Educational Basis and PhilosophyWe believe that being a Christian school is not just a nice idea, but that biblically-based instruction is the only basis for education. Colossians 1:16 states that all things were created by Christ and for Him. This truth affects all that we do—how we govern our school, who we hire as staff, who are our students, and how we present Christ.
Our mission statement reads, “Teaching covenant children to reflect the mind of Christ.” Because we believe that God’s covenant is with believers and their children, we view our students as children of God. In our instruction and correction of students we seek to cultivate, nurture, and strengthen their love for the Lord and desire to serve Him in all areas of life. We believe that God has given parents the responsibility to raise their children to fear and love the Lord. For this reason our school is not a parochial (church-run) school but a parental school. We expect parents to take an active role in their child's education, both through personal involvement and oversight of the school. Through the school association, Eastside parents elect a school board—six rotating members who are involved in the running and supervision of the school. Eastside is located on the grounds of First Protestant Reformed Church and operates from the same doctrinal basis. Since our beginning in 1997, we have been a member of the Federation of Protestant Reformed Christian Schools. The school board's oversight of the school is based on the doctrines, practices, and standards that we share with these institutions. |