Private School in Allentown, PA

Lehigh Christian Academy:
Lehigh Christian Academy, located in Allentown, Lehigh County (60 miles north of Philadelphia), Pennsylvania, is an accredited preschool, elementary school and middle school offering grades Prekindergarten - 8. Founded in 1973, Lehigh Christian Academy is the oldest evangelical Christian school in the Lehigh Valley. It was established in order to provide a thorough, complete, and consistently Christian education for the area’s Christian families. Lehigh Christian Academy's administration, faculty and staff partner with the home to meet the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of each student.

Preschool and Kindergarten Program:
We at Lehigh Christian Academy believe that a solid educational foundation is needed for future academic success. The education of the majority of our students begins with their experiences in preschool and/or kindergarten. Our early childhood program emphasizes the need for students to grow in all areas: spiritual, academic, social-emotional, creative, and physical. Activities are age-appropriate and designed to foster a love of learning. Curriculum areas include Bible, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as the development of motor and social skills. In addition, students in kindergarten begin classes in physical education, computer, library, Spanish, music, and art.

Elementary School Program:
In grades 1-5, our students are in a traditional self-contained classroom setting. Bible is taught daily and integrated into all subject areas. Instruction in these grades emphasizes the importance of gaining and maintaining skills in language arts and math. Language arts instruction consists of learning to read, write, listen, and speak effectively. The purpose of language arts is to glorify God through good communication. Through the development of these skills, students can receive God’s Word through reading, convey God’s truth through writing, and effectively communicate God’s truth to their society through effectivie speaking. Math instruction points students to the orderliness, balance, and precision with which God, the Creator, has designed the universe. The laws and principles of mathematics are another aspect of God’s truth. Math instruction includes developing of computational skills as well as the development of problem-solving strategies and critical thinking skills.

Middle School Program:
LCA’s middle school consists of grades 6-8. Classes are conducted in a semi-departmentalized fashion. Students have more than one teacher throughout the school day. The characteristics of middle school students are understood and the instruction and activities strive to help meet these needs. The curriculum areas described in the previous section are continued in the middle school division. The Language arts curriculum emphasizes instruction in process writing, grammar, and the study of various styles of literature. Students in grades 6-8 work on the organization and writing of a research paper. Math skills are honed and students in grade 7 begin a pre-algebra course. Students in grade 8 are placed in a second level pre-algebra program or receive instruction in Algebra I. Science is divided into Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science. Social Studies classes center on U.S. History and World Geography. Students continue to be involved in a variety of learning activities that actively engage them.

Learning Support:
This special learning center provides an opportunity for students who have special learning needs to be taught effectively in the Christian school setting. Students who have normal mental ability, but are two to three years behind their classmates in language arts and math, are eligible for the Learning Support program. These students divide their time between Learning Support and an adapted curriculum in the regular classroom.
The Learning Support classroom also provides remedial instruction for students who are approximately six months behind their class in language arts and math.

Bible Instruction:
Bible instruction provides an opportunity for students to formally study Scripture and to make application of the Word to their lives. It is our desire for students to grow in the knowledge of God and to understand what God requires of each of His children. Bible instruction begins in Preschool and continues through grade 8.

Academic Assessment:
Each year students at LCA are given the Stanford Achievement Test. Students in grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 are also given the Otis-Lenon Abilities test. These test results provide one indicator of school success and allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum.

Physical Education:
Physical education contributes to the students’ mental, physical, spiritual, and social development. Students will acquire a knowledge and understanding of the human body in action. This knowledge is used while developing skills and participating in physical activities that are age-appropriate and that develops the human body. Since our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, students are taught how to care for and strengthen them. Grades K-8 receive physical education instruction.

Library:
Library science instruction includes the organization, use, stewardship, and maintenance of the library. Grades K to 6th receive library instruction once a week. All grades are exposed to literature and learn to locate materials using the computer. Grades seven and eight use the library for independent research reports and projects.

Art:
Students in grades K-8 receive art instruction where they can express themselves through a variety of media and techniques. An art education with the Bible as its foundation recognizes God as Master Artist and Original Creator. God has blessed man in bestowing on him a part of His creative character. Students will be exposed to a body of information that will assist them in the development of this creativity and critical thinking. Skill mastery, creative process, and art evaluation help to foster an awareness and appreciation of art as a universal visual language and a fundamental means of communication. Students will also be introduced to art history and aesthetic evaluation. Art relates to and can enhance all academic areas in education. Integration of art strengthens and promotes learning. Student artwork is displayed throughout the school and also at an annual art show.

Music:
Music in the Christian school is essential to the whole education of a student. It communicates vertically in praise and worship to God, and horizontally between men, communicating ideas and preserving culture. Music can enhance and support all other subject areas. Music instruction includes the listening to and studying of music of different styles and cultures, developing connections to other times, places, and people. Skills developed in singing, playing, moving, creating, reading, and listening will allow students to immerse themselves in the music. Students are taught to worship God through music, thus bringing the best we have to Christ and using music as a way to focus our attention to God.