A few months ago, a Petra mom and I were discussing an article when she started to tear up. Handing her a box of Kleenex, I asked a few more questions. Did something happen in her kids’ classes? Were her children struggling with what they were learning? She reassured me her concern was cultural, not academic. “I know my kids are getting the best education at Petra, no question,” she said. “But…” Learn more about the mom’s concern in Mr. Dunham’s Scholar’s Forum post.

February
16: State Tournament Playoff Game (Petra vs. Yellowstone) at Big Timber, 1 p.m.
18: Current Family Re-Enrollment Opens
21: Secondary Recitation (11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in the Performance Hall)
28: Adventure Awaits Celebration (5:30-8:30 p.m.)

March
1: NO ELEMENTARY RECITATION FOR MARCH
2: CLT Testing
3-4: Montana Economics Challenge
5: Board Meeting (3:45 p.m. in the Library)
6: Crosscut 5/6 Grade Ski Trip
15: Crosscut 3/4 Grade Ski Trip
18-22: Spring Break (NO SCHOOL)
28-30: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (4 shows: Thurs.-Sat. night/Sat.afternoon)

Tours on Thursday are given every Thursday morning from 9-10 a.m. and 10-11 a.m.
Mom-in-Prayer prayer group meets every Tuesday morning from 8:35-9:35 a.m.
Dads-Who-Dare prayer group meets every Thursday morning from 6:30-7:30 a.m.

Visit our master calendar for more information on these and future dates.

After a 1-1 split this past weekend, our Varsity boys basketball team is currently tied for 4th place with Yellowstone County Home School in the eastern division of the Montana Christian Athletic Association. The MCAA takes the top four teams from each division for their annual state tournament (this year, to be held at Manhattan Christian, Thursday-Saturday, February 21-23), so a playoff game is in order.

The plan is for Petra to take on Yellowstone this Saturday, February 16, at 1 p.m. at the Big Timber Civic Center (111 West 3rd Avenue, Big Timber, MT 59011). Admission ($4 adults; students free) will be charged to help defray rental and officiating costs. Petra families are encouraged to caravan to the game to support the team’s pursuit of our first-ever basketball state tournament berth (it’s a one-hour drive). Go, Griffins!

“With over a hundred million sets of eyes making up its viewership, one could argue that the Super Bowl wins the Lombardi Trophy as the sports event champion of commercialization. But is there more to the spectacle than meets the eyes?”

Read the rest of Mr. Dunham’s post, “Just Another Football Game?” in our Scholar’s Forum. Want to send him your own thoughts in response? Email him.

Here’s an at-a-glance look at this month:

February
5: Board Meeting (3:45 p.m. Library)
8: Spirit Day/Contio Spiritus (3:15 p.m. Gym)
11-12: Winter Break (NO SCHOOL; Petra Ski P.E. Monday, February 11)
18: Current Family Re-Enrollment Opens
21: Secondary Recitation (11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Performance Hall)
28: Adventure Awaits (5:30-8:30 p.m.)

Tours on Thursday are given every Thursday morning from 9-10 a.m. and 10-11 a.m.
Mom-in-Prayer prayer group meets every Tuesday morning from 8:35-9:35 a.m.
Dads-Who-Dare prayer group meets every Thursday morning from 6:30-7:30 a.m.

Visit our master calendar for more information on these and future dates.

After Mrs Weber’s 2nd grade class completed their study of the seven continents, they decided to take their creative writing lesson to a whole new level, writing and publishing a book. In the story, Griff, the main character of their story, travels around the world discovering God’s beauty throughout his many adventures.

Interested parents of all students are encouraged to stop by Mrs. Weber’s classroom and view the book, Griff Discovers Beauty. Congratulations to our aspiring authors!

If you’re a currently-enrolled family at Petra, you should have received your postcard invitation announcing that tickets for our Adventure Awaits celebration on Thursday, February 28, are now on sale. Purchase yours and:

• connect with current and prospective parents about all that Petra has to offer
• enjoy food from around the world catered and presented with flair
• hear from current parents and teachers about their experience at Petra
• enjoy live music and student performances (recitation, theatrical, musical)
• bid on 10 amazing live and 30 silent auction items

First two tickets are $15 each; additional tickets are $10 each. For each prospective parent you bring who is new to Petra, you will be entered into a drawing for $500 off next year’s tuition! We only have 200 spots available for the evening. Buy tickets now!

This past Thursday, January 24, Petra senior Valerie Lewis was a featured presenter at a capitol briefing in Helena as part of National School Choice Week. You can read Valerie’s message, “Educational Freedom,” reflecting on her six years at Petra, in this week’s Scholar’s Forum.

Petra Academy is again partnering with Big Sky Resort to provide Ski P.E. to our 4th-12th grade students on Monday, February 11 (first day of Petra’s Winter Break). This is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the “biggest skiing (and snowboarding) in America” at a reasonable cost.

There will be a mandatory parent/student meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 31, in the Petra Secondary Flex Space, where Jim and Jen Stumbo will share detailed information and collect skier/snowboarder information and money. This will be the only avenue to register and pay for this event.

National School Choice Week is being celebrated across the country January 20-26. The goal of the week is to raise awareness about the various K-12 education options for students. Petra Academy was recently featured for our participation on KBZK.

Here in Montana, we have traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools, magnet schools, online learning, and homeschooling. Petra Academy believes being able to choose and have various options for education is important.