A Time to Learn

Welcome to your first day of the 2025/2026 school year at Inspire a Fire Academy. I’m Mrs. Mayfield, and today is a time to learn!

In fact, every day is a time to learn, as King Solomon pointed out in Proverbs 18:15, when he wrote, “Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.” (The Message) Let’s get started.

Academy Supplies – Textbook

Please take your seats. On your desks, you will find the supplies you will need to keep with you throughout this semester and all semesters to follow while you are at the Academy.

The major Text we will use for your studies is the Holy Bible, written by the most revered and accomplished author of all time: Holy Spirit. I expect you to care for this book like you would your favorite toy. And to spend as much time with it as you do your favorite game or TV show, maybe more.

Academy Supplies – Accessories

Beside that Text lies a new notebook. You will use this alongside your Text, taking notes on various passages as they pertain to your current lessons. Don’t be afraid to include your thoughts with the facts. In this class, personal discernment and applications will be used to determine your end grade.

Our Academy has also provided you with several tools to make your note-taking functional, as well as fun. First, an assortment of pencils and pens in a variety of colors. In that same line, we’ve included highlighters in various colors. These will come in handy when reading your Text, especially during memorization assignments.

Finally, you will see multiple sizes, shapes, and colors of sticky notes. Use these as marking tabs in your Text or your notebook. The ability to remove and replace them makes them a useful tool to incorporate into your study habits.

Academy Classes – A Time to Learn Class Schedule

Now that we’ve covered supplies, let’s discuss your class schedule. For some people, such as the Main Character in our Text—Jesus—mornings tend to be the best study time. Others, those not morning people, choose afternoons and evenings. For that reason, your schedule is flexible. Just remember, anytime can become a time to learn.

That said, a few parameters will help you stay on task.

• Read your Text daily, especially passages noted in the section “A Time to Learn Classes.”
• Learn all you can from its Author and Main Character.
• Commit to memory sections of the Text you find especially helpful, hope-bearing, and honorable.
• Share your thoughts and findings with others.

A Time to Learn – “History B01”

In this class, you will learn how the Main Character in our Text was, is, and always will be the beginning, middle, and end of all history. In fact, He created it, as He did our earth. Psalm 90:2 (MSG) confirms it: “Long before the mountains were born, long before you brought earth itself to birth, from ‘once upon a time’ to ‘kingdom come’—you are God.”

Not only was God before history, but He also will exist after history as we know it on earth ends.

• Pre-Class Homework Assignment: Fill in the blanks using Hebrews 13:8.
  • Jesus is the same ___________,                   , and                       .

NOTE: Answers below to all homework assignments.

A Time to Learn – “Social Studies B01”

As you will read in our Text, the Main Character often concerns Himself with the character of His people. We, on earth today, fit in that category. He mentions character building words such as loving, forgiving, serving. These qualities help others to learn more about Him and themselves, enabling us to be His hands and feet. His Spirit within us confirms His words. (John 14:26)

This class holds keys to help you with a key passage in our Text, one often called The Golden Rule. This life verse can be found in Luke 6:31 (NIV): “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

• Pre-Class Homework Assignment: Fill in the blanks with three of the nine qualities listed as the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.
  •                              ,                             ,                             .

A Time to Learn – “Geography B01”

The settings in our Text cover areas our Main Character created, peopled, and lived in. Some names may sound familiar, such as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Rome. Others may not be familiar—Arumah (Judges 9), Geliloth (Joshua 18), Shaalim (1 Samuel 9). Learning about where our Main Character lived and breathed, died and rose again, will help you understand the story locales.

One place stands out above all the others, almost as well known as the Garden of Eden. It is often alluded to as “Heaven” and will include streets of gold instead of macadam. (Revelation 21:21)

• Pre-Class Homework Assignment: Our Main Character left earth in the later part of the Text and went to prepare a special home in Heaven for those who accept the gift of His salvation.
  • Usually only reserved for the wealthy, these places mentioned in John 14:2 are called                               .

A Time to Learn – “Math B01”

When it comes to Math, the Text includes multiple sets and patterns to learn and follow. The numbers three, seven, twelve, and forty are seen multiple times. For example, in the Text’s pages, we read of the first rain on earth which lasted forty days and nights. Due to their disobedience, God’s people wandered in a desert for forty years.

Other sections offer contrasting patterns: give and take, do and don’t do. Many of these patterns are found in the pages of Proverbs, where we see passages such as this one from Chapter 17: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (NIV)

• Pre-Class Homework Assignment: Put your addition skills to the test and fill in the blanks of these addends to equal an effective knowledge of our Main Character. (1 Peter 1:5-8)
  • Faith + __________ + __________ + __________ + __________ + __________ + __________ + __________ = (see above)

A Time to Learn – “English Composition B01”

In our Text, you will find many examples of fine compositions in several genres. The Psalms shows several styles of poetry, and characters named Miriam (Exodus) and Mary, the mother of our Main Character (Luke), both sang original songs. Proverbs includes samples of persuasive writing. The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—offer journalism techniques in how the men reported their experiences.

You will also study the lost art of letter writing from people like Paul and Peter, who wrote to teach, to exhort, to prepare others for the work and joy of being a Christian.

• Prerequisite Homework: Our Main Character’s words offer multiple lessons on fiction writing. Looking in the four gospels, we can find many examples of His type of storytelling (hint – one tells the story of a Good Samaritan – Luke 10).
  • Fill in letters for what Jesus called His stories: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

A Time to Learn Classes  – Note

Please review the full class syllabus list for more information on the classes required this semester. These classes include the following:

• A Time to Learn – “English Grammar B01”
• A Time to Learn – “English Speech B01”
• A Time to Learn – “Science B01”
• A Time to Learn – “Arts and Humanities B01”
• A Time to Learn – “Physical Education B01”
• A Time to Learn – “Life Skills B01”

A Time to Learn Classes – Answers

• A Time to Learn – “History B01”
  • yesterday, today, forever
• A Time to Learn – “Social Studies B01”
  • 3 from this list: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
• A Time to Learn – “Geography B01”
  • mansions
• A Time to Learn – “Math B01”
  • virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love
• A Time to Learn – “English Composition B01”
  • P – A – R – A – B – L – E – S

Academy Classes – Grading

Contrary to other schools you may have attended, grading at the Inspire a Fire Academy will not be given per individual class. You, as well as your peers, may try to grade you on these classes. You have the option of accepting their grading scale, seeing their critiques as opportunities to study more, or to retake certain classes.

Our grading system is a pass or fail at the end of the semester, the length of which depends on your individual life plan. If you wish to graduate, the only grade you will receive is a “pass.” The IAF Academy “pass” grade will be more important to you than a gold medal at the Olympics.

Upon graduation, you will receive your diploma with the motto of the Inspire a Fire Academy:

“Well done, good and faithful student.” (Matthew 25:23)