Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

This handbook is provided to acquaint you with our school’s operational procedures and educational programs. Descriptions of our school’s curriculum, history, philosophy, and religious distinctives have been included to promote your awareness, understanding, and involvement in the educational process of our School. Anyone interested in obtaining additional information is encouraged to call or visit the elementary office. Students, please become familiar with your responsibilities as outlined in this handbook. May these school rules help you to do your part in keeping our classrooms and playgrounds pleasant and safe places in which you and your classmates may study and learn together. Be diligent in your studies, remembering what God has said in His Word, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with all thy might.” May the Lord bless your efforts, especially in the study of His Word. May you personally experience that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Parents, let us be examples “in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Since in our own strength and wisdom we cannot perform our responsibilities as expressed in God’s Word, let us remember each other in prayer throughout the year, seeking the Lord’s assistance and blessing upon our efforts.

Sincerely,

Nathan Bleeker, Principal

Mission Statement

The mission of Plymouth Christian Schools is to provide, as God enables, a Christ-centered educational program dedicated to the glory of God, as an extension of the home and church.  Students will be challenged to develop Biblical values, basic skills, and God-given abilities, grow in knowledge, and explore their interests while seeking God’s will as revealed in His Word, and seeing His handiwork in creation, for their temporal and eternal welfare and the benefit of others.

School Motto

As God enables — growing in knowledge, striving for wisdom, learning to serve — for His glory.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of Plymouth Christian Elementary School is to strive to “train up a child in the way he should go,” for the Lord has promised that “when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).  The home, the church, and the school each have the God-given responsibility to bring up our children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”  (Ephesians 6:4).  While none are able to properly do this of themselves, we must pray and strive to place God and His infallible Word at the center of all subjects studied, instruction given, and policies developed.  Behavior and guidance are directed according to Biblical principles.  Religious instruction is based on the Bible and presented from a truly reformed perspective in accordance with our Doctrinal Standards: The Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession of Faith, and the Cannons of Dort.  Instruction will be given in all subjects needed for our daily life.  Therefore, not only Biblical Studies is taught, but also a wide range of academic subjects of which each course attempts to draw its basis and theme from the Scripture which “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness”  (II Timothy 3:16).

Philosophy of Education

The word philosophy can be defined as “the beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group; a system of philosophical concepts; a theory underlying a sphere of thoughts; a search for truth through logical reasoning; or as a pursuit of wisdom.”  Our philosophy of Christian education comprises our beliefs and our attitudes, as well as our search for, and pursuit of the truth in education.  Specifically, we must address the following questions:

 I. What is our basis of truth and education?

II. What core truths do we believe?

III. What are our purposes of education?

IV. What are our general objectives in education?

V. What are some of our specific objectives in education?

I.  Basis of Truth and Education

We believe that the basis of truth and education must be found in the Triune God and His infallible Word. All core beliefs, all purposes of education, and all general objectives of education must be based upon principles established in the infallible sixty-six books of sacred Scripture.

II. Core Beliefs

Our Reformed philosophy of Christian education is based on certain core beliefs, which we hold to be true.  These core beliefs are explained in our doctrinal standards: the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession of Faith, and the Cannons of Dort.  A short summary of these core beliefs is as follows:

 

We believe that there is one true God, and that He is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, omnipresent, independent, omniscient, indivisible, almighty, perfectly wise, just, gracious and the overflowing fountain of all good.  “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, and only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.  Amen”  (I Tim. 1:17).

We believe that this God, though One in essence, has revealed Himself in three distinct and coequal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one”  (I John 5:7).

We believe that God has revealed Himself to man by two means: first, by general revelation through His creation, His providence, and man’s conscience; secondly, He makes Himself far more clearly and fully known by special revelation through His Word, the Holy Bible.  “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”  (Romans 1:20).  “But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26).

We believe that the Bible is not the reflection of the will of man, but that holy men of God spake as they were inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit.  “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”  (II Peter 1:21).  The Bible is the complete and only infallible Word of God delivered to mankind, essential to know unto salvation.  In the English language, we believe that this Word is most accurately and soundly conveyed to us by the King James Version.

We believe that this Word of God not only teaches the truth about God but also about man.  We believe that God created man perfect and upright, and after His own image in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.  “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them”  (Gen. 1:27).  “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created them”  (Col. 3:10).  “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”  (Ephesians. 4:24).

We believe that man willingly subjected himself to sin and fell from his holy state.  Consequently all are born in sin and will die in sin, unless regenerated by the Spirit of God to find complete salvation in the one Mediator, Jesus Christ, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”  (Romans 5:12).

“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses”  (Col. 2:13).

We believe in the One and only Mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who in one Person is both God and Man:

“Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead”  (Apostle’s Creed).

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”  (Acts 4:12).

 

We believe in the Five Points of Calvinism.

1.  In man’s total depravity:

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually  (Gen. 6:5). “God looked down from heaven upon the children of men; to see if there were any that did understand that did seek God.  Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 53:2, 3).

2.  In unconditional election:

“For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy”  (Romans. 9:15, 16).

3.  In limited atonement:

“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine”  (John 17:9).

4.  In irresistible grace:

“No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him:  and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God.  Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me”  (John 6:44, 45).

5.  In the perseverance of the saints:

“And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand”  (John 10:28).

 

We believe that the Word of God provides clear instruction not only for the way of salvation, but also for man’s everyday life in the world.  We believe that all spheres and domains of life, education inclusive, must be subject to the ordinances and glory of God.  “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”  (I Corinthians. 10:3l).

We believe that although infant baptism places us under the privileges of an external (non-saving) covenant relationship with God, we need the personal regenerating work of the Holy Spirit to bring us into the covenant of grace in an internal (saving) covenant relationship with God.  “For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh.  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly: and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter: whose praise is not of men, but of God”  (Romans 2:28, 29.  “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”  (John 3:3).

 

III.  Purposes of Education

Upon this Biblical and theological base our purposes of Christian education are founded.  These purposes are as follows:

1. We must provide education for our children based upon God and His Word because it is God’s command.  “For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born: who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments”  (Psalm 78:5-7).
2. We must provide Christian education because it is our parental responsibility.  We have the same covenantal responsibility as Israel in the Old Testament to instruct our baptized (circumcised) children.  At baptism we are required as parents to answer “yes” to the following question: Whether you promise and intend to see these children, when come to the years of discretion (whereof you are either parents or witness), instructed and brought up in the aforesaid doctrine, or help or cause them to be instructed therein, to the utmost of your power?
   “Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your souls, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.  And ye shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth”  (Deuteronomy. 11:18-21).
3. Education must teach the truth and strive to observe the interrelationship of the truths of God’s Word.  Based on God’s Word, education must provide absolute answers, rather than wavering speculations.  “For the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth.”  (Psalm 33:4)  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”  (John 14:6).
4. Education must strive to teach wisdom – a wise and proper use of knowledge – under the humble admission of dependence upon the Holy Spirit who alone can make sinners wise unto salvation.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding”  (Proverbs 9:10).
5. Education’s prime concern must be the spiritual needs of each student – his/her being prepared for the eternal life to come.  Being totally depraved by nature, children (like adults) stand in desperate need of the regenerating and converting work of God.  Christian education is a means which God may use and bless to this end.  Hence, we are responsible to use these means fully.  “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
6. Education is training for daily life on earth.  As all life is under Divine ordinance and direction, all studies must be taught in a Biblical context.  Our school curriculum (subjects and courses of study) must be built around, and draw its basis and theme from the Word of God.  “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”  (1 Corinthians. 10:31).
7. Education is moral training.  Our pedagogy (art of teaching), daily interaction, and discipline must be based upon Biblical principles.  “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:  but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”  (Ephesians. 6:4).
8. Christian education must pray and plead upon the promise of God that, as a rule, a godly upbringing will be blessed:  “Train up a child in the way he should go:  and when he is old, he will not depart from it”  (Proverbs 22:6).

 

IV.  General Objectives

From these purposes of Christian education, we may draw our general objectives of education.  The primary objective of true Christian education is that God’s Name may be honored and glorified in the realm of education.  The second major objective is that students may be blessed with a saving knowledge of the Lord and that their lives may be dedications of service to Him in all things, loving God above all and their neighbors as themselves.  In stating these major objectives, as well as the general objectives which follow, we must emphasize two things.

1.  In teaching, we are completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit to reach these objectives.  Only God can use the means of grace, but we are subject to God’s blessing for the desired result, “I am the vine, ye are the branches:  He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:  for without Me ye can do nothing”  (John 15:5).  “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every Man?  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase”  (I Corinthians 3:5-7).
2. For a student to truly meet the objectives outlined below, spirit-wrought saving faith must both be implanted and be in exercise.  “For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart”  (I Samuel 16:7b).  “God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).  “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin”  (Romans 14:23).

Keeping this in mind, the general objectives of Christian education are as follows:

A Student’s Spiritual Needs

1. To teach the Bible as God’s inspired, Infallible Word, as an absolute rule for life and to develop attitudes of love and respect toward it.
2. To teach the basic Biblical doctrines.
3. To stress the need of personal experiential conversion for each person which takes place through a Divine order of:  misery, deliverance, thankfulness.
4. To stress the responsibility and accountability of each hearer of the gospel to whom God’s salvation is freely offered.
5. To teach the personal responsibility of each individual in church life and in society.

A Student’s Personal and Social Developmen

1. To help the student learn what it means to be a human being:  spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
2. To promote an understanding of each individual’s responsibility to develop and use their God-given talents and abilities to their fullest potential in a manner pleasing in God’s sight and to the benefit of others.
3. To teach the value of time as a God-given commodity.
4. To stress Biblical attitudes toward material possessions and individual responsibility as stewards in this regard.
5. To promote a spirit of love and respect toward others and the social realization of our need of others.
6. To develop proper attitudes toward friendship, marriage, family, work, society, and human relations.
7. To stress proper attitudes toward authority and obedience, to promote self-discipline, and a desire to honor God’s authority above all.
8. To promote proper health habits, and wise use and physical fitness of the body God has given us.
9. To teach the personal responsibility of each person’s involvement in family, church, school, and society.

A Student’s Academic and Skill-Training Development

1. To promote high academic standards for each individual as laboring diligently to develop the talents God has given.
2. To encourage good study habits as striving to fulfill our God-given responsibilities.
3. To develop creative and critical thinking for future vocational callings and other God-given responsibilities in life.
4. To teach the basic skills needed in relating with others in this life;  reading, writing, speaking, listening, and mathematics.
5. To provide a solid basis in historical heritage, geography, and world conditions, as they relate to the unfolding of God’s plan and concern for others.
6. To develop an awareness and appreciation for God’s creation with its laws and characteristics, and man’s responsibility in using it wisely.
7. To develop creative, mechanical, musical, or other God-given talents to be used in a manner pleasing in His sight and for the benefit of others.

V.  Specific Objectives

1. All lessons must in some way help the student understand how he is to think, speak, and act responsibly before God.  Instruction may be diverse from day to day, but it must relate to some part of a unified whole.  Both deductive and inductive teaching should be used.  Sometimes the general rule is given and explained; students then apply the rule to particular situations.  Inductive teaching, however, provides a variety of exploratory activities, which must lead to a general conclusion.  Both the teacher and student are active in the learning process.  A variety of activities must challenge the student to memorize, discover, evaluate, form hypotheses, draw conclusions, imagine, explore, analyze, and synthesize.
2. Students must be given encouraging, immediate feedback.  Written and oral comments in addition to grades must be given to help reinforce lesson goals.  Intellectual growth is measured through daily assignments, frequent quizzes and tests, classroom performance, and some standardized examination.  This information is relayed to parents through conferences, progress notices, and report cards.
3. As teachers provide instruction to students, classroom discipline must be structured so that constructive learning can take place.  Sometimes individual quietness reigns; at other times group interaction occurs.  The teacher must have and enforce a set of rules.  Students must respect the authority of the teacher.  Proper attitudes toward Divine and human authority must be maintained.
4. Our objective, therefore, is to develop within students knowledge of creation, a spirit of cooperation with fellowmen, and a vital relationship with God by actively teaching, evaluating, and disciplining.

Practical Emphasis

Archibald Alexander (d. 1851), renowned professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, once wrote:

“The education of children should proceed on the principle that they are in an unregenerate state, until evidences of saving grace clearly appear, in which case they should be sedulously cherished and nurtured.  These are Christ’s lambs whom none should offend or mislead upon the peril of a terrible punishment.  But though the religious education of children should proceed on the ground that they are destitute of grace, it ought ever to be used as a means of grace.  Every lesson, therefore, should be accompanied with the lifting up of the heart of the instructor to God for a blessing on the means. “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy Word is truth.”  (Thoughts on Religious Experience)

Our Christian schools not only endeavor to stress this historic Reformed teaching doctrinally, but also practically in daily life.  We strive to obey God’s Word where the Lord continually commands His people not to mingle with sinful, worldly people, worldly customs, worldly practices, and worldly places.  Not to merit salvation, but as an inevitable consequence of salvation, the believer will “come out from the world and be separate” as God’s Word commands.

This conservative way of life, however, far from being meritorious, is a spontaneous outgrowth of bowing gratefully under Divine Lordship, for the true Christian will have no desire to set his heart on trivialities of this world that tend to interrupt his close walk with God.  Thus, our schools reject two streams of thought current today.  On the one hand, they reject the Amish line of thought which separates its members totally from the world.  We maintain the Biblical injunction that Christians must remain in but not of the world.  On the other hand, our schools reject the imagined notion that the Christian sanctifies worldly transactions and happenings by his/her presence and intervention.  We firmly believe, for example, that dancing corrupts the Christian more than the Christian sanctifies the dance.

Plymouth Christian Elementary School is far from being a perfect school.  Rather, we hope and pray it may be counted among the number of schools who, by grace, have remained faithful to the truth – Biblically, and practically.  We trust the Lord has enabled us in some measure to carry the banner of truth delivered to us by our Reformed forefathers without compromising or surrendering to corrupt influences which are incessantly at work — forces which seek to destroy the only foundation of salvation (Jesus Christ and Him crucified).

A Brief History

God’s gracious providential care has enabled our school to begin another year of religious instruction.  It was established under the leadership of Rev. Pieneman, who was highly in favor of wholesome Christian instruction.  In January, 1908, a committee was appointed to investigate the possibility of establishing a school for giving Christian instruction to the youth.  The encouraging report given by the committee prompted a congregational meeting in March at which a school board of nine members was elected.  Rev. Pieneman then suggested that Mr. K. Winters of Rotterdam be called to come and instruct the students in the Dutch language in addition to other subjects.  Mr. Winters accepted the call and became the first principal of Hastings Street Christian School, which had been newly erected in central Grand Rapids that summer.  The school was formally dedicated by Rev. Pieneman on September 7, 1908.

After some years had passed, buses were purchased to make it possible for more children to attend the school.  The school soon became overcrowded.  Then, in 1955 a new school was built on a four acre tract on Plymouth Avenue on the east side of Grand Rapids.  This building was dedicated by Rev. Lamain in the fall of 1956.

Steady growth thereafter necessitated the construction of three additional classrooms in 1964, and science and library facilities in 1974.  During the summer of 1978, existing school facilities were remodeled so that home economics and industrial arts classes could be added to the curriculum.

During the winter of 1981, the School Board felt an obligation to propose to the consistory and congregation an extension of our school through the twelfth grade.  The need was felt for education which would continue in philosophy and practice to place and keep God’s Word as its basis of truth as defended by our Reformed fathers during the critical teenage years of our youth.  This proved to be a shared concern both of the consistory and congregation, so that in February, 1981, approval was given for the proposed high school.

Later that year, a public elementary school building was purchased, located just west of the existing school, to house the elementary grades K-6.  The original school was then remodeled to provide facilities for the high school students.  The purchase of the elementary building proved to be beneficial as elementary enrollment continued to increase rapidly.  Kindergarten classes became very large and had to be divided into two sections, each with its own classroom.

During the fall of 1985, a Pre-kindergarten program was added to the curriculum at our elementary school.  This addition provided opportunities for pre-school age children to develop the readiness skills which are needed for success in learning during the early elementary years.

By 1987 all classroom space was in use and the need for additional classroom space became crucial.  In the spring of that year a new building project was begun after congregational approval was given, to construct a 7000 square foot, six classroom addition to the elementary building. This was completed during the fall of 1987.

Continued growth in enrollment led to a second addition during the summer of 1990.  A large music room, classrooms and several smaller conference rooms were completed in time for student use during school year 1990-91.

Our elementary resource room was also established in time for the 1990-91 school year. This program provides individualized instructional programs for our students with learning disabilities.  This was a welcome addition for it meant students with significant learning difficulties could remain as members of our school family.

During the summer of 1994 the corporation of the First Netherlands Reformed Congregation of which our school was a part was dissolved.  Our school was reincorporated as an independent entity known as Plymouth Christian Schools Association to be governed by a board of 12 Trustees selected from the First Netherlands Reformed Congregation, Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation and Netherlands Reformed Church of Grand Rapids.

In the spring of 2008, after communicating the current facility needs, the School Board in a matter of a few weeks received the needed donations for three projects. The north-south hall of the elementary building which housed the nine classrooms for grades kindergarten through third grade was completely remodeled resulting in very stimulating, colorful interior.  Funds were also received to landscape the front of the elementary building.  An additional bus storage building was also built which enabled the school to house all of its buses.

Funding and Management

Our school is supported by direct tuition payments from each of the families with students in the school, and numerous gifts, many of the gifts being “In Memoriam” of members of the congregation and friends who have passed away.  In addition our school receives funds from various churches with children in our school to assist their members in meeting tuition costs

The hand of the Lord has been evident in the affairs of the school to the present time.  Had they been left in the hands of men, it would have come to ruin.  The hearts and hands of many have been inclined to undertake the responsibility placed upon them and with the help of an Almighty God and the prayers of His people, He has made it to prosper.

Note:  A copy of the school bylaws and/or PTA Constitution is available upon request from the elementary office.

Academic Assistance Program

Goal:  To recognize that each student has been endowed by God with many abilities and to endeavor to teach each student at Plymouth in the least restrictive learning environment that will meet his/her educational needs and encourage him/her to use those God-given abilities to the maximum extent possible.

To meet this goal Plymouth offers three levels of academic assistance in addition to that provided within the regular classroom.

Description of Programs:

1. Remedial Services:
   a. Remedial services are available to students (usually in small groups) for a maximum of three 20 minute periods per week.  Decisions about students to be included in the program are made by the teacher(s) responsible for the remedial program.  There is no additional tuition charge to parents whose children participate in the remedial program.
   b. Checkpoint: Students who have difficulty with organizational or study skills are eligible to receive remedial assistance in this area. Students must bring their agendas to the remedial teacher or aide before 3:00 p.m. The remedial teacher or aide will check to see that homework assignments are written down on the appropriate date they are due. The teacher or aide will also check the students’ notes to insure parent comprehension of how to help with homework at home. Students may also be required to show the completed homework to the remedial teacher or aide each morning before handing it in to the classroom teacher.
   c. Tutoring/Instruction (small group):  Remedial instruction may be provided outside of the classroom in language arts (reading, spelling, written expression, hand writing) and math for 20 – 30 minutes two or three times per week.  Remedial instruction reinforces classroom curriculum by reviewing or re-teaching concepts previously taught in the classroom.  This instruction is usually provided to students in small groups (two to four) from the same grade level.
   d. Duration of remedial services will be determined by ESSP staff in conjunction with the remedial aide and classroom teacher.
2. Resource Services: 
   a.  Makoto:  A tool used to create new neurological pathways in the brain so that students can access both sides of the brain hemisphere.  The Makoto provides the needed resource for helping students struggling in school to improve on:  quick pattern recognition, peripheral vision, hearing acuity, balance and accuracy in movement, concentration, emotional control and memory.
   b. Modified coursework:  Instruction is available for a maximum of two periods per day for students identified as learning disabled.  Instruction in an individual or a small group setting is provided by a teacher who is certified to teach students with learning disabilities or a trained aide.  Decisions about students to be included in the program are made by the ESSP staff in consultation with the student’s parents.  Each student’s instructional plan is individualized to meet his/her specific educational needs.
   c. ELS (Essential Learning System): A computer-assisted learning program which provides intensive remediation in reading, spelling and written language for approximately 50 minutes five days per week.  Selection of students to be included in the ELS program is made after a recommendation by the classroom teacher or parents and evaluation by the ESSP staff.  Students normally exit the program in two years or less.  Students who have been identified as learning disabled, have a physical impairment which affects learning or have repeated a grade may be included in the program for longer than two years in order to attain maximum benefits.
   d. ESL/ELL/LEP: Students with English as their second language should be placed in courses as close as possible according to age.  They may need to retake some courses since the first year may be primarily focused on learning the language.  Specific helps for these students (based on the recommendation from ESSP staff) may include:
   1. Oral testing: the student is read his/her tests and the reader writes the answers
   2. mentor student takes notes for and works with the ESL/ELL/LEP student to insure that the student has accurate study materials and/or that answers for chapter or test reviews are accurate.
   3. A mentor student/aide/ESSP staff member works/ studies with the ESL/ELL/LEP student to insure understanding of the material before a test is given.Students who participate in the resource program for five or more periods per week are assessed $250 per semester.
3. Special Education Services:

PCS ESSP Staff will look at individual students on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not we have the services available to best meet their individual needs.  Admission of each student with special needs must have PCS Board approval.

Students with special needs are assessed their designated 1-child elementary tuition rate plus $1000/year (not part of a sliding scale).

Objectives:

1. To help each student set and attain achievable goals and encourage the greatest possible effort from the student, the Resource/Remedial teachers will

• Maintain frequent communication with regular classroom teachers regarding students receiving academic assistance
• Endeavor to teach each student using instructional methods that are most appropriate for that student
• Endeavor to teach each student responsibility for schoolwork using specific organizational techniques (e.g. organized homework folder, homework log, regularly scheduled time for homework)
• Endeavor to develop student confidence in academic abilities by maintaining systematic record of student goals and skills mastered, giving report card grades for ELS and Resource room, regularly communicating (note or phone) with parents regarding student progress and participation
• Observe or assist in regular classrooms when appropriate to meeting instructional goals for students experiencing difficulties with schoolwork

2. To maximize each student’s “time to learn” the Resource/Remedial teachers will

• Train and use in-school volunteers to assist with ELS program
• Ask for commitment by parents of students receiving academic assistance regarding regular schedule for homework completion, supervision of homework and assistance with review and practice as needed at home

Curriculum

Prekindergarten Curriculum

Mission Statement

The mission of Plymouth Christian Schools is to provide, as God enables, an educational program dedicated to the glory of God, as an extension of the home and church.  Students will be challenged to develop Biblical values, basic skills, and God-given abilities, grow in knowledge, and explore their interests while seeking God’s will as revealed in His Word, and seeing His handiwork in creation, for their temporal and eternal welfare and the benefit of others.

Goal:  To promote growth and develop readiness skills for Kindergarten in the following areas:

Emotional Growth

• developing confidence in himself and his abilities
• experiencing success
• practicing independence and self reliance
• developing confidence and trust in others
• sharing of feelings and emotions and learning to use them constructively

Intellectual Growth

• exploring, observing and making discoveries about God’s world
• develop problem solving abilitie
• sensory awareness (5 senses)
• recognize colors, letters, numbers and shapes
• improve vocabulary & communication skills
• experimenting with tools and other materials
• express self through language, art & music

Physical Growth

• develop large and small muscle control
• establish good health habits
• learn about nourishing foods
• participating in group play
• accepting physical abilities and inabilities of self and others
• develop good safety habits

Religious Growth

• listening to Bible stories
• learning to respect and obey God
• learning God made the world
• singing songs to honor God

Social Growth

• listening to others speak
• playing & working cooperatively with peers
• respecting adults
• learning to share and take turns
• responding to counsel & discipline of parents & teachers
• developing responsible attitudes toward manners, feelings of others, property of others and helpfulness

Each week a different unit will be presented, and activities such as stories, songs, art and field trips will focus on this theme.  The program will include both structured and unstructured activities.  Cognitive areas (i.e. language, shape, color, concepts) will be covered but not stressed in general.  Emphasis will also be placed on helping children gain confidence in their ability to learn and interact with their fellow students and teachers.  The daily schedule will include free play, Bible stories, singing, art, sharing time, snack, outdoor or gym play and a monthly field trip.

 

Bible Curriculum

Grades K-6

Goal:  To teach that the Bible reveals God’s plan of salvation for His people and instructs us how we must live, in obedience to God’s word.  cf. II Tim.3:15-17

Description:  The storytelling approach to Bible instruction is used in lower elementary classrooms. In kindergarten, the Bible stories are taken from both the Old and New Testament following essentially the list of stories found in the CSI Course of Study (1953).  Emphasis is placed on Bible verse and Psalter memorization.  The children learn one Psalter each week, which correlates with the Bible story.  Bible verses for each letter of the alphabet are also memorized.  Newsletters will be sent home with students in all grades to inform parents of the Bible stories, verse and song studied each week.

First Grade students begin their Bible study with the creation and continue through the death of King Saul.

Second Grade students begin with the study of King David and continue to the end of the Old Testament.  The New Testament history is studied by third grade students, beginning with the life of Christ and ending with the missionary journeys of Paul.

Older students use Bible workbooks to help them in their study of God’s word.  A more in depth study of Scripture is commenced utilizing note taking skills, written responses to questions and oral and written reports.

Fourth Grade students begin again at the creation and continue up to King Saul’s last days.

Fifth Grade students continue this history up to the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, concluding with a study of the major and minor prophets.

Sixth Grade students study the New Testament from the life of John the Baptist through the missionary journeys of Paul.

Each student continues to memorize weekly memory verses from the Bible and songs of praise from the Psalter and Psalter Hymnal, which relate to the Bible stories and special religious days and events.  During appropriate seasons, all students study the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ as well as the important events of the Reformation.

Textbooks

King James Bible.  Grades K-3: Grades 4-6:  My Bible Guide (CSI).  The Bible History by J. Vreugdenhil (Teacher Resource)

Bible Doctrine Curriculum

The systematic teaching of Bible doctrine is begun in Grade 5 and continues through Grade 6.  Simple explanations of all major Biblical doctrines are given using Bible doctrine workbooks, produced on behalf of the Netherlands Reformed Synodical Education Committee for use in our schools.  Each workbook contains numerous stories and illustrations to help the student understand the doctrinal concept being taught.

Textbooks

Bible Doctrine for Younger Children, Books A & B – Grades 5 & 6.

 

Choir

Choir is open to students in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades.  Choir meets during January and February and schedules performances from late February to May.

 

Computer Curriculum

Goal:  To equip students with a basic understanding of the computer as a God given tool to be used by man in a responsible manner.

Description:

Computer Lab – The computer equipment consists of a total of 32 Toshiba notebook computers and printer. The lab is part of a computer network with links to the school office, Resource Room, and library.

Overall Program – Beginning in the primary grades, the children gain an understanding of what a computer is, its care and its parts.  Students also work with software to develop familiarity with the keyboard as well as further develop skills in the areas of math facts and phonetics.  Upper elementary students focus on keyboarding and word processing skills.  Students improve their keyboarding speed and develop the ability to use the computer as a tool to enhance their learning across the curriculum.

Kindergarten and First Grade:

The student will be able to:

1. Log in using a password.  Log out and close down the computer.
2. Learn parts of a computer:  keyboard, monitor, CD/DVD tray, printer, switches, special keys such as return/space.
3. Access programs on the network.
4. Choose from a menu.
5. Use technology to enhance their beginning reading and math skills.
6. Use technology to develop their God-given talents and to establish a Biblical work ethic.
7. Learn rules related to computer usage.

At the teacher’s discretion, basic word processing and drawing functions—including open file, save file, insert clip art, page setup, page border, font size and style, copy and paste, insert text box—may be introduced and used to produce short projects.

Second and Third Grade:

Second grade students review computer curriculum of earlier years (parts of computer, special keys, logging in, passwords, basic word processing).  Word processing is used to produce short stories, invitations, book reports and other short projects.  Third grade students learn to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.  They work with “All the Right Type.” for six weeks learning to type on the keyboard.  Students learn the functions: insert, font style/size, borders/shading, formula. This knowledge carries over into a PowerPoint project.  In Excel, they create the times tables using formulas. In PowerPoint they produce a slide show of vertebrates/invertebrates (which is a unit in science).   Math Facts is used on a regular basis to master multiplication facts.

The student will be able to:

1. Use software programs to reinforce and practice classroom instruction.
2. Use Microsoft Word to compose book reports, state reports, and illustration of story problems in math (clipart),
3. Show the use of the shift key, centering, backspace, arrow keys, delete, highlighting, font size and style, spell checking, underlining, space bar, and bold type within the above mentioned writing assignments.
4. Use the Math Facts program to reinforce addition, subtraction, division facts, and master multiplication skills.
5. Use the applications found in Word, Excel, Power Point and the electronic encyclopedias.
6. Identify the home keys and know where all of the letters are located on the keyboard.
7. Assume correct posture when typing.

Fourth Grade:

1. Introduce keyboarding skills, software:  All The Right Type (Ingenuity Works).
2. Identify rules for proper care of computer hardware, software and independent use of lab.
3. Use the Math Facts program to reinforce addition, subtraction, division facts, and master multiplication skills.
4. Continue to use the applications found in Word, Excel, Power Point and the electronic encyclopedias.
5. Computer lab practice – daily 30 minute sessions for 6 weeks.  Integrate use of computers with classroom instruction and activities by making use of the computer lab throughout the school year.

Fifth Grade:

1. Further develop keyboarding skills, software:  All The Right Type (Ingenuity Works).
2. Use Word to produce 1-2 page compositions as assigned during school year.  Become skilled in common computer operations including:  save, print, delete, boldface, underline, move text, change fonts & font sizes etc.
3. Use the computer to develop skills taught in all curricula areas focusing on higher level thinking skills and problem solving.
4. Use the Math Facts program to reinforce addition, subtraction, division facts, and master multiplication skills.
5. Continue to use the applications found in Excel, Power Point and the electronic encyclopedias.
6. Computer lab practice – daily 30 minute sessions for 6 weeks.  Integrate use of computers with classroom instruction and activities by making use of the computer lab throughout the school year.

 

Sixth Grade:

1. Refine keyboarding skills for speed and accuracy, software:  All The Right Type (Ingenuity Works).
2. Word processing:  the student will be able to enter a multi-page, double spaced report into the computer, using proper form and spacing.  He/she will be able to use all common word processing commands, import graphics using a drawing program, and assemble a slide presentation.  He/she will design report covers and produce drawings and illustrations for special projects using  paint/draw software.
3. Use the computer to develop skills taught in all curricula areas focusing on higher level thinking skills and problem solving.
4. Use the Math Facts program to reinforce addition, subtraction, division facts, and master  multiplication skills.
5. Continue to use the applications found in Excel, Power Point and the electronic encyclopedias.
6. Computer lab practice – daily 30 minute sessions for 6 weeks.  Integrate use of computers with classroom instruction and activities by making use of the computer lab throughout the school year.

Geography – History Curriculum

Goal: Students will learn to recognize that God controls all events and that man must be obedient to Divine Law in all personal and societal relationships.  Students will be taught to see that history is God’s purposes being worked out in the affairs of men for the sake of His Church.

Description:  Geography/History (Kindergarten – Grade 3)

Kindergarten:

General introduction to foreign countries, the United States, Michigan, Grand Rapids

1. Simple map and globe skill
2. Location of home and school
3. Conceptual relationship of distance and time
4. Communication & transportation
5. Holidays and their meaning
6. Current events
7. Characteristics of “The Family”

First Grade:

Students’ interest in their country will be stimulated by studying important symbols, history and places of interest in the U.S.  Students will learn how our country was founded and what our basic freedoms are and meet several famous American patriots before taking a trip across America.  Good citizenship is emphasized and patriotic songs are included.  Some sample chapter headings are: America’s Flag, America’s Freedoms, great people of America, symbols of America.

Second Grade:

Second grade students study the history of the Separatists, Native Americans, colonist, pioneers, cowboys, and immigrants/immigration thru the War of Independence. Reviews basic American freedoms, patriotic holidays & songs. Textbook has lots of pictures, colorful format, with a few geographic concepts also included. The textbook has questions at the end of chapters and vocabulary reviews to enhance student’s retention of concepts. King James Scripture verses are integrated into the textbook material.

Third Grade:

Third graders study a unit of U.S. History from the middle 1400’s through the early 1900’s.  Our study highlights 20 famous American men and women, directing our attention to their particular roles and gifts in America’s heritage.  Some examples of such persons are: Miles Standish, Benjamin Franklin, Robert E. Lee, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.  History is upheld as God’s purposes being worked out in the affairs of men.  God controls all and man must be obedient to Divine Law in personal and societal relationships.

Fourth Grade:

A general survey of Michigan (1 semester)

Michigan History and Geography studies include the following topics: early native Americans, Europeans arrive, Michigan becomes a state, life in the new state, Civil War, rapid development, depression, World Wars, modern Michigan, and Michigan government.  The student is made aware of man’s involvement in all of the above by participation in group projects, discussions, map work, reports, videos, and guest speakers. There is a continual effort to introduce current events with a Biblical perspective.  This course demonstrates that mankind affects Michigan history but God created and controls all things.

Fifth Grade:

Old World history and Geography presents the history of the world, from Creation to modern times, from a Christian perspective.

In the first semester, attention is directed to map skills and the ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece and Rome.  We study how God used the ancient cultures to prepare the world for Christ’s first coming.

In the second semester, attention is first directed to the study of the Middle Ages, then later to the study of modern countries of the Eastern Hemisphere.  Students will study the following:  political structures, people and their interrelationships, races and religions.

Students will be involved in reporting on current events, map making, writing a research paper on a selected European country, and the memorization of the Eastern Hemisphere countries and important American creeds.

Geography – Sixth Grade: 

New World History and Geography includes studies of American Indians, forms of government, national heroes, land, people, places and ideas of importance for each region of North and South America.  The course baseline is a thorough review of U.S. History using the thread of a Christian perspective to connect the past with the present.

Class projects and assignments include memorization of states and capitals, important U.S. history dates, U.S. Presidents, American Creed, sections of the Declaration of Independence, research paper on a state of the U.S., report on current events and activities involving topography and map reading, dates and time lines.

Textbooks

Kindergarten:  Social Studies K, Children of the World Visuals & Community Helpers, A Beka Book Publications

Grade 1:  My America, A Beka Book Publications

Grade 2:  Our America, A Beka Book Publications

Grade 3:  Our American Heritage, A Beka Book Publications

Grade 4:  Our Michigan Adventure, Hillsdale Educational Publishers

Grade 5:  Old World History & Geography, A Beka Book Publications

Grade 6:  New World History & Geography in Christian Perspective, A Beka Book Publications

Student Biweekly Newspaper

Upper elementary children receive personal copies of “God’s World” published for each grade level.  This biweekly newspaper keeps students abreast of current, national and world events, and develops an awareness of political and social issues.

Instrumental Music

Description:  Grades 5 and 6:  Instrumental music is a course designed to give students the opportunity to play a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument.  The fundamentals of music (tone, pitch, rhythm, balance, etc.) will be enhanced through the playing of these instruments.

First year orchestra students learn how to play their instruments as well as how to read music.

Second year orchestra is a continuation of orchestra I with an emphasis on improving technique and musicality.  Musical selections will include Psalters, Hymns, classical music and music from our American heritage.  Each ensemble will participate in various functions throughout the school year.

Textbooks

Band Today – Books 1 & 2.  Threshold to Music – 2nd edition – Charts 1 and 2.  Recorder Time.  Song Books: Psalter, Psalter Hymnal, Let Youth Praise Him.

Language Skills Curriculum

Grades 1-3: Although the Open Court Reading Series integrates reading with language skills, additional emphasis is brought to bear on language skills through the use of an English textbook series.  Students receive practice in these areas: sentence structure, capitalization and punctuation, correct word usage, plurals, antonyms, homonyms and synonyms, contractions, parts of speech, (nouns, verbs, adjectives) subjects and verbs in sentences.

• Composition in these grades will involve some of the following assignments each year:
• Relating of personal experiences
• Weather diary
• Storytelling
• Book reports, reviews, talks
• Making reports of various kinds
• Poetry & Letter Writing
• Summarizing stories and events

Textbooks

Grade 1:  SRA Open Court2000 Reading Workbook,McGraw Hill, SRA Publishers

Grade 2:  English Grade 2, Houghton Mifflin Publishers

Grade 3:  English Grade 3, Houghton Mifflin Publishers

 

Grades 4-6:  These courses are designed to help the students develop speaking and writing skills needed to communicate successfully in life.  Textbooks provide a thorough study of grammar (the parts of speech), word usage, capitalization, punctuation and vocabulary skills.  Literature is used as a model for good writing and to develop an appreciation of the beauty and power of the written word.  Some of the units covered are:

1. How to master grammar, usage and mechanics
2. How to write according to a consistent plan
3. How to build word power
4. How to develop study skills
5. How to listen and speak effectively
6. How to understand and share literature

Writing and speaking assignments include:

1. Writing a well-planned paragraph
2. Interviews
3. Letter writing
4. Book talks
5. Making reports, using an outline
6. Telling a short story

Textbooks

English Grade 4, Houghton Mifflin

English Grade 5, Houghton Mifflin

English Grade 6, Houghton Mifflin

 

Mathematics Curriculum

Goal:  To teach the numerical system as a reflection of the order in God.

Description:  The mathematics program is based on the premise that to learn about math and to become effective problem solvers, children need solid foundations in their facts and skills.  Once basic ideas and skills are developed through ample reinforcement and practice, the students are then directed to apply their newly developed abilities to solutions of realistic problems of daily life.  The skills of estimation and mental math are made an integral part of the instructional program.

Kindergarten:

1. Classification of objects by:  size, shape, color, function or habitat
2. Number readiness:  one more, one less
3. Numbers 1-31:  recognize the numbers and identify a set that has one, two, three, etc. members
4. Comparisons:  tallest, shortest; longest, shortest; greater, lesser; largest, smallest; heavier, lighter; most, least
5. Readiness for addition and subtraction:  combination of two sets.  Also simple addition and          subtraction problems
6. Numeral writing:  write the numbers 1-31 in order
7. Count and identify numbers 1-31.  Use ordinal numbers, first, second, third.
8. Find sums and differences in vertical and horizontal form using digits 1-31.

First Grade:

1. Numbers to 100
2. Addition and Subtraction Facts to 18
3. Adding and Subtracting 2 Digit numbers
4. Time, Money. Measurements
5. Geometry and Fractions

Second Grade:

1. Place value and counting
2. Sums & diff. through 18
3. Telling time
4. Problem solving
5. Column addition
6. Two digit addition
7. Money
8. Sub. with regrouping
9. Multiplication
10. Greater and less comparisons
11. Fractions
12. Geometry
13. Metric measurement

Third Grade:

Students will study and learn to add and subtract up to 4 digits, count by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s, write numerals and word names from 0 through 1 million along with standard fractions, tell time to nearest minute, write and compare money amount up to $9.99, identify dates on a calendar, multiply up to a 3-digit by 1-digit number, division facts and division up to a 3-digit quotient, write, compare, order, add, and subtract factions and decimals, estimate length, capacity (customary and metric), temperature, weight, compare money amounts, and find perimeter of a polygon.

Fourth Grade:

1. Counting and place value – read and write 2, 3 and 4 digit numbers.  Using inequality symbols
2. Addition and subtraction – master addition and subtraction facts.  Add and subtract three and four digit numbers with regrouping
3. Geometry – Recognize triangles, squares, etc.  Recognize whether an angle is equal, less than or greater than
4. Multiplication and division – Master basic facts
   Multiply by a 2 digit factor.  Divide by a 2 digit divisor
5. Measurement – Be familiar with metric units.  Find length to nearest centimeter.  Find perimeter of a polygon
6. Graphs – Complete and interpret a bar graph
7. Fractional numbers – Identify fractional parts of a region.  Write a fraction equivalent to a given fraction.  Write a mixed number for an improper fraction.  Adding and subtracting fractional numbers
8. Decimals – Read and write a decimal involving tenths and hundredths. Add and subtract decimals
9. Calculators – familiarity and efficiency

Fifth Grade:

Students will study and learn to write word names, identify place value, compare, add, subtract, and round numbers up to 1 billion, estimate and multiply up to a 3-digit by a 3-digit number including decimals, estimate and divide numbers with up to a 2 digit divisor and a 3-digit quotient including decimals, write, find, and compare rations, decimals and percents, estimate and measure length (to the nearest millimeter or 1/16 inch), capacity (customary and metric), temperature in ˚F and ˚C), weight, compare money amounts using the correct units on each, add and subtract fractions (like and unlike denominators), find least common multiples and greatest common factors of 3 numbers, decimals, and mixed numbers, write fractions in simplest form, identify and classify polygon and symmetry, find area of squares and rectangles, find volumes of cubes and rectangular prisms, and read and interpret graphs and find the mean, median, and mode of statistical data.

Sixth Grade:

Students will study and learn to write word names, identify place value, compare, add, subtract, and round numbers up to 1 trillion, estimate and multiply up to a 3-digit number including decimals, estimate and divide numbers with up to a 2-digit divisor and a 3-digit quotient including decimals.  They will write, find, and compare ratios, decimals, proportions, percents, estimate and measure length (to the nearest millimeter of 1/16 inch), capacity (customary and metric), temperature (in ˚F and ˚C), weight, add and compare money amounts using the correct units on each, add and subtract fractions (like and unlike denominators), find least common multiples and greatest common factors of 3 numbers, decimals, and mixed numbers, write fractions in simplest form, identify and classify polygon and symmetry, identify parallel and perpendicular lines, find area of squares and rectangles (using formulas), find volumes of cubes and rectangular prisms, and read and interpret graphs, and find the mean, median, and mode of statistical data.  They will become familiar with exponents and scientific notation as well as square roots.  Calculators will be used primarily to solve word problems after basic calculations skills have been reviewed.

Textbooks

Progress in Mathematics, Grades K-6, Sadlier-Oxford

Progress in Mathematics Workbooks, Grades K-6, Sadlier-Oxford

Music Curriculum

Goals: 

To foster a love for Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs which are part of our church heritage

To teach children their responsibility to worship God in music

Description:  Music is a special gift of God that can be enjoyed by all students at Plymouth Christian Elementary School.  Using the human voice as our instrument, we place a great emphasis on worshiping God in song in our daily school schedule.  Our music program also encourages students to learn the fundamentals of music so that instruments can be used in group situations as well as by the individual student.  In addition, we are constantly reminded of the great heritage of musical literature available for us to enjoy and study.

Kindergarten:

1. Introduction to music – singing in a group, listening to music, group activities involving rhythm instruments, singing games.
2. Introduction to instruments and their sounds
3. Beginning Threshold to Music charts

First Grade:

1. Introduction to listening skills with emphasis on the following:  dynamics, pitch, tempo. rhythm, melody and mood
2. Continuation of Threshold to Music charts
3. Introduction to written notation in music

 

Second Grade:

1. Listening to music of great composers
2. Introduction to instruments of the orchestra as grouped by families
3. Identification of note values and placement of notes on the staff
4. Continuation of Threshold to Music charts

Third Grade:

1. Listening and identifying music of great composers
2. Introduction to part singing through rounds and canons
3. Written musical notation, 4/4 and 3/4 time

Fourth Grade:

1. Introduction to two part singing
2. Review of musical notation
3. Learning to play an instrument as an individual and as a group through use of the recorder
4. Identification of individual instruments of the orchestra

Fifth Grade:

1. Recognition of individual instruments of the orchestra in music of the great composers
2. Introduction to playing in a bell choir

Sixth Grade:

1. Study of great composers – their life and their music
2. Continuation of listening skills development

Penmanship Curriculum

Description:  The handwriting program incorporates the principles of visualization, verbalization, kinesthetic reinforcement and emotional involvement.  Clear, strong writing models are given with each lesson.  Kindergarten students work through each letter of the manuscript alphabet.  First graders spend the first 2 weeks reviewing manuscript printing in their workbooks.  They continually review correct printing as the letter sounds are introduced in the reading program throughout the year.  Grade 2 marks the transition to the use of the cursive alphabet.  The cursive style is added as a second writing style rather than as a replacement for manuscript writing.  Both styles are reinforced in the grades 3-6 with the clear, fluent writing of cursive receiving the greater emphasis.  Good penmanship is expected of all students in all written assignments.

Textbooks

Grade K:  SRA Open Court 2000 Reading Workbook, SRA McGraw-Hill

Grade 1:  SRA Open Court 2000 Reading Workbook, SRA McGraw-Hill

Grade 2:  Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet 2c, Zaner Bloser Co.

Grade 3:  Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet 3, Zaner Bloser Co.

Grade 4:  Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet 4, Zaner Bloser Co. (1999)

Grade 5:  Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet 5, Zaner Bloser Co.

Grade 6:  Handwriting with a Simplified Alphabet 6, Zaner Bloser Co.

Physical Education Curriculum

Goals:

1. The care of our body so we may with vigor seek to serve God and our fellow human beings.
2. Promote an attitude of Christian love and service to others by the stressing of honesty, cooperation, responsibility, fair play, etc.
3. Develop an awareness of and appreciation for our wonderfully made beings and a desire for their proper use including such things as posture, etc.
4. Enhance appreciation for the abilities of others and the acquisition of skills and knowledge relating to various activities.

Description:  Physical education is primarily a learning time.  It stresses, to be sure, physical activity, but the prime aim is not the activity but what the student achieves.  This centers around teaching creative ways to maintain health fitness and opportunities to better understand their bodies in regard to making decisions which are consistent with the Biblical statement that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

*See curriculum outline on following page.

Textbooks

Physical Education – K-2, CSI, 1996.

Physical Education – 3-5, CSI, 1996.

Physical Education – 6-8, CSI, 1996.

Physical Education Curriculum Outline

• Motor Proficiency
• Health Fitness
• Training the Body (Coordination)
• Conditioning of the Body

 

Motor Skills	Motor Abilities	Activities	Goal
K – Locomotor movements, sliding, hopping skipping, galloping, etc.	Balance, Posture, Rhythm	Movements, crawling, upper body, abdominal, trunk, thigh, legs.	Good movement base.  Perceptual motor awareness
1st– Locomotor skills & manipulative skills:  catching, throwing, kicking, dribbling	Balance, Posture, Rhythm, Coordination	Repeat K movements & fitness exercises involving kicking, throwing, striking, catching, running & various movement forms	Strength and wind.
2nd – Refinement of skills of Grades K & 1	Balance, Posture, Rhythm, Coordination	Exercise involving balance, speed, agility & coordination, i.e./jumping jacks, squat thrusts, broad jump, shuttle run, etc.	Fitness for speed, agility, power
3rd – Combine Locomotor skills with manipulative skills – dribbling & throwing, catching & dribbling	Power, speed, Agility, Coordination	Format fitness development – drills & exercise routines.   “Daily Dozen” exercises cover all muscle groups varied with exercises learned in Grade 2.	Fitness inventory, strength and flexibility exercise.
4th – Develop Skills	Develop “Leadup” skills and 3rd grade abilities.  Gymnastic skills.	Continuation of 3rdgrade exercises plus a jogging program and calisthenics.	Fitness inventory, respiratory endurance exercises.  Muscular endurance exercises.
5th – Remedial	Develop skills in team sports.  Hockey, basketball, soccer, track & field, football, gymnastics.	25% of P.E. period devoted to calisthenics and exercise to develop muscular endurance.	Fitness inventory, respiratory endurance exercises.  Muscular endurance exercises.
6th – Remedial	Develop skills in team sports.  Hockey, softball, basketball, soccer, track & field, football.	Students use exercise from grades 3-5 to develop a personal fitness program: 25% of P.E. period used to develop fitness goals.	Fitness inventory.  Maintain fitness exercises.

Reading and Literature Curriculum

Goal:  To teach that language is a means of communication given by God to be used for His praise.

Description: The SRA Open Court Reading Program uses synthetic phonics as the basis of its learning-to-read system.  Children are first introduced to the alphabet through a variety of exercises that provide practice in letter recognition and formation.  Then, through the use of picture association, children are introduced to the sounds the letters make, and are taught how to blend sounds into words.  The program builds on what children already know about language (most first graders have an oral vocabulary in excess of 7000 words).  Children learn to pronounce words easily and independently.  Special reinforcement activities help build fluency and comprehension, so that by the end of the first year, most students are well on their way to becoming skilled young readers.

Reading comprehension activities begin very early through the use of teacher directed Comprehension Questions.  In the second half of the year, greater emphasis is given by the use of Comprehension work sheets.

Dictation activities help children learn to write and spell as they learn to read.  Response Card drill reinforces auditory-to-visual concepts in spelling.  Phonetically controlled individual storybooks allow children to experience the satisfaction of reading a complete book independently.

In addition, through the use of a Composition Cycle, children are given an early and frequent opportunity to develop as writers. Their own work is used as the model for functional instruction in grammar, usage, vocabulary, and spelling.

Kindergarten focuses on language and thinking skills.  The language strand prepares children for reading and writing by providing work on letters and sounds, basic vocabulary, and word classification.  As the children learn to recognize, name, and print the capital and small letters of the alphabet, they learn a sound for each letter.  They also learn to recognize sounds in words.  Children’s basic vocabulary is developed at three levels as they learn words for describing locations, actions, uses, shapes, and colors, then use those words to give directions and ask questions.  They further develop oral language and vocabulary skills by examining similarities and differences among various members of a class of objects, such as furniture, foods, and buildings.  The thinking strand helps children develop sound skills in thinking – to become more focused and systematic in their thinking and to be more willing to accept new challenges in learning – through thinking stories and tasks.

Learning activities:

• Basic Vocabulary
• Social Development
• Classification
• Perceptual Games
• Thinking Skills
• Literature

First Grade:This level is designed to create true independence in reading and in writing, to teach encoding skills parallel to decoding skills to identify and help at an early stage those children who have reading problems, and to establish basic comprehension skills.  The program uses intensive phonics techniques, including systematic blending, and multi-sensory methods and materials to teach children all the sounds of the English language and their spellings.  Children learn that spellings form words, words form sentences, sentences form paragraphs, and so on.  Work with comprehension leads them to read critically to gain true understanding of what they have read.

Learning Activities:

1. Vowel sounds: long, short and irregular consonant sounds and most blends and digraphs.
2. Dictation of sounds, words, sentences
3. Proofreading of all work
4. Introduction to dictionary: Alphabetizing, finding words, spelling helps, etc.
5. Oral and silent reading and comprehension
6. Introduction to prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, homonyms, antonyms, rhyming, opposites
7. Introduction to punctuation (capitals, periods, quotation marks, commas, apostrophes)
8. Introduction to composition

Textbooks                                                                            

Kindergarten:  Reading and Writing Workbook, Skills Assessment Workbook (SRA Open Court 2000).

Grade 1:  Reading and Writing Workbooks 1 & 2, Decodable Take-home Bks. Level B Set 1 (SRA Open Court 2000).

Second & Third Grade: At these levels, the Open Court Program acquaints children with quality literature as it provides focused and challenging comprehension activities relating to the stories read.

Second Grade Learning Activities:

1. Review of phonetic sounds
2. Oral reading-fluency and expression
3. Writing answers to questions, writing complete sentences, writing longer answers, etc.
4. Basic dictionary usage
5. Spelling commonly used words, similar words and words that do not follow the usual spelling rules (dictation work).
6. Use of punctuation marks, capitalization, basic parts of speech (dictation work).

Third Grade Learning Activities:

1. Comprehensive skills of synthesizing meaning from what they read – meaning from context, inference, sequence, cause and effect and predicting logical outcomes
2. Phonetic word attack skills
3. Read smoothly at an acceptable rate of speed
4. Develop an appreciation of poetry and other literary forms
5. Research skills – dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.
6. Composition ranges from the formation and development of sentences and paragraphs to the writing of letters, informative composition, book reports and short stories.

Textbooks                                                                            

Grade 2: A Flint Holds Fire, (Open Court).  SRA Open Court Book 2, SRA McGraw Hill.  Novels: Sarah, Plain and Tall, Farmer Boy Days, The Courage of Sarah Noble.

Grade 3: SRA Open Court Book 3, SRA McGraw Hill.  Novels:  Little House in the Big Woods, Helen Keller, George Washington Carver.

Grades 4, 5, & 6:  The Open Court Reading and Writing Program, A Beka Company and selected novel materials are used by upper elementary students for reading instruction.  The student readers contain selections from the classics, the Bible and contemporary literature.  Non-fiction selections include a variety of different genres including science and social study selections which relate to topics covered in those courses.  Reading and writing strategies are emphasized.

Textbooks

Grade 4: Over the Moon (Open Court).  Novels:  Charlotte’s Web and Snow Treasure.

Grade 5: Sound of the Sea (Open Court).  Novels:  Island of Blue Dolphins, My Side of the Mountain.

Grade 6: Of People (A Beka Book).  Novels:  The Cay, Johnny Tremain.

 

Science Curriculum

Goal:  To explore all creation as showing God’s handiwork.  cf. Proverbs 25:2

Description:  Our elementary science program presents the universe as the direct creation of the God of the Scriptures and refutes the man-made idea of evolution.  Further, the science books present God as the Great Designer and Lawgiver, without Whom the evident design and laws of nature would be inexplicable.  Instructors give students a solid foundation in all areas of science – a foundation firmly anchored to Bible truth.  The lessons are enriched by laboratory investigations which expand upon and reinforce the concepts taught.  All students are involved in investigations concerning many aspects of the life and physical sciences, such as electricity, magnetism, nature of sound and light, water purification, ecology, and work and energy.  Emphasis is also placed on the identification of many of the animals and plants of God’s creation.

Kindergarten:

Five Senses:  God made me special; ears, nose, skin, tongue, eyes.

Weather-Seasons:  activities for the season, seasonal dress, seasonal appearances – earth

Seeds-Spring:  plant parts; plant needs; use of plants

Animals:  Classification and Characteristics’ mammals, birds, reptiles

Sea Shore:  what it is, birds and animals of; why sea is salty.

Insects & Spiders:  characteristics of; how they are helpful or harmful, metamorphosis

Magnets:  what will magnets attract; what can a magnet pull through; uses of magnets; hands on experiments

* Each unit has hands-on experiments and correlated art work, along with language exercises.

 

First Grade:

Food Groups:  balanced meals; proper nutrition

Five Senses:  experiments with each sense; importance of

Health-teeth:  parts of, sets of, shapes of, jobs of, care  of, brushing, flossing, healthy eating, dentals checkups

Sun, Moon & Stars:  parts of the sun; need for sun; sun’s path’; moon phases, craters; basic constellations; planet names, characteristics, orbits

Pushes and Pulls:  gravity, magnets and magnetic force, mechanical force, friction.

Plants:  parts:  roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, planting activities – recording growth, life cycles of plants, plant needs and uses of.

Matter:  definition of, matter takes up space, matter can be weighed, 3 forms of matter.

Heat and Air:  heat changes forms and temperature, temperature of air, movement of air (wind),sun’s path, moon phases, craters, basic constellations

Weather:  causes of, air concepts, weather man’s jobs, types of weather, reporting, seasons, cloud types

 

Second Grade:

Solar System:  rotation, gravity, phases of moon, planets-composition & characteristics

Animal Classification:  vertebrates/invertebrates, characteristics of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish

Ecology:  relationships of living things, ecosystems/habitats, getting food, staying in balance, earth cycles and recycling

Earth Science:  layers of the earth, volcanoes / earthquakes, three layers of the earth

Human Body:  basic introduction-muscles, bones etc.

Light/Shadows:  light as energy, how light travels, prisms, colors, refraction, reflection

 

Third Grade:

Five Senses:

Objective:  The students will be able to name the five senses and the sense organ which goes with it.  The students will realize how important our senses are in order to understand the world around us.

Sound:  (no textbook)

Objective:  Students will be able to explain what sound is, how sound travels, how living things communicate and how sound can be made louder and softer.

Simple Machines:  (not in textbook)

Objective:  The students will be able to list the 6 simple machines (Inclined Plane, Wedge, Screw, Wheel and Axle, and Pulley), give examples, and demonstrate at least 3 of the simple machines listed.

Desert and Forest:

Objective:  Students will be able to describe the environment of the desert and the forest and list the plants and animals found in each community.  Students will be able to explain the concept of the food chain.

Rain Forest:  (not in textbook)

Students will become familiar with the animals in the rain forest and the four layers of the rain forest.

Oceans, Fresh Water Life: Microscope Unit  (not in textbook)

Objectives:  1.  The students will be able to name the parts of the microscope and be able to focus the microscopes to look at prepared slides.  The students will also be able to work in groups and prepare their own slides.

2. The students will be able to describe the fresh-water community and the animals and plants found in that community.  The students will be able to describe the life cycle of a frog.

Plants:

Objective:  The students will be able to define a plant in scientific terms.  The students will also plant a garden and observe the changes, which take place.

 

Fourth Grade:

Scientific method:  observation, analyze, hypothesis, test hypothesis (investigations)

Insects:   life cycle, design, motion, defense systems, communication, habitats, social activity

Birds:  identification, observation, feeding, baths & houses, design for flight, field markings

Matter:  (water, air, weather) – water as a resource-energy-atmospheric, states of water (condensation & evaporation), atmosphere, weight & pressure, wind, weather forecasting

Magnets & electricity:  electrical charges, flow of electrons, electrical current and magnetic fields, volts, amps, ohms, and laboratory investigations / applications

Oceanography: currents, continental slope-shelf, ocean floor, open sea, exploration, waves and salt water, fish, sea mammals, invertebrates

Plants:  design, conifers & deciduous, flowering, seed design, seed disbursement, germination, poisonous plants, usefulness

 

Fifth Grade:

Investigating Nature: (scientific method) – mysteries around us, focus on experimental process (hypothesis, procedure, results, conclusion), the detective’s tools, golden rod  jungle,  composites

Vertebrates and Mammals:  define each class, identification, characteristics,

Energy (light):  definition of, reflection, refraction, spectrum, eyes

Earth Science:  structure of earth, soil, classification of rocks, minerals, metals, fossil fuels, geysers, caves, fossils, dinosaurs

Energy and Engines:  simple machines, force, motion, electricity & magnetism, work-energy, water and wind power, matter, internal combustion, jet propulsion, rocket engines

Astronomy:  atmosphere, sky

Weather:  water vapor, winds, fronts, temperatures, clouds, atmosphere, storms

 

Sixth Grade:

What is science and scientific method: methodology, making slides for the microscope, using the microscope

Invertebrates:  characteristics of, identification of major phylums

Birds:  review of structure and characteristics of Michigan birds, and the sounds they make

Earth science:  review rock cycle and mineral identification, earthquakes and volcanoes, fossil fuels

Astronomy:  space travel, laws of motion, acceleration, inertia, centripetal & centrifugal force, and locating/identification of constellations and deep-sky objects

Matter:  in depth study of  its properties, atomic theory, chemical reactions, symbols & notation

Electricity:  study of electrical circuits, generation of electricity, electric motors

 

Textbooks

Grade K Science: Level K, CSI, God’s World K, A Beka Book

Grade 1 Science 1, Bob Jones University Press

Grade 2 Science 2, CSI, 2004 ed.

Grade 3 Exploring God’s World, A Beka Co.

Grade 4 Understanding God’s World, Understanding God’s World, Activity Book,  A Beka Co., Electricity and Magnetism, MacMillan/McGraw-Hill

Grade 5 Investigating God’s World, A Beka Book

Grade 6 Observing God’s World, A Beka Book

Spelling Curriculum

Description:  Good spelling habits are emphasized in all of the student’s daily work with the basic spelling skills developed in a student workbook. Students practice a full range of language arts skills such as word building, dictionary skills, proofreading skills, making real-world connections, and developing writing mechanics to help them become better spellers, readers, and writers.  The program uses word lists based upon dependable spelling patterns, and frequency of exposure so that each student is given repeated practice and encouragement to use the patterns common to every day use.

Textbooks

SRA Spelling, levels 2-6, SRA McGraw-Hill 2009

Enrollment

Admission Policy

General: Students may enroll in Plymouth Christian Elementary School at any grade level from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.  Beginning age requirements are the same as the Michigan Public Schools.  Children enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten must be four or five years old, respectively, by December 1 of the same year.  Students entering first grade must be six years old by December 1..

No child shall be excluded from admission on the grounds of race, national origin or color.

As Plymouth Christian Schools is based on religious principles taught in the Word of God and viewed as part of a three-fold link consisting of home, church, and school, it is necessary that all students admitted to the school live under the active care of parents or guardians who regularly attend a Protestant church that agrees with the teachings of God’s Word.  To uphold this requirement, as a condition of enrollment, parents of students accepted for enrollment will be asked to sign the Registration Statement which indicates they agree to have their children instructed according to the Scriptures as explained in the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dordt.

Transportation: Plymouth Christian Schools provides transportation of the students to and from school, within approved geographic areas.  Parents are assessed a fee based upon the location of their bus stop and frequency of use.  For fee assessment purposes, there are three transportation zones, each of which is measured by the distance from the school to the student’s bus stop.  (Zone fee for both a.m. and p.m. transportation is at full rate and a.m. or p.m. only is ½ full rate.)  Plymouth Christian will strive to provide a bus stop that is convenient for the parents.  The school will also do its best to minimize the length of time that students are on the bus.  However, the school reserves the right to determine bus stop locations and the amount of time an individual student is on the bus.  The Transportation Supervisor and Committee determine the actual bus stops in July prior to the school year.  Routine transportation is restricted to young 5’s thru 12 grade.

Enrollment Procedures

All parents who are member of non-supporting churches are asked to follow this order to student admission.

1. Obtain a copy of the PCS school brochure and complete the Application for Admission.
2. Meet with the school administrator, tour the building, and obtain and study a copy of the Parent-Student Handbook.
3. Complete the necessary admission form, and submit it to the school office.
4. After the application has been reviewed and the interview with the administrator completed, an interview with the Education Committee of the School Board may be arranged.  Except in cases of single-parent families, both parents should be present at the interview.
5. If a student is accepted for admission, parents will be asked to sign the Registration Statement.

Registration dates for older students will be published in the school newsletter.  For a complete enrollment policy, contact an administrator.

Parental Agreement

Please read the following items carefully:

1. 1.    I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and that this Divine Word of God has been clearly and consistently defined in the Belgic Confession of  Faith, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort.
2. 2.   I agree with the Plymouth Christian Schools Association Statement of Purpose:  “The purpose of Plymouth Christian Elementary School is to ‘train up a child in the way he should go’; for the Lord has promised that ‘when he is old, he will not depart from it’  (Proverbs 22:6).  The home, the church, but also the school, has the responsibility to ‘bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4).  While no one is able to properly do this of themselves, we must pray and strive to place God and His infallible Word at the center of all instruction given and policies developed.  Behavior and guidance will also be directed according to Biblical principles.  Religious instruction will be based on the Bible and explained in accordance with our Doctrinal Standards:  The Heidelberg Catechism, Confession of Faith, and the Canons of Dort.  Instruction will be given in all subjects needed for our life in society, with the distinction, that each course will attempt to draw its theme from the Scripture which “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.”
3. 3.   I will support the school in its policies, operations, and tuition payments as outlined in the school handbook.
4. 4.   I understand that Plymouth Christian Elementary School carries no insurance to cover liabilities with respect to school related injuries.  God has commanded us to “Acknowledge Him in all our ways”, etc. (Lords Day 10), “for God’s providence goeth over all things”  (Matthew 6:24 and 34).

 

Part-Time Student

Plymouth Christian Schools open its doors to part-time students in all classes (K – 12) subject to the following conditions:

1. Parents must follow normal admissions procedures.
2. Students and parents are subject to all school policies.
3. Part-time students will be considered for courses which have not reached the maximum number of students.
4. Elementary options would be morning (4/7 time), afternoon (3/7 time) or particular days to join science, library, physical education, and/or music classes.
5. High School options would include any courses.  If study halls are included between courses, the charge for a study hall monitoring fee would be 1/4 the course charge.
6. Students who attend 50% or more will be included with all class trips (except the Washington D.C. trip which is open only to full-time 12^th grade students).  Course specific trips will include all students in that course.
7. Since adjustments may need to be made to staffing/hours, part-time enrollment should normally follow these procedures:
   a.    Indicate an interest each year ASAP
   b.   Apply for admission by April 1
   c.    Register by April 15, and request classes
   d.   Receive final notification of classes by August 1 for elementary
   e.    Receive final notification of classes by August 15 for HS courses.  (Enrollment of part-time students at the high school level will be finalized after full-time students have had at least one week to make scheduling adjustments (approximately August 1 – 10).
8. The cost per course would be 1/6 of the tuition rate for a single student (at elementary or high school level) as determined by April 1 preceding the year.
9. The cost for 2-day courses would be 1/15 of the tuition rate for a single student (at elementary or high school level) as determined by April 1 preceding the year.
10. Part-time payments must be paid in advance for at least one semester at a time.  These payments would be due August 15 and January 15.
11. One-way busing could be considered with appropriate fees by consultation with the Transportation Committee.

Tuition Schedule 2011/2012

Tuition rates for students in grades K-6 reflect a compromise between two types of tuition plans:

1. To have each family pay a set rate for each of their children (placing an almost impossible burden on large families).
2. Have each family pay the same median tuition rate regardless of family size (penalizing small families).

The tuition plan adopted for students in grades K-6 places an approximate full cost tuition fee on the first child attending from a family with the second, third, and fourth child’s tuition fee being proportionately less and additional children attending for a nominal fee.

Tuition rates for school year 2011/12 for students in grades Pre-K – 6 are as follows:

Pre-K (2-1/2 Days)                       $755                       + $20 Registration

Pre-K/Y 5’s (3-1/2 Days)               $1,070                   + $20 Registration

Young 5’s (4-1/2 Days)                 $1,425                   + $20 Registration

Kindergarten (4 Day)                    $4,060

1 Child (1st– 6th)                         $5,840                   In addition to the tuition charges, a Bldg. Use

2 Children (K – 6th)                      $9,860                   Fee of $80 each (maximum of $320), and/or a

3 Children (K – 6th)                      $13,200                 Transportation Fee is assessed based on your

4 Children (K – 6th)                      $17,600                 Busing Zone,  Zone 1 fee is $250, Zone 2 is

5 Children (K – 6th)                      $17,600                 $370, Zone 3 is $500.  AND  (if 4 children in

Maximum                                    $20,000                 the elementary) an elementary premium of $320.

Policies and Procedures

Absences

Plymouth Christian Elementary School, although a private school, is subject to the laws and regulations of the State, governing educational institutions.  State school attendance regulations permit absence from school only in case of illness or personal emergency.  However, an absence due to a family trip may be considered excused if proper notification has been given to the office in advance and if the staff feels the absence will not be detrimental to the student.  Make-up of all assignments missed will be the responsibility of the student and his parents and must be completed in a period of time not to exceed the length of the absence.

If a child is going to be absent or arrive late to school, parents should call the school office between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.  If this time frame is impossible, a message can be left on the answering machine or another student in the family can notify the office upon arrival at school.  If a student is reported absent by a teacher and the office has not received notification, the school secretary will call home to make sure nothing has happened to him or her between home and school.

Awards

At the end of the school year a special awards assembly will be held to recognize various achievements of elementary students.

Good Citizenship Awards will be given out to the most deserving students from each elementary grade.  These awards will be based on attitude and conduct rather than academic achievement in school.

Perfect Attendance Awards will be given to all students who have had perfect or near perfect attendance during the school year.

Special Music Awards will be given to those students who have willingly given of their free time to participate in elementary choir in order to further develop their musical abilities.

Staff-Parent-Board Relationships (Matt 18)

In Matthew 18, Jesus lays down three steps for addressing offenses. The first is for the offended person to speak privately and personally with the offender. This should be done confidentially and without attracting attention to the process.  Sadly, there is a growing practice for those who have spoken with a teacher, when asked if they have followed Matthew 18, to say that they have, and to then feel that they are free to speak to whomever they please about the situation. The entire process as explained by Christ is to limit the number of individuals involved in order to protect everyone involved – the accused person from defamation and the accuser from generating gossip.

John Calvin wisely lays his finger on the root of the problem today, when he states in his commentary on Matthew 18:15, “The design of this is, as I have said, is to hinder charity from being violated under the pretense of fervent zeal. As the greater part of men are driven by ambition to publish with excessive eagerness the faults of their brethren, Christ seasonably meets this fault by enjoining us to cover the faults of brethren, as far as lies in our power; for those who take pleasure in the disgrace and infamy of brethren are unquestionably carried away by hatred and malice, since, if they were under the influence of charity, they would endeavor to prevent the shame of their brethren.” Calvin clearly reminds us to exercise the law of kindness and charity, for “Charity is kind…vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil…beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things…” (I Cor 13)

The following will be placed in the PCS Newsletter periodically (at least at the beginning of each school year):

A friendly reminder from the School Board:

We realize how each of you in our Christian school community is concerned about ordering your footsteps according to God’s Word. As a result, we remind you at the start of the new school year that whenever you have a concern, we are commanded by Christ to first speak with the person(s) involved. Following Christ’s Matthew 18 principle is the only God-ordained means for resolving issues. “Order my steps in Thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm 119:133)

The basis for a Scripturally-directed procedure to handle interpersonal relations is found in Matthew 18. The application of this Scripture passage is found in the answer to question 112 of the Heidelberg Catechism: “What is required in the ninth commandment?” The answer states “that I defend and promote as much as I am able, the honor and good character of my neighbor.”

Students

1. In the event that a student is concerned or confused by what a teacher has stated, it is preferential in following Christ’s command for the student to speak immediately with the instructor during class to clarify the statement. This offers an opportunity for a teacher to explain a misunderstood comment to the entire class. Both parties need to discuss this in a non-confrontational way.
2. The student may decide to ask for clarification after class, but it should be done sooner rather than later so that the teacher may provide further explanation to the class in a timely manner.

Parents

3. If the student brings his or her concern home to their parents, it is incumbent on the parents to follow Matthew 18:15-17 and to contact the teacher directly to address the concern, while at the same time realizing that they are obtaining their information second-hand, since they (the parents) were not present during the lesson. The possibility exists that there was a misunderstanding and that the air may be cleared to the satisfaction of both parties. The issue must be addressed in a spirit of cooperation and mutual concern. If afterwards both parties are satisfied, then the matter is settled and must not be shared with others.
4. If after repeated attempts to solve a problem with the person directly involved is unsatisfactory, the administration should be informed of the situation, and his help sought in finding resolution.
5. If the parents, teacher involved, and administrator cannot solve the issue after repeated attempts, the matter should be referred to the Education Committee.
6. Throughout the entire proceedings, no party is at liberty to discuss the situation with others. Confidentiality must be maintained.

Teachers

7. A teacher should seek to resolve a problem by speaking directly with the person(s) involved as soon as possible. An early response will often resolve the problem before it becomes larger, while at the same time promoting unity and trust.

Administrators

8. The administrator should communicate directly to the teacher any parental, staff, or constituency concerns and encourage the parties to meet and resolve any misunderstanding, speaking the truth in love.
9. The administrator should become involved only after earnest attempts have been made to establish direct communication between the parties involved to resolve any issue.
10. When administrators do become involved in the process, they should keep notes of the concerns and meetings (dates and details) in order to have a clear record to refer to as issues are dealt with.

Education Committee

11. If all of the preceding attempts described above have failed after repeated attempts to resolve the issue, the parents and teacher should meet with the Education Committee to discuss the situation. (The administrators are also members of the Education Committee.)
12. It is part of the responsibility of the Education Committee to determine what corrective action (if any) needs to be taken. Following such a determination, all parties are to maintain confidentiality regarding the issue and its resolution.

Board Members

13. A Board Member should discretely decline to hear grievances from any party, and instead direct them to follow Matthew 18 as it is outlined above. Only in the event of extremely compelling circumstances should a Board Member deviate from this process, and then it would be advisable for that Board Member to direct the concerned party to contact the Education Committee.

Activity	1st Grade	2nd Grade	3rd Grade	4th Grade	5th Grade	6th Grade
Devotions & Bible	225	225	225	225	225	225
Church History						45
Math	125	150	175	200	225	225
History/Geography	100	100	125	180	180	180
Science/Health	90	90	90	180	180	180
Reading-Listening	300	300	275	180	180	180
Language	100	100	125	180	180	180
Penmanship	100	100	75	50	40	30
Spelling	100	100	100	75	75	75
Lunch	20	20	20	15	15	15
Physical Education	45	45	45	90	90	90
Recess	55	55	55	55	55	55
Art/Crafts	75	60	60	45	45	45
Music	40	40	40	45	45	45
Library	30	30	30	30	30	30
Computers/KeyBoarding			30	45	45	45