Contact Information
Spring Hill, TN 37174
zakdevries@gmail.com
(920) 946-3912
iamjessdevries@gmail.com
(920) 207-6699
Faith & Philosophy
I (Jess) became a believer at the age of 19 at our home church in Wisconsin - which is where I met my husband, Zak. We got married when we were 21, and the Lord has been the center of our marriage from day one to now — 18 years later! Zak's career has moved us a few times (Los Angeles, Fort Worth, and now Spring Hill), but no matter where we've lived, we've made it a priority to be plugged into our local church — growing, serving, and attending services and studies as much as we can. Zak became a believer when he was 13 years old. He has been a member of a local church body since and has served in a variety of areas — worship team as a drummer, sound team, and as a youth leader. He has also participated in Men's Bible Study.
Zoe previously attended a Christian, classical hybrid-model school in Fort Worth called Christian Life Preparatory School, and it is very similar to Saints Classical Academy! We have enjoyed every aspect of her education as well as the flow of our days — both at home and at school. I love how she has been able to learn and benefit from the best of both worlds, and I’m so thankful to have the same opportunity for Eden now that she’s ready for Kindergarten.
Our faith in Christ is everything. It’s the center of who we are individually and who we are as a family. We are in the Word daily and pray together. We discuss the gospel/sin/repentance/faith in Jesus, focus on Scripture memory, sing hymns, and learn Catechism.
Our hope and prayer in this partnership would be that our daughters would grow in their knowledge and love for the Lord, for others, and for the wonderful world that He has made — that they would grow to become kind, intelligent, critical-thinkers who are grounded in their faith in Christ.
When looking into classical education a few years ago, something stuck with me. Classical education teaches students how to learn instead of just what to learn. It focuses on not only academics, but character formation. It is foundational and teaches from a Christian worldview. It is fundamental and logical. It is rich in literature, language, history, and the arts. It is beautiful and biblical!
I think our parenting philosophy aligns best with authoritative parenting. We have always prioritized the time we have with our daughters. Zak works from home, and I am home caring for the girls full-time. We love to spend time with them, have fun with them, and all be together as a family — but we also have very clear expectations. When they are ignored or willfully disobeyed, there are consequences that follow. It is not easy or fun, but we try our best to be consistent when there are opportunities to learn from in order to make better decisions. We try to parent biblically by showing the girls their sin, explaining why it is wrong, teaching them instead to do what is right, and allowing them to correct things in the moment, if able. We teach kindness, forgiveness, and compassion — but also obedience, wisdom, and structure.
Students (2)
Zoe DeVries 2nd Grade → 3rd
Our reasons for wanting to change are due to us missing the classical model that we came from and our love for electives! That being said, Vine has been wonderful to us. Our move was rather quick, and Vine had availability on the same track as Zoe’s school in Fort Worth. We are very thankful, but once I joined the Moms Group on Facebook and saw there was a Christian, classical hybrid-model school within 15 minutes of our home, that did it for me! Socially, Zoe is fitting right in with friends, and academically, she is either up to speed or already competent in the lessons she’s being taught. Many of the books they are reading this year or plan to read in the next few years, she has either read in class, or we have read them at home together. Coming from Saxon and Singapore math, she is competent in her current math curriculum, Horizons. We also had originally planned to live in the Franklin area, so being much closer to school is a huge blessing!
Zoe is bright, kind, and compassionate! She is a friend to everyone she meets. She is eager to learn and loves life! Zoe likes to use her imagination and create. She loves crafting, drawing, painting, sewing, writing, you name it. She is often found multi-tasking — listening to audiobooks and drawing or doing legos while listening to music. She also loves to be outside drawing with chalk and biking around the neighborhood. In Fort Worth, Zoe enjoyed four years of ballet and then switched it up and wanted to do Karate! She participated in Karate for one year until we moved, and now we’re looking into gymnastics. We also just began piano lessons.
Zoe enjoys all subjects, but she loves literature. We have read many books together, but to name a few favorites: The Chronicles of Narnia, Mr. Poppers Penguins, Tumtum & Nutmeg, Charlotte’s Web, and Little House in the Big Woods. Zoe would much rather be read to than read on her own, but she enjoys reading Sophie Mouse and The Boxcar Children. Homework habits and work ethic are good. Zoe is very Type A and motivated. Her desire to work independently has grown, however, she struggles with rushing to complete her work rather than doing it well with patience :)
Zoe is very aware and understanding. Sometimes she meets us with a bit of verbal resistance, but overall she shows genuine remorse that is followed by forgiveness and hugs!
Eden DeVries Pre-K → Kindergarten
Our reason for leaving is because she’s aged out and ready for Kindergarten.
Eden is kind, joyful, and hilarious! She loves to laugh and to make others laugh. Eden is a sweet girl who loves people and makes friends easily. At her young age, she enjoys caring for her dolls and stuffed animals. Eden is very nurturing and motherly. She has recently had an explosion in her interest of coloring! Before she could barely make it five minutes, but now she colors so many pictures that we need a larger refrigerator to display all her art :) She likes to keep up with Zoe and enjoys playing with her. She likes to be outside also and on her bike as much as possible. In Fort Worth, Eden enjoyed one year of ballet until we moved. She attended a trial class at a local ballet studio, but she may decide to do gymnastics like her big sister.
At this point, Eden loves everything about school except handwriting. She is a good sport and tries her best, but she gets frustrated when she doesn’t make her letters or numbers perfectly. For homework habits and work ethic, I think she’s right on par for her age and attention span. I give her lots of encouragement to try her best and also have fun!
Eden responds very quickly to discipline. She is remorseful and is eager to forgive and make amends.
Enrollment: Paid · Fee: $300.00 · Tuition: $7,400.00 (monthly_12) · Manage