Countryside Christian School is committed to doing everything in our power to not just prepare students for a vocation or for college, but to prepare them for life.  Because of our mission “to prepare students for God-given responsibilities in the family, church, community and nation,” we have developed curriculum in the following categories:

LEADERSHIP - In staying true to our mission: preparing students for the God-given responsibilities in the family, church, community and nation, teaching students what it takes to be a leader is imperative.   In our leadership class, students are learning that Jesus is our example of the perfect leader and serving is a big part of being a leader.  Students learn that the group must unite on a vision and determine goals to achieve that vision.  They are learning what it means to be just and fair, but to also make the tough calls when it is time.  The leadership class equips students with the experiences necessary to learn how to brainstorm, narrow down, research, and follow through on a plan.

LIFE SKILLS – Our Life Skills class is a way to reinforce habits and skills that are typically introduced and taught first in the home.  It is one way we prepare students not only for college, but for life.  Some of our topics include staying safe, manners and table etiquette, cooking, map reading, money management, health and hygiene – just to name a few.   In addition, we have a school-wide “Good Character” program where we focus on a new good character trait every week or two (e.g. politeness, kindness, cheerfulness, respectfulness, thoughtfulness, thankfulness, patience).  During Chapel students are praised and given a treat for being caught with good character.

HERITAGE – Our Heritage class is not just another history class.  In fact, if you look up both “history” and “heritage” in the dictionary, you would see that the definition of history is “a record of events that have happened in the past”, while heritage  emphasizes “inheritance, legacy, tradition, birthright and custom”.  History looks back at events that happened over the course of time regardless of if they had a lasting effect.  Heritage is looking back at the events that have shaped our lives and made us who we are today. There is something empowering about knowing the events that put you in this place at this time. CCS students are excited to be learning how to appreciate and embrace their heritage.

ETYMOLOGY – Students at Countryside Christian School have the opportunity to study linguistics in a way not available at most schools. Our students receive regular instruction in Etymology which is the study of the origin and historical development of a word. We do this for several reasons: 1) expansion of vocabulary 2) ability to figure out meaning 3) aid in spelling 4) to show the heritage of the words of our language and have a richer understanding of history

PHYSICAL EDUCATION – The value of physical fitness can never be overstated. It’s a link to good health and a physically active lifestyle, a preventative measure against disease, a promoter of academic learning, a self-esteem booster, and a developer of cooperation, teamwork and sportsmanship. Countryside Christian School recognizes these benefits and students participate in PE twice a week for 30 minutes.

VISUAL ART -  Students participate and study art composition within their classrooms using various techniques and tools such as water and oil paints, crayon rubbings, colored pencils and crayons, weaving, origami, paper mache’ and molding clay.  Most projects are tied into classroom curriculum to facilitate and enrich learning.  Students are able to learn an appreciation of art through displayed works.  CCS was a recipient of a collection of art by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2008.

MUSIC – CCS utilizes the National Association for Music Education (MENC) scope and sequence as a guideline for instruction. Our goal at the elementary level is to provide age appropriate musical experiences that are fun, exciting, and that create a lifelong involvement and appreciation for music.  In addition, students are exposed to composers and artists, instruments and many elements of music such as rhythm, beat, notes and reading music. Because CCS understands how important music is to children, our students enjoy music instruction twice a week for 30 minutes.

KEYBOARDING – Students in grades 3 and 4 take part in a program that encourages the development of language arts skills while teaching the essentials of typing/keyboarding.  Students are taught proper typing skills as well as computer-oriented keys.  Lessons are combined with entertaining activities to reinforce keyboarding skills.

TECHNOLOGY – Students as young as kindergarten get familiar with computers and the internet.  They learn how to find their way around the monitor with keyboard and mouse.  Computer lab time is spent supplementing core curriculum by way of research projects or fun, reinforcement activities and providing students the opportunity to apply and solidify learned skills.

SPANISH – Once a week students meet together for Spanish instruction.  During this time, students are introduced to the Spanish language and culture through various activities, games and music.  The intention of Spanish at this primary level is to provide students with exposure and an appreciation for Spanish-speaking countries, their culture and traditions.