Foundations Classes
K-1 Team
Mrs. Penny Johnson - Apopka
Mrs. Jessica Cline - Orlando
Mrs. Cassie Largaespada - Orlando
Mrs. Ruth Bingham - Winter Springs
Mrs. Kim Bell - Winter Springs
History
Mrs. Cindy Pilling - Apopka, Orlando, and Winter Springs
The study of ancient civilizations begins with students meeting God in his role as sole designer and creator of the world in which we live. As His story unfolds, students will examine the early cultures of the Fertile Crescent, Indus Valley, and Hebrews, and Sumer, Egypt, Greece, and Rome: the daily life of the people, false religions, and myths, and the development of language and literature. Students will learn the answers to these questions: How did they progress, why did they become prominent, and why did they fall? What did they have in common with each other and what difference does it make to our lives today? No other time period in history provides a better context for determining a Biblical worldview. Families will be given the tools needed to articulate their own worldview as we carefully consider the life principles found throughout the fascinating beginnings of the world in the events up to circa 400 AD.
Bible
Mr. John Cox- Apopka, Orlando, and Winter Springs
The history of God's people will be centered on a learned and easy narrative of the biblical record of the Old Testament. Consequently, students will see God's sovereign reign and redemptive grace began LONG before Christ died on the cross. Individuals, families, nations, and the entire creation, as revealed from the Scriptures, will be examined to expose various aspects of the nature of God and His divine design for man such as His providence as revealed in the account of Esther's life. Students will study how the Old and New Testaments call into account the ancient near eastern civilizations: Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman. Students will see the evidence that these prophetic testimonies help to establish the plumb line of Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascended reign against which they can measure current events, both personal and global. Their time in the New Testament will also outline the foundations of faith, the birth of the church age, and Christian living in the age of grace.
Art
Mrs. Peggy Bush-Apopka
Mrs. Michelle Stewart- Orlando and Winter Springs
Students will work to duplicate even the earliest art forms as they learn how the ancients' art moved from the very practical to the very expressive. Picture stories on walls and gates provide the earliest record of the challenges of daily life. The enhancement of everyday wares by decoration adds to an understanding of each culture and its values and beliefs. Some of those methods are the genesis of artistic endeavors practiced by all civilizations that would follow. For example, the ancient Greeks began using small, colored pieces of various mediums to compose images and, thus, tile design was born. Design and craftsmanship are two prominent themes of the study this year as well as how Classical art has influenced western civilization ever since, and students will have ample opportunity to appreciate and practice both.
Drama
Mrs. Cathy Cox - Orlando and Winter Springs
Mrs. Stephane Ascough - Apopka
Ancient civilizations, though dramatic, did not use drama as an art form in the same way as drama is used today. However, what forms they did use established the basis for good communication skills for all time. Storytelling played a major role; public speaking was a critical element; and the drama of debate has its roots in ancient civilizations. Students will have the unique opportunity to have fun while learning to apply these fundamental communication skills and experience stage acting from the period's perspective. Though not primarily an acting class, students will have opportunities to try their hand at mime, comedies, tragedies, and the re-enactment of Bible stories.
Music
Mrs. Melissa Moran - Apopka and Orlando
Patti Aeschlimann - Winter Springs
Music was no less an integral part of ancient life than it is today. Students will learn the fundamentals of musical literacy, the science of sound, and familiarity with instruments and terms. From the music of the Old Testament onward, students will discover how to evaluate it for excellence by considering the motive, method, and message of the medium.
Science
Ms. Lydia Pace - Apopka, Orlando, and Winter Springs
Students will distinguish the difference between superstition and science and make an in-depth study of creation which will provide the basis for physical and biological sciences like light, color, air, and astronomy . . . just to name a few! Additionally, the time period provides a rich opportunity to experience the practicality of science as students learn about simple tools, weapons, and the production of paper. The accomplishment of fantastic feats such as the pyramids, aqueducts, and ships of the era testifies to the value of understanding God's laws of nature and operating within them providing freedom to improve technology and, consequently, the quality of life.
