South Campus (DLI)

List of 2 items.

• Grades K-5 Curriculum

  The South Campus aspires to provide a well-rounded education. Our curriculum is designed to prepare children to be lifelong, independent learners, wise and creative problem solvers, and truth seekers who strive to pursue God in every area of life. We believe all children thrive on a diet of worthy ideas, which are found primarily in living books and the Western cultural heritage. 

  Read More

• Grades K-5 Distinctives

  
  Copy Books

  K-3 students produce copybooks that provide ongoing practice in handwriting, spelling, grammar, and more. These copybooks are kept specifically for copying noteworthy poems, prose, quotes, historical facts, and information that touch on the theme being studied by the class.  Students in grades 4 and 5 use copybooks to express their understanding of the historical periods they have been studying. Included in the copybooks would be students’ narrations of research they have done on the historical period. The content of copybooks is not exclusive to history; the disciplines of literature, geography, science, and language arts are also included. Copybooks are student-produced materials that teachers use to assess students’ assimilation of knowledge. 
  
  

  Living Books

  Living books are the opposite of dull, dry textbooks. They are books that are excellently written, timeless, wide-ranging, and interest-holding to children. People, places, and events come alive as one reads a living book. The story and the noble themes presented in the book touch one’s mind, will, and emotions, and are used by the teacher, along with the Scriptures, to stimulate imagination and obedience to the truth. Because K-5 grades are predominantly taught in Spanish, students also gain a rich understanding of the text, as culture and language are expressed in ways that resonate with their hearts. PRCA advocates avoiding “twaddle,” or dumbed-down literature. We choose, rather, to provide a feast for children’s minds with the best literary works available in Spanish and English at the K-5 grade levels.
  
  

  Creation Journals
  
  

  Creation Journals are artist sketchbooks containing pictures that children have personally drawn of plants, wildlife, or other natural objects found in their natural settings. These journals can also include creation-related poetry, prose, detailed descriptions, weather notes, Latin names, etc. In addition, we believe in the benefits of children taking walks in God's creation, perhaps one per week, during which they may experience and observe the natural environment firsthand. These excursions are creation "walks," not nature "talks." These activities cultivate the right attitude of mind for scientific observation and inference and foster a sense of awe and wonder about all things created. The bulk of the creation journals is done in our sustainable garden, built by the school's dads. 
  

  
  Picture & Composer Studies
  
  

  The South Campus structures its program to bring the child into direct contact with works of art and music of enduring quality. Students spend approximately 15 minutes per week studying a work of art by a great artist. The child looks intently at the work of art for a short period and is encouraged to examine every detail. The picture is taken away, and the student tells back what he saw. A similar methodology is undertaken as the school studies significant musicians and their works. Through exposure to selected works of art and music, students develop an understanding of what is worthy and timeless, and build a mental inventory of many great works from across the ages.
  
  

  Art
  
  

  In addition to picture studies, students participate in a formal art class once a week. To begin, the focus is on drawing and the elements of art, such as color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value. Later, students learn about, discuss, and implement design principles in their artwork, and throughout the year are exposed to a wide variety of media and methods. There is also an emphasis on connecting student art to classroom subjects such as history, math, and Bible.
  
  

  Recitations
  
  

  Taking advantage of young children's predilection for mimicry and repetition, we provide our elementary students with the opportunity to memorize passages and poems of lasting value. As a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) campus, our K-5 students recite poems and Scripture in Spanish.
  
  Mariachi
  
  Students in grades K-5 receive instruction in fundamental music theory, singing techniques, and performance etiquette, with a focus on worship. In the first two years, students learn to play the guitar through musical notation and by matching pitch. In the next two years, students learn to play the violin; both instruments are taught through solfege notation. In the following two years, students apply those skills by building physical endurance, learning breath control, and mastering note reading on the trumpet.
  
  

  Physical Education 
  

  As a Charlotte Mason-based school, students participate in daily recess to foster imagination and conversation while they play. Through PE and physical drills, children learn virtues like courage, temperance, perseverance, and respect for rules in a low-stakes environment. PE ensures students have strong physical and spiritual skills to cultivate the whole child. The child has a fit, coordinated body that builds the foundation of a student who needs to sit still, focus deeply, and engage in the rigorous reasoning required in their academic classes.