Statement of Purpose and Identity

The founders and Board members of the Geneva School of Boerne explicitly recognize that Geneva exists and will continue solely by the grace and mercy of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are grateful to God for establishing and richly blessing our School. We also recognize, however, the words of Christ in Luke 12:48, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Desiring to be faithful in our stewardship of the school and to ensure, to the best of our ability, its continuance in the direction in which it was established, we have endeavored herein to articulate the fundamental principles of our school. It is our hope and prayer that God will continue to bless this School and that those who follow us in leadership will remain committed to these principles. This statement, therefore, is meant to guide future boards and administrators when shaping policy for Geneva School.

Founding Purposes of Geneva School of Boerne

In 1999, Geneva School of Boerne was established to provide a classical and Christian education which adheres to a Protestant, biblical worldview as articulated in our Statement of Faith. The goals of this education are to use the great works and events of Western Civilization as fodder for developing in students an appreciation of that which is true, good, beautiful and noble; life-long habits of learning and critical thinking; and the desire and ability to respectfully, creatively and winsomely communicate.

The fundamental purpose of Geneva, as a school, is to educate with excellence. We believe that truly outstanding education can never be accomplished apart from a central recognition of God as Truth and the source of all wisdom. “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” I Corinthians 3:19. For this reason, all subject matter at Geneva must be taught from a Biblical worldview, explicitly recognizing the centrality of God in all learning and discourse. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.” Proverbs 2:13-15. In the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, it is our desire to equip students not only with an excellent understanding of academic subjects but also with a mature understanding of the nature of God, our relationship and responsibility to God and others, our moral responsibility for the choices we make, and an appreciation of God’s creation.

Excellent education also requires that students be trained in diligence and perseverance. “But also, for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge, self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” II Peter 1:5-9. We therefore purpose to give our students an appreciation of the value of hard work and self-discipline; a true self-esteem based upon effort and accomplishment; and a willingness to sacrifice the seeming pleasures of the moment for the rewards of the future. We seek to obey the Biblical mandate to be good stewards of all that God has given us. As a school, we teach our students to pursue diligence and good stewardship primarily through academic pursuits. However, we also recognize the value of activities such as athletics and fine arts when pursued with these goals in mind.

We perceive a dedication to God’s truth and a rich, vibrant atmosphere of outstanding academic achievement to be inextricably bonded. Neither the spiritual nor academic aspect of this school can be diminished without damaging the whole and departing from the original vision. We desire our graduates to be equipped intellectually, to have developed the habit of discipline, to have acquired a mind that loves learning and intellectual pursuits, and to dedicate this equipped, disciplined and sharpened mind to God’s purposes.

Classical Structure

Geneva School of Boerne was founded as a “classical school,” and as such, we desire to preserve and perpetuate the substance and means by which great education has been imparted for hundreds of years. We seek to equip our students with an understanding of the body of work and the thread of history that has formed the basis for Western Civilization. We acknowledge the importance of classical subjects such as Latin, logic and rhetoric and we seek to provide our graduates with timeless skills of analysis, understanding and communication that transcend popular education trends. In furtherance of these goals, we adhere to the methodology of the trivium which emphasizes the accumulation of fact and basic skills in the Grammar School, the development of logical and analytical reasoning in the Logic School, and the acquisition of excellent written and oral communication skills in the Rhetoric School. The emphasis of each phase of the trivium is simply an emphasis and is not exclusive. We desire that students at Geneva be challenged to develop knowledge, thinking skills and communication skills during all three stages of the trivium.

The classroom at Geneva should be a place of controlled and orderly learning. Under the teacher’s authority, students are to be treated with and required to treat others with civility and respect. The quality of the teacher is of paramount importance in accomplishing the educational goals of the School. We desire Geneva to be characterized by faculty that is well equipped for their respective tasks and who exhibit the love of learning we hope to pass on to our students. Teachers at Geneva must have a clear passion for both their academic subject matter and their students. They must demand and foster excellence in their students and spur them on to extraordinary accomplishments.

A classical education requires that students be exposed to all areas of classical study regardless of their personal strengths or weaknesses in any particular area. Students at Geneva should therefore be required to participate in a broad range of academic and artistic pursuits, and balance is to be encouraged. It is in the uncomfortable places of academic study, athletic contest or fine arts performance that character is built, as students learn to overcome fear of failure and persevere to accomplishment.

Qualification for Leadership

The ability of Geneva to educate its students classically, with excellence from a Christ-centered perspective is dependent upon the quality and commitment of its leadership at all levels. Accordingly, positions of significant leadership, such as board membership or administration, should be reserved for those who have a demonstrated understanding of and whole-hearted commitment to classical education, the principles of this document and Geneva’s Statement of Faith. When considering candidates for other positions of leadership in our school, their level of personal commitment to these foundational principles should factor heavily. To preserve the unity of purpose and fellowship within our school, Geneva should not admit any child whose parents do not agree to support Geneva in educating their child classically and in accordance with our Statement of Faith.

Conclusion

We pray that God and future generations will preserve our school as an institution dedicated both to Him and to outstanding classical education. It is our desire that Geneva will open doors to excellence and brilliance; that it will sharpen our students’ minds and push them to their greatest potential. Ultimately, it is our prayer and sincere desire that Geneva will produce dedicated and diligent men and women that are captured by the Holy Spirit and used by God for extraordinary purposes.