CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
ABOUT CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE
WELCOME
Hello, and welcome to Christian Institute of Arts and Sciences! I am Mary Beth Jones, Principal at CIAS. We are proud to be celebrating 27 years of serving families all across the Pensacola area to educate their children!
CIAS is a K-12 private school serving the Pensacola community and homeschooled students across the Florida Panhandle and beyond. We offer two programs to families: a full-time K-12 Campus School with flex/hybrid options and a homeschool Umbrella School. Our student body is comprised of different kinds of learners: honors, general education, and special education (ESE). CIAS proudly uses a successful homeschool model so our students can prosper in an individualized academic program created just for them within our school environment. We have small classes, low teacher-to-student ratios, utilize an eclectic curriculum, and offer intervention and tutoring as needed for our students to thrive and grow.
CIAS offers a wide variety of classes (both in-person and online, platformed on Google Classroom), from academics to fine arts and physical education. Homeschooled students may attend our Campus School 1-5 days a week, take a class, join a science lab or club, and participate as much or as little as they like.
The CIAS staff strives to create a positive, uplifting learning environment where our students respect one another, build each other up, and practice kindness and empathy for their fellow classmates, their community, and the world around them. We want to teach them to care about themselves and others so that they can make a difference and shine the light of Jesus.
The Golden Rule is, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” And Jesus reminded His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16).
In order to foster team spirit and a sense of belonging, we focus on several things:
Faith,
Family &
Friendship
CIAS has a brick-and-mortar Campus School in Pensacola, Florida, with Umbrella School homeschooling families scattered all across the Emerald Coast, Florida Panhandle, and lower Alabama. Approximately 75% of our enrolled students attend school, classes or tutoring at the Campus School; many attend the Campus School full-time (five days a week), while other CIAS students are homeschooled by their parents or dual enrolled in local colleges or universities.
As a school, our purpose is to provide parents with the structured organization and benefits of a school while enabling them to give their children the benefits of Biblical home education. We provide support and counseling to families who want to develop a love of God in their child(ren): obedience to His Word, strong moral character, and an appreciation of physical labor and diligent study habits. We encourage parents to prepare their children for future responsibility and ministry. We believe that students should develop a proper respect for authority by refraining from speaking evil of their authorities but rather being subject to them and praying for them as directed in I Timothy 2:1-2.
The Scriptures clearly teach that parents are directly responsible for their children's education and accountable to Him for their choice of education. We believe in the freedom of parents to choose the best learning environment, curriculum, and teaching methods for their children. Though a Scriptural and valid ministry of evangelism, the ministry of teaching by those outside of the home can never assume the parental responsibility of education.
We pray that this school year will be a time of growth for both you and your family. We look forward to working with you this year and including you in our school family. Please let us know if there is any way that we can be of help to you as you educate your child.
Changing the world for Christ, one child at a time!
Mary Beth Jones, B.S., M.Ed.
CIAS Principal
Contact us!
Office hours are Mon-Fri, 9 AM-4 PM.
2007 North 61st Avenue
Pensacola, FL 32506
Email: nogratrjoy@christianinstitute.com
Phone (call): 850-457-4058
Cell (text): 850-480-9045
Fax: 850-458-5132
Philosophy of Education
We believe that children are a gift from God to parents and that the education of children is a God-given right and responsibility of parents. Christian parents are commanded by God to instruct their children in the ways of His values, goals, and standards (Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:4). Education should begin with the foundation of the Bible as the inspired Word of God, the standard of truth in every field of knowledge, and the measure of every moral issue.
Education is the training of a society in the basic values, goals, and standards of that society. Thus our role is to facilitate development of a love and fear for God, obedience to His Word, strong moral character, appreciation of hard work, acquisition of knowledge, and discovery of learning modalities, intelligences, abilities, and life skills. We seek to provide students with a Scripturally sound and academically solid education that will help them to successfully accomplish God’s purpose and will for their lives.
With the goal of academic excellence, CIAS administration, staff, and parents/guardians collaborate to develop each student’s academic plan after diagnostic and placement assessments, select curriculum, facilitate learning, and monitor success through completion of assignments, testing, and projects, and annual standardized achievement testing. Administration, staff, and parents then oversee implementation of the agreed-upon plan and resulting grade reporting and cumulative record development and maintenance. School teaching staff and parents, as adjunct faculty and stakeholders, facilitate instruction effectively for maximum learning success and quantify learning goal achievement, attendance, and other cumulative data.
The CIAS Campus School implements a homeschool model as well as an integrated classroom model with general education students and special education students learning together in least-restrictive environment (LRE) classroom settings. Our trained teaching staff serves our exceptional learners (students with learning differences) by facilitating differentiated education with accommodations and modifications, implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) tiers, and utilizing the 2001 Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and Gardiner’s Multiple Intelligences. Our team of Reading Specialists organizes and implements a highly functional reading and literacy program on all grade levels.
History
Christian Institute of Arts & Sciences was established in 1997 as a non-public school with the Florida Department of Education. We are now incorporated as an accredited, 617 private school, a non-profit 501 (c)(3), specifically working with families that home-educate their own children. We believe that children are a gift from God to parents, and that the education of children is a God-given right and responsibility of parents. We want your home education program to be successful, both academically and spiritually; we also want to assist those who wish to complete credits and earn high school diplomas. We have satellite classrooms spread throughout Northwest Florida with you as the parent/teacher and supervisor of your child(ren)'s home/classroom. We also have many students attending the CIAS Campus School for tutoring and small group classes.
Vision & Mission Statements
VISION STATEMENT
The CIAS vision is to partner with parents to prepare their children for future responsibility, ministry, and career. We desire that all graduates leave CIAS equipped with a Biblical worldview, solid academic education, and life skills that will help them to successfully accomplish God's purpose and will for their lives.
MISSION STATEMENT
Christian Institute of Arts & Sciences functions as a private school with an Umbrella School for homeschooling families in the local area and beyond, as well as a Campus School serving the local community as a full-time private Christian school with a homeschool model, combining the full services of a private school administration office with the individualized advantages, personal assistance, and accountability needed to make our individual students’ educational experiences a success. CIAS provides a wide variety of classes both in person and on Google Classroom/Live-Online School (academic, fine arts, physical education), subject-specific tutoring lessons and after-school learning labs, educational therapy for special needs students (Barton System/NILD), clubs, activities, and field trips to meet the spiritual, academic, physical, social, and emotional needs of our students and their families.
About our Teaching Staff
CIAS maintains high qualification standards for our Campus School teachers and tutors. Our teacher work in teams, under a Lead teacher, to facilitate and individualize the education programs for the success each of our Campus School students.
CIAS CAMPUS SCHOOL TEACHER TEAM HIERARCHY:
Teachers
Tutors
Reading Specialists
Teacher's Aides
Student Helpers
MINIMUM EDUCATION, TRAINING, & EXPERIENCE:
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Teacher/Tutor/Reading Specialist: College graduate (bachelors degree or higher) with previous experience and/or demonstrated successful ability in teaching, tutoring, or facilitating learning is preferred
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Teacher's Aide: High school graduate, and/or some college completed (AA or AS) and/or college degree currently in progress
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Applicant must have previous experience teaching in public, private, and/or home school or demonstrate special skills, knowledge, or expertise that qualifies them to provide instruction in subjects taught ([F.S. 1002.421(2)(h)]
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Applicant must submit their fingerprints to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for state and national background screening (VECHS) [F.S. 1002.421(2)(i)]
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Applicant must be able to validate personal and professional background through appropriate references [F.S. 1002.421(4)(c)]
Mandated Reporters
All CIAS employees are Mandated Reporters as defined by law. If an employee witnesses or becomes aware of any form of child abuse or neglect, including through the use of social media or electronic means, he or she must immediately report such abuse immediately to the CIAS Principal for referral to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Abuse Hotline: 1-800-962-2873
Report Abuse Online: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/service-programs/abuse-hotline/report-online.shtml
Reporting Misconduct
Training Requirement
All staff members, instructional personnel, educational support employees, and administrators are required as a condition of employment to complete training on these standards of ethical conduct.
Reporting Misconduct by Instructional Personnel and Administrators
All employees, educational support employees, and administrators have an obligation to report misconduct by instructional personnel and school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student. Examples of misconduct include obscene language, drug and alcohol use, disparaging comments, prejudice or bigotry, sexual innuendo, cheating or testing violations, physical aggression, and accepting or offering favors.
Reports of misconduct of employees should be made to Principal Jones at (850) 380-9557 or mbjones@christianinstitute.com. Reports of misconduct committed by administrators and/or Principal should be made to the CIAS School Board, principally, the Reverend Michael Collins (850) 324-2186 or michaeleugenecollins@gmail.com.
All employees and agents of CIAS have an obligation and legal responsibility to report misconduct by instructional personnel and school administrators which affect the health, safety, or welfare of a student. Failure to report misconduct may result in penalties up to termination of employment. Policies and procedures for reporting misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators which affect the health, safety, or welfare of a student are posted in the Personnel Manual and on posters in the school office and restroom(s). Click below to access the CIAS Standards of Ethical Conduct document: