David Nolen poses outside the Alpha Church where classes begin Monday.

    A new local school seeks to recover and restore the lost wisdom of the ages.

    Alpha School is Meridian’s first classical Christian education school. An educational outreach ministry of Alpha Church, the school incorporates curriculums such as McGuffey Readers (a series of graded primers widely used as textbooks in American schools from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century), as well as Abeka and The Harvey Grammar School.

    “We’re getting back into rhetoric, logic and teaching kids how to learn,” said David Nolen, school administrator and founding pastor of Alpha Church.

    Alpha School utilizes the Bible as the foundation of learning and recognizes Christ as the Master Teacher.

    “We are dedicated to providing a strong academic program, while offering unique opportunities,” Nolen said, referencing the school’s mission statement. “It is Alpha School’s goal to grow as it guides the community in understanding the importance of a Christian education.”

Why Classical Christian Education?

    Nolen, who has a master’s degree in educational leadership: administration and supervision from Tennessee Temple University and is a doctoral candidate through Liberty University, said classic Christian education is greatly needed – not only locally, but also nationwide.

    “With the heavy emphasis on the condition of our schools and striving to figure out what works and what doesn’t work, as I studied the history of education in this country I learned that the classic curriculums were the same curriculums that prepared students of yesterday to, for example, be able to test in Harvard University at 13 years old,” he said.

    “It seems the further away from these curriculums and methods that the country has gotten … well, the statistics speak for themselves. The adult illiteracy rate is alarming. And even against the standards used in testing today, more and more schools are falling behind. I really believe that the churches need to step up and do something about it. In all of the successes in years past, the more that the church and the more that the Bible were used in our schools, the better the results. And the more that the Bible has been taken out of our educational system and the less involved that the churches have been, the worse our schools have become,” Nolen said.

AS curriculum

    Classes begin Monday at Alpha School, however registration is ongoing. The school offers on-campus classes for grades fifth-seventh, Monday-Friday, from 7:30 a.m.-2:40 p.m. Lunch and two recess breaks are included in the schedule.

     All other grades will be offered as modified home school, with students attending classes on campus once a week.

    “The modified home schoolers will not only receive a list of their expectations for the week, but they will also check in on-campus for accountability as well further tutoring, assistance, testing and participating in on-campus activities,” Nolen said.

    Grade levels – one lower and one upper – will be added each year until Alpha School is a K-12 on-campus educational facility.

    Class size is currently at a 18-1 student/teacher ratio. Subjects are as follows:

    • Bible study

    • Mathematics

    • Science

    • History

    • Reading/Language Arts

    • Spelling/Vocabulary/Poetry/Penmanship

    • Christian Graces (manners, etiquette)

    In addition, the school offers: music; choir; projects; physical education through sports activities; soccer, flag football and basketball; Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts; and J.R.O.T.C.

    Students will be required to undergo standardized testing, however testing is not a major emphasis.

    “Even though we’re not state mandated, we’re going to have students take a standardized test at the end of the school year,” Nolen said. “But we’re not going to talk about testing every day or do countdowns to the testing date. We’re going to focus on letting the kids be kids, focus on learning and enjoying their learning.”

Community support

    Alpha School is in infant stages and seeks support from the community.

    To promote the school’s scholarship fund, the school is producing the first edition of Meridianopoly, a Monopoly-based game built around the city of Meridian.

    “We’re reaching out to community sponsors to buy ads on the board. So instead of seeing Baltic Avenue and Boardwalk, you would see Citizens National Bank. East Mississippi Electric Power Association and different local businesses around the board,” Nolen said.

    The school is also accepting donations – such as vans to transport students – and other contributions to benefit students.

FYI

    Registration is ongoing at Alpha School, located at 2904 40th Ave. Tuition is $317 per month, on-campus (grades 5-7); $100 per month, modified home schoolers (all other grades).

    Fees include textbooks. No uniforms required, however students must abide by modest dress code. Discounts available for each additional child registered within a family; discounts also available to military families and students who transfer from another school.

    Lunch currently is not provided; students bring own lunch. Transportation is unavailable. An afterschool program is available.

    For more information, contact David Nolen, (601) 483-8441.