Welcome to BCA Elementary School!Growing Strong Roots for Lifelong Learning
We nurture faith and follow a rich, comprehensive curriculum to build skills and foster curiosity and creativity. Here we engage busy minds through hands-on projects while building a strong foundation for the future.
Everything we do is rooted in LOVE: Love for God, Love for Learning, and Love for Others.
Love for God
The Bible says the greatest commandment is to love God with our whole heart. In the Elementary School, teachers and students alike learn to put God first in all we do. Students begin to develop the roots of a strong Christian worldview as they are taught by faithful teachers integrating Biblical truth into each curriculum area.
Love for Learning
BCA provides a safe and nurturing environment that enables children to reach their full potential. Our highly skilled faculty models a love for learning and engages students in learning activities that are motivating and challenging. Students grow strong roots of inquisitiveness, organization and reasoning, which are foundational to academic success.
Love for Others
The second greatest commandment is to love others. At BCA, character development and Biblical peacemaking skills are emphasized as we live and work in community with each other. Opportunities for service are frequent as we seek to be a blessing to others.
Elementary School Curriculum
K–5 students are taught in newly designed Learning Labratories! The curriculum includes English Language Arts & Literacy (reading, phonics, spelling, writing), math, science, social studies, Bible, music, physical education, health, art, Spanish and technology.
Q. WHAT IS A LEARNING LABORATORY?
A: It’s an exciting setting where students’ burning questions are the organizing principle of the curriculum; where teachers organize those questions into themes that students explore through projects, research, experimentation, and artistic endeavors; and where learning experiences are designed to help student methodically accomplish learning goals and standards over time. Adopting a model known as “mixed age education,” students can be grouped flexibly by interest or aptitude, not only by age, and instruction can respond to students’ own developmental pace. On-and-off- campus activities connect students’ learning to the real world and help children develop a sense of context and vision. It’s all about students “leading by serving with passion, skill, integrity, and faith.”
Q. SOUNDS INTERESTING. HOW DOES IT WORK?
A: Students in what are currently known as grades K-5 will be grouped into multi-age Learning Labs, each staffed by a teacher. Students “learning to read” will learn in Lab One; students “reading to learn” will learn in Lab Two. Teachers will compose interdisciplinary thematic units around students’ curiosity questions and will create learning activities designed specifically to develop students’ skills relative to defined milestones – skills that will be regularly assessed. Arts specialists will lead students in artistic activities that support the thematic learning and promote artistic growth. Other adults – “lab partners” – will surround and support the endeavor, with parents and community members offering special opportunities that support students’ thematic learning: field trips to their workplaces, projects with real-world application, equipment to use, and so forth. Even high school students will have opportunities to contribute as mentors, buddies, and guest teachers. An administrator will team teach, provide preparatory time for teachers, and coordinate the contributions of “lab partners.”
Q. HAS THIS KIND OF THING BEEN TRIED BEFORE?
A: Yes, and the research indicates that a mixed-age model prepares students academically just as well as a traditional grade-based model – and students in mixed-age classrooms outperform their peers on effective measures such as social development, social interaction, levels of aspiration, and enjoyment of school.
Welcome to the BCA Middle School!Navigating Transitional Years with Success
The middle school years are a special and unique time in a child’s development and we are excited to help navigate them with you as a team.
During this transitional time, exploration is encouraged—whether through our competitive, no-cut athletic program or through drama, music and our variety of electives. We believe that God desires that we use the gifts He has given us for His purpose and that He has a unique purpose for each and every one of us. With this in mind, we seek to create an environment that allows for the growth of the individual—spiritually, intellectually and physically.
Middle School Curriculum
Students in the Middle School follow a rotating schedule and are taught by a team of five full-time teachers plus several part-time specialists. Their curriculum includes:
GRADE 6
English Language Arts (composition, grammar, keyboard skills, literature, public speaking, spelling, study skills, vocabulary), life, earth, and physical science, math, humanities, Bible, STEAM, physical education, health, art, introduction to Spanish, and music.
GRADE 7
English Language Arts (composition, grammar, literature, public speaking, spelling, study skills, vocabulary, word processing), life, earth, and physical science, math, humanities, Bible, STEAM, physical education, Spanish, health, art, and music.
GRADE 8
English Language Arts (composition, grammar, literature, public speaking, spelling, study skills, vocabulary, word processing), life, earth, and physical science, pre-algebra or algebra, humanities, Bible, STEAM, physical education, health, Spanish, art, and music.
Welcome to BCA High School!Big-Picture Thinking Begins Here
Get ready to think hard. To confront essential questions about the nature of your world and your place in it. To see everything differently—more deeply, more critically, and with far greater insight. To encounter both the majesty and the fallen-ness of Creation, all from a Biblical perspective. To listen, to speak, to experiment, to debate. Get ready to change into a more powerful, more knowledgeable, more skillful version of yourself.
Learning
Our academic program is geared toward college preparation—and that’s just the beginning. You might choose to challenge yourself with one of our growing number of AP courses, or to extend your learning through our new program of field-based classes. Our robust arts program will draw out your creativity, and young artists and actors will discover opportunities for growth that are virtually unprecedented for a school of our size. As the world of college and life after high school begins to loom large, our multi-year college preparation program will help you find a college that is right for you and to move forward with confidence.
Faith
High school is a great time to get serious about your faith. BCA’s emphasis on spiritual formation, our college-style Bible classes, our personalized and wide-ranging Mentor Group meetings, and our weekly chapel program with student-led worship all offer opportunities to grow deep and strong in your relationship with Christ. If you’re searching spiritually, BCA is a great place to explore matters of faith among friends and teachers from various Christian backgrounds.
Service
We’re all about “leading by serving in every arena,” and that servant-leadership starts now. In Providence, in inner-city Philadelphia, and even overseas, you will see faces light up with hope as you serve. You will play a game of soccer with orphans. You will provide medical care to an impoverished elder. You will help repair a house for a homeless family. You will do radical, challenging things you didn’t know you were capable of; you will make a lasting difference in someone’s life; and you will never be the same.
High School Curriculum
During their four years of high school, students are required to complete 26 credits, including the 24 credits required under the Rhode Island High School Diploma requirements. The BCA High School Curriculum follows this framework.
*BCA is a partner with Sevenstar Academy and offers online courses for Seniors who are interested in electives beyond what BCA offers. Those listed above are just a few options available.
College Counseling
As the world of college and life after high school begins to loom large, our multi-year College Counseling program helps each student define their aspirations, set challenging goals, and ultimately find a good fit. At BCA we prepare students to lead and succeed in a range of arenas and give them the tools to move forward with confidence and grace.
At BCA this is about more than just matchmaking; it’s a journey of discovery. Through our counseling program, students learn a great deal about colleges and careers—and about themselves. They also learn that BCA applicants tend to have some distinct advantages: Self-knowledge, authenticity and years of real-world experience, to name a few. College admissions officers are increasingly interested in knowing who a student really is and what really matters to them, inside and out. At BCA this is par for the course: Soul-searching is an integral part of the everyday student experience. No resume-building or questionnaires required!
Our counselors help students plan, monitor and manage their own academic and career development. We know that navigating the college process can be overwhelming for students and parents. That’s why we’re committed to providing the one-on-one time necessary to help each student with decision-making, college searches, and applying for admission and financial aid.
