First Day of School

Well, the first day of school is upon us once again. We are deeply grateful to God for leading Vita Nova into its second year and into a new chapter with The Summit Academy. Students begin the 2008-2009 year on Tuesday, August 19, and we invite your prayers for the following:

• for all students at Vita Nova and The Summit to grow in the wisdom and understanding of the Lord
• for comfort and peace as teachers and students return and for those who are joining this family for the first time
• for guidance and wisdom among the faculty, administration, and board to lead with all diligence and faithfulness

We are looking forward to another extraordinary year of Classical and Christian education. Check back often for updates and pictures!

Colts Fundraisers

We kicked off the 2008-2009 school year even before school officially started with our first fundraising event at Lucas Oil Stadium, the new home of the Indianapolis Colts! Vita Nova and Summit Academy families worked together at several merchandise booths from which a portion of the proceeds will benefit our schools.

To see a glimpse of the stadium and some of the people involved, visit www.vitanovaindy.org/colts.html.

United Vision

Ecclelesiastes 4:12 (NIV) says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Psalm 133:1 (NIV) adds, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"

We are bursting with excitement to announce a collaborative effort with The Summit Academy (http://www.thesummitacademy.com/), a Classical and Christian school like Vita Nova in Indianapolis. We had visited Summit back in 2006 when we were first exploring the idea of Vita Nova. Since then we had often wondered and prayed about a possible working relationship.

God answers prayers in wonderful ways! This summer leaders from both schools began talking and the result...well, for that you need to go to the United Vision page of our website. There you will find more about what God is doing with Classical and Christian education in the greater Indianapolis area and the role Vita Nova can play.

Annus Mirabilis

Annus mirabilis is Latin for "miraculous year." Nothing could be more fitting to describe the first year of Vita Nova's existence.

Those who have followed this blog and checked our ever-changing website have gotten a small glimpse of some of our miracles. By the grace of God we opened in August of 2007 at the Latvian Community Center. By the grace of God our teachers and students worked through a full year of rigorous academic curriculum. By the grace of God our students experienced numerous activities beyond our walls, including opportunities to serve others.

We had our challenges, too. There were the usual bouts of childhood illness. Melissa, our Head of School, was absent for several days while her father was in the hospital. Just recently one of our students faced a potentially serious medical issue, the miracle of which you can read about in the previous post.

What no one reading a blog or website can possibly know, however, is how much the lives of these children have been changed. A year spent anywhere would change the life of a child, but over 180 days spent in a Christ-centered, academically challenging, creatively stimulating environment have shaped these children in ways that will help them to live out the unique calling that God has for each of them.

As we leave for the summer, we thank God for His daily blessing and guidance of this enterprise. We are deeply grateful to all our prayer partners and to those who have supported us in any way, whether through a financial gift, the gift of time in serving, or the blessing of a kind word of encouragement. We pray for all our friends and families to have an enjoyable, rejuvenating summer even as we look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones in the fall. We invite you to read once again these foundational words for Vita Nova, words that come from the very heart of God.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:18-21, NIV)

Our Prayer Family

On the Support page of our website (http://www.vitanovaindy.org/support.html) you can see that we have quite a list of prayer partners from several different states who pray continually for Vita Nova. Recently one of our students had a medical situation, and our prayer team instantly mobilized. The great news is that she is doing fine, but I wanted to share the comments from a friend of mine who is a scholar and member of Christian religious order in Italy. He wrote:

We usually pray only that the will of God takes place, but in this instance will make an exception and we'll pray also for her recovery. I realize firmly that sometimes one cannot follow the rule, and a little girl is a reason sufficient enough.

Indeed, we must always pray for God's will to be done, even if that will seems contrary to what we desire. Yet as my friend put it, a little girl is more than enough reason to pray earnestly and personally. From the way Jesus welcomed children, I am sure He would agree.

Camping Fun!

The first weekend in May, the families of Vita Nova enjoyed a camping trip at Turkey Run State Park. Originally the trip was to start on Friday after school and an overnight camping experience at the park. The threat of severe weather, however, caused us to delay our departure until Saturday morning.

When we arrived at the campsite at Turkey Run, we went about the business of setting up a couple of tents and building a fire for lunch. The students began making their camp shirts and finding sticks for grilling the hotdogs.

After a hearty lunch of hotdogs and homemade chili, we all headed out to the trails. You can find some of the most breathtaking trails in Indiana at Turkey Run, and our intrepid group headed out for Trail 3, which involved crossing a suspension bridge over Sugar Creek. On the other side of the bridge the students gathered to hear about the rare plant life that dates to prehistoric times that can be found in the park, as well as the unique, glacier-shaped rock formations. From there they continued on Trail 3 to the Ice Box, pictured below.

The Ice Box provided great climbing opportunities and the chance to explore some of the incredible beauty of God's creation.

Returning to our campsite after the hike, the families enjoyed s'mores as chill winds began to whip around us. At last the families said good-bye, and some stayed on through the weekend. All in all it was a great opportunity for our children to grow mentally and physically and for our families to grow deeper in their connections with each other.

To see pictures from the trip, click here.

Risks of Following Jesus

We are incredibly blessed to be able to operate Vita Nova in a country where our staff will not risk their lives just to teach. The following is a news bulletin from Voice of the Martyrs (http://www.persecution.com/)

SOMALIA Four Christian Teachers Murdered - VOM Sources

On April 13, four Christian teachers, two of them converts from Islam, were murdered by Islamic militants in Beledweyne in south-central Somalia. The four teachers, two British citizens of Somali origin-Mr. Daud Hassan Ali (64) and Ms. Rehana Ahmed (32)-and two unidentified Kenyans, were shot and killed by Islamist insurgents during a midnight raid on the Hakab Private English School. The Islamic extremist group responsible for the violence, alleged that they fired indiscriminately and that the teachers were killed in crossfire. Local people, however, believe the teachers were singled out for their suspected evangelistic work. The wife of Daud Hassan Ali alleged that her husband was targeted because he was a Muslim-born convert to Christianity. Pray the families of those killed will rest in the knowledge that those who die in the Lord will be raised with Him. Pray the perpetrators of this attack will come to repentance and salvation. Pray for wisdom and protection for those serving Christ in Somalia. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Spaghetti Success!

Few words could describe our Spaghetti Dinner on Sunday better than...WOW! We estimate around 70 guests visited Vita Nova and enjoyed a wonderful spaghetti meal, complete with desserts, including a cake with our name on it from one of our families.

And speaking of our families...what a tremendous amount of giving they all demonstrated. Parents and children alike gave of their time, talents, and resources to make this spaghetti dinner and raffle a tremendous success. Not only did we raise nearly $2000.00, but we got to meet some wonderful people, who in turn got to share in the spirit of Vita Nova.

We offer a huge THANK YOU to all who made this possible, whether through their donations or their hard work. We could not have done this without you.

Please click on the picture below, which will take you to the picture page on our website. You may also click here to visit the links to our growing number of community and corporate supporters.

A Roman Emperor on Education

We have a page on our website that is a growing collection of quotations that enrich and advance the vision of our school. The following is from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who reigned from 138-161 A.D. He is famous for being something of a philosopher, and his book, Meditations, has been in constant print for nearly 2000 years. Writing in Greek he acknowledged various influences on his life, including that of his father, mother, and great grandfather. What is fascinating is that one of the truths he came to see is one that a rapidly growing number of families are embracing today.

Meditations 4

From my great-grandfather I learned not to go to the public schools and to have good teachers at home and to understand that for such things it is necessary to spend eagerly and lavishly.

We all spend our money on the things we choose. The wise know that there are few better investments than in the education and future of our children. Yes, it is unfair that those who choose Christian education for their children must pay twice, once in the form of tuition and again in the form of taxes that support schools they will not attend. Yet Christians throughout the ages have been willing to suffer, many to the point of death, for what they believed to be right, and we can be confident that if we prayerfully follow God's leading, He will bless our faithfulness more than we can imagine. Remember, it is Jesus Himself Who says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38, NIV)

Latvian Friends

Our students recently had a great opportunity to learn from some of the women in the Latvian community about traditional Latvian arts and crafts. These women are often at the Latvian Community Center, where our students hold class, and have shared some of their wonderful foods with us. It is a blessing for us to be in a relationship with such a wonderful community of people!

Easter Pictures

I just viewed the Easter pictures of the kids at school. They are great. How wonderful are Ms Sandra and Ms Melissa for teaching the kids about Jesus and the Last Supper. If you haven't seen them check them out on the up close page on the VNCA website.
Thank you also Steve for playing the part of the Roman Soldier.

Spaghetti and Rummage

Vita Nova will be hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, with raffle, on Sunday, April 13. The spaghetti meal, including dessert, is $10.00 at the door for each person over age 8 and will run from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Come on out and enjoy some great spaghetti, even better fun and friendship, and a great opportunity to see what Vita Nova is all about! Vita Nova is located in the Latvian Community Center at 1008 W. 64th Street.

Also, many of you look forward to our biannual rummage sale. Our spring sale will be on Saturday, April 26, from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the parking lot of Harris Bank on the corner of 86th and Payne Road. If you have anything you would like to donate, please contact the head of our Parents Round Table, Sandra Rich, at srich@vitanovaindy.org. Once again we invite you to come out and enjoy some great bargains that will benefit the students of Vita Nova.

Easter at Vita Nova

For much of the world, Easter is the less important of two Christian holidays. Christmas in the secular world is about gifts and parties, bright lights and decorations, but the world does not quite know what to do with Easter. The best the world can offer is bunny rabbits and candy.

Christians, however, know that Easter is the very center of life, for at Easter Jesus rose from the grave and transformed even death into life. It seems only natural that the students of Vita Nova Christian Academy should have made a big deal of this most important holiday.

In the days leading up to Easter, our students experienced a footwashing in imitation of how Jesus washed the feet of His disciples before the Last Supper. According to the teachers, even our youngest children took seriously this solemn activity and learned something of what it means to serve others in the name of Jesus.

The Monday after Easter the students experienced a first-person account of the events leading upt to the crucifixion of Jesus, the crucifixion itself, and His glorious resurrection. The fictional character Publius Sempronius Tuditanus, in full Roman military dress, shared with them the perspective of one of the soldiers who guarded the tomb of Christ.
To see some pictures from these events, please visit our website at www.vitanovaindy.org/easter.html.

Prayer for Kenya

Our mission is to guide families in the development of their children as lifelong students and servants of God's diverse world. In keeping with this, we are joining in prayer and fasting for the current crisis in Kenya.

Our Head of School, Melissa Perkins, and her husband, Steve, attend Grace Community Church, which partners with Nairobi Chapel and Mavuno Church in Kenya. During the week of March 2-9, Grace Church and the families of Vita Nova will be praying for Kenya and specifically for the pastors that will begin to caravan to five cities in Kenya on March 7. Over 1,000 people have died in the recent political and tribal violence, and over 600,000 have lost their homes.

Even though Kenya is far away, our students and families can reach out to this country by praying for the peace of Christ that passes all understanding to come upon the people, by praying for reconciliation among those at war, and by praying that the light and truth of Jesus will shine through the pastors as they journey to these ravaged cities.

For more information, please visit the Grace Church website at http://gracecc.org/kenya.html.

Now Enrolling!

We are now enrolling grades pre-K through 4th for the 2008-2009 school year.

To find out how to guarantee a spot for your child, please join us for our Open House on Sunday, March 2, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. It will be a great time to meet with board members, staff, and other Vita Nova families. We look forward to seeing you!

Illuminated Manuscripts

Yesterday board member and dad Steve Perkins visited Vita Nova to talk with our first and third grade students about illuminated manuscripts. After looking at pictures of some of these Medieval masterpieces, the students got a chance to try their hand at some calligraphy. Steve modeled for the students a type of writing called Carolingian Minuscule, which was popular from the 8th to the 12th centuries and is connected with the reign of Charlemagne. Interestingly, the pre-K students were were learning to read a book titled Pepin The N0t-Big, which is about King Pepin the Short, who was Charlemagne's father.

Carolingian Minuscule is a simple style of writing that looks like this:




The students did an amazing job copying simple biblical texts using dip pens and ink, then "illuminating" their pages with pictures that acccompanied the texts. While they worked, these would-be scribes listened to the soft sounds of Gregorian chant in the background.

Prayer Partners on Website

We now have a list of our prayer partners on the website, including a map to show where they are from. Check it out at http://www.vitanovaindy.org/support.html.

We are incredibly grateful for our prayer partners, wherever they may be, and we ask for God's continued blessing on them. Thanks, everyone!

Prayer Dinner

On Friday evening, January 25, we held a dinner for our prayer partners at Vita Nova. There are people throughout Indiana and across the United States praying for Vita Nova on every day of the month. We are so grateful for these prayer partners, many of whom have never seen our school, but who know the importance of prayer and what Vita Nova is working to accomplish.

After dinner, board members, staff, and prayer partners walked through the school and spent time in prayer, often stopping to pray over the chairs where the children sit, the entrance to the school, and in other key areas. We prayed for protection of all who enter our school. We prayed for the families we do not yet know, but who will enroll for the 2008-2009 school year.

When it all was over, we felt so excited and recharged! This is no surprise, however, for as Jesus promised in Matthew 18:20, since we had gathered in His name, He was there with us.

Roman Art from the Louvre

From September, 2007, through the first week of January, 2008, the Indianapolis Museum of Art hosted an extraordinary exhibit, Roman Art from the Louvre. Nearly one hundred fifty pieces of ancient Roman sculpture, pottery, mosaics, metalwork, and jewelry dating over two thousand years into the past were on loan from the French museum.

During their first week back at school, our students had the opportunity to see these precious antiquities. The previous day Miss Sandra and helped them make mosaics, and the day of the trip Steve Perkins, one of our fathers and board members, talked with them about what they would see. Miss Melissa had also read with them again the story from Luke 2 about the Emperor Augustus and the census that caused Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem.

When our students arrived, the first thing they saw was a bust of Augustus dating to 27 B.C., some two thousand thirty-four years old. To put it in another perspective, this is more than 400 times as old as some of our pre-K students!

What was most impressive were the questions our students asked. One girl wondered why most of the busts were white, but another looked blue (answer: it was made of basanite, the others of marble). Another asked why part of a statue's head was missing (answer: it had been damaged over time). All in all it was an exciting and once-in-a-lifetime educational experience. To see some pictures from our trip, visit http://www.vitanovaindy.org/up_close.html.

Welcome 2008!

We welcome the new year and those who read our blog to see what is going on at Vita Nova. Class resumed today amidst frigid wind-chill temperatures and flurries adding to the cotton blanket already on the ground. This short, first week of school will end with a trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art on Friday where the Knights of Vita Nova will see some the ancient Roman art from the Louvre.

We kick off the year with some publicity on the State of Indiana website. We are now listed with other private schools at http://www.doe.in.gov/htmls/privsch.html.

There are many things on the horizon for Vita Nova in 2008. We look forward to completing our 501c3 tax-exempt application, acquiring more resources, registering more students for the 2008-2009 school year, hiring additional staff...the list goes on. Our most exciting milestone, however, will be the completion of our first year in operation. We pray for God's guidance as we run toward our goal.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12, NIV)