Middle School
Middle School is a time of incredible growth for students, from the many physical and emotional changes, to developing their personal identity. It is also a time for students to personalize their faith in Christ. Students continue to learn who they are in Christ, and are equipped to deal with the everyday issues of the world we live in. Caring and committed Christian teachers serve as role models for the students, helping to reinforce how God fits into everything they do, from education to their social life.
We are confident that students leave BCS not only prepared for high school but also for their place in God’s kingdom. To that end, we focus on supporting students in order to foster a sense of individual responsibility and self-advocacy. A daily check-in time gives teachers the opportunity to meet with students individually. A weekly CONNECT period is used to develop students' social emotional learning.
Middle School Curriculum
We provide a challenging curriculum to prepare students to excel academically in high school and beyond. In addition to our core curriculum, we provide a variety of extra-curricular opportunities including music, drama and sports to help students explore and develop the full spectrum of their unique, God-given gifts and talents. We develop leadership opportunities in the classroom, through Student Council, Chapel Committee, Unity Groups and in various activities throughout the year. We provide a variety of opportunities for hands-on learning through service to others, so students are able to put their faith into action. Faith throughlines were developed to ensure that incorporating our faith is taking place in all areas of learning, not just in Bible class.
Curriculum published by Christian Schools International takes students through an in-depth study of the Old and New Testaments and focuses on the biblical storyline of creation, fall, and redemption and the people and events that are part of the storyline. Bible verse memorization, devotional and/or praise and worship time and prayer are incorporated throughout the school day. Students have chapel weekly and small groups meet monthly.
Sixth grade math covers concepts including decimals, integers, use of exponents, ratios and proportions, and an introduction to algebraic thinking. Seventh grade students are placed into 7th Math or Accelerated 7th Math. Eighth graders ready to progress straight into algebra use a high school freshman-level algebra book. Alternatively, students may take pre-algebra, beginning with a refresher of skills that need to be strengthened and then moving into the same algebra textbook as the other group. Textbooks are published by Pearson.
We acknowledge God as the Creator of the world. All of our science classes are taught from this perspective and serve as the foundation for discussions about a wide variety of topics that our students will encounter in our culture. We use the Prentice Hall Science Explorer series. The series covers the major areas of Science: Life Science, Earth Science/Space Science and Physical Science/Chemistry. The courses include a number of hands-on activities and labs to engage students.
We use a writer’s workshop approach to writing, allowing students to use the skills they learn directly in the context of writing to produce works such as narratives, research-based expository papers, autobiographies, and persuasive pieces. Grammar practice is also incorporated into the writing block. Students participate in a speech festival each fall to practice and improve public speaking skills. Spelling instruction using Zaner Bloser curriculum is used to expand understanding of language beyond simple recall. The 5th – 8th graders participate in an annual spelling competition.
Our social studies curriculum aims to help students become critical thinkers and inclusive, active citizens. Using TCI Social Studies tools, students learn about geography, civics and government, world history and US history throughout 6th-8th grade.
The focus is on reaching the novice-mid or novice-high proficiency level in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students study the culture of Spanish-speaking communities around the world. Themes include describing people and places, school and home, likes and dislikes, shopping and dining, health and fitness, using technology, vacation, daily activities and future plans. The middle school Spanish curriculum is the equivalent of one year of high school Spanish, and most middle school students place into Spanish II in high school their freshman year.
Our goal is to cultivate a “reading life” by emphasizing reading skills and literary concepts. Our reader’s workshop approach to teaching reading allows for student choice and encourages reading volume. With additional novels studied as a class, students also learn to analyze and discuss a shared text, incorporating higher level thinking skills throughout the process.
Sixth grade students practice typing skills and learn how to use various programs as well as what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. All middle school tudents have access to Chromebooks and iPads in addition to the IDEA lab, and are instructed on how to navigate and utilize Google Drive and Google Docs.
Students have PE twice per week. Sixth graders have PE together as a combined class. In seventh and eighth grades, the classes are split into 7/8 girls and 7/8 boys. Students participate in a variety of activities including soccer, Badminton, pickleball, frisbee skills, volleyball, and more. Students are introduced to health and fitness concepts to encourage healthy and active lifestyles.
We strive to inspire a lifelong appreciation of art and encourage students to use their gifts to glorify God. Students learn to create and respond to art in the context of art appreciation, art history, and production of artwork including drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Teachers help students further develop their art skills, vocabulary, and creativity.
Our general music program is designed to teach students to appreciate and read music, to expose them to different kinds of music, and to use their musical talents to praise God. In addition, middle school students participate in choir and perform at our Christmas and spring concerts. They have an opportunity to display their talents in the community and at our local Music Festival, a competition where students are judged on individual and/or group performances. Students also take part in the middle school musical each spring. Participation in band is optional.
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