Physical Education

Physical education is what happens when your child needs to unwind from the stress of the normal school day. PCA provides a myriad of sport related activities as extra curriculum throughout the school year. In the fall middle school students are encouraged to participate in Volleyball or Soccer.  Our winter sports line-up offers Cheerleading as well as girls' and boys' Basketball.  We complete out our extra-curricular athletics program by offering girls' Softball and boys' Baseball in the spring.

During the course of an average school week students participate in our our formal physical education program at least once a week.  Informally we conclude the school week with an activity period every Friday afternoon.  In addition, as a school we participate in the President's Physical Fitness regime, which is a nationally recognized assessment for children throughout the United States.

We do all of this while keeping Jesus Christ first in our sporting, leisure, and recreational activities here at PCA. We feel that your child is getting a well rounded Christian experience each time they participate in our physical education program or extra-curricular sporting or recreational activity.

Library

The library houses a sizeable selection of books. The reference area has recently been updated and numerous fiction and non-fiction titles have been added. Throughout the course of the academic year, the video library and periodical areas also will be expanded.

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade are given the opportunity to use the resources available in the library. During their visit to the library, students will learn good library citizenship and will strengthen listening and comprehension skills.

The kindergarten through fifth grade students become familiar with:

• Electronic Card Catalogue (different search methods)
• Fiction (what makes a good story)
• Non-fiction (Dewey Decimal System)
• Parts of a Book
• Author/Illustrator/Publisher
• Table of Contents (uses)
• Periodicals

Our middle school curriculum is Applied Media Science in which the students apply research skills, writing techniques, critical thinking methods, and problem-solving abilities through research papers, the school newspaper, the yearbook and T.A.G. (a service project with the early childhood and elementary students).

Music

Walking past the music room is quite an enjoyable experience. Our talented music instructor keeps students engaged in singing, playing the recorder, and an assortment of rythm instruments.  An independant band program is available for students interested in taking instrumental instruction.

For students who truly enjoy the dramatic arts, there are various opportunities for school participation.  Offerings include the drama club, the ACSI Fine Arts Festival, and in-school musical productions.

Spanish

Students as young as kindergarten are introduced to and begin attending formal Spanish class, with instruction continuing through grade 8.  In class, games and other participatory activities are used to get students excited about learning the language and Castillian culture. Fun is a priority in these classes with the overall goal of seeing students excited about learning a second language.  Middle school students complete first level high school Spanish I and enter Spanish II.

Bible

The Bible curriculum at Penn Christian is designed to expose students to relevant truths from Scripture, free from doctrinal distinctive. Our students are taught how to read and glean from God's word as well as how practically apply His principles in their everyday lives.

In sixth grade students explore how the Bible addresses certain moral and ethical decisions, which they are confronted with as well as being introduced to certain key figures from church history that faced similar circumstances in their lifetimes.

Seventh grade is the year for surveying the entire sixty-six books of the Bible as they discover and learn to bridge the unified message of the Scriptures.

Students conclude their study of the Bible at PCA in eighth grade with a new study entitled The God Man: Christ in the Gospels. This course is designed to give students an in-depth look at the life and teaching of Jesus Christ who is the focus of all Scripture.

We look forward to each new year as an opportunity to facilitate the instruction of Paul as he says "... and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.

"...I am the way, the truth, the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." John 14:6

Lifestyles

Middle school students find themselves caught somewhere between child and adult. They are bombarded by tremendous physical changes, intense emotions, and raging hormones. In this time of great change, many important choices are being made by young people concerning their life styles. This course and comprehensive curriculum covers twelve important life skills with age-appropriate information for our middle school students. The curriculum is written by Christian educators and taught from a Christian perspective relying on Scripture to support the philosophy.

The areas discussed are: Adolescent Changes, Human Reproduction, Family and Friendships, Valuing Self, Communications, Drug and Alcohol, Nutrition and Exercise, Peer Pressure, Making Decisions and in 8th Grade - "Why Wait" - reasons to save sex until marriage.

The class consists of lively discussions, case studies and role plays. Participation plays a big part.

Shop

The middle school students participate in art for one half of the year and then for the remaining half, they participate in Shop with Mr. Hitchcock. Students are excited about going to shop to get the chance to work with tools and build things with their hands and their imagination. They learn to hone their carpentry skills.

Art

Art class is an opportunity for all students to express their God given creativity. A variety of mediums are explored such as painting, drawing, print making, ceramics, acrylic and water color paints, clay and wire. Art history is incorporated in the program to allow students to gain knowledge and speak intelligently about art.

Students are encouraged to meet their personal best by setting individual goals.

Computers

In this ever changing and ever increasing technological society, PCA is preparing its young people to be proficient at using computers and to have sufficient knowledge of advances in technology in two ways.

All students from Kindergarten to eighth grade attend a forty-five minute computer technology class at least once a week. The curriculum for this course progressively builds the student's understanding of how a computer works including:

• Word Processing, Spreadsheets and Databases
• Programming
• The Internet and Web Development
• Paint, Draw and Graphics
• Networking
• Multi-media and Videography

We also facilitate the students to become adept at using a computer by teaching them skills including:

• Proper use of the keyboard and typing skills;
• File allocation and retrieval techniques;
• Basic operation of CD's and applications.

The goal of the technology program at PCA is to make education fun and challenging. Students will not only learn the topic of study, but they will also discover how the computer can be used to enhance their whole education process.<!--