We provide a rigorous classical, Christian education anchored in biblical truth to build life-long learners and sound Christian expositors. We foster a learning environment that celebrates the energy of boys and directs it toward the learning of the liberal arts, development of the common arts, and the exploration of nature. Ultimately, our aim is to help young men develop a relationship with Christ and to proclaim Him as preeminent in all things. – Col. 1:18-19; John 3:31.
a rigorous classical, Christian education anchored in biblical truth.
About Us
“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”
Colossians 2:2-4
We equip young men of virtue and valor to impact the culture for Christ.
VISION STATEMENT
Buffalo Creek Boys School is a small, family-oriented, Christian school founded in response to research and statistics that show traditional teaching methods are generally suited to girls’ social needs, cognitive development, and learning styles than those of boys. These variances are seen as the catalyst for the increased use of behavior medications for boys, academic underachievement, and a higher drop-out rate for boys. These findings have been instrumental in developing a model school committed to instructional methods that have stood the test of time and are tailored to how boys learn best.
Our Philosophy
our philosophy
A safe, supportive environment in middle school where they can develop maturity, adjust socially, and feel free to explore their emerging identities, interests, and talents without the distraction and peer pressure brought on by girls.
Safe Environment
According to research, adolescent boys need:
Small class sizes where boys are given more independent activity, responsibility for their learning, peer instruction, collaborative learning, hands-on experiences, full sensory instruction, and more opportunity for movement.
Independence
Extracurricular activities that enhance academic learning by developing teamwork, promoting leadership, and encouraging creative problem-solving skills. These activities also help students build confidence, courage, and relationships as they are exposed to an array of new challenges and experiences with their teachers and peers.
Extracurriculars
Rites of passage that mark boys' transition through new phases of maturity.
Rites of Passage
Through an inquiry-based learning approach, BCBS applies Plutarch’s concept that “the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be lit.” The school encourages boys to explore, inquire, investigate, and develop the skills to take responsible risks in learning about their world. Their purpose in learning is more than mere knowledge acquisition; it is about gaining deeper understanding and wisdom. BCBS seeks to whet boys’ appetites for discovery, unlock their passion and creativity for the task at hand, while presenting them with opportunities and challenges that inspire and motivate them to grow into their God-given potential in mind, body, and spirit.
"Not a Vessel to be Filled...a Fire to be Lit."
so that each boy is able to know, glorify and enjoy God.
The school nourishes their souls on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
By working in partnership with parents and the community, BCBS equips boys with the necessary tools of learning and finds meaningful ways to channel their energies into positive growth.
The school nourishes their souls on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty so that in Christ each boy is able to know, glorify and enjoy God. Last, but not least, the school’s unique rural environment provides adolescents the freedom to simply “be boys” as they learn and play together.
Apply Today
1 Cor. 15; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:8-10
We believe at physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of the body to everlasting glory and blessing. We believe at physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.
Matt. 28:18-19
We believe that Christ has sent those He saves to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey His commandments.
Acts 17:29; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 1:3-6
John 1:12; Acts 4:12; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who through His perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who will trust in Him, alone, for salvation.
Gen.1:27; 3:1-19, Rom. 5:12-21
We believe God created man male and female in His own image. God’s creation of and mandate to Adam and Eve established the model for the family. Therefore, marriage is to be exclusively between one man and one woman. God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it, and to have dominion over creation. Since God has assigned gender before birth, mankind has no authority to change the gender of an individual by word or deed. BCBS is a Christian school for boys only, whose gender was assigned by God before birth. Although God gave man authority over creation, God made man subordinate to Himself. Adam attempted to throw off God’s authority and in this first sin condemned himself and all of mankind to a state of sin separated from God and in need of a Redeemer.
John 14:26, 16:6-15; Acts 1:5; Rom. 8:14-16, 26-27; 1 Cor. 12:7-11; Eph. 1:13-14
At the time of conversion, we believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all who know Christ as Lord and Savior. He fills, teaches, leads, assures, and intercedes for believers.
Heb. 1:3; John 1:1, 14; 1 Thess.4:13-18; Luke 1:34-35; 1 John 2:1-2]
We believe Jesus Christ is God incarnate, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, completely God and completely man. We believe in His pre-existence, His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the grave, His ascension into heaven, and His bodily return from heaven.
Acts 17:29; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 1:3-6
We believe that God is the Creator of all mankind, the Father of Jesus Christ, and the spiritual Father of all who believe in Christ. He is the author of salvation and the One who sent the Son.
Matt. 3:16, 28:19, John 15:26
We believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons of one substance and power: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah.40:8; 2 Peter 1:20-21
We believe that the original manuscripts (66 books) of the Old and New Testament comprise the full, word-for-word, truthful, inerrant Word of God which is the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Statement of Faith
Buffalo Creek Boys School strives to develop virtuous and valiant young men through curricular and extracurricular activities to nurture the spirit, mind and body, with a constant view to their potential. The time-honored liberal arts curriculum and pedagogy direct students toward mastery of the basics, exploration of the arts and sciences, and understanding of the foundational tenants of our Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman heritage. As the centuries-old tradition of classical Christian education has understood, education is about cultivating students into a certain kind of human being. It is about training their minds and directing their souls such that they become men who love the right things and are characterized by virtue, valor, and wisdom. These are the things that define a Buffalo Creek Boys School education. We invite you to come and see what happens when you expect more.
The Classical
Approach
Don grew up in Denver, Colorado, graduated from Oral Roberts University, traveled abroad with a music ministry group for three years and then received a Masterʼs degree at Tulsa University before completing post-graduate work at Stanford, Berkley in Boston, Eastman School of Music and University of North Texas. He is married with a daughter in Texas, a son in Virginia and 3 1/2 grandchildren running around somewhere in Austin and Lexington. Mr. Eland taught jazz and commercial music for 20 years and then digital media for 20 years at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. He was director for the Multimedia Institute at ORU before retiring, Faculty Emeritus, in 2014.
He has traveled in 50 states and 48 countries, living in five of these countries. His hobbies and interests are backpacking remote areas, woodworking, speed sailing, photography/videography, sax and flute. His favorite scriptures are the ones that start with “In the beginning...” (Gen 11) and end with “Surely, I come quickly ... Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev 2220)
Don Eland
Ernest grew up in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia. He holds an MBA in Finance from American Military University, a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Virginia-Wise where he studied English and attained his Teaching Endorsement for Secondary Education. He went on to serve in the United States Air Force where he met his future wife, Kimberly.
He has worked in the finance industry for over 25 years and is currently a Financial Advisor. Ernest believes in a Christ-centric education as it gives children a cornerstone on which to build their lives. Ernest believes the goal of education is not simply developing intellect through knowledge and facts but also developing a person’s moral values and understanding.
Ernest Kennedy
Lee grew up all over the Southeast, as his father was transferred as a store manager for Sears, Roebuck and Co. He received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He has been the principal of law firms in both Ellijay, Georgia, and Lexington, Virginia, enjoying a career of “teaching clients, judges, and juries about the law.”
He discovered his passion for ceramic arts in college and has been a wood-fire potter ever since. He is a self-taught mandolin, harmonica and guitar player, and loves nothing better than a good cup of coffee while listening to some bluegrass music. Lee is a leather craftsman, horseman, and outdoorsman, and particularly loves camping and cooking over an open fire. He has great enthusiasm for science, grammar, the stars, and critters of all kinds, including snakes and raptors. Lee became a Christian at the age of 12 through the influence of his youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Decatur, Alabama. He believes that the most effective way to have an eternal impact on individuals, our community, and our nation is to raise a generation with the spiritual and academic mettle to set themselves apart as men of character.
Lee Taylor
Stan grew up in a small, rural community in west-central Missouri. Working on a dairy farm, he learned to respect legitimate authority, honor commitments and be resourceful at an early age. Stan has been active in men's ministries for more than 20 years.
Having had the opportunity to work directly with Dr. Edwin Louis Cole, founder of the Christian Men's Network, Stan teaches the patterns and principles of the Kingdom of God and helps men understand: "Being Male is a matter of Birth. Being a man is a matter of choice". His Spiritual gift is encouraging others with significant talents in teaching and leadership. Retired now, Stan worked for more than 30 years as a Federal land manager with emphasis on the management and protection of water resources. He has a doctorate in Civil and Environmental engineering with undergraduate degrees in forestry and natural resources, and forest hydrology.
In his free time, Stan enjoys spending time with his family, exploring the world as an adventure motorcyclist and planning trips for others, exploring "back roads" with an eye to their past history , hiking, photography, and working with Habitat for Humanity.
Stan Ponce
Rebecca grew up in a family of eight in Nashville, Tennessee, McLean, Virginia, and Atlanta, Georgia. She earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture and her middle school teaching certification from the University of Georgia.
She taught in public school for four years and ended up with her own "one room schoolhouse" when God called her to homeschool her four children for six years. In 2001, her family sold everything and spent a year on the road, homeschooling with America as their classroom.
In Rockbridge County, Rebecca taught Weekday Religious Education (WRE) in the public schools and helped create and lead a homeschool co-op. In 2014, she also took her first of many mission trips to Africa to teach in classical Christian schools in Rafiki villages. Her passion is to teach sports, games, music, dancing, fiber arts, gardening, and core subjects from a Biblical worldview in an engaging view.
Rebecca Taylor
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3: 11)
After +/-55 years of employment in the banking, real estate, architectural and engineering sectors of US business, Ted has retired (re-fired) in Rockbridge County, Virginia with his wife Jan. They have a blended family with 4 children AND 4 grandchildren, so far. His redemption, having been accomplished by the finished cross-work of Jesus Christ, manifested about 40 years ago while living in Columbia, South Carolina, the city of his birth. His new birth precipitated a turn from his old ways to seek daily the will of God for/in his life.
Joining a confessing Christian church in the late 1970’s, Ted’s growth “…. in grace, and in the knowledge of [his] Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ….” prompted his continuing pursuit of the Lord in His word & prayer and via engaging in various community endeavors and lay ministries: Christian academy history teacher, elderly ministry, Sunday school teacher, private specialty school board member, prison ministry, Bible study leader, professional societies, occasional “preaching” …. Ted hopes our BCBS students will be taught not merely to think, but rather, to think biblically in order that they might grow to be men of God through whom He will be pleased to transform this world into Jesus’ kingdom.
Ted Chalgren
Chad grew up in Mount Solon, Virginia. He has fond memories of helping his grandmother with chores, playing in the woods, and fishing in the local trout streams. In these formative years, he learned the value of good old-fashioned hard work. Before arriving at BCBS, he served ten years in the military and fifteen years as associate director at Boys Home of Virginia. He and his wife, Laura, have three beautiful children: Savannah, David, and Sarah-Elizabeth. He enjoys reading, exercising, and being outdoors.
Chad Whitmer
Head of School, Bible Teacher
Mrs. Jenny Hartsock comes to BCBS after serving as an Academy Instructor teaching Officership and Leadership to senior cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
She possesses a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Science in Adult, Occupational, and Continuing Education from Kansas State University.
She too is a military veteran with twenty years of combined military experience, having served in the U.S. Army as an active-duty officer, a member of North Carolina and Virginia National Guards, and as a Reserve Officer. Mrs. Hartsock and her family just relocated to the Lexington area with her husband, Jonathan where they share three boys: Caiden (16), Colton (12), and Joshua (4).
Jenny hartstock
Director of Operations, English Teacher, and Physical Fitness and Nutrition Teacher
Laura has a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies and sociology along with a master’s degree from Liberty University. She taught and counseled boys from various backgrounds and cultures at Boys Home of Virginia prior to joining Buffalo Creek Boys School.
Laura is a professional classical oil painter and passionate and enthusiastic about sharing these gifts with the world to the glory of Christ. She was recently accepted to a graduate program in studio art at Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy.
Laura has shown artwork at the Taubman Museum of Art and various fine arts shows in Virginia and abroad. She received the Fall 2021 award from Observica Magazine: Discover the Artist Media as well as a 10-page publication spread in the 2021 fall magazine edition.
Laura is married to Chad Whitmer and has three beautiful children that she adores. In addition to painting, she enjoys teaching, reading, and spending time with her family cooking in the kitchen.
Laura Whitmer
grammar school teacher
A multi-talented Christian, business professional having experience working in various capacities, in a wide variety of industries. Carl began his career in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania as an aerospace and software engineer, having Top Secret government clearance with GE Aerospace (now Lockheed Martin) after completing an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. Carl shortly sought to meld his love for travel and meeting new people with his career as he became a technical and business consultant with the multinational software company, SAP America.
In this role, Carl participated in significant business transformation programs for domestic and international firms. Carl also served as a technical instructor, developing and presenting courses and courseware for both clients and business partners. While traveling and working, Carl completed a Master of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Villanova University. Later, Carl assumed roles in management and business development with the firm, where as part of a sales team, he interfaced with customer executive level officers in the strategy and implementation of multi-year, multi-million-dollar corporate projects. Carl would later assume a position as the Global Director of Information Technology with a multinational titanium metals company.
Following two international ministry endeavors to Venezuela and Nigeria where he served as the primary preaching evangelist, Carl felt the call to use the talents of communication, teaching, his love for the Bible, and taking a conceptual idea to an actual finished product (all entrusted to him by God), on a more consistent basis. Carl therefore, planned, started and ran a retail Christian Book and Health Food store called Life More Abundant (John 10:10) in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The community focused business offered regularly scheduled outreach ministries (weekly Bible studies, a Christian book club, free monthly vegetarian and healthy food cooking classes, free health lectures and seminars) to all.
God’s providence has brought Carl to Rockbridge County, Virginia where he purchased, runs and operates a farm based on biological agriculture processes for the past seven years. Carl also tutors mathematics (Matrix Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Calculus I&II) part-time to cadets at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and has worked as a mathematics teacher at the Buffalo Creek Boys School. When not working around his farm, Carl enjoys facilitating Bible studies and teaching people of God’s love. Carl has been privileged to be God’s scribe in authoring over 80 Bible studies, covering a variety of topics, however, Carl has a particular interest in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Bible eschatology. Carl also enjoys bicycle riding, computer programming, hiking, building and construction including basic welding, cooking, learning more about Jesus, and spending time with friends and family!
Carl Arosarena
Math teacher
