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Letter From the UH
Although planning for the fall begins in January, it still creeps up on me every year. Here we are in January, and we are making preparations for school year 2023-2024! At the present moment, preparations for next fall mean mean planning our annual Information Night.
What should I expect?
Information Night is one of the highlights of the year. I personally benefit every time from hearing the other speakers and enjoying the featuring of the students, as well as the opportunity to talk to the guests. The sort of people who come to Information Night are the sorts who already care a lot about their children’s education, so it’s fun to get to know many of them, to hear their stories and to share ours with them.
On January 24, you should expect to see at least a handful of families you don’t already know. You also should expect a (roughly) one-hour program featuring…
- singing by the 7th-12th grade students
- a grammar presentation by the 2nd graders
- a speech by a high school student
- a testimony by an alumnus
- a talk by Mr. Higgins
- a few words from me
- time for questions
Afterward, we’ll let the guests mill about, see the classes, talk to the teachers, and get their other questions answered. And we’ll eat cookies. :)
Whom should I invite?
We want to fill the school with students from faithful Christian families who would both contribute to - and benefit from - our school culture. So you should invite those sorts of families!
In order to be considered for enrollment, a family must be actively involved in a local, evangelical church. We will solicit a pastoral reference in the application process, which presupposes that a pastor knows them well enough to fill out such a form. That is the most important part…not their income or their child’s academic prowess.
I often suggest that a family consider who they would like influencing and associating with their own children before they make a referral. Would the family be a good cultural fit for the school? Would they contribute? Would they be benefited by immersion in the ECS culture?
We don’t ask these questions in order be elite, or as though we are looking for “perfect” families. Not at all. However, in order to accomplish our mission, we need to be working with families who share our commitments to the priority of the church, to Christian fellowship, to robust living, to cultural engagement, and more.
To be clear, this means we are not a school for families who cannot sign off on our doctrinal statement, or who do not regularly attend a local evangelical church. Some families are okay with their child taking Bible so long as they’re getting a decent, moral, private education. We are trying to be more than that (though we’re not less than that!). The Bible is central to what we do; the other pieces come as a part of the enculturation package. We are focused on changing the Snohomish County culture by locking arms and mobilizing Christians, trained in a robust Christian worldview with the tools of classical education, weaponized laughter, and sacrificial labors. If you know of a family who would like that for their children, please invite them!
What do you need from me?
In previous years, we have asked all of the current families to attend Information Night. The reasons for this were chiefly twofold. First, we often need to be reminded of what we are doing at ECS…and why we are doing it. It’s nice, then, for current families to hear again about our aim as a school, which we try to emphasize at Information Night. Second, current families are some of the very best resources for inquiring families. You are able to answer questions from the trenches that teachers often cannot. You also are some of our best marketing material; we love to show you off to prospective families as we offer them a taste of the school culture.
So, you are certainly invited to join us on January 24. However, we will not be featuring every student this year in an effort to simplify the program and reduce the collective responsibility for our families.
Are you saying you don’t want me to come?
NOT AT ALL! I hope you do come, but it’s no longer a requirement for the students…largely because we don’t have a ton of extra space. But we’ll cheerfully make room for all who wish to come…whether prospective or current families. If your student does attend, please have him or her arrive in Event Uniform at 6:15pm.
But it’s helpful to remember: this is your school, too. This is your opportunity to play a part in determining who joins with us going forward. But you certainly don’t need to feel any pressure to come, and especially if your child is not part of the program.
I guarantee it will be fun, interesting, and encouraging.
I hope to see you there!
Risus est bellum!
Jonathan Sarr
“Unruly Headmaster”
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