Watersprings School

About

Watersprings School works alongside parents to provide a nurturing Christ-centered school to grow children in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Story

Watersprings School started in 1997 with the desire to provide the Christian community with a Christ-centered school to disciple the children of believers in the ways of Jesus Christ. Here are a few facts about us:

• From only a few initial students, our school has grown to more than 450 children from our two year old program through 12th grade.
• We have also expanded to two locations in Idaho Falls. Our Elementary School (two year olds through 6th Grade) is located at 4250 S. 25th E. (Hitt Road) and our Junior High and High School (7th-12th grades) are housed at 665 John Adams Parkway.
• Our class size averages 17 students per teacher in the Elementary School, 20 per teacher in Junior High and 10 per class in High School. Our small class size allows us to offer a personal education experience for our students. The additional individualized attention allows students to master educational concepts more readily and it helps transform our interactions into meaningful mentor-learner relationships as the students get older.

In May 2010, Watersprings went through the process to obtain accreditation for 7th-12th grades. Watersprings is currently accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and AdvancED, the organization that accredits our local public schools. We began adding high school grades one at a time after that, and had our first graduating class in May 2014.

Watersprings admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities available to all of our students. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of educational or admission policies, athletics or other school-administered programs. We acknowledge there is no preferential treatment with God per Acts 10:34-35, which says “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.’”

Distinctives

Many people don’t realize the significant difference between the education received at a Christian school and that received at a public school. While both institutions seek to educate their students, the underlying philosophy, beliefs, and principles about how to accomplish this vary remarkably.

At Watersprings we believe:

• Our primary responsibility is to ensure our students know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior (John 3:16, 17:3) and understand the blessings of a healthy, lifelong relationship with the Lord.
• Parents have the primary responsibility for their children’s education and upbringing. Morals and values are not only supported in our academic setting, but are fully promoted and reinforced. Parent involvement at all levels is welcome and encouraged.
• Our teachers, each with a call from God to their profession, are there to support and honor the parents, coming alongside them in the process of transforming their children into Godly young men and women. They communicate the love of God to our students by displaying Christian attitudes and behaviors daily, modeling these very important skills. Our staff attends daily devotions at the start of each day, spending time in the Word of God and prayer.
• Students are recognized as unique individuals, created specifically by God and possessing personal gifts designed to help them in their earthly ministries. At Watersprings, we help our students discern these giftings and God’s call on their life. They are taught not to conform to this world but to transform them to be more like Jesus Christ (Romans 12:2). This prepares them not only for this life, but the next.
• Values, such as truth, virtue, and righteousness are taught as part of our daily curriculum. Students learn that all truth is based on Scripture and they are taught to choose righteousness and morality over many of the tenets held in a common worldview. Our goal is the exaltation of God throughout history in all things.

We believe these distinguishing characteristics can ensure we reach the goal of producing young people who will use their time, talents and treasure to serve God and to live a wise and productive life (Psalm 1:1-6).

Philosophy of Education

The Watersprings Philosophy of Education is based on the certainty that God’s Word is the standard for all truth, and that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant and authoritative work of God. God has created and sustains all things. Therefore, the universe and man were created by God to glorify Him. Because of the sin nature, man cannot, through his own efforts, know or glorify God. It is only by accepting God’s free gift, that man receives salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

All policies of the school, philosophies of subjects, curriculum materials and teaching methods shall conform to our philosophy of Christian education. The Bible is the foundation and motivating force for all curriculums. Our primary goals and objectives include:

• To love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37)
• To glorify God in all that we do (I Corinthians 10:31)
• To promote the maturity of our students in doctrine and practice (Ephesians 6:4 & Colossians 1:28-29)
• To train our students in Christian service and ministry (2 Timothy 2:2)

Our purpose is to transform and train the whole person so that the student will develop according to the example of our Lord Jesus Christ to be a godly influence in the world (Matt. 5:13). As an extension of the Christian home, Watersprings supports parents who seek to obey the Biblical instruction, which gives them ultimate responsibility for the education of their children. (“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gate.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Mission

Partnering with Christian parents, Watersprings School utilizes a godly foundation of love, truth and discipline to train ours students spiritually, academically, physically and socially for a lifetime of glorifying and serving the Lord.