Jones University
and from A Beka, a producer of character building Christian textbooks.
Ryken High School staff members develop their own curriculum using a
variety of resources. Although the schools use some secular materials,
the resources are reviewed to ensure they fit in with the Christian
philosophy of the school.
From an academic perspective the Christian schools boast excellent
academic success. Each follows the Maryland State Board of Education's
requirements for every grade level. Pastor Harris states, "Our
curriculum meets or exceeds standards of the public school curriculum
and includes a strong Christian perspective and worldview." He reports
that seventy percent of the students who have been enrolled in the WCA
program for three years or longer scored in the top one third or higher
of students nationally on the SAT in math and reading last year. Our
Lady Star of the Sea School in Solomons has a K-8 program that enables
over 50% of its students to maintain honor role status when attending
one of the high schools in Calvert County. On the secondary level, Ryken
High School has a rigorous, college preparatory program which is
accredited by several associations. In fact, the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) released its latest annual report on U.S.
education in June of 2004 and revealed that private school students
score above average in reading, writing, and math. The report also
concludes that private school sophomores have higher-than-average
postsecondary expectations for themselves.
Children attending Christian schools are also given the opportunity to
participate in many extracurricular activities and community service
projects. Ryken High School, located on a 105 acre waterfront campus,
offers programs in sailing, lacrosse, field hockey and other traditional
sports. It has a total of 24 girls' and boys' sports programs. The
Christian schools have programs such as math league, science fairs,
spelling bees, mock trial, and musical and drama productions. Our Lady
Star of the Sea involves its students in community outreach programs
such as SMILE, Project Echo, and St. Jude Children's Hospital.
Activities at area Christian schools are designed to meet the varied
interests of the students and to foster strong belief in family and
community involvement.
With a nation that is putting moral values in the news, this is an
exciting time for Christian schools. According to the June 2004 NCES
report, Christian schools have experienced steady growth nationwide
between 1993 and 2003. This growth can be seen at King's Christian
Academy which just opened the doors to their new campus for the first
time this past August. The campus houses grades K - 12 and includes
classrooms, art and music areas, science and computer labs, and is
continuing its construction with more facilities such as a gym, a stage
for theatre, and athletic fields. This example of improvement and
continuous growth is important in our area. It gives parents an
alternative route for educating their children. Christian schools will
continue to help shape the landscape of education in Southern Maryland.
I started my education at St. Mary's School in Bryantown, and I loved
the atmosphere and the religious core it helped to provide. I eventually
graduated from Thomas Stone, a public high school in Waldorf, which I
also loved. Growing up in Southern Maryland afforded me a strong
education from both academic and spiritual directions. I had an
excellent elementary and secondary education and consider myself quite
fortunate to be able to benefit from the diversity of types of education
available in Southern Maryland.
Tami Fitzgerald is a high school physics teacher at West Muskingum High
School in Zanesville, Ohio. She also teaches education courses for the
Masters program at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. Most
importantly she is Southern Maryland born and raised.
Charles County Archbishop Neale School
La Plata, K-8, Catholic, 301-934-9595 Clinton Christian School
Waldorf, 301-843-7942 Grace Bretheran Christian School
Waldorf, K-12, 301-645-0406 Grace Lutheran School
La Plata, 301-932-0963 Potomac Heights Christian Academy
Indian Head, K-8, 301-753-9350 St. Mary's School
Bryantown, K-8, Catholic, 301-274-0183 St. Mary's Star of the Sea
Indian Head, K-8, Catholic, 301-283-6151 St. Peter's School
Waldorf, K-8, Catholic, 301-843-1955 Southern Maryland Christian
Academy
White Plains, K-12, 301-934-2855 Waldorf Christian Academy
K-8, Nondenominational, 301-843-3887
St. Mary's County Father Andrew White, S.J. School
Leonardtown, 301-475-9795 Holy Angels Sacred School
Avenue, 302-769-4948 King's Christian Academy
Callaway, K-12, Nondenominational, 301-994-3080 Lexington Park
Christian School
Lexington Park, 301-862-4355 Little Flower Elementary School
Great Mills, Catholic, 301-994-0404 Mother Catherine Spalding School
Helen, K-8, Catholic, 301-884-3165 St. John's School
Hollywood, 301-373-2142 St. Mary's Ryken High School
9-12, Catholic, 301-475-2814 St. Michael's Catholic School
Ridge, 301-872-5454 Sacred Heart School
Avenue, 301-769-3389
Calvert County Cardinal Hickey Academy
Owings, K-8, Catholic, 410-286-0404 Shiloh Christian Academy
Owings, K-12, 301-855-7618 Our Lady Star of the Sea School
Solomons, K-8, Catholic, 410-326-3171 |
