Participating Families and Students

Because of our missions emphasis, we accept students from both Christian and non-Christian homes.   The majority (more than approximately 80%) of the families are to be Christians.  The parents of non-Christian families will not be regular teachers or helpers in the classes and they will not be invited to be on the School Board.  These parents may participate in the P.T.A., however, both the director and Board members of the P.T.A. need to be in full agreement with our Statement of Faith.  We accept the call of evangelism, through education and relationship, to our non-Christian families.  All students are expected to abide by the  standards set forth in our guidelines.  The acceptance of students to the International Christian School of Tonga is entirely dependent upon a decision by the Board, after prayer, review of an application and interview with the family and student.  The interview will be conducted by at least two board members.

Our Vision for Education

Our vision for education is to awaken a sense of wonder in each child, and to equip students for a life of loving, obedient response to God and of care for and restoration of His creation.  Through education, students are equipped to discover God’s grace and truth, to embrace their identity as human beings created in His image and for His glory, and to develop their God-given potential.  (Matt 19:13-14, Psalms 149:13-17)    To this end, we aspire to be a school where, in reliance on the Holy Spirit:

Christ is the Center

Christian Character – International Christian School of Tonga is committed to building Christian character and convictions in our students. Convictions are based on the Word of God. International Christian School of Tonga staff members are expected to exemplify biblical convictions both inside and outside the classroom.

Spiritual Development – International Christian School of Tonga seeks to provide an environment that will encourage students to put their faith in God and to walk with Him.  To do this the school aims:  to teach the Bible as the inspired Word of God, the only source of truth for daily living; to encourage each student to seek a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by accepting Him as Savior, acknowledging Him as Lord, and seeking to know and do His will; to assist each student in forming a personal biblical worldview that will permeate every area of life; to encourage each student to discover and develop his or her unique God-given talents and to use these abilities fully in all areas of academic, social, and artistic endeavor, and to see the use of these talents as an act of service to Christ and His body, the church; to provide, through the school staff, consistent examples of Christian living; and to train each student to effectively communicate his or her faith.

Evangelism – We believe in “leading by life message” (Philippians 4:9; I Thessalonians 1:5; I Thessalonians 2:10). The power of God to change lives is released through the truth of God’s Word modeled in lives. Therefore our lives must be living demonstrations of the reality and the truths of His Word. We also believe in the need to proclaim the gospel message to the lost. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)

Compassion for the World – International Christian School of Tonga realizes the importance of Christ’s love and compassion for our world. Staff and students are encouraged to assist mission outreach and have an evangelistic ministry among students. Students and staff are encouraged to be salt and light in the community.  In the spirit of compassion, and passing all cultural practices through a Biblical “sieve”, we value cultural sensitivity (1Corinthians 1:1-3, 18-25, 9:19-23).  We choose to foster an appreciation of and respect for Tonga as well as for ethnic diversity within the school.

We are Committed to Excellence
As children of God, our lives and service ought to reflect the excellence of His name and works. He is worthy of the very best we can offer Him. International Christian School of Tonga is committed to excellence in all areas of educating our students. We uphold the Bible as the measure by which truth is discerned (Psalm 8:9; Colossians 3:23,24).  We believe in the potential of young people to change the world and are dedicated to equip them with the tools to do so.

Curriculum – Our commitment to excellence affects our curriculum. Since true wisdom is based on the awe of God as contained in the holy scriptures (Proverbs 9:10), our curriculum is biblically integrated and biblical principles are incorporated into every subject. The Bible speaks to all areas of life and is essential in the development of an educated person. (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16,17)  We desire  students to learn more about God’s World, His ways and His heart through all subjects taught at our school:  Bible & Virtues, English, Math, World Cultures & History, Latin, Science, Health, Art, Music, Drama, Dance, and Physical Education.

Facilities – Our commitment to excellence affects the development and maintenance of our facilities. We are committed to providing a clean, orderly atmosphere for students and staff.

Staff – Our commitment to excellence affects our staff. Each member of our staff must have a Christian commitment and a vision to see their students develop Christ-like character and Christian worldview. All staff will be qualified to perform their duties. We are committed to caring for our staff by providing opportunities for discipleship and growth in the areas of teaching and spiritual development.  Teachers model a Christ-like lifestyle; teach all subjects from a biblical perspective, pray for students, implement ICST’s philosophy in order to inform, motivate, direct, encourage, and discipline students; and avail themselves of resources and training opportunities for ongoing professional growth.  The International Christian School of Tonga staff view their employment as a ministry. Each brings to ICST diverse teaching and life experiences from around the world; each is committed to Christ; and each is called to serve ICST students and their families. Their commitment to excellence combined with high expectations from parents and students will create a powerful imprint on our community—in examples of Christlikeness, academics, fine and performing arts, sports and community service.

Our teachers are all considered “missionaries” who have a heart for Tongan children and ex-patriot children living in Tonga.  Our teachers donate their time and experience to offer the children of Tonga a quality Christian education, without the exchange of financial wages or salary.  Teachers are periodically given financial gifts as an expression of appreciation from ICST, or they receive discounts from their children’s school fees.

Learning and Discipleship occurs easiest and most effectively one on one.  We are committed to very small class sizes (about 8 students per teacher) so each child’s various needs are met in an optimum learning environment. All learning styles and each student’s God-given uniqueness will be valued in our classrooms.  Our goal is that all students develop a love for learning and receive the necessary skills and opportunities to grow into life-long, enthusiastic & self-motivated learners. We will actively support and honor the parents’ higher calling to disciple their child’s heart, along with our dedication to cultivate the child’s multi-faceted intelligence.  Children will journal the various aspects of their “adventures in learning” and will be encouraged and challenged to exercise the full capacity of their capabilities, honoring God through good stewardship of the gifts He has given each one. Different learning styles and areas of intelligence are recognized and embraced, while maintaining sufficient structure and discipline to promote effective learning.  We offer a safe, nurturing discipleship environment, providing Godly mentors for each student, including board members, staff, teachers and other spiritual leaders from the Christian community. (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; 3:14; Titus 2:1-8)

Family is a Priority
International Christian School of Tonga believes that it is a parent’s responsibility to raise children. We see our function as working to support the family in nurturing children in all aspects of growth: intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical (Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 1:2-7). We seek to do all we can to make these families a success in educating their children.

Parents assume the primary responsibility for their children’s education, with International Christian School of Tonga assisting them in providing Christian education. We believe that parents should be highly involved in their child’s education and we have seen that test scores, as well as character, world view & self-esteem, strongly reflect the benefits.  The power of transformation in a single life is the greatest investment anyone can make.  Our vision is to train all willing/available parents to help or teach in the school part-time.  This will create a rich mix of qualified teachers,  experts and parents, combining their wisdom, life experiences and skills to offer greater learning opportunities for the students.

Students are valued as precious individuals, created in God’s image and with God-given uniqueness and endowed with particular talents (Psalm 139; Proverbs 20:11, 22:6; Luke 2:52; Romans 12:3-8).  They are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and are taught they can influence it by diligence, prayer for wisdom, and the application of God’s Word to their lives.  We recognize and value student diversity seen in ways of learning, abilities, and cultural backgrounds and identities.  We encourage excellence in academics, creativity and individual expression.  We believe that students mature spiritually, intellectually, aesthetically, physically, emotionally, and socially.  Our students are building a foundation to enter world-class universities, balancing academic excellence with service learning modelled after Jesus Christ.

International Christian School of Tonga also values the importance of training students to have the courage to speak out on community issues in areas of deep, personal conviction in order to contribute to and challenge the community through participation rather than isolation.  We also aim to train students to identify and challenge the non-biblical nature of culture-or community- based morals and values (including “political correctness,” so called tolerance-based values, alternative lifestyles, abortion, etc.)  It is also our goal to help each student establish a personal set of biblically based personal values and ethics (as opposed to culture-or community- based).

Our program fosters the development and application of a biblical worldview to all of life by grounding students in biblical practices and values; training them to use biblical discernment as we expose them to selected non-Christian worldviews and ideas; and encouraging them to apply God’s truth in daily life. Our program is college preparatory and communicated in the English language.  All students in Class 1 and above should be comfortable speaking conversational English prior to enrolling at International Christian School of Tonga.  In the future, as we grow, we plan to accommodate non-English speaking students through an ESL program.  We encourage and welcome students of all nationalities to participate in this school, however the pace of our curriculum does limit us to requiring that each student speak fluent English for his/her age. (the Tongan language may be offered as an optional class.)

Our educational approach is a unique blend of several methods, incorporating the best of  “classical” to “natural learning” philosophies.  Great literature, Latin, Classical music and art, creative hands-on learning, learning by song, visually appealing teaching aids, and an award-winning phonics program, will be important components of your child’s learning experience.  (curriculum list is available upon request.)

International Christian School of Tonga seeks to promote a foundation for life-long appreciation of aesthetics and cultural refinement in all it’s students.  To do this, the school aims to create an appreciation for and interest in the arts, history, geography, customs, and beauty found in all cultures; to promote an appreciation and understanding of different world cultures, especially the host culture of Tonga and home cultures of fellow students; and to view the presence of a wide variety of cultures as an opportunity to share Christ.

International Christian School of Tonga also seeks to encourage and promote students’ physical development through a physical education program, health and hygiene classes.  Students are expected to eat healthy snacks and lunches as well as brush their teeth after lunch.

International Christian School offers a Preschool and Kindergarten Program.  This program’s main goal is to awaken the sense of wonder in each child, in a way the child would be determined and eager to learn.  The secondary goal of the Preschool is to familiarize students with the English language, to the point that he/she is comfortable in speaking conversational English.

We are Servant Led
International Christian School of Tonga values the input and involvement of their Board, staff, students, and parents. Decisions are best made by involving the people who will live with the decision. As servant leaders, we strive to make all those around us a success (Philippians 2:1-10).