Month: September 2025

Setting the Tone for Success: A Parent’s Guide to the New School Year

Jabneh Christian Academy , , , , , ,

Jabneh Christian Academy
Theme 2025–2026: “Fighting for Our Children Until the Rain Comes” (2 Samuel 21:10, 14)
Term 1 Sub-theme: “Standing on the Rock – Establishing Firm Foundations in Prayer, Discipline, and Values.”

The first days of school set the stage for the months ahead. At Jabneh Christian Academy, we believe that success does not happen by accident. It is built on prayer, partnership, and a consistent approach. As resilient parents, you play a vital role in shaping your icon’s school journey. Here are some practical ways to set the right tone from the very start:

1. Establish God-Centred Routines

Begin and end each day with prayer. Invite your icon to thank God for the new day and ask for His strength to stand firm, just as Rizpah stood on the rock until the rain came. Consistent spiritual routines help your child understand that school is not just about academics, but also about character and destiny.

2. Value the Timetable

The school timetable is more than a schedule—it is a tool for responsibility. Review it with your icon each evening. This simple step reduces morning stress and teaches accountability. Encourage your child to prepare their bag, uniform, and materials the night before.

3. Create a Home Learning Space

Even though textbooks remain at school, your icon will still need a quiet, prepared space to complete homework and review lessons. A small desk or table with minimal distractions can communicate: “This is my place to focus.”

4. Build Independence, Not Dependence

It is tempting to do everything for your child, especially on busy mornings. Yet true love teaches independence. Encourage your icon to manage simple tasks: packing their bag, tying their shoes, or setting out their clothes. As we say at Jabneh, “We should never reduce children’s ability by doing too much for them. That is not the loving thing to do.”

5. Guard Your Words and Atmosphere

Children absorb more than we realise. Speak words of blessing, encouragement, and resilience. A calm, positive home atmosphere helps them walk into school with confidence and a readiness to learn. Remember: the tone you set at home echoes in the classroom.

6. Partner with the School

Our Zone of Optimal Performance works best when parents and teachers each give their 50%. Stay connected through school updates, respond promptly to notices, and support classroom expectations at home. Together, we are fighting for our children until the rain comes.

The new school year is a fresh opportunity to lay strong foundations. Resilience, courage, integrity, and faith are not just value words; they are life skills that will shape your icon’s future. As parents, you are not spectators; you are co-builders. Let us stand on the Rock together and watch God send the rain of blessing over our icons.

Prayer
“Lord, thank You for the gift of my child. Help me set the right tone at home, model resilience, and partner faithfully with Jabneh. May this school year be filled with growth, excellence, and Your rain of blessing. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Fighting for Our Children Until the Rain Comes

Jabneh Christian Academy , , , , , ,

Reflections from the Parents and Teachers’ Conference 2025–2026


Scripture: “Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night… After that, God answered prayer on behalf of the land.” (2 Samuel 21:10, 14)

At Jabneh Christian Academy, we entered this new school year under a powerful charge from Scripture: “Fighting for Our Children Until the Rain Comes.”

This theme was at the heart of our Parents and Teachers’ Conference. We gathered as staff, board members, and resilient parents and were reminded of Rizpah’s vigil in 2 Samuel 21. She spread sackcloth on a rock and stood guard, refusing to allow the birds or beasts to devour her sons. Her persistence and faith stirred the king to act, and eventually, God sent the rain.

Like Rizpah, we too are called to stand guard over our children. Our fight is not physical but spiritual, moral, and practical. It is the fight to protect hearts and minds, to build strong values, to discipline in love, and to resist the culture of neglect and nonchalance that robs children of their destiny.

The Zone of Optimal Performance

At Jabneh, we describe our partnership as a 50-50 covenant. Parents and school must walk hand in hand. Excellence cannot be sustained if one side is weak. When we both give our best, our children, the icons of God’s kingdom, will soar into their full potential.

A Prayer for the Rain

As we move forward, we do so with faith that God will honour our watchfulness. Like Rizpah, we will not give up until the rain comes: the rain of favour, blessing, growth, and success over every child, every home, and every aspect of Jabneh Christian Academy.

“Lord, give us the vigilance of Rizpah, the wisdom of David, and the unity of Your Spirit as we fight for our children. May the rain of Your blessing pour upon this institution and upon the lives of our icons. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”