MPCS Head of School

THANK YOU for taking a few minutes to visit the Mount Paran Christian School website. MPCS is a special place, as I am sure you will see throughout the pages of this site. Founded in 1976, Mount Paran Christian School serves families from the greater Atlanta area, seeking to develop servant-leaders who will honor God, love others, and walk in Truth.

As you will learn, MPCS stands out in several ways:

We are distinctly Christian and pleased to partner with families and churches in the development of the minds and hearts of students.
Our students are spectacular! They are scholars. They are athletes. They are artists. Driven to succeed inside and outside of the classroom, our graduates have become college professors, Major League Baseball players, and Broadway performers. They are also committed fathers, mothers, and Christians. They are influencing countless sectors throughout the world.
Our faculty are the heart of all we do. They are committed intellectuals, researchers, and practitioners. Above all, they love students, their subject matter, and God and are committed to the success of every student.
Our programs – academic, athletic, and artistic – prepare students to flourish and to excel in college and the workplace, for a lifetime of impact for all of eternity.
Our campus and facilities are unparalleled. MPCS is home to world-class academic, arts, and athletic facilities.

I encourage you to come for a visit, arrange a tour, and witness all the exciting things happening on campus and within the lives of our students. We look forward to serving you and toward the possibility of you joining the MPCS family!

Head of School Memo: Fall 2021

October 22, 2021

Dear MPCS Family:

The 2021-2022 school year has been a great success in many regards but has also brought some challenges that we have not experienced before. In this memo, I will explain these challenges so that I may conclude with the many bright spots that we have seen and have to look forward to this year.

First, the loss of our Assistant Head of Lower School, Katy Rogers, has been extremely difficult. Please take time to read more about Katy's impact and the scholarship fund set up in her name.

Early on, we had seen a larger percentage of students who had been infected with COVID-19 than we did last fall. The Delta variant was much more contagious for children, but, thankfully, we do not have any current cases at this time. I, and we, continue to thank you for your patience with us as we have labored to make this year as seamless as possible and as we continue to provide your children with the education you have grown to love and expect.

On a much brighter note, as we head into the fall and holiday season, we are excited to be able to again host the concerts and programs that have for so long been an MPCS tradition. Having our community back together has been an incredible step forward in building back what was lost over the past two school years. I know I have personally loved reconnecting with so many of you as we have seen one another around campus. It will only get better from here! Be sure to check the Weekly Word and the calendar of events. We hope you and your family will participate in all that is occurring on campus. Plays, musicals, dance concerts, and many other activities and athletic events promise to build the excitement and culture that makes Mount Paran, Mount Paran.

Also, review the most recent Construction Corner update to learn about the exciting progress on the Murray Innovation Center, still on target for a January grand opening.

I hope that you have figured out by now what I have figured out in my nearly four years here. Mount Paran is an extraordinary place. We are not and never will be perfect. However, we are blessed to be a part of a unique and special culture where our students are known and loved, where our families are valued, and where our children are receiving a top-rate education. More than that, however, we are blessed to be a part of a community that strives to make Christ preeminent in all we do, in all we study, in all we say. If we are to be the Christian school that makes an impact upon our world, this must stay at the forefront.

Now, as I close, let me do so reminding you of our mission:

Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, Mount Paran Christian School unites with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Timothy P. Wiens, Ed.D.

Health and Safety Fall 2021

Heading into the school year, MPCS will not mandate COVID-19 vaccinations. However, understand that guidelines may require certain steps for those who are not vaccinated and who come in close contact with another person who has contracted COVID-19. For those who have been vaccinated, it appears there will be no contact tracing or time away from campus, even if coming in contact with someone infected with the virus.

Currently, we do not foresee mandating mask-wearing, though we respect everyone’s decision to wear – or not wear – a mask. Our position on this issue is that it is not a political statement one way or another, but rather a health choice that is made after considering the benefits and the drawbacks of whatever choice is made. We will also ask that you respect whatever decision others within (and outside of) our community make, as they only want what is best for their families and themselves.

As it pertains to COVID-19 sanitization, we will keep each of our successful protections in place. We will mitigate risks by continuing to require frequent handwashing and supplying hand sanitizing stations throughout campus. MPCS operations will also continue with daily and quarterly classroom sanitization protocols. This involves wiping of surfaces, daily fogging in each learning space, upgrading and cleaning filters, and air purification in buildings through our fully-installed Synexis system.

We will physically-distance when it is possible, though this is difficult with our growing population of students and staff. However, we plan to bring our community back on campus, to hold indoor and outdoor activities as we have in the past, and to worship together joyfully and frequently. We plan to re-establish the community feel that makes Mount Paran, Mount Paran. We plan to gather, love, and rejoice in the fact that we have been created for relationships and celebrate this ideal as often as possible.

Click here for a full description of COVID-19 protocols for fall semester 2021.

WingTips is an MPCS blog presented by Dr. Tim Wiens. Read "Why Independent School," as well as other Christian educational thought-leadership in recent articles, guest student posts, and blog series.

Head of School Blogs:

“It is the role of the Christian school to join with the family, church, and community and to provide young people with a superior education, preparing the total person—mind, body, and spirit—for life and service in a diverse and changing world.”

- Dr. Timothy P. Wiens, Head of School

ABOUT DR. TIM WIENS:

Tim Wiens has spent the past 30 years in K-12 schools and higher education, where he has served as a history teacher and coach, dean of students, assistant principal, head of school, and college professor. Dr. Wiens earned a B.A. and M.Ed. from Bethel University, an M.B.A. from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, and a doctorate from Saint Mary's University. He and his wife, Katie, reside in Kennesaw with their son, Eliot, and three Great Danes.

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