North Shore Christian School
Academics
Academics Overview
Academics and Curriculum Through A Christian Worldview
It is our firm belief at the North Shore Christian School, that curriculum is not merely the textbooks used or the frameworks by which one instructs. Those alone do not bring about learning. True curriculum is dynamic, and allows for inquiry and discovery. Our teachers are the conduit for the true curriculum to flow, as they engage students and guide them to own their learning, and to desire to be forever learning, because our Creator God is infinite. We cannot exhaust learning, because God is always revealing himself in new and profound ways.
Saint Augustine (AD 354-430) has been quoted as saying, “All truth is God’s truth”, and as such we are convinced that the students experience must hold rich and meaningful opportunities for students that are challenging and varied. In every discipline and in every classroom, balance is encouraged between skill and understanding, training and discovery, ability and imagination, standard techniques and creative invention - all through a worldview that is supported by the Evangelical Christian faith. The achievement of such a balance is the charge of every teacher at NSCS.
Learning happens everywhere, not just inside the classroom and so Students are encouraged to make learning a lifetime practice. Through books, primary sources, field trips, research, practice, and exposure our students are embracing their learning! Curiosity is fostered in our core subjects, and interwoven into other subject areas like, music, art, physical education, and foreign language classes, and students realize the natural interconnectedness between subject matter.
Of greater importance, is the belief that character is as important as academics, if not more so. Teachers do not just instruct, they serve as role-models and mentors, as they value the responsibility that they have in partnering with parents to provide an excellent spiritual foundation for children in the formative years. Even our youngest students are encouraged to pursue excellence in their conduct and service to others. Each child is valued and understood to be uniquely and purposefully made in the image of God, and they are intentionally stretched, while being provided the support and tools to accomplish their personal best.
Matters of the heart and head are not mutually exclusive, but they are interconnected and deeply dependent on one another. Therefore, NSCS students are encouraged to think critically and ask tough questions like: “Who am I?” “Who is God?” And, “What is my purpose here on earth?” Through a carefully crafted frameworks, called Collaborative Critical Thinking, students as young as 2.9 years old are being trained to think deeply and to speak respectfully. Training in civil discourse is embedded throughout content areas, and is taught both explicitly and implicitly.
North Shore utilizes the Walking With God and His People Bible curriculum. This is a powerful curriculum that helps students know God’s Word, believe His promises, and live in faith and obedience. It provides a structured Biblical base while ensuring a balanced approach to learning. Solid in theology and Bible instruction, the Walking With God curriculum goal is to equip students with the knowledge they need to understand and believe God’s Word and to reflect that relationship and faith by living lives of gratitude and obedience. Students also participate in a weekly chapel program.
In both the elementary and the middle school, we strive to extend the educational experience beyond the classroom. Examples of some of our course-enhancing destinations have included the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Plimoth Plantation, Ipswich Wildlife Sanctuary, the Children’s Opera Company, the Blue Hills Weather Observatory, Boston Museum of Science, the North Shore Music Theater, and the Peabody Essex Museum.
Early Childhood
Preschool and Prekindergarten
Beginning at Age 2.9 Years
“Play is the highest form of research”
Albert Einstein
At NSCS, we understand that the early years of a child’s life may be the most significant for learning, one where their environment should foster a sense of awe and wonder. The development of their spiritual and moral lives, as well as their social, emotional, intellectual, and physical capacities, depends significantly upon what happens during these years.
The Early Childhood program at North Shore Christian School lays the foundation for lifelong learning and fosters growth in a young child’s development and provides the preparation that emerging learners need to transition to kindergarten. All Early Childhood programs focus on academic and social-emotional readiness through play, singing, language exploration, hands-on activities, and character development. Students are exposed to a body of knowledge and experiences to enable them to begin to think critically about information. Christian worldview principles are Faith is integrated into all aspects of the curriculum. Students come to know themselves as unique creations of God and important members of a community.
Elementary
Grades K-4 
The elementary years are foundational to a student’s education. Beginning in Kindergarten, qualified teachers provide environments where curiosity, wonder and educational ‘risks’ are fostered. Teachers explicitly teach intentionally and purposefully, creating environments of inquiry and meaning.
As students’ progress to the upper elementary, they strengthen in the progression and in the expansion of their skills throughout the elementary years. Students take ownership of their learning as they develop independence, language, reading, writing, critical thinking, citizenship, civil discourse, and social and problem-solving skills. Students learn to become independent learners, applying the skills and repertoire of tools to demonstrate acquired knowledge in and out of the classroom.
Middle School
Grades 5-8
Throughout the middle school years, students continue to progress in their physical, social, and cognitive development. As teachers provide opportunities and explicit instruction, students learn to deepen their critical thinking skills in the classroom through the study of rich literature and cultural experiences, investigation and inquiry, Socratic dialogue, civil discourse, and analysis of information. Students grow in their understanding of taking ownership of their learning. They are taught to take responsibility for their learning as they develop study and research skills, as well as poise, confidence, presentation and leadership skills. Opportunities for in school and out of school learning also enhance the student experience.
What Our Parent's Say About an NSCS Education
“We cannot express enough how grateful we are that our children, through the years at NSCS, have been afforded the tools to think critically, but more importantly compassionately. Because our children were affirmed each day as image-bearers of Christ, there is a freedom for them to embrace who they are as learners, because they are confident in whose they are as individuals. The heart and the head are both nurtured and opportunity is always given for students to reconcile their worldview in light of what they know about their Creator. We are confident that this foundation will allow our children to be engaged and prepared both spiritually and academically.”
Parents ~ Jim and Sandi Hickey