Welcome to the Family

Learn these common terms used on campus by staff and students:

• 11:1 - High school mentorship program with lower school
• Black Box - The Black Box Theater on the second floor of the Murray Arts Center
• Blue & Black Bash - Sports pre-game tailgate festivities
• The Cabin - Rowland Cabin, Directed Studies high school classrooms
• CLP - Connected Learning Program (1:1 Device and Google Classroom curriculum)
• CommUNITY - The diversity and belonging initiative to encourage school community
• The Cottage - Sewell Cottage preschool building
• CRR - Choral Rehearsal Room in the first floor of the Murray Arts Center
• DS - Directed Studies program
• Eagles Nest - school store
• Guard House - the security guard building at the front gate entrance
• Grand Lobby - second floor main lobby area of the Murray Arts Center
• Imagine Tomorrow - the final phase of the capital campaign to build the Murray Innovation Center
• KLT - Kristi Lynn Theatre of the Murray Arts Center
• Knox - Also known as the "barn," the Knox Athletic Performance Center (sports medicine, training, and weight room)
• Lake McDonald - the MPCS six-acre lake
• The Landing - the turf play area next to the football field
• MAC - Murray Arts Center
• MIC - Murray Innovation Center, high school addition
• Morning Devotion - Every morning staff and students share announcements and devotion to begin the school day
• MPAC - Mount Paran Arts Council, parent arts group
• MPC - Mount Paran Christian (acronym used in athletics)
• MPCS - Mount Paran Christian School
• PK, LS, MS, HS - preschool, lower school, middle school, high school
• PMI - Peer Mentor Initiative, high schoolers mentoring freshmen and new students
• PromRED - High school group supporting the End-it movement through prom
• PTF - Parent Teacher Fellowship, parent group supporting academics and fellowship events
• Shelton - The MPC Eagle mascot name
• Shelton Circle - the circular drive on the middle school side of the Mulkey building near the double-eagle statue
• Upper School - the combined middle and high school
• Weber Collaboratory - the upstairs media center and collaboration space 

Tuition payments may be paid via the drop box in the Mulkey Building main office, the student accounts office on the third floor of the Murray Arts Center, or the through the convenient online FACTS payment system.

Click here to learn how to create your FACTS account.

EAGLE ADVENTURE ZONE: MPCS offers early-care supervision and an extended-day program called Eagle Adventure Zone for students in preschool through fifth grade.

THE ZONE: MPCS offers an extended-day program for middle school students in sixth through eighth grades in the Weber Collaboratory.

CLICK HERE for information and registration for all extracurricular and extended day programs.

Preschool and lower school students typically check class rosters and visit with their teachers at Back-2-School Night. 

Grades 6-12 parents will receive academic schedules via email in mid-July, which are created by administration based on past academic records and spring registration for courses and exploratories or electives.

High school parents will be contacted by the Admission Office to discuss placement testing and new student scheduling during the summer, upon completion of registration.

Supplies
Basic school supplies are provided for all preschool through eighth-grade students and will be available in the classroom on the first day. All students will need to bring their own backpack. NIV Bibles are also needed in middle and high school. High school students receive a list of needed supplies in each class within the first week.

Textbook and E-books
Middle and high school students are required to purchase textbooks and e-books as part of the Connected Learning Program (1:1 device). Parents will receive log-in information via email specific to your child(ren)'s course selections and as soon as book sales begin in mid-July via the eCampus site.

Locker assignments are provided on the first day of school for high school and throughout the first week for middle school students. 

Locker shelving is sold in the Eagles Nest school store.

Fobs are also distributed at the start of each year to all upper school students. Since building side entrances stay locked for security, students may use their fob for entry between buildings during school hours. 

Preschool, lower, middle, and high school orientation nights for parents are held after school has begun. See the “key dates” section to the right for exact times for each grade level, as well as the 101 sessions for new students.

Be sure to visit the Back-2-School Night page for updates about the upcoming school year. 

Lunch is included in tuition for grades K-12. Our full-service catering program provides wide menu selections each day, including a choice of hot entrées, a deli and salad bar, fresh fruits, and a daily soup. Menus are posted on the school website under "Eagle Links," and parents are welcome to enjoy lunch with their child. Parent and guest meal tickets may be purchased in the main office of the Mulkey Building.

We also encourage you to download the SAGE DINING app for menus, allergy information, and feedback.

Mount Paran Christian School students are required to complete limited summer reading and academic activities to prepare for the upcoming school year. Please review details concerning each grade level or class math and reading log requirements.

Get the full list under Eagle Links, Summer Reading.

Visitors (parents included) must sign in at the front office when on campus. Should you need to check out your child during the school day, please come to the main office of the Mulkey Building. Allow time for your child to be called from class and report to the office. 

High school students must sign in or be checked-out through the high school office in the new Murray Innovation Center.

All check-outs must occur before 2:00 p.m. After this time, it is difficult to park and maneuver through blocked carpool traffic.

All new high school students and rising ninth-graders will be partnered with a current MPCS student to help them in their transition. This program is the Peer Mentoring Initiative (PMI). Students will be assigned a group and a PMI leader at the start of school.

In addition to daily Bible instruction, all students participate in weekly chapel services on Tuesdays. (Preschool chapel is held on Wednesdays in the Sewell Cottage.) Grades K-12 walk to the Kristi Lynn Theatre of the Murray Arts Center for chapel. Students in grades K-12 students must wear their chapel uniforms on Tuesdays. Parents may always join us at chapel. Check the website for the line up and chapel times.

The MPCS mascot is the Eagle (who goes by the name "Shelton"), and the school colors are blue, black, and white. Spirit wear may be purchased in the Eagles Nest school store, located in the Mulkey Building. 

Students may wear MPCS spirit wear with uniform pants on Fridays.

In the fall, MPCS hosts "Blue & Black Bash" pre-game tailgates, where our school family comes together for food, fellowship, and festivities prior to each home football game. 

Exploratories and electives are offered for all grades PreK-12. Lower school students rotate through exploratories each week as a part of their daily schedule. These classes include art, critical thinking, music, Spanish, and STEAM. Students participate in P.E. and recess daily. 

Middle school students are offered these and additional exploratory options, including band, chorus, drama, dance, French, and yearbook.

High school students may choose from a variety of electives. All new high school students will meet with a counselor to plan their schedules and electives upon completion of registration.

There is always something taking place on our campus! Athletic teams compete throughout the year. The Murray Arts Academy offers after-school opportunites in drama, music, and dance. Students may choose from a wide variety of academic and special interest clubs such as robotics, STEAM, chess, scouting, Bible studies, mock trial, and more. Information about these activities is available on the website under each school division or on the Extracurricular Programs page.

Current MPCS parents volunteer in various ways to support, integrate, and include new parents into the school through partnership initiatives with athletics, arts, and other parent-led groups. Parent Ambassadors will communicate with new families throughout the summer and at the start of the new year to help them acclimate into the MPCS family.

Preschool through eighth-grade classes have “room moms,” who serve the class in many ways. In addition to coordinating classroom activities and parties, these moms also keep in touch with the class parents, serving as a liaison to PTF and the classroom teacher.

As part of our goal to develop servant-leaders, MPCS offers short-term mission opportunities for students, staff, and parents. Past trips have been made to countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and areas of the U.S. including Appalachia. Various groups also serve monthly at partner ministry sites. We invite our parents to join students and staff in service on monthly Serve Saturdays as well as Family Serve Day each spring. It is our desire to enable every student to serve in “action and truth” (1 John 3:18).

Parents are invited to get involved in PTF, Moms in Prayer, and parent/staff-led Bible studies that offer faith guidance and fellowship. Parents also participate in Serve Saturdays and a spring Family Serve Day, when all MPCS families work side-by-side to serve the community.