In our last week of the school year, Christ the Savior Academy said a fond farewell to our remarkable eighth-grade class as they prepare to embark on their high school journeys. As part of our promotion ceremony, these students shared reflections on their time at CSA, offering a beautiful portrait of the young men and women they have become. We are incredibly proud to celebrate the Christ the Savior graduates of 2025 as they head to high school in Wichita.
Our CSA graduates are ready to thrive, embodying the values and spirit cultivated in our classical Christian PreK-8 school. They will be attending various high schools around town, including Kapaun Mt. Carmel, North High, Andover High, Studium, and Mary Seat of Wisdom. We will miss them dearly, but know they will all flourish in their new environments. Godspeed, Evie, Gloria, Iris, Jacob, and Irene!
Here’s what our Christ the Savior Academy graduates had to say about their journey at CSA:
Iris expressed her gratitude for the community and spiritual growth.
I am so grateful for the friends I have made here. Christ the Savior Academy is truly one of the best Christian schools in Wichita. Prayers are my favorite part of the day because they connect me with God. CSA has taught me how to live like a good Christian, and I will always be grateful for that. My time here has changed my life for the better in so many ways. I feel more than prepared to go into the next stage of my life!
Jacob highlighted the strong foundation he received, sharing a formative experience with a beloved teacher.
I am the second student to go all the way through CSA, from PreK to 8th grade. Mr. Wagner, my fifth and sixth-grade teacher, was one of the most influential teachers during my time here. He was strict and orderly, but with everything and everyone, not just me. Mr. Wagner realized that I just had to let loose a lot of energy. So, when I got into trouble, he would get me to run laps instead of forcing me to sit still. His class quickly became my favorite class, and I always looked forward to any subject he would teach. These included history, Christian Studies, geography, literature, but most importantly, Latin.
Though I hadn’t liked Latin before this, it quickly became my favorite subject. Mr. Wagner made Latin an engaging topic for us. Instead of copying lines or filling in worksheets, he made us all speak in Latin during the whole class, so that we were forced to learn the language. This second language was also important to me because it connected me to the teacher who gave me a second chance. Mr. Wagner became someone I wanted to make proud at any cost. I thus worked very hard in his classes, and my grades reflected this.
Mr. Wagner’s belief in me inspired me not only to do well in Latin but in other subjects, too. In Literature, we read about King Arthur, Robin Hood, and other medieval characters. We studied the Earth in geography. In history, we studied the great empires of Rome and Greece, as well as Europe in the medieval age. These lessons and stories gave me a love for these periods in time, as well as a love of reading and history in general.
For Irene, CSA was an adventure every day, providing valuable lessons in navigating friendships.
I have attended Christ the Savior Academy since my family moved here from New Hampshire seven years ago. In seventh grade, there was a lot of drama between some of us due to a lack of communication with each other. Like Dickens writes in A Tale of Two Cities, which we read this year, it truly was the best of times and the worst of times. I found myself toggling between several people, trying to help them understand each other. One of the things our class was struggling with was trying to figure out how to speak to each other about our frustrations without fracturing friendships.
At that time, we had been learning a poem by Emily Dickinson called Tell All the Truth which says:
Tell all the truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—
This poem showed me where we were going wrong. We were telling each other true things, but too directly, which made it hard for the other person to hear. This poem really helped me when my friends were in conflict with each other because I could tell them the truth, but softly, or ‘slant,’ so they could hear and accept what the other person was trying to say without getting defensive and making the situation worse. I learned that speaking truthfully but gently is a good way to navigate friendships. I couldn’t have learned how to speak truthfully, but kindly, and so many other lessons I learned here at CSA, without the help of my teachers. And now, as Bilbo Baggins once said, “The road is now calling, and I must away.” Friends and teachers, I bid you all a very fond farewell.
Gloria spoke about the holistic education that shapes both mind and heart, and a valuable lesson in patience.
I was homeschooled prior to seventh grade. I had never before really been with kids I did not know, and definitely not a whole classroom of people. So, when I started CSA for the first time, it was scary and challenging, but I was excited. These past two years have gone by so quickly, but I will be forever grateful to have had the opportunity to be here. Christ the Savior Academy not only focuses on growing the mind but also on forming the heart — how to practice the virtues and to live well. One virtue that I learned specifically is patience. I have a bad habit of going too fast with my work and then making silly mistakes because of my carelessness. Even with my instruments — violin and piano — my teachers have to constantly tell me, “Slow down, Gloria!”
One of our poems in our class these past two years, called Work while You Work by M.A. Stodart, reminds me of the importance of working wholeheartedly.
Work while you work,
—Play while you play;
One thing each time,
—That is the way.All that you do,
—Do with your might;
Things done by halves
—Are never done right.
It’s those last two lines that are a constant reminder to participate fully in what I do. There are many ways to suffer the cause of carelessness, whether it be my grades getting docked or not learning as much as I could; carelessness is full of danger. I am very grateful to CSA for not only showing me that I needed to become more methodical and patient in my work, but also helping me work on it.
And Evie summed up her experience with deep appreciation, sharing a powerful story of overcoming fear.
I am very grateful for the lessons I have learned, the friends I have gained, and the experiences that Christ the Savior Academy has given me these last two years! During my time here at CSA, I had an experience that really impacted me. Last year, during speech week, I was to go second in our poetry recitations, and when I got up to recite, I completely panicked and froze and had to sit down. This year, during speech week, I was afraid the same thing might happen. But I told myself that I wouldn’t let my nerves get the best of me this year. The first few times I practiced in front of people, I had to breathe before I started. But once I did it enough, I got used to it. I think my work paid off, as this speech week I earned second place!
More Than Just Lessons: Memories Made for Our Christ the Savior Graduates
Beyond the classroom, our CSA graduates have forged lasting memories. They’ve shared laughs and learned together while cleaning up trash, finding frogs and muskrats at the creek behind the school, and embracing outdoor adventures. Their creativity shone through in history and literature classes, making replicas of castles and Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. The all-school talent show brought out hidden talents and big smiles. Recess was filled with lively games of foursquare and groundies, while the chess club and mail club fostered strategic thinking and connection. And of course, there was plenty of energy expended playing football, kickball, and Capture the Flag.
These experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, have shaped our graduates into well-rounded individuals, ready to face new challenges with confidence and grace. As they move on, they carry with them not just knowledge but also a strong moral compass, cherished friendships, and invaluable life lessons.
We wish the Christ the Savior graduating class of 2025 all the best as they begin their high school adventures. We know they will continue to shine brightly!
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