Our History & Philosophy
Our History
Pacific Christian School began in 1965 when Gladys Kumpe, wife of then Pastor Ernie Kumpe, and Lucille Radley joined forces to begin a Preschool. The church at the time was called First Assembly, and the Preschool was originally called SONshine Corner.
The Preschool expanded to Kindergarten in 1978 when the church moved into a new building on Stowell Rd. The school was re-organized in 1980, under the leadership of Edith Vawter, and shortly thereafter added a second Kindergarten class. In 1982 the Church Board decided to expand the school through 6th grade.
The church and school moved into the current facilities in 1989… followed by a name change to Pacific Christian. The former property was sold, and is now the location of Marian West Hospital. The school was led by Doug Pike for a number of years, followed by Pastor John Richardson, who, in 1997/98, expanded the school to include Jr. High. Pastor Bill Martin added the library during his tenure as Principal.
(Note: This is a thumbnail of our history. If you have corrections or additional info to add, please send it by e-mail to school@pacificchristian.net.)
Our Philosophy of Education
At Pacific Christian School our philosophy of education emphasizes teaching the whole child. The school aspires to reflect and exemplify both Luke 2:52; “and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men,” and Psalms 111:10, “The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
- Spiritually, the school’s goal is for students to have extensive knowledge about the Lord and His Word, and to truly understand and experience in their hearts the love of God.
- Academically, the school’s goal is to move beyond basic memorization of facts, to encourage and engage in higher levels of critical thinking and understanding.
- Physically, our program is designed to promote healthy and well-balanced students.
- Socially, the school cultivates an atmosphere where children can be children, and enjoy their school life as they interact with others and establish friendships.
The goal of Pacific Christian School is to provide an atmosphere where students are challenged to grow and excel in all areas of development.
