Curriculum
Elementary Division
Grades 2 – 5
Northside Christian School has been providing an excellent Christian educational program to Charleston-area families since 1975. We have established a reputation in the community and state for a fully-developed, balanced, high quality school program. NCS has much to offer our students:
- Safe, secure facilities that are inspected regularly
- School accreditation – state (SCACS), regional (Advanced Ed – pending), and national (NACSSA)
- Teacher certification – SCACS or South Carolina, actively involved in the local church
- Proven core curriculum – above-average Iowa achievement testing scores
- Weekly instruction in computers, choral and instrumental music, Spanish, Art, PE, and Library
- After-school soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter
- Academic, fine arts, and athletic excellence all with a Biblical worldview
ATMOSPHERE
The pleasant campus and attractive facilities of NCS provide an environment conducive to learning. With a warm spiritual atmosphere, NCS provides opportunities to participate in wholesome school activities, social enrichment, and the development of close friendships. In addition, we offer vital academic, spiritual, social, and physical training to children in their critical, formative years. NCS emphasizes the necessity for honesty, proper grooming, tasteful dress, wholesome fun, dependability, obedience, respect for authority, and self-discipline in a commitment to “train up” the whole student.
ACADEMICS
The program of study at NCS emphasizes quality work and teaching from a Biblical world view. At the elementary school level we give great attention to the fundamentals of education. A strong phonetic approach with emphasis on comprehension produces good readers. The language arts curriculum stresses mastery of English grammar concepts and development of strong composition skills. A mathematics program that combines the best of the modern and traditional systems provides an excellent foundation for future learning. We teach history, science, and health from a Christian perspective with emphasis on the development of good study skills and habits.
ACTIVITIES
NCS provides a rich variety of school activities calculated to aid in the complete training of the “whole child.” Specialists in computers, choral and instrumental music, Spanish, Art, PE, and Library instruct all students in these co-curricular areas. Northside Baptist Church offers a co-ed league for soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter and makes these available to NCS students.
Other information regarding the Elementary Division is included in the Student Handbook.
Secondary Division
Middle School (6-8) & High School (9-12)
The secondary division of Northside Christian School builds on the solid foundation given our students in the Kindergarten and Elementary programs. The standard course of study is college preparatory, meeting all South Carolina requirements and offering a wide range of electives in both academic and extracurricular areas. Honors and Dual Enrollment (DE) courses are available in some academic disciplines. We offer a rich fine arts program including speech, art, choral and instrumental music. Northside has often been first or a finalist in the South Carolina fine arts competition as well as in the AACS (American Association of Christian School) national festival. Our soccer (boys and girls), volleyball, basketball, baseball teams and cheerleading squads have been conference and state champions many times. The goal of NCS is a program of balanced excellence with a Biblical worldview.
ADMISSIONS
Since the school is a ministry of Northside Baptist Church, the Secondary Division is very selective in its admissions policies. Parents and students who apply based on compatible academic and spiritual goals find NCS to be the best possible choice for their children’s training. We strive to expand our ministry to teens by offering a wide range of fine arts opportunities. These build character traits such as perseverance, delayed gratification, and submission to authority as well as providing ministry tools for immediate and lifetime service. We complete our program with interscholastic athletic competition. Sports teach in a unique and powerful way many critical life skills such as physical fitness, emotional control, submission to authority, teamwork, and many others.
REQUIRED COURSES
Bible and Chapel are required each year. Bible begins in 7th-8th with Fundamentals of the Faith and the Life of Christ, 9th-10th with Bible Survey and Wisdom Literature, and 11th–12th with Bible Doctrines and a capstone course in Biblical/Cultural Worldview. The English department offers College Preparatory and Honors electives in grades 9-12. Science courses include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Anatomy, with honors and DE electives. The mathematics curriculum offers Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Calculus, with some Honors and DE electives. History emphasizes World and American History and terminates with Government and Economics, offering some Honors electives. Two years of Spanish are required, and Spanish 3 Honors is offered. Other requirements include one year each of Physical Education, Health, Speech, Microsoft Apps, and a fine arts credit.
ELECTIVE COURSES
Electives include as many as 16 Honors and 4 Dual Enrollment courses, Band and Choir (both Middle and High School), Handbells, Art, and Eyrie Staff (copy writing, photography, graphic design, marketing, etc.). Private piano, instrumental, and vocal lessons are available. Driver’s Education is valued at 0.5 credits. We encourage capable students to take our DE electives for college credit.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Athletics, clubs such as the FCTA (Future Christian Teachers Association) and the ACHS and NHS (American Christian Honor Society and the National Honor Society) enhance school life, providing unique opportunities for service. Class officers learn to lead and to serve their friends.
Other information regarding the Secondary Division is included in the Student Handbook.