Slavic people (the Slavs) is the general term used to describe a large ethnic group that originated in Eastern, and partially Western, Europe. They all traditionally speak languages of Slavic origin: Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Belarusian, Bulgarian, and others.
The Puget Sound area is now home to thousands of Slavic people who immigrated to the US in the past 30 years. Even though Moldovian people are not technically Slavic, they find themselves a part of the local diaspora because they, too, share the knowledge of Russian language and similar historical background. Many of the immigrants are Christian believers who attend numerous local churches. Large families within the churches have formed even more connections with each other through the marriages of their grown children. This has strengthened the ties of the Slavic community. Many churches still have services in Russian, Ukrainian or Romanian languages. Tacoma Christian Academy is privileged to be hosted by Slavic Christian Center of Tacoma.
REVERENCE:
We show reverence to God in the way we pray: standing or kneeling, not sitting.
We show honor to the places of worship by taking off hats (for males), not clapping, shouting or whistling. Married women cover their heads during worship.
EXCELLENCE:
We strive for excellence. Children are encouraged to reach and exceed standards in education, sports, and extracurricular activities.
We support competitive spirits in children, as long as that does not involve putting others down
LIFE:
We celebrate life and beauty; therefore, we abhor any death-related symbols and holidays, including Halloween.
Our grandparents, who lived in the communist USSR, refused to take up arms and participate in wars based on Jesus’s words “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Mat.26:52). We hold to the pacifist approach as well.
FAMILY:
Children best thrive in the context of a healthy biblical family. Distinction and uniqueness of the gender roles are especially important for a healthy family. Therefore, we teach all boys to be masculine and girls to be feminine. We require children to respect parents and grandparents.
CULTURAL HERITAGE:
In order to transmit the wealth of cultural heritage, children need to learn the language of their forefathers. Therefore, we teach the Russian language and literature in all grades.