Friday Assembly: Headmaster’s Address (March 3, 2017)
Pro 22:29 (NKJV)
Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown men.
Our school Paideia started with a vision, a goal, a direction in which to head. The families that started this school wrote down what kind of school they wanted it to be. They wrote down what kind of students they wanted to come out of our school. Listen to what they wrote down:
We intend our school to be a place where students delight in Creation, practice joyful fellowship, and cultivate a love for knowledge; a place where students learn to appreciate beauty as much as understand truth; and a place where they build their characters as diligently as they sharpen their minds. We aim to give our students a worldview shaped by the Word of God, a strong work ethic to help them stand before kings, and a full-orbed education that will prepare them to take dominion for Christ.
Did you hear what kind of students were described? Students with “a strong work ethic to help them stand before kings.” This proverb inspired those who founded this school, and it inspires each of the teachers and staff who work here. I hope it will inspire you to excel at your work.
Do you strive to excel or do you strive to do just enough to pass? Do you look for the shortest poem to memorize or do you look for the best poem to memorize? Do you write just three sentences in each paragraph to get done quickly or do you put in as many sentences as you need to make a well-rounded idea? Kindergartners, do you let your letters spill all over the place, or do you try to fit them exactly between the belly line and the foot line? Do you try to just get by, or do you try to be excellent?
At Paideia, we strive to make school a place where you can excel. It is our hope that in this lifetime you will have the opportunity to stand in front of leaders—leaders like your pastor, the mayor, the head of the company, maybe even the president of our country—leaders who will value and appreciate your work.
And at the end of time, you will stand, not just before kings, but before the King of kings. Do work worthy of Christ’s name so that you can hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Paideia Living 