The Paideia School of Tampa Bay



Peter Rabbit Sighting at Paideia

The beloved children's story of Peter Rabbit came to life here recently as our Petite Paideia Players (really Miss Peart's K-1 class) became Peter, Mopsy, Flopsy, Cotton-tail, Mother, and that ominous, dread figure, Mr. McGregor.

The play contained such memorable song lyrics as, "Stay away from the garden gate, or you'll wind up on Mr. McGregor's dinner plate!" One thing is certain: children of all ages who attended the performance will now obey their parents with much more urgency!



Why Paideia?

I recently read this haunting line in a book: “It seems that atheists are not content with committing cultural suicide – they want to take your children with them.” As you know, Paideia receives no government monies of any kind, including various sorts of scholarships offered to students with learning disabilities, economic disadvantages, etc. This is not because we don’t value the children, but we must stay free from government entanglement. As the old saying goes, “He who takes the king’s shilling becomes the king’s man.” In order to stay true to the school’s mission, we can’t have Tallahassee or Washington dictating whom we hire, whom we enroll, or what we teach. While we certainly want to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, that does not include our children. They belong ultimately to God, and we must educate them in the paideia of the Lord.


Seven Reasons Why Paideia Exists
1. There are basically two kingdoms: a kingdom of light and a kingdom of darkness. It seems strange to have those who walk in darkness educate children of light. It doesn't fit.
2. If Jesus Christ is Lord, then He is Lord of all. We cannot divide things into secular and sacred.
3. All truth is God's truth, and God's Word sheds light on our path. Only in His light can we see light. Education is not focused on possibilities but on certainties found in God's Word.
4. Deuteronomy 6 tells parents that, in all they do, they should provide a godly education 24/7.
5. Three key institutions that shape a child are the home, the church and the school. Children are served best when all three institutions point them in the same direction.
6. Only an education that has the liberty to address the whole child -- social, intellectual, emotional, physical AND spiritual -- reaches the possibility of excellence.
7. The best preparation for effective service is to be well grounded in one's mind before direct engagement of the culture.

(From www.DiscoverChristianSchools.com )



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Spring Theatre

This spring the Paideia Players performed their third Shakespearean classic, Hamlet. The cast, consisting of 6th through 9th grade students, performed all five acts of Hamlet: Prince of Demark in the original Elizabethan language. All of the students worked extremely hard to make this wonderful evening possible, especially the play's lead actor, Joshua Bray (7th grade). Those who attended the performance were amazed not only by how many lines the students had memorized, but also by how much they have all grown and improved since their two prior productions: Julius Caesar and Macbeth.

This year's performance delivered many memorable moments. On stage, KariElise Raabe sang the lines of Ophelia beautifully and Joshua Bray performed Hamlet's character with great skill and charisma. Behind stage, many humorous incidents occured, like Mr. Galster having to crawl under the curtain
during the performance to retrieve Gertrude's funeral flowers and Voltemand being sent out onto stage several minutes too early. Despite these and other bloopers, Paidea's hard-working, talented students accomplished a truly remarkable feat: they proved that young people today can still learn, appreciate, and perform something true, good, and beautiful.


Click here to see a gallery of pictures
from this very memorable evening.



It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones.

(C. S. Lewis)

   


Lisbeth Eskut - Senior Thesis Defense

Francis’ Dilemma

Imagine a young woman named Francis. Francis could be any young woman in any neighborhood, school, or local church. Francis has fallen into the wrong crowd and has separated herself from family. Addicted to drugs, Francis is promiscuous and has no intention of raising a family. Yet, one day Francis becomes pregnant. If Francis gives birth to this child, she would most likely not care for it properly. In fact, Francis’ parents would most likely have to raise the child themselves. This would be a major inconvenience to everyone involved. Francis is truly lost and confused. Francis is emotionally distraught. Pressured by friends to have an abortion but not sure what to do. Francis needs help and advice. Who will help this young woman? Should Francis seek counsel from an abortion clinic and be allowed to make the choice to have an abortion? Are there any other options?


The Panel

(Click here to read Lisbeth Eskut's Senior Thesis
in its entirety.)