Full 2011 Logo Equipping

Imagine...

 SCHOOL of  EXCELLENCE

 

 - Moving towards classical schooling

 - AP & Honors Courses

 - Latin & Spanish for grades 1-12

 - High school tablet PC Program 

 

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Rewriting History:
An Inside Look at the New History Curriculum of NHCS
What's the difference between Social Studies and History?
 
Through the years, social and educational reformers have encouraged the democratic ideal of the "common school" and the "progressive model" of education, educational systems designed to ensure that everyone in society an equal educational opportunity.  At the time these models were formed, many social reformers speculated that "common education" would act as a social regular, creating a common national ethos in a pluralistic America, as well as a sense of American pride and potentially even salvation from social injustice, poverty, crime, and corruption.  These reformers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries advocated that school curricula be written to ensure that all classes of people were educated in a uniform manner.  A system emerged in which the "least common denominator" became the standard for American education and, by and large, the new educational system (of which most of us are a product today) was designed for the poorest Americans.  As a result, over the course of the last century, the concept of "leadership education" has been lost. 

One by-product of this new system of education was the replacement of "history" curriculum in schools with the study of "social studies." Rather than enriching children's knowledge of God's unfolding plan for the chronological story of humankind, emphasis would be placed upon social concepts, such as communities, citizenship, and interpersonal relationships - all good concepts, but all concepts that could be taught through a rich study of historical information.
 
 
Over the course of the last two centuries, school curricula has moved from a classical approach, which placed emphasis upon a highly intellectual and rigorous training of the mind, to a more "child-centered" approach.  John Dewey, one of the most radical social reformers who caused such a shift noted that "intellectual education" (classical schooling) was an imposition upon childhood, believing that children should not be expected to engage in rigorous intellectual training.  Dewey also argued that the goal of a good education was to eliminate the need for God.  By closing a pupil's gaps in his understanding of the world, Dewey reasoned, schooling would eliminate the "God of the gaps."  The result?  An inherently atheistic, socialized form of schooling that offers nowhere near the quality of the timeless, richly intellectual method that had previously reigned.  

North Hills Christian School, along with many other schools nationwide, is seeking to bring back the classical methods and content.  This year marks one of many moves on that front - the transition from the progressive subject of "Social Studies" back to a rigorous, chronological, and engaging study of history that incorporates social principles at appropriate times. 
 
In the new history program at NHCS, students will start learning history where it begins: with the foundations of the world.  Starting in first grade, their history studies will unfold in chronological order, covering the most significant events in history.  For example, first grade studies will include the first people, the early nomads, Ancient Egypt, and so on, up until the fall of the Roman Empire.  History will be taught as it was meant to be understood - in chronological order - from first through fourth grade.  In fifth grade, students will start the cycle of history over again, delving deeper into the content with which they have been familiarized from the very start.  The repetition in first, fifth, and ninth grades of the same content yields stronger understanding.  Likewise, the faculty at NHCS view literature as the diary of the people in each of these time periods, and the school's literature program is undergoing alignment to match its new history program. 
 
The content will be seamlessly integrated with biblical teaching, too, effectively breaking down the subconscious barrier that so many children build up between "Bible Stories" and "history."  "The Bible is history," remarked one high school student at NHCS, "and it is best understood in its historical context."  Imagine: students who are currently learning everything about Ancient Egypt will be better equipped to understand the enslavement of the Israelites, and God's freeing of His chosen people from the bondage of Egyptian slavery.
 
Curricula that will be incorporated into the school's new history program include Susan Bauer's critically acclaimed Story of the World: History For the Classical Child, a series of books that beautifully paint history as an enjoyable, easy-to-grasp story in which a young student can willingly immerse himself.  Fifth Grade instruction will be introducing Mystery of History, a completely chronological, Christian-worldview curriculum.  Veritas Press's materials will be used to enhance the biblical worldview perspective.  Eventually, Omnibus, a very rich "college level" program that blends history, music, art, literature, and theology into one course, may be used in honors classes at the high school level.

"The proof is in the pudding," notes Matt Mitchell, head of school.  "Classically educated high school students score approximately 358 points higher on the high school SAT's than the national average.  This approach is not only effective, but the outcomes are simply staggering." 
 
The shift in the NHCS history curriculum is but one of many changes that are underway to the pedagogy and content at NHCS.  Read more about Classical Education and NHCS's monumental shift towards Classical History, please refer to the links below.
  

 

 

 

The 2012 Europe Trip:

Tales from France and Italy 

Written by Julia Murphy, NHCS Senior
Featuring photography by Madison Link

 

Traveling to Europe is one of many dreams teenagers entertain. This past July, it became a dream come true for several North Hills high schoolers. 

Read the whole story here!

 

 Dodgeball Tournament and Chili Cook-Off 
Mark your calendars: The annual Dodgeball Tournament and Chili Cook-Off are this Saturday, September 15th.  The festivities will officially be held from 4-6pm on the North Hills campus.  There will be separate tournaments for elementary school and middle/high school.  There's more fun to be had besides dodgeball and chili - other fun activities will include facepainting and a guest appearance by the SweetFrog mascots, Cookie and Scoop!  Don't miss it!

 
  Welcome, Baby Zackeyus!

On August 18 at 2:50pm, Nathan and Kammi Childers welcomed their son, Zackeyus Xavier Childers, into the world.  Baby Zackeyus weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces when he took his first breaths, and was 19.5 inches.

 

According to Mrs. Childers, Zackeyus's older brother, Markwith, loves having a baby around.

 

Kammi Childers teaches high school math, works as assistent atheletic director for elementary sports alongside her husband, and heads the scrapbooking club at NHCS.  Students eagerly awaited her return, and are now hoping that she'll bring Baby Zackeyus to school sometime.

 

Congratulations to the Childers family!  We send you our hugs and prayers!

 

The 2012 Cub Scouts
Cub Scout Pack 306 celebrated their first gathering of the new school year on Thursday, August 30th - with their Fall Round-Up Recruiting Event.
 
The Cub Scouts are part of the Boy Scouts of America, and include students from 1st through the beginning of 5th Grade. Pack 306 is chartered by NHCS and includes students of the school, although members of Pack 306 do not have to be enrolled at NHCS; boys throughout the community who are in grades 1-5 are encouraged to join.
 
The Pack meets every Thursday night from 6pm to 7pm. Pack meetings follow the NHCS school calendar, meaning that if North Hills is not open for school, there will be no Cub Scout meeting that day. Enrollment for Pack 306 is open, and for those interested, it is not too late to join. Thursday evening meetings will continue to include informational sessions for prospective parents and members.
 
Pack 306 prides itself in its participation in service projects around the community. An ongoing project that will continue this year is the Foil Drink Pouch Recycling Program, which involves collecting and recycling the drink pouches used in many popular kids' drink brands (such as Capri Sun, Nature's Kids, etc.). Last year, between April and the end of May alone, the Scouts saved 1,500 drink pouches from going to the landfill. The Cub Scouts also plan to participate in a NHCS project collecting papers from their recycling bins at the school, as well as a grass re-seeding project with the Uwharrie National Forest.

For more information on Pack 306 and the Cub Scouts, contact DeeAnn Vincent at

 

NHCS Juniors and Seniors Go to College

Yes, they're in high school - but some of them are also in college.  Juniors and seniors at North Hills are given the incredible opportunity to sign up for and attend a college course as a regular part of their week, and many choose to do so.  The courses offered take place at Catawba College and RCCC, and cover a wide range of fields, from psychology to art, in order to supply every type of student with a way to pursue valuable college-level experience in their particular area of interest.

 

One of the main perks, of course, is the college credit for taking the class.  However, NHCS students taking college courses recently revealed that they are already enjoying other benefits, not all of which they were able to forsee.

 

"The class has allowed me to get kind of a feel for the college campus life," says Abbey Cody, a North Hills senior taking an Introduction to Statistics class at Catawba College.  "I believe this class in preparing me for college in that I know what the professors will expect of me."

 

Julia Murphy, who intends to major in art once actually enrolled in college, is taking the Drawing class offered at Catawba.  Thanks to NHCS's affiliation with Catawba and its courses, she is able to attain all the high school art credits needed for a potential art major, an issue that might have been crippling at another private school.

 

"It's important to be confident in yourself, but to realize college will be hard and sometimes your best effort might not be enough," says Murphy, when asked what taking a college course has taught her.  "Just doing all your homework isn't enough to earn you an A in a college course, and that's a reality I don't think a lot of high school kids are aware of."

 

Students also report that taking a college course has made them even more sure that they would like to attend college, and that they now have a better feel for what to expect.

 

As Cody says, "I wanted the college experience before I went off to college."

 

Life of an Intern
Written by someone who is also an intern
 
If you've ever been a Junior or Senior in high school, you know what I'm talking about when I say "graduation requirements". 

 

At NHCS, graduates are required to have completed an internship in either their Junior or Senior year.  In addition to working with those who decide to pursue off-campus internships, North Hills also offers a variety of on-campus options for its students.  The range of internship types held by the upperclassmen is staggering, and it reflects more than anything how one young adult's field of interest may be different than the next's - and that's perfectly fine.  This period of life is all about embracing your differences while enjoying your fellowship, and North Hills students know this phenomenon well.

 

So, what are the lowly interns saying about their crash courses in "the grown-up world"?

 

Matt Ward, a Senior at NHCS, started his internship on the first day of the new school year.  He interns for Joshua Houghton, the school's head of technology (or as we students like to say, "the computer man").  When asked what he does on a daily basis for his internship, Ward explained that he is learning how to fix the most common problems people have with their computers.  Ward said that he enjoys the internship, since the reason he chose it was to gain experience in working with technology.

 

However, there is a flipside to interning.  While many will say that the chief purpose of an internship is to gain experience doing the sort of job you think you may pursue, it is also true that an intern might get stuck doing work she didn't realize was a part of the package.  Kathleen Bourque, a Junior, is an intern for Liz Steele, the business manager at Piedmont Players Theater.  Bourque admitted that she does not entirely enjoy the internship like the thought she might.  "My main job is filing and shredding stacks upon stacks of papers.  Exciting, I know," she says.  "I feel like I am mostly stuck doing busywork rather than participating in actual activities that they do for a living."

 

Even though some internships are not always what students expect, there are extremely valuable lessons to be learned from even the driest jobs.  Bourque was optimistic, saying that she is still learning plenty from her internship.  "I am discovering that I am geared toward the more creative side of the theatre - performing, designing sets, costuming - rather than the business side."

 

Then there are the success stories - the interns that discover themselves completely at home in their work.  Abby Lane, a Senior, is a Large Animal Medicine and Surgery intern for Dr. Andy Gardner.  Lane has been interning for Dr. Gardner since August of 2011, and has certainly exceeded the number of internship hours required for graduation.  Her daily work includes restraining and catching animals, assisting with xrays and scopes, helping prep for surgeries, cleaning wounds, and so on and so forth.

 

"It has made me completely sure that I want to become a large animal veterinarian," says Lane, "because after over a year of working, I'm still excited about going to my internship every day and staying there until eight or nine o'clock at night."
 
While not all interns can nod and say that they've had an experience similar to Lane's, almost all of them would undoubtedly admit they're learning an awful lot that they wouldn't learn otherwise.  I myself must be having an experience similar to Abby's, because it's nearly five o'clock, and I'm still sitting here writing a newsletter.
 
High school interns are curious people; we want to know more about adult life, more about the workplace, and more about ourselves.  It might not happen in the way we expect, but our internships are guaranteed to teach us whether or not we're actually cut out for a certain job.  Of course, every one of us would like to be able to boast Lane's success.
 
"I feel like I have a real job," she says, "that just happens to be the best job in the world."
 
Congratulations, Duke TIP Qualifiers
The following students qualify for the DUKE Tip:
Brittany Gaddis
Mary Kaufman
Chloe Corley
James Houghton
Camantha Lyerly
Shelby Turman
Avery Frank
Caroline Cody
Breanna Miller
Richard Parker
 
Athletic Announcements

The Middle School Cheer Clinic is Saturday, September 22 from 10-12 p.m.


September 22 is also the first day for the Elementary Rec. League.  Registration forms and a $75 fee is due in order to participate.  Families of students in grades K-4 can contact Kammi Childers at [email protected] for more information.
 

 

 
Upcoming Events
 Refer to our website for a complete calendar of events for the most up-to-date information.
www.northhillschristian.com 
 
Grandparent Open House - Rescheduled to Spring 2013, details to come

Saturday, September 15 - Chili Cookoff & Dodgeball Tournament
Volunteers are needed; contact Melissa Mitchell to help
at 704-645-7115 or by email at
 
September 26-28 - Teacher Retreat
Half day on the 26th and no school on the 27th or 28th

Friday, November 2 - Vision Banquet
1st-5th grade will perform and should plan to attend
Students in the higher grades may perform or volunteer and should plan to attend
6:30 p.m.

Monday, November 5 - Pastor Appreciation Event
Details to come

Thursday, December 7 - Christmas Concert
All lower and middle school music students will perform
6:30 p.m.

Friday, December 14 - Homecoming

2013

February 18 - Technology Open House

May 24 - Last Day of School, End of Year Awards, & Graduation

June 26-29 - Camp Invention for Rising 1st-6th graders
 
TBA

Field Day
 
Grandparents' Day

Help Out the Eagles

Volunteers are needed to support NHCS activities and athletics. To volunteer,
contact Melissa Mitchell at [email protected] or 704-645-7115.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
 
 
 
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Contact the Newsletter

 

Advancement Director
Angie Richard
Extension 108
704-636-3005
 
Student Media Editor
Katherine Paul
Class of 2013
 
Photo Editor
Madison Link
Class of 2013