13 Jan A Word From Dr. Satterly—January 13, 2022
Dear WA Community,
Perhaps you are one who engages in new year’s resolutions. I know some people use that practice with great effectiveness, unfortunately, I am not really one of them. Instead, I’ve learned to embrace the new year’s reflection. Flipping the calendar serves as a catalyst to review and reflect on what has transpired in the past twelve months. It is a way of seeing God’s faithful hand, noting the struggle and progress that marks the journey.
This year, my new year’s reflection gazed back further than just the intervening twelve months. It went all the way back to the last time we started a school year without COVID-19 in mind. You may recall a unique event that launched the 2019 school year—Teachers Got Talent. Faculty began the year, stepping outside their comfort zone to perform on stage. We laughed together as faculty and staff displayed “talent”—with some performances requiring great skill and others a great sense of humor. It even went viral on YouTube.
Little did those faculty performers know that they would be asked to step out of their comfort zone once again within a few months—only this time in a manner integral to our mission as a school. With the onset of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown for the remainder of the school year, “what if” plans made in February became realities in March. Our faculty, staff, students, and parents demonstrated remarkable flexibility and adaptability—both then and now. As the laughter subsided at the end of Teachers Got Talent, I was so proud of our team. As I think about what they have accomplished since, I am astounded by their dedication and service.
As we look hopefully to the future and long for a return to a more typical school experience, we are doubling down in our focus on kingdom impact—specifically in the area of biblical worldview development. Our faculty have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to this end. Before the first class of 2022, our faculty gathered for professional development on January 3, which included the third session of the Westminster Academy Worldview Institute. We examined the metanarrative of Scripture—creation, fall, redemption, and consummation—how it enables us to address our reality in a way that enables us to respond to reality consistently with biblical principles and perspectives. In short, to think and therefore live like Jesus.
It is my prayer for each of us in the WA community that we allow Scripture to mold us to be more like Jesus, and for us to echo the words of John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
To God be the Glory!
Joel Satterly
Headmaster