The academic program exceeds all State of Ohio standards and meets all requirements for the Association of Christian Schools International accreditation. Students, pre-kindergarten through 6th grade, have classes in art, music, Spanish and physical education with specialist teachers in these subjects. Each year, students take standardized achievement tests to show their achievement in relation to national norms.
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We are clay in the hands of the magnificent artist, Father God. We are like Him in our desire to create. The art program of CHCS consists of experimentation with a wide variety of media so that we can express our lives, memories, dreams, and our faith through our artwork. Every grade level has projects of fabric, painting, 3-dimensional art, landscape, still-life and portrait.
We look to master artists from history so that we can recognize their innovations and appreciate their styles. Since art is a visual language in which color, line, shape, and value all contain "clues" to the meaning the artist is trying to convey, we have fun learning to "read" art. We revel in the knowledge that we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Our desire in Physical Education at CHCS is to teach students how to use the wonderful bodies the Lord has given them to bring Him praise. We achieve this through calisthenics, play, and athletics integrated with Biblical principles.
Students in PK and K do exercises and work on skills such as jumping, balancing, hopping, catching, throwing, skipping, galloping, running, and kicking.
1st through 3rd grade have units on tumbling and balance beam. grades 3 through 6 have units on basketball and soccer. Grades 4 through 6 have units on softball and volleyball. A variety of games are used at each grade level to enhance individual skills and to develop teamwork.
Students in 1st through 6th grade participate in the Presidential Physical Fitness Testing. These tests are done in the fall and spring. Fitness is promoted throughout the year.
The after school program involves practicing and playing basketball, volleyball and soccer. Students in 4th through 6th grade who wish to participate are divided into teams with volunteer coaches. We have from 4-9 teams per sport. The season lasts 10-12 weeks and concludes each season with a tournament. Our goal is to provide competition and sports skill training in a Christian atmosphere.
Our music Course of Study has been designed so that students will be proficient in each of the National Music Content Standards as developed by the Music Educators' National Conference. Our students are trained to use their talents to honor and glorify God, and to use Godly discernment in their music listening choices. CHCS students continue to win numerous regional and national composition and performance awards.
We have various choirs who perform in the Fine Arts Program. All ages are given the opportunity to sing in these groups. Smaller groups perform at other times throughout the school year including Fall Festival and Christmas. Band and group instrumental lessons are offered in 5th and 6th grades. The bands perform at Christmas and in the spring.
Students may take piano lessons during the school day. These students perform regularly in Chapel. Students in 6th grade are given the opportunity to perform in a select vocal ensemble and a handbell choir. These are two of the groups that are often called upon to minister in our community.
CHCS is training students to observe the needs of others, and then to pray for and respond to those needs. This Christian response in our students comes by nurturing an unselfish spirit that is bent toward service to God and to others.
In 2004, school leadership felt that this should become a part of the overall basic teaching/ training plan of the school which would correlate with the admonition of Scripture to "Love thy neighbor." Thus was formed the program of Community Outreach Service Projects.
During the first year (2004-2005), CHCS students were involved in 28 community projects. Each class chooses a ministry. Our school was able to touch many hearts and make a difference in the quality of life in our community.
One class made Mother's Day pins for ladies in a local nursing home; another class collected small gifts for distribution by the Summit County Children's Services when a new child comes into their care; and still another class made cards and thank you notes and personally delivered them to the community firemen. A 3rd grade class made a trip across town to visit a public school class and interact with them. There were many other creative projects as well. This year each class will have 2 or 3 contacts with the organization or group they have chosen.
Hebrews 11:6 says, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Our goal is to make helping others become a lifelong Christian response - seeing a need and acting on it. With the help of the home, and the church, Chapel Hill Christian School will become a training ground for community leaders and caring people. Please join us in setting an example for our students as we build character through community service.
Technology plays an increasing and important role at CHCS. Both campuses are completely secure wireless environments. We have at least one computer and printer in every classroom. There are two mobile carts of iBook laptop computers (28 at North and 27 at Green) that teachers use in the classrooms with students. Each classroom teacher also has an iBook computer to use. We have a high speed filtered internet connection using Road Runner. Teachers have school e-mail addresses that can be used to communicate with them.
Scanners, digital still cameras, digital camcorders, video projectors, and keyboards connect with the computers and are available for teachers and students to use. Many teachers capture classroom activities, field trips, and special events with the digital cameras. They can share these activities on websites or create DVD movies.
Computers are used with students in all grade levels, from PK through 6th grade, in various age appropriate ways. The younger students use educational software that helps reinforce subjects and topics taught within the classroom. Older students use educational software but also begin working with word processing skills in Microsoft Word, giving presentations using KidPix and Microsoft PowerPoint, and doing research on the Internet. Students have helped create and edit digital video to create DVD movies. We want to prepare our students with needed "life skills" for computers.
A new area that we are beginning is the use of two new iSight web cameras. We will be using these for "video conferencing" between classrooms and/or campuses.
During the winter months when it is too cold to go outside after school, we offer our students an enrichment program entitled Late Day at Chapel Hill Christian School. For six weeks during February and March, parents are invited to share their special talents and abilities with the children after school. Our students have been taught how to crochet, knit, and create scrapbooks. Parents with journalism skills have helped students create a school newspaper and work on their creative writing skills. Parents have taught the students to play chess and learn sign language. Our 5th & 6th graders have even completed the Red Cross Babysitting Course.
Late Day affords parents the opportunity to form relationships with students out of their normal sphere of influence. It gives students the opportunity to learn skills beyond the traditional school curriculum. And, Late Day strengthens the bonds that make our school family strong and enduring.
Late Day was awarded the Exemplary School Program Award by the Association of Christian Schools International.
"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 research practices available. We also want them to enjoy reading and want to read. We do this in a variety of ways with teachers interacting with the best materials and strategies.
In our primary grades, we use a strong phonics based reading program where children learn phonemic awareness, learn how to hear sounds, and transfer that to recognizing and using sounds in words. We use good literature books that motivate the children to want to read. We use fun incentives to encourage outside school reading. For example, we might have contests to see how many books can be read and then offer a reward. Using reader's theatre in which students learn to read different character parts as in a play, is one way to develop fluency (reading without interruption).
Our upper grades have similar goals with even more emphasis on reading strategies and skills that aid in comprehension. We teach figurative language and how to comprehend its meaning in what we read. Teachers may use literature circles where students choose from a variety of novels such as Red Badge of Courage, Esperanza Rising , or Holes. Students learn to recognize character development and plot development by the author. They discuss these elements of fiction with fellow students that are reading the same novel.
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 skills of interpretation, predicting, and cause and effect. 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.
All students at CHCS, 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.
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.
Student Sponsorship through the Connecting Hearts is a special ministry outreach of the Spanish program. Each year CHCS students, through offerings, provide tuition, books, uniforms, food, and other benefits for children attending Christian schools in Guatemala. This program, which started in 1994 with three children, has now grown to more than 67 sponsored students. CHCS students pray regularly for their sponsored children, and exchange letters, pictures, and gifts. Señora Hall visits the children in Guatemala regularly and shares stories and videos that help make the exchange very personal for CHCS students.
Whether through the Student Sponsorship program or the activities in the classroom, the desire of the Spanish program is to raise up godly children with hearts to serve Christ at home and around the world.