The Whole Truth and Nothing But

Did you know that your OCS educators invest a minimum of nine full days every year working on professional development to better serve our Eagles? Our faculty participates in annual training in essential, practical areas including bloodborne pathogens, child abuse and neglect, anaphylaxis, safety and security procedures, confidentiality, and copyright. We learn more annually about a wide range of instructional and curriculum topics, including biblical worldview and biblical integration. In addition to the all-faculty professional development we require, most of our faculty also take advantage of opportunities both secular and biblical to add additional training for their specific needs. Some are working on the ongoing requirements to maintain their ACSI certification, and some simply want to improve their craft. 

Because truth matters, we continually work through our professional development to ground our OCS educators in truth as we must discern truth from the falsehood so prevalent in our culture today. 

All of these development activities are worthwhile and should give everyone confidence that OCS educators are well-equipped to serve students with excellence. Nevertheless, some of the most vital time we spend together is in the areas related to a truly Christian philosophy of education. While OCS seeks to meet or exceed the standards of other schools—public or private—we are a distinctive program with a specific mission. Our greater purpose is very different from other schools, and our desire is to resist worldliness and pursue the holiness found only in Jesus Christ. We are a ministry of Ovilla Road Baptist Church and we strive diligently to serve our church, the collective churches of our student body, our families, and our community in providing a distinctive education in a biblical worldview. Truth matters. Because truth matters, we continually work through our professional development to ground our OCS educators in truth as we must discern truth from the falsehood so prevalent in our culture today. 

If you are interested in thinking along with us about truth and a Christian philosophy of education, please begin by reading the first section of any of our handbooks. Our mission is stated clearly: Ovilla Christian School will cultivate an environment in which followers of Christ may flourish as they become biblical thinkers, lifelong learners, and servant leaders. This statement captures the primary distinctive of our school: We are a Christian school for Christian families.

Our statement of philosophy begins in the following manner:

Christian education looks to the Bible as the primary source of direction in all aspects of the school’s community, programs, and activities. Biblical principles support, influence, and drive all aspects of our philosophy, values, and mission. Christian schools exist to be an expression of belief in Jesus Christ, who stated in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Later in John 17:7, Jesus prays to the Father: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Christian education uniquely seeks to contribute to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit by clearly and consistently presenting truth throughout the educational community. With the goal of Christian maturity in mind, every subject is explored from the perspective of a Christ-centered biblical worldview. Christian education is unique in the educational world in its focus on the transformation of the whole student—spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially—into a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ, well-prepared for life in the world while not being of the world.

Please join us in this meaningful conversation as we grow and again and again choose the narrow path toward Truth. 

Penny Hayes M.Ed.
Head of School

OCS Families: Remember that the links to the three handbooks are found in the Links section of ParentSquare. There is a password required to view.

New Mission, New Handbooks

Parents, we now have three separate handbooks for Lower, Middle, and Upper School. The revisions reflect each school's new mission statement and how they function to support the overall mission.

NOTE: For the time being, the two 5-day PK grades fall under the Lower School Handbook and the 2-day Early Education classes will follow the old MDO handbook.

Mission Statement of Ovilla Christian School
Ovilla Christian School will cultivate an environment in which followers of Christ may flourish as they become biblical thinkers, lifelong learners, and servant leaders.

Upper School Mission
The Upper School of Ovilla Christian School will provide opportunities and guidance by challenging students in academics as well as athletics competition and the fine arts for learning, service, and leadership within a biblical framework to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Middle School Mission
The Middle School of Ovilla Christian School will provide opportunities and structures for training students in the imitation of Christ as self-disciplined, thoughtful followers preparing for engagement with the world.

Lower School Mission
The Lower School of Ovilla Christian School will provide opportunities and routines to develop habits as well as the foundational knowledge and skills to love learning and to know God’s plan of redemption through His Word.

We are a ministry of Ovilla Road Baptist Church and we partner with parents who understand that they are the primary disciplers of their children. As our partner, we invite you to read over the handbooks. They are available in the Links section of ParentSquare:

• App: go to More (three dots at the bottom right) and tap Links. Scroll to see all the links we have shared with our community, including the handbooks.

• Browser: click View All in the Links panel on the right.

Email OCS Office to request the password to view the handbooks.

Thank you for entrusting your students to our care.

Penny ​Hayes M.Ed.
Head of School

In a Nutshell: Back-to-School Orientation Topics

This summer has been one for the books. The OCS campus buzzed with the activity from the academic, arts, and athletic camps. Our Lady Eagles shone at the Duncanville Tournament of Champions, coming in 5th place of the 24 public school teams. Construction continued on renovations: phase 1 of the library renovation is nearing completion and the new bookshelves are scheduled for a January install. Our front lobby received an update with funds from the Eagle Parent Fellowship (EPF) and manpower supplied by ORBC deacons. The administration team has worked to bring new faculty members and families into our community, implement improved communication through ParentSquare, and cast a distinct, carefully crafted vision for the future of Ovilla Christian.

OCS began classes in the fall of 1992. In the ensuing 30 years, our school has witnessed many changes and weathered many storms. Our strong roots support a healthy plant, and every gardener knows that pruning and nurturing are the ways to foster growth. Our foundation stands on timeless truth and there is an even brighter future ahead.

Our school has filled up earlier and quicker, with more parents interested in Christian education than ever before. We are confident that this current student body will engage in our mission and parents will continue to trust us to partner with you and your local church to teach these young ones the truth about our Creator God, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Memorization Challenge
The passage above is from chapter 2 of Ephesians. OCS faculty and the student body will be challenged this year to memorize this beautiful passage of Scripture, as well as the Apostles' Creed. In this way, we are modeling the spiritual discipline of Scripture memorization which brings transformation through the Holy Spirit. Parents, download the PDF and work together with your student at home to solidify this passage in your own hearts!

First Days of School
BooHoo/WooHoo Breakfast

• PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten parents ONLY: you may park in the front parking lot and walk your student to their classroom for a quick picture. Then leave them in the very capable hands of their teacher and join us for a BooHoo/WooHoo Breakfast at 7:50 am in the Worship Center.

Upper School Kick-Off (August 18-19)

• Students should come to school in uniform dress on Thursday, August 18, and can wear OCS Spirit dress on Friday, August 19 (OCS t-shirt and jeans). The Kick-Off planned for Upper School will be an exciting two days with activities, games, and waterslides. A post went out on ParentSquare with a lot of details, so please look for that.

Middle School First Few Days of School and Kick-Off (August 22)

• Students should come to school in uniform dress on Thursday, August 18, and can wear OCS Spirit dress on Friday, August 19 (OCS t-shirt and jeans). They will have regular class schedules those two days. For the Kick-Off on Monday, they can wear OCS Spirit dress. Starting Tuesday, August 23, they should arrive in athletic clothes for PE.

ParentSquare Communication
We have been talking alot about this! We have moved to a new communication tool called ParentSquare (PSQ). You should have seen an email inviting you to join: it is a unified platform where parents will hear from the administration, your teachers, and the groups you are involved in. Instructions for downloading the app and setting up your account are online and were sent home in orientation packets. Emergency alerts will be sent through PSQ, so let us know if you need assistance getting this set up.

This Year's Fundraising Focus
We’re looking forward to improvements in the transportation we’re able to provide for students—for field trips, away games, and all the activities our students engage in outside of this campus.

Increased Safety Measures
Our security and administration teams have many plans in place to increase campus security, including keycard entry to exterior gates, more camera coverage, and a single-point entry and exit for all students, parents, and visitors. At times these measures may feel inconvenient, but they are vital for maintaining the safety of our students and faculty. Do not ask a staff member to let you into the building with their keycard. All visitors must enter through the front and get a visitor’s badge.

Staggered Schedules
The single-point entry and exit necessitated a staggered schedule for Lower, Middle, and Upper School.

• PreK3, PreK4, and Lower School school day is from 8:00 am–3:30 pm.

• Middle School school day is from 8:30 am–4:00 pm.

• Upper School school day is from 8:15 am–3:45 pm.

All the details are in this document, which parents received in their packets at orientation. Every grade level now has a car sign to use for pick up. Please review these changes before coming to school on Thursday. It is paramount that we are all on the same page as we navigate the first few weeks and settle into a routine. Be patient with staff and faculty and fellow parents as we all get used to these new procedures: they are ultimately for the safety of our entire community.

Students cannot be left on campus past 4:20 pm, even if there is an on-campus event later that day. Your FACTS account will be charged the daily rate of $20/day for Eagle Camp, our after-school care, if students are not picked up by the cutoff time.

FACTS billing
You have already started down this road, but a reminder that this year we are moving to online tuition payments through your FACTS Family Portal. Everyone should pay their accounts online for tuition and other fees throughout the year. Please pay your account balance by the 10th of the month.

All-in Eagles
We are very excited to announce a new program that will help us all serve the needs of the school, our families, and students in a more powerful way. OCS is a ministry of ORBC and together we have been working toward greater effectiveness. In 2021, ORBC assigned deacon Dennis Fowler the role of serving the ministry of the school, and the faculty was incredibly blessed by his service last year. Now, Dennis will be expanding his role by serving as the president of a new organization we are calling All-in Eagles. Parent organizations, including the Athletic and Fine Arts booster clubs and EPF, will function under the umbrella of All-in Eagles. Look for an announcement for a public meeting this semester.

Cell Phone Policies
Please allow me to speak frankly with you for a moment from my 28 years of experience in education. Cell phones and other electronic devices do not contribute to positive development in young children and are not healthy for adolescent development.

• We remind you that no Lower School students are permitted to have cell phones on campus. Parents are asked to support this policy by not allowing students to use their personal cell phone during lunch, class parties, field trips, and any school-sponsored events.

• Middle School students do not need cell phones and will not be allowed to use their own devices at school. When students are at school, you can leave messages for them at the front office, they can ask permission to use the school lines to call you, and teachers will check out Chromebooks when they need students to use devices in instruction. I want to encourage all parents to wait a little longer before handing their still maturing middle school-age children easy, often unmonitored access to the world through a cell phone or other device. A family computer in a shared space for easy monitoring is a much better option for Middle School homework. Please carefully consider resisting the too-common practice of providing your Middle Schooler with a cell phone.

Our policy for Upper School has changed as well.

• Grade 9 students are not permitted to use cell phones during school hours, including in the hallways during the passing periods or in the bathrooms.

• Grade 10-12 students will not be permitted to use cell phones during school hours, including in the hallways during the passing periods or in the bathrooms, but may use their phones during lunch.

• Smart Watches will not be allowed to be worn during the school day.

• If a parent needs to contact a student during school hours, please call the school office. If a student needs to contact a parent, they will be instructed to call from the front office.

I speak for all of the administration when I say: we are so excited to get this year going!

Penny Hayes, M.Ed.
Head of School

Introducing OCS Early Education

Last month, I introduced the terminology change for our grade-level divisions that we are implementing next year. We have another addition to add to our educational offerings this fall: the OCS Early Education program is now the umbrella program for babies through age 4.

Ovilla Road Baptist Church has operated a Mother's Day Out program for more than 30 years to serve local parents and give them childcare options two days a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both MDO and OCS are ministries of ORBC, and we are excited to announce that we are bringing MDO into the fold of OCS to better serve our community and the precious little ones that you entrust to our care. This change brings the full support of Ovilla Christian School to the MDO program to continue this wonderful and necessary work.

What does all of this change mean for the fall?

• The 2-day care will operate in a similar manner as last year's MDO program. Babies through children aged 4 years come to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am–2:30 pm (with an optional 8:00 am "early hour" drop-off).

• There is a new PreK3 class forming at OCS. The hours match those of PreK4 and Lower School; class begins at 8:00 am and students are picked up at 3:30 pm. Fridays will be an optional attendance day for these 3-year-old students, so the main academics will be concentrated Monday-Thursday. This class has a separate teacher from the 2-day 3-year-old option. They will learn to navigate a classroom setting through playtime, engage in art and music enrichment periods, and explore social and emotional situations with their peers.

• PreK4 will continue as it has at OCS, preparing 4-year-old students for Kindergarten in a 5-day, full-time format.

Teresa Prendergast is the Director of Early Education and she is teaming up with the OCS administration to create this new 5-day PreK3 class this fall. We look forward to having these little Eagles on our campus in August!

Penny Hayes M.Ed.
Head of School

It's a Strange World After All

What comes to mind when I say the word “bat”? Some of you may think of a ball, a leather glove, and the smell of grass. Others imagine darkness, caves, and a moody superhero. Now think of the rather metaphysical question, “What does it mean to be a human?” Carl Trueman’s book, Strange New World, carefully constructs a narrative with historical building blocks to explain how our society arrived at this moment where “a particular statement has come to be regarded as coherent and meaningful: ‘I am a woman trapped in a man’s body.’” He writes that his grandfather, who died less than thirty years ago, would have “burst out laughing and considered [the sentence] a piece of incoherent gibberish. And yet today …many in our society regard [it] as not only meaningful but so significant that to deny it or question it in some way is to reveal oneself as stupid, immoral, or subject to yet another irrational phobia.”

“I am a woman trapped in a man’s body.” How does a twelve-year-old girl find this statement rational and foundational to the human experience? How does she get to the place where she considers disagreement about this an attack on what it means to be human? In other words, when we talk to our students and kids about humanity, sexuality, and personhood, you may be saying “baseball fields” and they are thinking “flying rodents.” Our society—and more specifically, our kids—are being indoctrinated into a worldview that most of us parents do not share or even understand. Both parties use the same words in an argument but are referring to completely different things.

Our society says to be a human is to be able to express your individual sexual identity and have that identity affirmed by those around you. To have that identity or expression curtailed is viewed as an aggressive act against someone’s personhood. At OCS we are dedicated to combating this worldview. When we accept the truth that we are made in the image of God and not products of our inner desires, we, therefore, have to accept that he is the creator, not us, and that he sets the rules for happiness and human flourishing. We have to accept his decree on what it means to be human and understand that he declares how to be human. Remove the creator and the world is left grasping for the answer to the question of what truly makes one human.

Trueman is a masterful historian who skillfully walks through the development of how our society arrived at this worldview. It will help us to understand how to approach a discussion with the ability to say “bat” and align our speech to the hearers’ definition. Only then can Christians start to have conversations about hard things. It will aid us in sharing the gospel. Education is important and Christians should never stop learning. Model this for your children by reading Strange New World and discussing it with your middle and high school students.

Matt Bowles
ORBC Senior Pastor

Name Changes

The conclusion of the current school year is approaching, and the administration is working hard to plan for the 22-23 school year at Ovilla Christian. It is a joy to witness the growth of students across this current school year, and we eagerly anticipate some meaningful improvements to OCS in the coming year.

Opposition to a Biblical lens for looking at life has always existed, and our current cultural moment is nothing new. In Acts 17, Paul speaks to the polytheistic citizens of Athens and provides a beautiful example for us of speaking into the culture with truth. As parents, we have a responsibility to shepherd how our children are being formed by evaluating the news, media, and books they consume and who they spend time with. Our responsibility as OCS school administration is no different; we work to develop a faculty that will winsomely communicate Biblical truth as they teach math, science, language arts, history, and every other curricular and extracurricular activity that is a part of our program.

It is my assessment that some significant changes to our program are needed if we are to continue to provide an environment that cultivates human flourishing as God intended.

In my responsibility to oversee the curriculum of the school, I compare and contrast contemporary education models, from the progressive education models of the public schools to the classical models with their roots in timeless virtues and traditions. By its very nature, progressive education seeks to reflect society and prepare students for anticipated changes in society as humans solve problems and improve the world. Yet Jesus prayed ”They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16) So there we find the first of many problems with a Christian school with a progressive model, our perspective for students is that this world is not their home. We have an eternal perspective. We must carefully consider the implications of raising children to be in the world but not of the world. For a private Christian school, any education model must be examined in light of truth as it is laid out in the Word of God. 

It is my assessment that some significant changes to our program are needed if we are to continue to provide an environment that cultivates human flourishing as God intended. We are committed to making choices that flow out of the eternal, inerrant word of God, and we will take our stand on the truth in opposition to educational trends and models which provide obstacles to the full flourishing God intends for each of his children as we walk in obedience with him. This current moment in history has its own challenges to which we must respond for the excellence we desire for our students. 

Shifts in curriculum and pedagogy will begin to be implemented this fall. As we take these steps, we are distancing ourselves from progressive education and pressing into our identity as an institution of Christ-centered education. We will be sharing more information as we make final decisions and as the new school year approaches, but we want to now introduce a change in terminology here at OCS. The grades of PreK through 5th grade will become the Lower School, and we will be phasing out the use of the term elementary. Grades 6-8 will be the Middle School, and this program will be separated from grades 9-12. These grades of 9-12 will be called Upper School, and we will transition away from the terminology of high school. These three distinct programs will help us with the revision of our thinking and approaches to better serve student developmental, social, academic, and spiritual needs. We are adopting the terminology of many high-excellence private schools as we envision and work toward our future. 

I want to draw your attention to this upcoming change to bring you alongside us as we labor every day to show Jesus to our students. OCS does not provide a "Christianized" version of public school. Although we welcome opportunities to share the great news about Christ's life, death, and resurrection with our students, we are not primarily an evangelistic school. We exist to partner with parents who understand that they are responsible for the discipleship of their children by submitting to a local church body for their own personal discipleship so that they might become more like Jesus themselves. We are “raising the bar” at OCS, and we invite your family to join us as we seek depth, integrity, and transformation in Christian education. 

Penny Hayes M.Ed.
Head of School

ACSI Day of Prayer

On Tuesday, February 15, we will have a morning announcement and prayer over the intercom to kick off our participation in the 2022 ACSI Day of Prayer. The theme this year is "flourish" and the verses for that day come from Ephesians:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV)

"Flourishing" is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “developing rapidly and successfully; thriving.” Just how does a person develop successfully and thrive? These are signs that one is doing well, and there may be many ways of defining this in our culture. We know that people are created in the image of God and their purpose is to glorify God. How do we accomplish this purpose well, or, asked another way, how do we flourish in this purpose? The way to ensure you glorify God as intended is to be in a relationship with Him, and this is only possible through the beautiful work of Christ.

People flourish when they submit themselves to the authority of Jesus as Lord. As we obey and walk in His good commands, our hearts will become attuned to His desires and we flourish in this life on this side of eternity.

I encourage you all—teachers, parents, mentors—please, have a conversation with your students this week about how an active relationship with Jesus allows us to flourish.

Next Tuesday, students from PreK to grade 12 will meet for all-school chapel in the Worship Center from 9:45-10:15 am. Secondary students will meet their younger Eagle Pals at their respective classrooms at 9:45 am to accompany them and sit together. There will be a brief message focused on this very subject—the importance of human flourishing through a relationship with Christ—and there will be a time for the secondary students to pray with their Eagle Pals.

We can't wait to participate in the ACSI Day of Prayer together on February 15.

Erich Lehmann
Spiritual Life Director

Cultivating Truth

It's no secret that I love books and the transformative effect they have on people, especially students who are navigating times of tremendous growth. We want to cultivate an environment here at OCS where students understand God's design for human flourishing, and this requires us to continually bring our own thinking into line with the Word of God. So once a month on Tuesday mornings, the faculty and staff meet for a book discussion.

Last fall, we went through Show Them Jesus as a way to reframe the way we teach the Bible. Author Jack Klumpenhower points to example after example of Bible stories that are not moralistic lessons but rather harbingers of Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. This, after all, is the culmination of the Scriptures; it is not by being moral that one is saved.

"For by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

This book would make a great study for parents as they seek to talk to their kids about how to read the Bible with the right lenses—ones that are attuned to see Jesus.

We are currently reading Rediscover Church by Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman and wrestling with why it is imperative that Christians be purposefully committed to a local body of believers. As our faculty explore the doctrine of the church, it increases their confidence to communicate with students the importance of church. Christianity is not an individual sport, nor is it a good hobby. Active church involvement is essential to spiritual vitality.

There are two books in the Mama Bear Apologetics series and both are powerful resources for understanding current culture and helpful for separating truth from falsehoods. Author Hillary Ferrer constantly reiterates the idea that we should “demolish ideas, not people.” This means seeing people as captives who need to be freed from bad arguments, not enemies who need to be eliminated (see 2 Cor. 10:5; Col 2:8). The first book, Mama Bear Apologetics, offers insight into broader ideologies. Mama Bear Apologetics: Guide to Sexuality dives into the world of identity that has many in our culture confused and questioning.

Fathers may be tempted to skip past this one because of the title and the specific, repeated charge to mothers, but the content is not simply another “mommy blogger” who writes from personal experience. Ferrer holds a master’s degree in biology from Clemson and she expertly lays out facts in a logical/rational manner. This is one that parents will return to over and over.

It is my hope that you pick up a copy of these books to be encouraged and equipped to disciple your students.

Penny Hayes, M.Ed.
Head of School