Click here to see photos
from our Annual Pilgrim and Indian
Thanksgiving Luncheon

Teaching and learning are valued within the Christian school because of the underlying belief that excellence honors God. Teachers and students at Christian Academy have the unique privilege of renewing their minds each day as they strive to honor the Lord. Learning activities are planned for students that help to grow them into enthusiastic lifelong learners. Teachers are expected to be reflective practitioners who individually and collectively engage children's interest in many aspects of the world in which they live.

Each curriculum area is extensively reviewed at least once within every five year period. Research findings, state and national standards and experiences within the school's professional staff are considered when developing curriculum and selecting textbook series and additional resources to be used with students. Prioritized objectives for students at Christian Academy are decided upon through collaboration of staff and by utilizing the expertise of outside professionals.

Bible is taught daily within the lower school at Christian Academy. The Positive Action for Christ series is used as the basal textbook for all lower school classes. Teachers are also encouraged to integrate Biblical principles within each subject area with the intention of helping students formulate a Biblical worldview, consistent with teachings they are exposed to at home and at church. Scripture memory is a significant part of the Bible program; however, application of Biblical principles within daily life is the primary focus. Scripture is used to study the history of God's dealings with mankind.

KINDERGARTEN---This study will teach children about God through the lives of the major characters throughout the entire Bible. Activities are designed to help children comprehend and apply God' s truth.

GRADE 1--- ENJOYING GOD'S GIFTS---First graders will focus on the many gifts of love provided for us by God. Emphasis will be on aspects of creation, our families, friends, possessions, Jesus Christ and God's care for us.

GRADE 2---FINDING GOD'S PROMISES---Students will study the life of Moses through the Book of Exodus. The promises of God will be evident as the Israelites and their leader see both victory and tribulation as they learn to trust God.

GRADE 3---GROWING WITH GOD---Students will study the Bible as our manual for spiritual growth with a focus on the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and Daniel.

GRADE 4---BUILDING LIFE CASTLES---These studies include the life of Christ from the Gospels, a study of the Holy Spirit from the Gospels , Acts and the Epistles; an understanding of how Christian character develops using Paul's epistles and the life of Paul from the book of Acts.

GRADE 5---POSSESSING THE LAND---A survey of the Old Testament is the basis of this study. Beginning in Genesis, students will gain a much clearer perspective of how the stories of the Old Testament fit together into one pattern.

Within the Lower School Language Arts program, students are immersed in appropriate and interesting literature. Phonics-based instruction takes place in the lower grades, with novel studies beginning as early as second grade. Oral and written language are developed through ample opportunities to communicate with the teacher and one another. A variety of methods are used including reading response, small and large group discussion, journal writing, conferencing and editing. The ABeka readers are used in Kindergarten for emergent and early readers. The ABeka Spelling and Language series is used with all grades 1-5 to enhance the spelling and grammar instruction. The Open Court reading series, Collections for Young Scholars is used as a basal text for reading instruction in Grades 1-5.

KINDERGARTEN---Students work to recognize all letters and sounds, short and long vowels, blends and digraphs. They are encouraged and allowed to build speed, accuracy and comprehension, with a concentration on oral reading. Writing is incorporated throughout the year and is used as a cornerstone for reading instruction.

GRADE 1---Students continue to utilize phonetic principles with the introduction of new sounds throughout the year, applying all phonetic skills in reading longer and longer passages. They read a variety of books and work to recall details, predict outcomes and analyze meanings within their reading. Writing continues to be incorporated throughout the year, with students beginning to work on revising their writing.

GRADE 2---Students read within the basal text, as well as read and discuss popular chapter books for interest and comprehension. Some of this reading is done in conjunction with the Social Studies curriculum. Students will compare and contrast, define and recognize first, second and third person point of view, identify major elements of plot, recognize the characteristics of various genre, and work to make accurate inferences and predictions about what they are reading. Writing will continue to be an integral part of student progress in Language Arts.

GRADE 3---Students will read and comprehend longer works of fiction. They will summarize orally and in writing main ideas from fiction and non-fiction readings. They will ask and pose plausible answers to how, why, and what if questions when interpreting texts. Utilizing the dictionary, index and table of contents are an integral part of reading progress. Students will produce a variety of writings, demonstrate the ability to gather information from a variety of sources, and proceed through the complete writing process.

GRADE 4---Students will read and apply comprehension and writing skills to units on Colonial Times, Business, Medicine, Surviving, and Technology, with vocabulary development being an important component of the fourth grade year. Students will read expository writing for understanding and synthesize what they read from different sources. They will better understand the use of descriptive language and learn how to identify examples that support a premise. During second semester, they will write a research paper, implementing the basic skills of research writing. Many punctuation, capitalization and grammar rules are reviewed during this year, enhancing the student's ability to present complete, edited formal and creative writing.

GRADE 5---Students are called upon to activate previous knowledge, respond to the text, and interpret what they read by summing up and asking questions. They will continue to clarify unfamiliar words through context clues and use of the dictionary. They will identify and develop elements of time and order, as well as main characters, setting and plot. They will be able to write logical original plot lines, making use of dialogue within their short stories. Students begin to predict future behaviors based on character motives and compare and contrast personalities and settings. Reading, writing and spoken language skills are intertwined while reading about topics such as The Civil War and reading novels such as The Mystery of the Pirates' Treasure and Witch of Blackbird Pond. A more advanced look at parts of speech is included in the study of Language Arts throughout the fifth grade year.

The Math curriculum utilizes manipulatives and hands-on activities in an effort to help students master various problem solving and computation skills. Students in Kindergarten use the ABeka curriculum as a basal text, with Grades 1-5 using the SRA McGraw Hill Math Explorations and Applications . The standards set forth by the National Council for the Teachers of Mathematics are a primary influence on decisions made related to the Christian Academy Math curriculum.

KINDERGARTEN---Students in Kindergarten learn and review recognition and writing of all numbers 0-100. They learn about shapes, money, patterns and positional words. They identify greater than and less than, learn their addition families to 10 and begin simple subtraction problems. They read a calendar and tell time to the half hour, with introduction to the quarter hour. Students also count by 10's , 5' and 2's during the Kindergarten year. Use of manipulatives in Kindergarten is paramount to student success and to their understanding of basic mathematical concepts, the building blocks for future years.

GRADE 1---Students in first grade start the year classifying objects, completing patterns, counting and writing numbers through 100, using number lines, tallying marks, reading and making graphs, recording and collecting data, as well as adding and subtracting to 10. They continue the year counting money , estimating weights, exploring symmetry, telling time to the half hour and solving missing addends. Students master addition and subtraction to 18 and then using multiples of 10. They use calculators at times and solve word problems throughout the year. Students explore place value and simple double digit addition and subtraction. Use of manipulatives while problem solving and while mastering the basic facts is an integral part of first grade math.

GRADE 2---Students continue an emphasis on basic addition and subtraction facts. They master the ability to count and regroup, to read a calendar and ordinal numbers, to supply missing addends, to solve word problems. They read several types of graphs, estimate and measure length and measure perimeter. Students compute two, three and four digit addition and subtraction with renaming. They demonstrate the ability to tell time, to read thermometers, to work with fractions, and to recognize geometric shapes and characteristics. They demonstrate pre-multiplication concepts through repeated addends and counting money.

GRADE 3---Students demonstrate mastery of multi-digit addition and subtraction and place value associated with those. They demonstrate geometry concepts such as calculating perimeter and area, knowledge of common polygons, an understanding of radius and diameter, lines of symmetry, points, lines and angles. They review common methods of telling time to the nearest minute and demonstrate mastery of the concept of elapsed time. Students master simple multiplication facts and will demonstrate an understanding of inverse operations. They compute division problems with a remainder and solve equations with variables. They design and graph information, utilizing a variety of types of graphs. They utilize decimals within measurement, mixed numbers, and equivalent fractions.

GRADE 4--- Students review multi-digit addition and subtraction, easy multiplication and division problems, continue algebra readiness and geometry activities, solve multi-digit multiplication problems, continue work with fractions and begin multiplying fractions by whole numbers. Students will identify place value to the 10 millions. They master approximation techniques and solve multi-step word problems. They demonstrate the understanding of the inverse relationship between multiplication and division, find the least common multiple of two numbers, and use parenthesis in order of operations. Students solve problems with perimeter and area, review lines of symmetry and relationships with points, line and angles. Students multiply decimals by whole numbers and add and subtract whole numbers with simple mixed fractions.

GRADE 5---Students continue to master basic skills and introduce more complex skills with whole numbers, algebra readiness, fractions, decimals, and geometry. Students divide by one and two digit divisors. They compute multi-digit addition, subtraction and multiplication problems. Students review customary and metric units of measurement. Students perform division with decimal quotients and graph ordered pairs of numbers, while determining coordinates. They expand their graphing to include negative numbers. They find fractions of whole numbers, determine decimal equivalents and solve word problems involving decimals and division. Students spend time calculating averages , identifying mean, median and mode and computing ratio and rate. Students learn to compute volume and visualize three dimensional figures from two dimensional pictures. They also compare, add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. Students measure angles as fractions of the whole and demonstrate sums and congruencies for triangle and quadrilaterals. They make and read scale drawings, identify and contrast concave and convex shapes and continue to compute area. Also, during the fifth grade year, students write and evaluate expressions with exponents and calculate and solve problems using percents, demonstrating the relationship between fractions and percents.

The Science curriculum in the lower school is primarily built around the Core Knowledge Sequence. Students are given opportunities to explore, investigate, record, analyze and draw conclusions. The curriculum is content rich and intended to give students a strong knowledge base from which to assimilate what they learn and become better stewards of God's world and resources. Though the Addison Wesley Destinations in Science book is the basal adoption for the Grades 1-5 and is utilized as a resource, outside resources that correlate with the Core Knowledge sequence are primarily used to meet outlined science objectives. Kindergarten uses Scott-Foresman Science as a basal text.

KINDERGARTEN
Topics of study include:

• Living and Non-living Things
• Animals
• Plants
• Matter
• Sound, Heat and Light
• Movement
• Earth and Sky
• Weather
• Caring for the Earth
• Human Senses
• Parts of the Body
• Being Healthy

GRADE 1
Topics of study include:

• Matter
• Astronomy
• Oceanography
• Human Body
• Animals and Their Habitats
• Earth Science
• Insects
• Plants
• Electricity

GRADE 2
Topics of study include:

• Seasonal Cycles
• Life Cycles
• Water Cycle
• Simple Machines
• Magnetism
• The Human Body---The Digestive System
• Insects

GRADE 3
Topics of study include:

• Classifying Animals
• Human Body
  • The Muscular System
  • The Skeletal System
  • The Human Eye
  • The Human Ear
• Earth Science
  • Land Forms
  • The Sun, The Moon and The Earth

GRADE 4
Topics of study include:

• Digestive and Excretory Systems
• Plants
  • Plant parts and functions
  • Plant reproduction
• Electricity and Magnetism
  • Static and Current Electricity
  • Magnetism
• Rocks and Minerals
• Solar System
  • Earth Movements
  • The Moon
  • Earth's Neighbors
• Animals and Creation - Focus on Mammals and Birds

• Forms of Matter - Atom Compounds and Mixtures
• Cells and Plants
  • Cell Structure and Function
  • Cell Process
  • Cell Energy
• Plants: Structure, Classification and Growth
• Biomes and Ecosystems
  • How Living Things Get Energy
  • Food Webs
  • The Environment
  • Biome Features
  • Land Biomes
  • Water Biomes
• Air and Water
  • The Air
  • Ocean Water
  • Ocean Features
• Sound and Light
  • Sound Energy
  • Light Energy
  • Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Transport Systems
  • Circulation
  • Respiration
  • Staying Healthy

The Social Studies curriculum in the Lower School is also built primarily around the Core Knowledge Sequence. It is content rich, with students exploring not only the important historical, geographical, cultural and political aspects of our nation , but also of countries around our world. Students in Kindergarten utilize both the ABeka series, as well as Core Knowledge related resources. Students in grades 1-5 utilize the basal texts which correspond with the Core Knowledge sequence published by Pearson Learning Group. They incorporate a variety of written and audio-visual materials in their learning activities.

KINDERGARTEN
Topics of study include:

• Continents and Maps
• Native Americans
• Exploring and Settling America
• Mount Rushmore Presidents
• The American Flag
• The Statue of Liberty
• The White House
• July 4---Democracy

Grade 1
Topics of study include:

• Geography
• American History
  • Early Civilizations of the Americas
  • Early Explorers and Settlers
  • From Colonies to Independence
  • Exploring the West
• Ancient Egypt
• Mesopotamia
• Three World Religions

Grade 2
Topics of study include:

• Ancient China
• Ancient India
• Japan Today
• Ancient Greece
• Making the Constitution
• The War of 1812
• Americans Move West
• The Civil War
• Immigration and Citizenship
• Civil Rights Leaders
• Geography of the Americas

Grade 3
Topics of study include:

• Canada
• World Rivers
• Ancient Rome
• The Vikings
• The Earliest Americans
• Exploration of North America
• Life in the Thirteen Colonies
• South Carolina History

Grade 4
Topics of study include:

• Using Maps
• World Mountains
• Europe in the Middle Ages
• The Spread of Islam
• African Kingdoms
• Dynasties of China
• The American Revolution
• The United States Constitution
• Early Presidents: Washington through Jackson
• American Reformers

Grade 5
Topics of study include:

• World Lakes
• The Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations
• The Renaissance
• The Reformation
• England: Golden Age to Glorious Revolution
• The Age of Exploration
• Early Russia
• Feudal Japan
• Westward Expansion Before the Civil War
• The Civil War
• Westward Expansion After the Civil War
• Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts
• Geography of the United States

Students in grades K-5 are formally exposed to Spanish several times each week. Students in grades K-4 use Viva el Espanol, published by Pearson Learning Group as a basal text. The goal is for these students to develop communicative competency in listening, reading, and writing. Grade 5 students use Viva el Espanol: HOLA!, also published by Pearson Learning Group as their basal text for instruction. The goal is for these students to develop and advance their proficiency in listening, reading, and writing. All lower school students will have experiences that enhance their understanding of the Hispanic culture and all experiences are planned to foster spontaneous, non-threatening and meaningful communication among students.

Students in grades K-5 are encouraged to expand their horizons through exposure to the arts.

Throughout the years in Grades K-5, students will have opportunities to work with various mediums, discuss renowned artists, examine various styles of architecture, demonstrate an understanding of the use of color, create 3-D projects, repeat line and design while identifying patterns and designs within our world, draw outlines of still life objects, recognize the use of light and shadow, apply print making techniques. Hands-on personal instruction is a key component of the Art instruction offered within the Lower School, with the goal of helping students add a new dimension to how they see the world, giving it color, shading, line, texture, content and enhanced meaning.

Lower school Music classes contain both a performance and theory dimension. Students are exposed to great composers, experiencing different types of music, corresponding to various periods of history. Students become acquainted with the main instruments in each orchestra family, listen to and reproduce various rhythms and perform various styles of music. During most years, this culminates in musical productions in which all students participate.