Bible
Chapel Hill Christian School includes the moral training of children as their curricular responsibility. The Bible is taught at each grade level and is studied as any other academic subject.
Each subject, whether it is math, science, or history, is taught from a Christian viewpoint following the basic premise that, if there is any truth in any subject, it must be God’s truth, since He is truth.
Reading
“Knowing how to read, but not reading is the same as not knowing how to read.” At Chapel Hill Christian School, we want our students to know how to read using the best-researched practices available. We also want them to enjoy reading and become lifelong learners. We do this in a variety of ways with teachers interacting with the best materials and strategies.
In our primary grades:
- Strong phonics-based reading program
- Focuses on phonemic awareness
- Teaches children to hear and recognize sounds
- Encourages the use of sounds in words
- Provides access to quality literature from the library
- Aims to foster a love for reading in children
Renaissance:
- Web-based program for student reading performance
- Provides timely and accurate information for teachers
- Aids in quick adjustment of instruction to enhance student potential
- Includes the STAR test to determine reading level
- Students select books within their reading level
- After reading, students take online AR quizzes
- Encourages students to work toward personal reading skill improvement throughout the year
Our upper grades have similar goals with even more emphasis on reading strategies and skills that aid in comprehension:
- Literature circles as a teaching approach
- Students engage with both fiction and nonfiction books
- Focus on character and plot development recognition
- Encourages understanding of the author's perspective and message
- Emphasizes critical thinking and analytical skills
- Opportunities for students to write about their learning and progress with each book
As a school, we want to teach how to interpret not only the information that comes from content reading but also God’s Word. We desire that our students become proficient at the following skills:
- Interpretation, prediction, and cause and effect
- Utilizing drama as an instructional method
- Involving students in creating devotions
- Exploring these concepts through song lyrics
We teach these using drama, student-made devotions, or working with song lyrics. Our goals are to promote skills of reading, fluency, and a love of reading for a lifetime.
Parents and/or teachers can refer students who may need help with reading skills to the Reading Mod. Students come in small groups or individually, depending on the needs, at least twice a week from 30-45 minutes. The Reading Specialists work closely with the teachers to schedule students so that they miss a minimum amount of classroom instruction time.
Mastering Math Facts
CHCS uses a program called Reflex, an adaptive online system that helps students become fluent with their math facts. The foundation of Reflex is built by unveiling a Fact-family approach with Individualized instruction in a Game-based setting. A student who is fluent can retrieve the correct answers to facts from memory almost instantaneously. A student who needs to stop and think about the answer to a math fact isn’t fluent with that fact, even if he/she eventually arrives at the correct answer.
Research has shown that students who can automatically recall math facts are more capable problem solvers, learn new math skills more quickly, and are more likely to succeed in their future mathematics courses. The NCTM, National Math Advisory Panel, and others highlight math fact fluency as a central pillar of every student’s mathematics education.
Technology
Technology plays an increasing and important role at CHCS as we prepare our students with the needed “life skills” for the increasing demand for technology skills in all career realms.
Each campus is equipped with a sophisticated network environment, equipped with web filtering and security protocols, while securely separating administrative, teacher, and student data and activity and maintaining a single unified internal network via a constant seamless remote connection between the two campuses. Each individual classroom has one or more dedicated Google Chromebooks for classroom use. Mobile carts of Google Chromebooks are available for teachers to collaboratively utilize in their classrooms with students. All classrooms are also equipped with an interactive SMART Board® and projectors for further immersive engagement with students.
Technology is used in the classroom with students in all grade levels. Kindergarten through 6th graders have Technology class once a week. Along with learning keyboarding skills in various age-appropriate ways, younger students use educational software that helps reinforce subjects and topics taught within the classroom. Older students begin learning word processing skills via Google Docs, give presentations using Google Slides, learn collaboratively via Google Classroom, as well as begin to practice proper online research techniques.
Our goal is to use technology to enhance a student’s learning experience in a way that prepares them for any technology-based future in their educational career.
Spanish
All students at CHCS, PS/PK through 6th grade, attend Spanish classes one-half hour per week. Children are introduced to basic conversational Spanish and enjoy learning the language through activities, songs, and games and explore Hispanic culture through various projects and events.
The Spanish curriculum is designed in such a way that new students can enter CHCS at any grade level and be successful. While students review the vocabulary from past years regularly, they are only assessed on material that is new for all students.