Santa Fe Christian is committed to equipping the next generation to be bold, fearless leaders for Christ. During high school, teenagers are at a crucial time in their lives. Who will they become? Who will they influence? What transformation will they bring to their families, churches, and communities?
Classes at SFC are designed to give students the tools they need to pave the path ahead. In a time of growth — and often, many questions — high school students need a safe and stable environment to thrive.
SFC wants to train students educationally, socially, emotionally, and spiritually to affect change for Christ in the world beyond high school. Every teacher aims to encourage ingenuity and individual giftings in their students. They take seriously the call to shepherd young learners. In their time at SFC — whether it is a year or ten years — students will be mentored by staff and faculty who genuinely care about them. Not as a number, a grade, a sports record, but holistically: body, mind, and soul.
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Merging Faith and Academics
High school can be a time where many voices are competing for a student’s attention. For teenagers to thrive, they need to know they’re cared for, that they have someone who cares about them. Santa Fe Christian teachers aim to amplify the voice of truth to their students and empower their individual voices as well.
Instead of cookie-cutter standards, Santa Fe Christian provides support for students where they’re at and where they are headed. Graduates of SFC are well-equipped to face the complex challenges of faith, the workplace, and the rest of life.
Rod Gilbert, Head of Schools at SFC, says for his family, one of the most important decisions they made was pursuing Christian education for their kids. As someone who has directly benefited from the learning model himself, he says, “This merging of faith and academics as a singular mentoring model has become very appetizing to a lot of families, and I’m thrilled to have them.” In an ever-changing world, the desire for stability and a supportive, encouraging education environment is increasingly attractive to many parents.
It can be intimidating to face high school graduation. Uncertainties and fears about the future can abound. SFC students’ studies have been guided by staff and faculty who truly and deeply care about their individual journeys. SFC believes in a “come as you are” approach, valuing each student’s unique contribution and passion and focusing on cultivating their hearts accordingly.
Leading with Compassion
By being devoted to course materials, some teachers could overlook the state of a student’s heart. What is the mark of the teachers at Santa Fe Christian? Mr. Gilbert says, “They care for the journey of a child through their teenage years.” This abundance of love is the overflow of each staff member’s walk with God — a legacy they want to use to empower the next wave of graduates.
SFC staff and faculty live out empathy and compassion — an echo of God’s promise to them: “I’m with you.” Mr. Gilbert says, “They identify and step into teenage life rather than just rejecting or telling them to grow up and just sort of preaching at them.”
Because God uniquely crafts each student, their paths will all look different. This is celebrated at SFC. Upper School students are often on journeys of self-discovery and learning about who they are and what they want to become. Mr. Gilbert says, “what I would want them to do in that self-discovery is to learn about who they are as beautiful individuals in the eyes of Christ.”
Rounding out the Picture
Robust. SFC cares that students walk across the stage to receive their diploma and know not only that they persevered but that God and the school love them immensely. Every class, lunch break, teacher interaction, friendship, and trial has helped shape and form who they are.
Santa Fe Christian addresses the health of students holistically, recognizing they will soon function as adults in an increasingly complex world. For whatever their area of passion, SFC challenges students to know the value of creativity.
Mr. Gilbert casts his vision for thriving SFC graduates to come: “I think there’s something beautiful about being this risk-taking, robust, resilient person that jumps into their 20s seeking a new adventure.”
