Building Christ-Centered Leaders
My husband and I remember our kids’ preschool years. Which will forever be known in our home as the grouping of years when we received advice – solicited and otherwise – from everyone we knew about which school has the best standardized test scores, or the greatest teacher of all time, the coolest playground, the worst cafeteria lunches. While all that is seemingly important, we remember being more concerned with selecting a school that would combine curricular learning with foundational development for our kids’ bodies and spirits as well. It’s a particular feat to emerge from university well educated to be sure, but what good is it really to gain the world and lose your soul?
Luckily for parents of school-aged children in South OC, it’s not necessary to spend long hours searching for a program that combines a culture of mission with a developmental approach in teaching (whereby students learn through play, movement and music) and an elementary school experience that follows along with California State Standards and benchmarks to guide their teaching through mainstream curriculums.
Voted best faith-based school and preschool in Orange County, Abiding Savior Lutheran School takes very seriously the Biblical command to “train up a child in the way they should go, for when they are old they will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22). But what sets its campus apart from every other Preschool – 8th in the county? Parents and students would say it’s because Abiding Savior’s administration and teachers “bring [their] hearts to work.”
“Because of our culture, the comment that we hear most often when people walk onto campus is that they feel so welcome,” says Principal Donna Lucas. “When a student enrolls here they are more than just a student, they are a part of our family. They are important and special because they are a child of God. I believe that our teaching staff is absolutely the best. They give so much of themselves to the families of Abiding Savior. They know each and every student in a very special way. They take into account their learning styles and if they are going through something that needs their attention.”
Emphasizing a growth mindset built on solid academic instruction and preparation for high school and beyond is key, built on a foundation of learning with the goal of “building Christ-Centered leaders” through an engaging curriculum, empowering social development and enriching service activities. Small class sizes leads to more individualized attention.
“Our preschool and elementary school share the same mission statement: Joyfully and intentionally make and nurture disciples who make disciples,” says Ms. Lucas. “We do that by loving, serving and connecting. We have weekly chapel services, daily religion classes and our Bibilcal Worldview is woven throughout our curriculum.
Service is a cornerstone of Abiding Savior’s mission. Students and staff collect offerings for many nonprofit organizations throughout the region, including NEGU, Disaster Relief Funds and other church outreach programs. Over 300 toys are collected each year for Spark of Love, over 500 boxes are packages for Operation Christmas Child and the school’s annual food drive benefits South County Outreach and Abiding Savior’s own pantry – amazing generosity for a school of just under 300 students.
