Private High School in Grand Rapids, MI

South Christian High School, Grand Rapids:
Located in Grand Rapids, Kent County, near Lake Michigan in West Michigan, South Christian High School is a co-educational Christian high school for grades 9-12. It is a place where Christian values and principles are incorporated with rigorous academic study and extracurricular challenges to prepare students to be competent and contributing members of society. The school is located just south of the city of Grand Rapids drawing students from both suburban and rural areas.

South Christian offers a college preparatory curriculum with a wide variety of courses in each department (English, math, science, social studies, fine arts, business, technology, foreign languages, P.E.) including:

English Language Study:
This course is intended to give students a greater appreciation for the English language. The course explores the origins and history of the language, the stages of language acquisition, and regional, social, and gender dialects, as well as the order and structure of the language. Throughout this course, students will gain a greater appreciation for language and its power and broaden their horizons about the English language. This course is the perfect complement to College Writing, and it is recommended that these courses be taken in the same semester.

Algebra:
Algebra is designed to attract and keep students in mathematics not to weed them out. It provides an important foundation for subsequent math courses. Students will learn to describe the world around them through algebraic expressions, equations, tables and graphs. We will provide a context for the abstract language of algebra with real-life applications, made more accessible with calculators and computers. Throughout the course, there will be much review of the arithmetic operations on fractions, decimals, and integers.

Advanced Art:
This course provides an opportunity for interested and gifted students to explore, in more depth, areas of art of special interest. It also requires, especially in the early weeks, review of important art movements, design principles and elements. Stress is upon understanding art through research, production and critiques. This course may be repeated.

Accounting:
This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of accounting and the complete accounting cycle. These principles are applied to both service and merchandising businesses using combination and specialized journals. Other topics covered include recording payroll, sales tax, depreciation, income tax, and bad debts. The students will also prepare the financial statements needed at the end of the fiscal period. According

Computer Accounting:
Students will apply principles learned in Accounting I by doing simulations on PC-compatible computers. Emphasis is placed on reinforcing these principles while learning how commercial software packages work. Students will also learn how to adapt some manual accounting functions to spreadsheet applications. Emphasis will be placed on accounting for small businesses and sole proprietorships. Attention is given to Christian ethics as they relate to work habits and honesty in the business world.

Environmental Science:
This course is for those interested in an increased awareness of the existence and complexity of the many environmental problems. The course includes the geological history of Michigan, fundamental principles of ecology, a survey of current environmental problems, game management history and techniques, fresh water ecology, and fisheries management.

Economics:
Economics is an active and experiential engagement between the individual and the world. Our economy is shifting from a traditional industrial base to an information and service base. Individuals will have a number of jobs in the course of their careers, and those jobs are continually redefined by rapidly advancing technology and changes in the norms that define the culture of the workplace. Successful inhabitants in such a world must make sense of large and shifting bases of information, work effectively in teams, and truly understand and value groups with backgrounds different from their own.

Spanish:
This course provides an introduction to the language by placing the greatest emphasis on vocabulary building and the learning of basic grammatical structures. Reading, listening, writing and speaking skills are also developed. Culture is taught through the study of Hispanic celebrations and daily living routines. Through the study of language and culture, students will develop a cross-cultural awareness.

Advanced Placement Courses:
We offer AP course in math, English and Social Studies.

Honors Courses:
We provide a wide range of honors courses for each department of study.

College Preparatory Courses:
Students can prepare for ACT and SAT prep throughout the year.

Drama:
Drama is a program at South Christian High School that allows students from all grade levels and levels of ability to get involved. Each year, SCHS Drama provides opportunities for students to participate. Every Spring, South Christian presents a full length, fully scored musical. We also organise a fall play as well as pieces in April and May.

Physical Activities:
Students take part in lifetime leisure activities such as cycling, disc golf, bocce ball, croquet, horse shoes, bean bag toss, pickle ball, badminton, tennis, rock climbing, lacrosse, speed ball, team hand ball, bowling and more.