Superintendent's Message
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6
This verse expresses clearly and simply the focus of our ministry here at Cornerstone Christian School – to give your child the best possible start in life. This means teaching your child to follow the Lord and His ways, to prepare your child for life-long learning, and to equip your child to confront the challenges and opportunities that life will bring.
Spiritually, our emphasis is on teaching students to know God personally. Our teachers and staff are called to be "living curriculum" for our students, modeling the character of Christ. We strive to have every area of our program impacted by God’s Word.
Academically, we continually seek ways to upgrade our program through analyzing course content, updating textbooks and computer tools, performing teacher training and seeking resources that will enrich the learning environment for all children. Specific new developments for 2007-2008 include…
* Beginning in the fall of 2007, all Cornerstone teachers will receive additional training in gender teaching differentiation. At last brain research exists that documents the many biological gender differences that influence learning. For example, girls talk sooner, develop better vocabularies, read better, and have better fine motor skills. On the other hand, boys have better auditory memory, are better at three-dimensional reasoning, and are more prone to explore and to achieve greater abstract design capabilities. Cornerstone’s students will greatly benefit from our teachers being trained in these differences.
* Our successful dual language program continues to expand. This year we added first grade. Each successive year we will continue to add another grade until the dual language spectrum will include kindergarten through fifth grade. We believe the benefits of teaching both English and Spanish to our students will be pervasive, enriching, and long-lasting, both for the students themselves and their families.
* An international program, involving about 25 students from South Korea, will commence in the winter of 2007-2008. Initially these students will be taught in their own segregated ESL room; however, after they have attained proficiency in English, they will be integrated into the regular Cornerstone classes and curriculum. We believe having international students at Cornerstone benefits both them and our own students as well.
* Cornerstone will continue to strengthen its community service projects and extra curricular opportunities. Research shows that students who are involved in these types of activities are more likely to improve their academic performance (My congratulations to the chess club for receiving multiple state and national awards!).
* Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, Cornerstone Christian School and Vancouver Christian High School will commence discussions to form an early education through high school Christian School District. This union will allow parents the option to keep their children in one Christian school system to complete their entire ee-12 education.
In addition, you may be interested to know that Cornerstone is currently the only private Christian school in the entire U.S. to offer the nationally-renown HOSTS Learning System in its entirety. The Program effectively acts as a “safety net” to ensure that all students are making adequate progress in reading, writing, and math. Any students who are not making adequate progress in a specific area are given additional assistance, tutoring, and mentoring – quickly and effectively – before they fall behind in class.
Children’s lives are being changed at Cornerstone Christian School. In some cases, the change is dramatic – as with those students whose academic performance and self-esteem are rescued through a few week’s tutoring with the HOSTS Program. In other cases, the change is more gradual but noticeable – often the result of more individualized attention and closer rapport with teachers, in a nurturing, Christian environment.
Students grow daily in knowledge and maturity before our very eyes. It is an exciting time in
their lives and we are blessed to be a part of the process.
I hope you’ll consider joining us on this amazing journey.
Blessings to you and yours,
Dr. Roberto Gutierrez
Superintendent