Good Shepherd Christian Academy
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The South Shore's Best Kept Educational Secret

  

 BIBLE

ASCI (Association of Christian Schools International) Bible curriculum leads students to hear, read, study, memorize, and obey God’s Word. The curriculum includes overviews of the Old and New Testaments, character studies, a study of the life of Christ and the early church, doctrinal studies, and life applications to the lives of the students. Click here to view samples of Bible lessons.
 
 
A chapel service is held each week in which students have an opportunity to sing praise songs and hear bible messages. Students are also giving the opportunity to contribute to the support of an international student supported through ASCI. Partially through the generosity of the GSCA students and families, the student is fed and given the opportunity to attend a private Christian school in his own country.  Click here to see more photos from school chapels.
 
 
 
 CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The development of Christ-like character is encouraged through classroom instruction and by the models that our staff provides for our students. We believe character is developed through obedience to God and to God’s appointed authorities such as parents and teachers. Obedience leads to the self-discipline that is essential to the growth of the “whole” child: emotionally, physically, spiritually, intellectually and socially.
 
HANDWRITING
 
Preschool Handwriting
GSCA emphasizes handwriting in our Panda and Lamb preschool classes. We use the amazing program called Handwriting without Tears. Click here to read more about this innnovative approach.
 
 
Elementary Handwriting
Handwriting is taught in a systematic manuscript method in kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades. Cursive writing is introduced in the third grade and reinforced in subsequent years.
 
 
LANGUAGE ARTS  (PHONICS, GRAMMAR, READING, LITERATURE, & COMPOSITION)
Communication is a beautiful gift from God. Language learning takes place across our curricula and is important to all subject areas. Our goal is that our students learn to communicate through interactive experiences in speaking, writing, reading, and listening. The skills of reading, writing, vocabulary study, and spelling are effectively taught through well-designed lessons. Students learn that they have both a freedom and a responsibility in how they use our language.
 
 
Math helps the students deal more efficiently with the quantitative and spatial aspects of God’s creation. Saxon Math is a hands-on curriculum series that emphasizes manipulatives and mental mathematics. This program is designed with a multi-sensory approach to learning and enables students to develop a solid foundation in math.
 
 
 
Third through Fifth Grades
Our fourth and fifth graders begin their transition to more advanced mathematic through the Envision Math series by Pearson. Click here to learn more about the Envision math series and its outstanding results. Click here to read a detailed study of the results of using the Envision series.
 
At GSCA, we believe that all eight graders can and should succeed in Algebra I. To this end, our middle school students take two different pre-algebra courses during their 6th and 7th grade years. Rather than mindlessly repeating the math problems from elementary school, our students work toward mastery of  the basic concepts that are foundational to all higher math in high school and beyond.  Mrs. Kent does an excellent job of explaning the difficult concepts in her classes, and there are even free online video tutor clips for every one of the 91 lessons in the Pearson Pre-Algebra book.
  
 
SCIENCE 
Students explore the natural world through the ACSI Purposeful Design science curriculum. This series is designed to engage students in investigating, observing, and thinking about the world around them. Every chapter weaves together the wonders of this created world and a biblical worldview. The style of the lessons capitalizes on children’s innate curiosity and inquisitiveness about the world. Wonderful visual aids and hands-on activities bring the lessons to life for students.
 
 
HISTORY
Students learn the importance of historical studies, and they come to understand how history affects their lives today. Through the different grades, students study the histories of the United States, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Central and South America. The Abeka curriculum includes the study of maps, songs, symbols, cultures, and biographies.
 
3rd Grade History Presentation
 
SPANISH
Many studies have shown the value of learning a foreign language, especially during the younger years of life. Good Shepherd uses Rosetta Stone’s language immersion approach to teach our students Spanish. All students from second grade to eight grade use the Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish program to advance in their knowledge of Spanish. This is an intense, interactive program that allows each student to advance at her or her own pace. Through the completion of 132 different listening, reading, grammar, speaking, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing, and review activities, students progress steadily through each level of Latin American Spanish. More detailed information about the course content and approach is available from GSCA and on the company website - www.rosettastone.com.
 
From kindergarten through first grade, students use JumpStart Spanish, a program that teaches basic vocabulary words, simple phrases, numbers, and colors. During the process of learning, students also listen to cultural music and learn more about the culture of Spanish-speaking countries. This early childhood learning experience provides a firm foundation for more advanced Spanish studies that begin in second grade with Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish.
 
 
Art gives students the ability to express their feelings and imagination through the visual arts. Along the way, students gain a familiarity with a variety of art techniques and some of the famous works of renowned artists.
 
 
MUSIC
Weekly classes give students opportunities to express themselves through music. They learn to appreciate the gift of music and to use this gift to honor the God who deserves all of their praise and thanksgiving.
 
Physical Education is an integral part of the educational process and contributes to the intellectual, socio-emotional, and spiritual development of every student. The mission of physical education is the development of the autonomous, life-long learners who readily participate in physical activity on a regular basis. Skill development and participation foster the development of positive attitudes towards a lifetime commitment to taking care of the body that God gave children. Development of positive attitudes (physical activity, fitness, self-concept, good sportsmanship, personal and group safety, respect) is essential for a healthy outlook on life and for being a good steward of our body.