Bible: Bible teaching is at the heart of our education. In addition to weekly chapels for both elementary and middle school, we offer Bible curriculum in the class for a minimum of 4 days per week. For Kindergarten, we use the Purposeful Design curriculum. In grades 1st-8th we utilize Deep Roots Bible Curriculum. All grade levels have regular memory verses, and our teachers spend time daily in prayer with our students. Bible teaching is included in each of weekly chapels. Spiritual Emphasis is an additional week that includes a pointed focus on spiritual growth and is followed up with monthly instruction. Middle School is piloting a discipleship small group program. Small groups meet with teachers and staff members every three weeks during the year.
Math: We utilize BJU Press curriculum for math across all grade levels. Our teachers evaluate the curriculum scope provided by BJU Press and compare it to California State Standards at the beginning of the year and provide supplementation when necessary. Manipulatives have been provided in all grade levels to help with hands-on instruction and deeper understanding. Our goal is to provide Biblical integration even when supplementing with resources outside of our curriculum. In math, that often means directing students to a Creator who doesn’t change, establishes patterns and order, and remains constant. We offer tutoring and small group instruction for students who need extra help or who are struggling to meet grade level standards. We have a schoolwide Moby Max subscription that teachers use for quarterly assessment testing, enrichment, and fact fluency practice.
Science: Our science curriculum in grades 1st-8th is BJU Press. Our science curriculum is written from a Biblical Worldview perspective and includes STEM projects that help align our curriculum to Next Generation Science Standards. In middle school, in an effort to not only meet but exceed state standards, our science teacher includes dissection units and hands-on labs every Friday. Our sixth-grade students attend science camp yearly at Hume Lake Christian Outdoor Education. Our middle school also has a First Lego League Robotics team. Our second-grade classes raise caterpillars into butterflies while learning about life cycles. Many of our teachers also utilize subscriptions to Mystery Science to provide supplemental material for our students. Our teachers often incorporate science into their field trips as well, such as exploring farming at the local pumpkin patch or investigating machines/force and motion at a local discovery museum.
Language Arts: Our Language Arts is an umbrella term that includes phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, writing and reading. Beginning in kindergarten, our focus is primarily on reading through the BJU Press curriculum which embeds writing and phonics. Building from kindergarten, first and second grade have added Heggerty phonemic awareness charts to increase phonological awareness. First through sixth grade students utilize BJU Press language curriculum in addition to reading which includes grammar and writing instruction. Our middle school challenges our students with literary analysis through novel studies and literature. Novel studies that encourage comprehension, vocabulary development, and critical thinking are included in grades three and up. Students have the opportunity to choose books at their own instructional level from our library and test on them through our Accelerated Reader program. Each grade level has its own goal for students to meet to encourage growth and independent reading. Each class has a dedicated library time for students to select books to read. Our students are evaluated quarterly through Star testing to monitor growth and progress. Spelling instruction and testing is done weekly from grades kindergarten through fifth, while our middle school focuses on vocabulary through the study of Greek and Latin root words.
Math: We utilize BJU Press curriculum for math across all grade levels. Our teachers evaluate the curriculum scope provided by BJU Press and compare it to California State Standards at the beginning of the year and provide supplementation when necessary. Manipulatives have been provided in all grade levels to help with hands-on instruction and deeper understanding. Our goal is to provide Biblical integration even when supplementing with resources outside of our curriculum. In math, that often means directing students to a Creator who doesn’t change, establishes patterns and order, and remains constant. We offer tutoring and small group instruction for students who need extra help or who are struggling to meet grade level standards. We have a schoolwide Moby Max subscription that teachers use for quarterly assessment testing, enrichment, and fact fluency practice.
Science: Our science curriculum in grades 1st-8th is BJU Press. Our science curriculum is written from a Biblical Worldview perspective and includes STEM projects that help align our curriculum to Next Generation Science Standards. In middle school, in an effort to not only meet but exceed state standards, our science teacher includes dissection units and hands-on labs every Friday. Our sixth-grade students attend science camp yearly at Hume Lake Christian Outdoor Education. Our middle school also has a First Lego League Robotics team. Our second-grade classes raise caterpillars into butterflies while learning about life cycles. Many of our teachers also utilize subscriptions to Mystery Science to provide supplemental material for our students. Our teachers often incorporate science into their field trips as well, such as exploring farming at the local pumpkin patch or investigating machines/force and motion at a local discovery museum.
Language Arts: Our Language Arts is an umbrella term that includes phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, writing and reading. Beginning in kindergarten, our focus is primarily on reading through the BJU Press curriculum which embeds writing and phonics. Building from kindergarten, first and second grade have added Heggerty phonemic awareness charts to increase phonological awareness. First through sixth grade students utilize BJU Press language curriculum in addition to reading which includes grammar and writing instruction. Our middle school challenges our students with literary analysis through novel studies and literature. Novel studies that encourage comprehension, vocabulary development, and critical thinking are included in grades three and up. Students have the opportunity to choose books at their own instructional level from our library and test on them through our Accelerated Reader program. Each grade level has its own goal for students to meet to encourage growth and independent reading. Each class has a dedicated library time for students to select books to read. Our students are evaluated quarterly through Star testing to monitor growth and progress. Spelling instruction and testing is done weekly from grades kindergarten through fifth, while our middle school focuses on vocabulary through the study of Greek and Latin root words.
History: Our history/social studies is one area that we use several different curriculum publications. In 1st-3rd grades we utilize Heritage Studies from BJU Press. Fourth grade is our only “secular” curriculum and uses Houghton Mifflin for California state history studies in an effort to meet California State Standards. Our 4th grade teachers do include Biblical Worldview discussions as they present the material. For example, as they present the history of the California Missions, they discuss evangelism and whether the actions of the Catholic priests and Mission founders are reflective of the Great Commission. Our 5th grade uses Abeka History of the United States curriculum, and 6th-8th grade uses BJU Press Ancient Civilizations, World Studies, and American Revolution respectively. In addition, our 4th-6th grades participate in “Walk Through” programs put on by California Weekly Explorer in which students have the opportunity to bring history to life with character representations, small group skits, and a “game show style” review of history skills learned. In an effort to expand on our curriculum, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 7th-8th grades offer special field trips. Our fourth-grade students visit missions and Roaring Camps Historic Railroad, our 5th graders visit the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, while our 7th-8th grade students have the opportunity to visit Washington DC.
Music: Our music program for grades K-5 consists of weekly 30-minute music classes for all our students. Our students focus on music as worship, and use their weekly lessons to prepare for our Christmas and Spring Musicals. Our middle school offers a zero-period worship band elective.
Technology: Our school provides 1:1 Chromebooks for all students, Promethean boards in all classrooms, and our classes in grades kindergarten through fifth grade have directed computer instruction for 30 minutes each week. In recent years we have transitioned away from a “purchased curriculum” for computer instruction, and are currently building content for our students. Students are typically working on either typing skills through Typing Master online, or being introduced to a Google application like Google Slides or Google Documents. Middle school students utilize Google classroom and are being provided instruction in MLA format and accurate research practices. It is our goal to have students learn how to use the internet with wisdom and discretion and to be instructed on useful tools they can utilize to enhance their work and education.
Physical Education: One of our Core Values is to encourage healthy individuals who are physically active. At PCS, we provide a PE teacher for grades K-5 who meets with classes for the amount of minutes currently suggested by state guidelines for physical education. We also provide PE instruction four days a week for our middle school with both male and female teachers leading them. All three of our PE teachers utilize the Spark Physical guidelines for differing grade levels; and in addition, our middle school also utilizes Cross Fit kids. Our middle school has sports teams with after-school practice. We currently have middle school sports teams in Volleyball, Cross Country, and Basketball. We have playground and sports equipment for the students to use during their recess time that promotes healthy exercise. As a school we commit to maintaining this equipment and keeping it available as an option for student use. California guidelines state that specifically at least 20 minutes a day of recess is recommended, preferably outdoors, that encourages moderate-vigorous activity and discourages more than two hours of inactivity a day. As a school we exceed this expectation.
Music: Our music program for grades K-5 consists of weekly 30-minute music classes for all our students. Our students focus on music as worship, and use their weekly lessons to prepare for our Christmas and Spring Musicals. Our middle school offers a zero-period worship band elective.
Technology: Our school provides 1:1 Chromebooks for all students, Promethean boards in all classrooms, and our classes in grades kindergarten through fifth grade have directed computer instruction for 30 minutes each week. In recent years we have transitioned away from a “purchased curriculum” for computer instruction, and are currently building content for our students. Students are typically working on either typing skills through Typing Master online, or being introduced to a Google application like Google Slides or Google Documents. Middle school students utilize Google classroom and are being provided instruction in MLA format and accurate research practices. It is our goal to have students learn how to use the internet with wisdom and discretion and to be instructed on useful tools they can utilize to enhance their work and education.
Physical Education: One of our Core Values is to encourage healthy individuals who are physically active. At PCS, we provide a PE teacher for grades K-5 who meets with classes for the amount of minutes currently suggested by state guidelines for physical education. We also provide PE instruction four days a week for our middle school with both male and female teachers leading them. All three of our PE teachers utilize the Spark Physical guidelines for differing grade levels; and in addition, our middle school also utilizes Cross Fit kids. Our middle school has sports teams with after-school practice. We currently have middle school sports teams in Volleyball, Cross Country, and Basketball. We have playground and sports equipment for the students to use during their recess time that promotes healthy exercise. As a school we commit to maintaining this equipment and keeping it available as an option for student use. California guidelines state that specifically at least 20 minutes a day of recess is recommended, preferably outdoors, that encourages moderate-vigorous activity and discourages more than two hours of inactivity a day. As a school we exceed this expectation.