Odessa Christian School adheres to the tenet that learning occurs best by allowing a student to struggle and wrestle with material and ideas so that they think creatively and critically about them, discovering answers through understanding gained by experience. We are Christ-focused, and teach content, but also responsibility, diligence, perseverance, and thoughtfulness.

We believe that learning and growth, and the development of knowledge, wisdom, and discernment, are lofty yet achievable godly goals for all students. 

• We believe every student is created in the image of God and has a calling on his or her life to discover and follow. 
• We believe that some students will go to college, some will go to competitive colleges, some will go to trade schools, some will complete certifications, and some will, after graduation, learn through nontraditional means. All these, when in the Lord’s plan, are excellent and valuable, and it is our heart to provide the opportunity for every student to be prepared for their individual future goals. 
• We believe it is imperative to provide questions to students to guide their learning, and to teach them to assess their available resources to solve problems cognitively, spiritually, and socially. 
• We believe in providing opportunities for students to grow academically, spiritually, and socially, and that the student must choose to respond to those opportunities in order for learning to be meaningful and long-lasting. 
• We believe it is critical that adults guide and encourage students, yet refrain from rescuing them, from difficult challenges, providing them instead with guidance and tools to address and resolve these challenges. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4) 
• We believe that peer collaboration and feedback, as well as that of “experts” and elders, is of utmost value, and we encourage our students to utilize these tools frequently. 
• We believe communication skills are essential not only to academic learning, but to evangelism, worship, prayer, mentoring others, having healthy friendships, raising families, and living lives in obedience to Christ. 
• We believe students should be committed and work hard at school to grow, AND to have time for family, extracurricular activities, and personal pursuits and hobbies for additional growth. 
• We believe mastery in learning is superior to proficiency in learning. 
• We believe using variety of tools in learning is beneficial for every student. These tools can include technology, “pen and paper” activities, research, reading, film/video, discussion, events, interviews, storytelling, field trips/travel, and others.
• We employ the use of studios, or buildings/wings, for each division, with separate studios for elementary, middle school, and high school students to provide for a diverse wealth of knowledge, skills, approaches, and personalities. We believe collaboration and learning occur more naturally, and leadership skills are well developed and honed, in these multi-age level environments. 
• While we utilize studio designations, we also strongly encourage peer mentoring, leadership, and modeling across studio groups and provide regular opportunities for these phenomena to occur. 

In the end, we seek to train up thinkers and doers - people who not only know information, but what they ought to do with it. 

“let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith”    Hebrews 10:22a