aBOUT us
Mission Statement:
Ridgecrest Academy assists parents in developing the hearts, minds, and bodies of students to realize their divine potential by:
Being useful in the hands of the Lord in building the kingdom of god on earth;
Increasing faith in and knowledge of the Plan of Salvation;
Developing a love, understanding and appreciation for America and the Founding Fathers;
Developing the academic knowledge and skills necessary to be able to make self-education a life-long pursuit;
Learning to reason and discern between right and wrong, truth and error;
Developing character and self-government of mind and body; and
Conducting themselves in all aspects of life as Christians.
All activities, teaching, governance, and administration are to be accomplished in light of the above objectives and in so far as possible in harmony with revealed principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and laws of the land. All teachers, staff, administrators and trustees shall strive to be living examples of the values, principles, and skills taught at the school.
Vision Statement:
Ridgecrest Academy exists to help students and their families reach their divine potential.
Our Philosophy
The target philosophy of our school can best be described as "Restoration Education" … with the goal to restore education to the days of the one-room schoolhouse wherein students of different levels learned together, helping each other along the way… Teaching students in a Christ-centered way that restores the faith, scholarship, integrity, diligence, and patriotism that are so often lost in the modern education system. It is also, most importantly, about restoring the relationships between humanity and God… leading each student that enters the school to a personal relationship with the Savior by blessing each student, so that they may bless others.
Our Main Goal
The goal of our school is to be a place for students to receive a quality Christian Education at an affordable price. The majority of other options for Christian Education in Jackson are either extremely doctrinally specific to a certain denomination, unaffordable, or both. Thus, it is our goal to create a school that more families can afford , that will provide education to students of various denominational backgrounds by focusing on common ground, and integrating faith into everyday learning, rather than preaching specific doctrine at the expense of academic value.
Our Method and Approach:
At Ridgecrest Academy, we use a hybrid philosophy and method in our teaching. Our method came to fruition as a combination of the following methods/ philosophies: Blueprint Method, Restoration Education, Montessori Method, Waldorf Method, Suzuki Method, and Principles of Liberty.
Core Aspects of our Method Include:
Teachings of the Gospel
Ridgecrest strengthens teachings of the Gospel throughout our academic curriculum in a variety of ways. For example, teachers gather every morning to sing a hymn, pray and listen to a brief devotional before beginning classroom instruction. Homeroom teachers begin each day in class with a morning devotional for the students and each grade presents a class devotional once per year for the entire School.
The Hand of God in Every Subject
Moral and religious education is incorporated daily in every class and every subject – not as a separate subject and not in a separate location. Students read a large variety of literature from Shakespeare to Tolstoy to writings of the C.S. Lewis. All literature that we study is virtuous, of the highest academic standards, original source material and teaches moral truths. A providential view of history is taught and reinforced through the use of timelines in each classroom that begin with creation, continue with developments in the Scriptures as well as world and American history and end with the Second Coming. Additionally, students are taught to see the hand of God particularly in the establishment and preservation of America through stories that are shared from American history.
Academic Excellence
Academic excellence and preparation for a successful college experience is taught through use of methodology referred to at the school as the 4R-ing method (Research, Reason, Relate, and Record). This method teaches students not just to memorize and regurgitate information but to read and understand difficult literature, reason and discern between truth and error, apply truths learned to their own lives and write persuasively and coherently. Nationally recognized and accredited curriculum, Abeka is used for instruction.
Homeroom subjects taught at Ridgecrest include reading and language arts, arithmetic, history/geography, and science. Specialty subjects include art, a choral music program, instrumental ensembles, physical education, student government, foreign language and various sports.
Seven Principles of Personal and Civil Liberty:
Divine Identity and Purpose
God is our loving Heavenly Father. He has endowed each of His children with the gifts of life, the freedom to choose, and a divine identity and purpose. Civil liberty is founded on the truth that these are inalienable, God-given rights.
Liberty through Christian Self-Government
God has given us the freedom to choose liberty and eternal life through Jesus Christ, or captivity and death. As we seek to obey the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive His grace, we will experience liberty. Civil liberty can exist only when there is widespread adherence to moral law by self-governed individuals.
Christlike Character
Jesus Christ is the standard of character and the model of all virtues. Through His Atonement, we can become like Him. America’s heritage provides examples of men and women who were liberated by obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and who sought freedom to develop and express Christian character. America became the seedbed of civil liberty because of inspired reliance upon Christian principles.
Conscience, the Most Sacred of All Property
God has granted each of us stewardship over our individual souls, labor, and possessions. The most sacred stewardship God has given us is our conscience. We experience liberty as we follow our conscience, which is the light of Christ within us. In the civil realm, liberty depends upon protection of the rights of property, including the property of conscience.
The Family, Religion, and Civil Government
Personal and civil liberty depend upon the protection and vitality of three realms: the family, religion and its expression, and civil government. Internal restraints within civil government, such as representation, separation of powers, and federalism, are necessary to temper the exercise of governmental power. These internal restraints protect individual accountability, the rights and responsibilities of families, and religion and its expression.
Cultivating Self-Government in Others
Individuals who experience liberty through Christ seek to bless others with liberty. Christ’s followers are obligated to cultivate and protect the right of self-government for all mankind. Civil liberty is best protected when the decision-making authority of government resides at the level that is closest to those affected by its decisions.
Fullness of Liberty through Unity with God and Man
The ultimate purpose of God’s plan of happiness is to enable us to experience a fullness of liberty. This is possible only through unity with God, our families, and our fellowmen as we experience the atoning power of Jesus Christ. Uniting as self-governed individuals enables and strengthens civil and personal liberty, and magnifies the potential of all.
Our Logo
The school’s logo highlights key aspects of the philosophies and purposes of our school…
The shield, reminding us that the shield of faith will protect us from the wickedness of the world.
The quill, reminding us of our desire to create, to write, to express what we learn.
The open book, reminding us that we should always be open to new information, and always ready to learn more.
The lamp, because God’s words guide us in everything we do.
The globe, because we want to be a blessing in the world around us.
Proverbs 9:10- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Tuition and Fees:
General Tuition for all students, grades K-12: $350/ month
Registration/ Textbook Fee: $150 (Due at the beginning of the year) / Cost of Textbooks (as published by Abeka)
Suzuki Music Lessons: $75/month (for students currently enrolled at RA)
Tuition and Lesson Fees are due at the beginning of each month. These are payable through CashApp or in person at the School Office.
Please do not let financial hardship hinder your child's education, please ask us about scholarships available for those in need. The Lord asks each of us to "do well our honest part" ... if you are actively contributing, we know God will work out the rest. If you or your family are experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to the school so we can make arrangements with you, or check out our "Resources" page for more information.
Association and Registration:
Ridgecrest Academy Co-operative Learning Center is a member of the Association of Christian Educators International, a co-op/ group of AliYah Academy, and is an American Heritage Schools Worldwide Family Education Center. RACLC is registered as a 501(c)3 in the State of Tennessee. We use the Nationally Accredited Abeka Curriculum in our instruction. All of the families who participate at RA are registered with the State of Tennessee either as independent homeschool families or through a recognized umbrella school. All faculty and staff are vocational members of a religious order.