We established Eagle’s Nest Christian School in Polokwane in 1995 after a year of intensive prayer. It was one the first multicultural, interdenominational schools in the area. Challenges were finances, racism in town and a costly court case.
Premises
God provided the premises in 1998. The school thus moved to the current plot situated in the Savanna amongst thorn bushes. It has a beautiful view on the Wolkeberg mountains. Here learners grow close to God in the natural surroundings. We received a donation of temporary classrooms on condition that we would re-use them for Educational purposes. The school stored them elsewhere before we purchased this plot.
Classes
We built the school step by step over the years. It is still developing with the help of our Lord. The school consists of a Preschool, Foundation, Intermediate and Senior phases as well as a High School. The Grade 12 learners have maintained a 100 % pass rate in most years. There are 840 learners in the school of which 95 learners live in the hostel.
Three Pillars of Eagle’s Nest
The school is based on three pillars: Prayer, Christ-centred Education and Outreach.
Prayer
Prayer forms an integral part of our relationship with God. It is therefore part of life at EagleÔÇÖs Nest. The learners build their relationship with God through prayer, praise and worship as well as studying the Word of God. They learn how to live out Godly principles while giving glory to God.
Learners intercede daily for those in authority, themselves, their families, missionaries and people from other countries. The school also participates in an international prayer network and intercedes on behalf of education and other institutions worldwide.
Prov. 22:6 ÔÇ£Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Eagle’s Nest’s mission is to train and develop learners to have a lifestyle of prayer. Consequently prayer and fasting days, a prayer calendar and prayer for missionaries and other organisations affiliated to ENCS forms part of the school calendar.
Outreaches
Learners get the opportunity to put into practice that which they have learnt on outreaches. These outreaches take place locally as well as internationally.
Local outreaches take many forms: the learners visit other schools, old age homes or it can be a speaker who addresses the community etc
During the school`s international outreaches twice a year children learn how to communicate cross culturally with people of all ages. Outreaches to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique, Canada and USA have been successful. There are wonderful testimonies how the Lord has touched peopleÔÇÖs lives. We are also planning outreaches to Australia.
Education
Eagle’s Nest Christian School is registered with the Limpopo Department of Education. We are members of the Association of Independent Schools in the Limpopo Province and the Association of Christian Schools International. Senior pupils write the examination of the Independent Examination Board (IEB).
The school follows the core government curriculum and enriches it with other curricula. Well-qualified teachers receive further training in teaching the curriculum from a Christ-centred perspective with a Biblical worldview.
Because we keep the number of learners per class limited, individual attention from the teacher ensures that each studentÔÇÖs potential is discovered and developed. We further introduced Foundations for Farming as part of the curriculum for learners in Grade 4-12.
Teachers
Psalm 119:9: ÔÇ£How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your Word.ÔÇØ
Our vision is to equip and enable teachers and learners to develop their full potential as Christian leaders. Currently Eagle’s Nest uses the national curriculum of South Africa. We make use of Christ-centered teachers. They received training by FCE as well as the Association of Christian Education International (ACSI). The school also encourages each teacher to attend a DMT (Discipleship Mission Training) through FCE. This is an excellent heart changing and mind challenging course that helps in more Christ-centered thinking. This training also helps our 17 different culture groups of learners and teachers to avoid placing our own cultures before Jesus. It teaches them that Biblical principles should come first in our lives.
Eagle’s Nest further has weekly discipleship classes with the 16 learner teachers to focus them on Christ-Centered teaching. Prayer is also a valuable part of a Christ-Centered worldview that our school values highly. The school sends out monthly prayer calendars to parents and learners who pray together daily. Prayer walks, fasting days and weekly prayer meetings are part of the teacherÔÇÖs routine.
The way in which we teach
After attending the FCE Course on discipleship, the elements of Biblical knowledge became real to me. Teachers should indeed use knowledge, thoughts, words, deeds and effectiveness to serve God and our neighbours. At Eagle’s Nest we desire to prayerfully hear and do God`s Word from setting up our content to how we think about different situations, and also how we teach every day.
I have learnt over the years that our teachers need to be equipped to be able to apply Biblical integration in their teaching since it does not always come naturally. We have had people like Shaun Moore, ASCI director, come and give our staff workshops on biblical integration. We have also invited Mark and Cathy Lessig (Education in Christ) from Kenya to intensively work with our teachers in their classrooms to apply Biblical integration. The teachers are also encouraged to read about Christ-centred teaching as much as possible. Staff workshops are also held regularly with Dr Samson Makhado who assists us in our thinking about Biblical World-view.
As leaders and staff we are continuously having discussions with our fellow staff members, other Christian School leaders and especially wise men such as Dr Samson Makhado and Prof Thinus Dreeckmeier. These discussions help us to stay on the right track and influence our thinking on Christ-centred Education. Having prayer and fasting days, seminars and Christian Conferences to help us to stay focused on God and our purpose as Christian educators in this day and time.