A. Teach all subjects as parts of an integrated whole with the Scriptures at the center
(II Timothy 3:16-17);
B. Provide a clear model of the biblical Christian life through our staff and board
(Matthew 22:37-40);
C. Encourage every student to begin and develop his relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ
(Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 19:13-15)
Grace Christian Academy holds that all truth is God's truth. We seek to integrate all subjects with historical Christianity and the teachings of the Scriptures in ways which are natural and not contrived. Our intent is to provide a clear model of the biblical Christian life and world-view through our staff and board, and to foster the culture and environment of a Christian community, which is inclusive.
Grace Christian Academy will provide young people with the spiritual direction, the academic content and the personal discipline, as well as the thinking, speaking, and writing skills they need to make a positive contribution to their families, churches, employers, communities, and to society.
CLASSICAL
GCA seeks to:
A. Emphasize grammar, logic, and rhetoric in all subjects (see definitions below);
B. Encourage every student to develop a love for learning and live up to his academic potential;
C. Provide an orderly atmosphere conducive to the attainment of the above goals.
Definitions:
Grammar: The fundamental rules of each subject.
Logic: The ordered relationship of particulars in each subject.
Rhetoric: How the grammar and logic of each subject may be clearly expressed.
Classical Methodology
Grace Christian Academy employs the classical method of learning based upon the centuries-old Trivium which stresses teaching "with the grain," using methods which fit the students' developmental stages of learning. Young children are taught basic learning skills and facts while older students develop critical thinking skills. The goal is to teach students how to think as a basis for mastering specific subject areas.
Latin
At Grace Christian Academy, formal instruction in Latin begins in the elementary years. By introducing children to the language at an early age, we take educational advantage of their great capacity for learning vocabulary, verb conjugations, and noun declensions.
Latin is vital in many ways. Latin trains the student in the essentials of scientific method, provides a wonderful foundation for the study of other modem languages, and reveals a great deal about our native English. The student's mind is being trained to learn in a most disciplined way that can be applied to any subject.
Logic
Grace Christian Academy maintains that God is a rational God and that human beings, created in His image, are rational beings. We seek to aid parents in helping children understand the truth of Christianity through rational means so that the truths each student holds about God and the world are his own. The goal is to educate students, teaching them how to think and how to know, rather than indoctrinate by merely teaching them what to know.
Classical Rhetoric
Students who are learning to think rationally must also develop the skills necessary to communicate their ideas and positions to others. Formal instructions in rhetoric, the art of persuasive speaking and writing, will begin in the ninth grade and will be combined with studies in apologetics, the defense of one's beliefs.
