Academics
Desert Christian School provides a Christ-centered education that strives for academic excellence within a supportive Christian environment in order to ensure the success of each student. DCS offers a rigorous traditional liberal arts curriculum, which emphasizes the Lordship of Christ in the totality of life. Students are taught skills for thinking, communicating, and relating to the world.
As our Purpose Statement declares, Desert Christian students will:
- Think critically, logically and creatively.
- Read with comprehension, discernment and enjoyment.
- Write with clarity, precision, style and power.
- Listen with understanding and sensitivity.
- Speak articulately and correctly.
- Understand and apply the mathematical and scientific concepts that underlie God’s creation.
- Respond, appreciate and evaluate a wide range of cultural expressions through the study of history, literature and the arts.
- Turn learning into loving service.
Accreditation
Our Accreditation
*DCS is a member school of Christian Schools International.
ACSI Accreditation Advantages
Spiritual
• ACSI accredited schools have remained the most theologically stable and consistent over the past five years of any surveyed.**
• Christian school graduates are significantly more likely to pray and read Scripture both alone and with a spouse and children.*
• ACSI accredited schools have these top priorities: for students to have a close, personal relationship with God and for students to develop a Christian worldview.**
• Christian school graduates are more likely to attend religious services and respect the authority of church leadership.*
• All ACSI accredited schools that were asked responded affirmatively that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that it does not err in moral, spiritual, and religious matters.**
*ACSI accredited schools, on average, offer more Advanced Placement courses than other Protestant schools.**
Find out more about these facts and the related studies by visiting www.acsi.org/about-acsi/why-acsi-schools. These comments do not promise the quality of an individual school; they are representative comments of ACSI schools as a whole.
* Protestant Christian schools compared with Catholic, public, and private nonreligious schools as well as homeschools
** ACSI accredited schools compared with other ACSI members, Protestant Christian schools, and Catholic schools
Cultural
• A greater percentage of ACSI accredited schools offer mission and social service opportunities both in the United States and Canada.**
• Christian school graduates donate significantly more money to their churches, religious causes, and other charitable causes overall.*
• A higher percentage of ACSI accredited programs have official ties to student social service organizations.**
• Christian school graduates give more of their time to volunteer in their congregations, on mission trips, and on relief/aid trips.*
• A higher percentage of ACSI accredited schools report student involvement in political campaigns, meetings, or rallies.**
• On average, ACSI accredited schools require more rigorous course loads in math, science, English, languages, civics, social studies, art or music, and Bible than all other programs surveyed.**
• ACSI school graduates attend college at a significantly higher rate than the national average (86 percent compared with 68 percent).
• Since 1974 ACSI schools have scored significantly higher than the national norm in every grade level on a national achievement test.
• A recent study shows that religious school graduates, on average, exceeded the SAT College & Career Readiness Benchmark while public school students, on average, failed to meet the same standard. On average, religious school graduates scored 44 points higher.
*ACSI accredited schools, on average, offer more Advanced Placement courses than other Protestant schools.**
Find out more about these facts and the related studies by visiting www.acsi.org/about-acsi/why-acsi-schools. These comments do not promise the quality of an individual school; they are representative comments of ACSI schools as a whole.
* Protestant Christian schools compared with Catholic, public, and private nonreligious schools as well as homeschools
** ACSI accredited schools compared with other ACSI members, Protestant Christian schools, and Catholic schools
Academic
ACSI Accredited vs. Public Schools
In addition to higher academic achievement, more than two-thirds (69%) of administrators in ACSI accredited schools said their top priorities for students were development of a Christian worldview, involvement in evangelism, or a close, personal relationship with God.
Eighty percent of public school principals said their top priority was for student basic literacy.
*ACSI accredited schools, on average, offer more Advanced Placement courses than other Protestant schools.**
Find out more about these facts and the related studies by visiting www.acsi.org/about-acsi/why-acsi-schools. These comments do not promise the quality of an individual school; they are representative comments of ACSI schools as a whole.
* Protestant Christian schools compared with Catholic, public, and private nonreligious schools as well as homeschools
** ACSI accredited schools compared with other ACSI members, Protestant Christian schools, and Catholic schools
Purpose & Values
Our Purpose
Provide and maintain an independent, inter-denominational, parent-sponsored and board directed Christian school system on the east side of Tucson.
Aid parents in their God-given responsibility to train their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:4-6).
Offer a rigorous traditional liberal arts education, which emphasizes the Lordship of Christ in the totality of life; values truth, goodness, and beauty as embodied in the western Judeo-Christian heritage; teaches the skills of thinking, communicating, and relating (Colossians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 10:26; Acts 7:22).
Promote a personal trust in Jesus Christ for the ultimate purpose of glorifying God through a life of service and obedience (Psalm 3:5,6; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Mark 10:43-45).
As humans, we cannot guarantee a person’s salvation. We can however provide an environment which promotes Christ.
It is our desire that our students will have a personal trust in Jesus Christ for the ultimate purpose of glorifying God through a life of service and obedience (Psalm 3:5,6 , I Corinthians 10:31, Mark 10:43-45).
Critically evaluate their faith in Jesus Christ and have made it their own. (Romans 12:1-2, II Corinthians 13:5)
Have a biblical view of who God is and how he deals with mankind. (Proverbs 9:10)
Our Core Values
Truth - because God is a God of Truth (John 14:6)
Goodness - because God is Good (Psalm 25:8)
Sacrificial Relationships - because God is Love (Romans 5:8)
Obedience - because God is Lord (Luke 6:26)
Beauty and Excellence - because God is Beautiful and does all things well (Psalm 50:2; Mark 7:37)
People - because God created man in His image (Genesis 1:27)
Faith
Our Articles of Faith
These Articles of Faith are based upon the DCS Faith Statement that is incorporated in the DCS Bylaws and in the Board of Trustee Policy Manual and attached hereto as Exhibit D. Recognizing that all people possess a worldview, a set of fundamental assumptions through which they interpret and respond to life, and recognizing that organizations also operate from a worldview, DCS puts forth the following Faith Statement and Philosophy of Education as part of the school’s worldview.
God: We believe in one eternal Supreme Being, God. He is infinite but personal. All His thoughts, motives and actions are morally pure, righteous and good. God is triune, existing as one God in three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each simultaneously sharing the divine essence and co-equal in nature, power, and glory. God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all that exists apart from Himself. While transcendently separate from His creation, He is also among it (Deuteronomy 6:1, Isaiah 44:6-8, Genesis 18:25, Exodus 34:6-7, James 1:17, Psalm 25:8-10, Genesis 1:26, II Corinthians 13:14, Daniel 4:34-35, Isaiah 45:5-7, Colossians 1:15-17, Romans 8:28-29, Psalm 139:1-12, Psalm 90:2, Romans 8:15-16).
Scripture: We believe the Bible (the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments) is God’s special revelation to man. Each word in the Bible as originally given is “God-breathed.” When rightly interpreted (i.e., using such standards as literary, historical, contextual principles) the Bible addresses truthfully, without error, moral, historical, scientific and spiritual matters. The Bible, though not an exhaustive revelation of truth, is a reliable, sufficient and authoritative source of truth for all of life, because it reveals God’s being and His purposes for creation and man (II Timothy 3:15-17, John 17:17, II Timothy 2:15, II Peter 1:20).
Creation: We believe everything that has being, outside of God Himself, was brought into existence and is sustained in existence by God. Everything that exists in the universe was created by God out of nothing, and therefore has meaning as a purposeful creation of God. The creation includes both the spiritual unseen universe and the physical seen universe. The spiritual realm includes angels and other spiritual beings and is a place where God’s presence is especially evident. The cosmos, God’s complex, orderly physical creation, declares God’s existence, majesty, and divine attributes. The truth revealed in God’s “Book of Works,” the physical cosmos, will never contradict the truth revealed in His “Book of Words,” the Bible. The cosmos operates uniformly under laws designed by God but is also open to His divine intervention as He chooses (Genesis 1:1, Psalm 90:2, Colossians 1:15-17, Psalm 33:6-9, Psalm 104:24-32, Jeremiah 10:6-13, Revelation 4:1-11, Romans 1:18-20, Luke 1:36, Exodus 4:1-5).
Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is Himself, God. Christ, as God incarnate, possessed a human nature, though sinless, while simultaneously existing as divine. We acknowledge and accept as actual: Christ’s entrance into time and space through the virgin birth, His works of power, His sinless life, His death on the cross, the resurrection of His body from the dead and His ascension into heaven. Currently, Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for His people while awaiting the consummation of His Kingdom (John 1:1-5, 18, John 8:58-59, John 10:31-38, John 14:7-9, Matthew 1:18-25, Colossians
Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit is not just an impersonal “force,” but is Himself, God, possessing all of the divine attributes and exercising divine authority. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ and saves people by convicting them of sin and righteousness, regenerating them, indwelling them, and empowering them for a life of service to God (I Corinthians 3:16, II Corinthians 13:14, John 3:5-8, I Corinthians 2:12-13, Titus 3:5-6, John 14:16-18, John 16:7-15, Acts 1:8, I Corinthians 12:1-11, Galatians 5:22-23).
Man: We believe God created mankind in His own image, male and female, a social being uniquely designed to live in relationship with God, and with one another (Genesis 1:17). As a physical being, man is under God's physical laws. We believe the first humans, Adam and Eve, were created male and female respectively to glorify God. As a personal being, man bears the image and likeness of God and possesses the capacities of self-reflection and self-determination. Because of these abilities, man is morally responsible to God to fulfill His purposes in righteousness. While not autonomous, man is free to think and act under God's sovereign rule, and thus can impact his world significantly. Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God, rather than honor, trust, and obey Him. As a spiritual being, man is under God's spiritual and moral laws and, therefore, upon physical death, will receive God's everlasting judgment. Because Adam and Eve defied God's authority, all mankind has inherited a sin nature from birth. Sin impacts man's total being and causes him to be hostile towards God. As a sinner, man is estranged from God, under His just wrath, and incapable of pleasing Him by his efforts alone.
We believe the term "marriage" has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one Woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (I Corinthians 6:18 and 7:2-5, Hebrews 13:4). We believe God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that any form of sexual activity outside of marriage is immoral, sinful, and offensive to God. This includes adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and the use of pornography (Matthew 15:18-20, I Corinthians 6:9-10).
We believe that in order to uphold our Christian Philosophy of Education and views, and to provide a biblical role model to the students and parents of the Desert Christian Schools community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Desert Christian Schools, in any capacity, or who may serve as volunteers, agree to abide by this statement on man (Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:14-16, I Thessalonians 5:22).
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, and respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31, Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior, or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are in accord with neither Scripture nor the doctrines of Desert Christian Schools (Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2:7, Psalm 42:1, Genesis 2:15-17, Psalm 8:3-6, Hebrews 4:12, I Corinthians 3:10-15, Romans 15:1-2, Joshua 24:15, Philippians 4:4-9, Proverbs 21:1, Genesis 2:18-24, Genesis 3:1-24, Romans 5:12-21, Psalm 51:5, Psalm 58:3, Ephesians 4:17-18, Romans 3:10-18, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 7:14-24, Galatians 6:6-10, Hebrews 9:27-28).
Redemption: We believe God has acted sovereignly to remedy man’s hopeless condition. Jesus Christ was sent by God to earth to redeem man from the penalty of his rebellion. Having suffered and died on the cross for sinners, Christ in His atoning death satisfies God’s just wrath and brings about reconciliation and redemption for those who trust this work. Just as believers’ sins are imputed to Christ, Christ’s sinless life on earth is credited to all believers. Both God’s love and justice are perfectly revealed in Christ’s death on the cross. God’s redemption of any person is totally a work of God’s grace, received only through faith in Christ and not as a result of human effort, will or merit. This redemptive work has a past, present and future tense. When a person trusts in Christ’s salvation, he is redeemed from God’s just penalty for sin (justification). As the Christian lives his daily life he experiences God’s present redemption related to power over sin’s hold (sanctification). The Christian’s ultimate hope lies in his final future redemption which will occur at Christ’s second coming (glorification). Those who are redeemed will spend eternity with God. Those who do not trust in Christ will be in Hell, separated from God forever. History involves the outworking of God’s redemptive purposes for mankind as a whole (Romans 5:1-11, Romans 7:14-25, Ephesians 1:2-12, Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 2:12-15, II Thessalonians 2:13-16, Romans 8:29-30, I Corinthians 15:50-54).
The Church: We believe the universal Christian church is a spiritual body made up of all believers in Christ, regardless of denominational differences. Local congregations are physical expressions of the Body of Christ. The purpose of the universal Church is to reveal Christ to a watching world in both word and deed and to proclaim God’s redemption in Christ while building up believers in their faith as they expectantly await His promised return. All believers serve as ministers, who are called to proclaim the message of reconciliation and commissioned by God to go into the world with Christ’s saving “good news” (Matthew 16:13-18, Ephesians
I read and agree with the Articles of Faith of Desert Christian Schools, Inc. and affirm that I am a “born again” Christian who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior (John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:23)
Philosophy of Education
Our Philosophy of Education
Desert Christian Schools is a covenant school partnering with Christian parents who desire to see their children raised up “…in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) While the school recognizes that not all Desert Christian Schools students have personally trusted Christ, there is still a long-term benefit of receiving a Christ-centered education.
The first step in true discipleship is deciding to follow Jesus by giving one's heart and life to Him. (Matthew 6:33)
While that decision is the first step, it is not the only step, nor the last step in one's walk with Jesus. At Desert Christian Schools, it is our desire to see each student continue the life-long journey of learning to follow Christ in wisdom (Scriptures) and revelation (Spirit) and to view all of life from God’s perspective.
Learning to see and act in the world from God's perspective is not something that happens overnight. While learning to think and act as a Christian comes neither quickly nor easily, it is what God expects of each of His children. Desert Christian Schools is in this for the long haul.
Jesus is Lord over every area of life. When one tries to understand any area of life without acknowledging His Lordship, it does not make any sense. The Bible is very clear on that:
- Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it."
- Colossians 2:3 “In Christ...are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
- Romans 11:36 “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever."
- Proverbs 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
At Desert Christian Schools, we are going to teach truth, pray God reveal truth to our kids and model grace in our relationships with one another, or more simply said; teach the truth in an atmosphere of grace. (1 Thessalonians 2:7, 8,11,12)
Preschool
At Desert Christian Preschool, we provide an inquiry-driven, play-based, child-focused, Christ-centered program. Our primary focus is for your child to know, love, and follow Jesus Christ, all while developing a lifetime love for learning. We provide an exploratory, investigative, sensory-rich learning environment essential in nurturing your child’s desire to learn.
Kindergarten - 8th Grade
The K8 grade school academic program encourages high achievement within a challenging, disciplined, and caring environment. The program places emphasis on mastery and application of basic learning skills. Each subject is taught from a Christian perspective with special times set aside for Bible instruction and Chapel. K8 offers many additional activities to educate the whole child such as music, art, physical education, computer, and library skills.
High School
Desert Christian High School is committed to providing a rigorous liberal arts education taught from a biblical world view. As a Christ-centered school, Desert Christian is distinguished by its caring community which promotes excellence in fine arts, community service, varsity athletics, student ministries, co-curricular opportunities, and academics.