Blog
Classroom Transparency
and Parent Partnerships
At NorthPointe Christian, parent partnership is the key to our student’s academic and spiritual development. We believe a successful partnership relies on three critical componets – the school, the family, and the church, all working towards the goal of developing students who think and live Biblically.
What does this look like inside the classroom? Transparency and clear communications between the school and home are staples to how we operate. A great example of this played out, includes the following note sent home from a middle school teacher to 8th grade parents about a novel study:
Parents,
For the last month, we have been reading the novel The Giver. In this novel, a community that has once experienced ruin has sought to avoid all future mistakes by creating an ideal society. In this “perfect” world, there is no color, no emotion, and no freedom. As our protagonist, Jonas, begins to learn more about the community, their rules, and their history, he begins to question and challenge their ways.
This novel has brought conversation and debate about some thought-provoking topics such as the lessons learned through mistakes, the value of life, the concept of euthanasia, and what it means to be free to choose. It challenges students to consider the way in which God created the world and the reality that He is in control and does not make mistakes.
Since we have completed the novel, we will be watching the movie this Wednesday-Friday. While watching the movie, students will be analyzing the choices made by the producer and director. They will be comparing and contrasting the novel and the movie, tracking the instances in which the movie stays faithful to the story and the instances in which the movie changes the story. They will then be evaluating why the producer and director would make such choices. The skills of analysis, comparison, and contrast are important and necessary for our students, especially as we teach them to be critical thinkers in their world.
The movie is rated PG-13. There is no foul language and the only sexual component is a few shared kisses between Jonas and his friend Fiona. The rating likely comes from the content of the story. Each community member receives an injection of medication each morning to control their emotions. Additionally, members of the community, when “released to elsewhere,” are actually killed using an injection of medication; this is the euthanasia piece. There are also short glimpses of hunting and glimpses of war. It’s for these reasons that we wait until 8th grade to read the novel and the movie provides a PG-13 rating. Below is a link to the Focus on the Family Plugged-In review of the movie. Please take time to read through it. If you aren’t comfortable with your son or daughter viewing this movie, please send me an email by Sunday evening and we will find an alternative activity for he or she to do during that time.
I find that both the novel and movie are powerful and challenging. I highly encourage you to read it and watch it for yourself. It will provide great discussion with your children.
Thanks,
Diala Weener
