The Principle Approach®
StoneBridge School is an American Christian school that uses the Principle Approach. The Principle Approach places the Light of God's Word (His principles) at the HEART of every subject. God's Principles illumine the subject -- revealing God's purposes for it; inspiring reflective thinking and creativity; glorifying God, the Creator, not man and his knowledge and accomplishments -- bringing liberty to learning! Understanding this concept is foundational to valuing this Biblical philosophy of education. Subjects are taught on "the Chain of Christianity," or how the subject has contributed or hindered the Gospel and its government throughout history. Other Christian philosophies take man's knowledge and lacquer it with Scripture verses, emphasizing man's knowledge and requiring the regurgitation of information. This lack of inspiration and reasoning requires no Biblical scholarship and produces a dependent mentality in the student.
Placing God's Principles at the heart of each subject guides every aspect of our teaching and learning process -- our methods with the students, the way we govern our classrooms, and the design and content of our curriculum. The Principle Approach liberates teaching and learning to be inspired and lively -- for the teacher, the student, the classroom, and the subject. "God's Word is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword." [Hebrews 4:12] The teacher and learner both possess the subject through habits of Biblical scholarship and creative applications which produce a Biblical world and life view."All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof and correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." [2 Timothy 3:16-17]
The Principle Approach has a language that seems "foreign" to the average American Christian, because it challenges us to address how we govern ourselves, our habits of scholarship, our knowledge of God's Hand in America's history, our own character. As Americans, we have not been educated this way for nearly one hundred years. However, these concepts were alive in our founding forefathers' worldview. The Principle Approach is StoneBridge School's educational philosophy, because we are committed to restoring a Biblical worldview to ourselves and our families through Christian education. Therefore, every StoneBridge parent is CHALLENGED to be able to answer the following questions:
1. What are the distinctives of CHRISTIAN education?
2. Why AMERICAN Christian education?
3. What are the GOALS of Christian education?
4. What is the END PRODUCT of education?
5. Where is the MODEL?