Looking for a Good Christian School (Raleigh, Cary: home, high school, college)

[Grace2you]

Hi Everyone,

I was looking into a few Christian Schools and was wondering if any of you have kids who go to them/friends who do or have heard anything about them. I am looking into GRACE Christian School, Cary Christian School and North Raleigh Christian Academy.

Also, how do those compare to some of the good rated pubic schools?

Thanks so much!

[Grace2you]

Hi, I forgot to add...so often people choose a home based on a good school, but I hear with all the redistricting, that you don't know what school you will even go to. How does one pick where to live or what is a good school to go to when it will be changed?

Is there a schedule that tells you if you go to this school, in 3 years you will go to this school next? I'm just trying to understand how all of this works.

Thanks again!!

[lamishra]

Yes, there actually is. You go straight to the WCPSS website and plug in an adress. It will tell what school it is zoned for, for the next three years. Determine School by Student Address

[momincary]

Mine is a CCS family! I work at the school, my oldest has graduated from CCS, and I have a few more children in the middle and high school grades. While all three schools you mentioned are Christian schools, CCS is unique in its classical methodology, which follows the three-stage trivium approach to education. Grades K-5 fall under the "grammar stage" - that portion of a child's education that focuses on acquiring the grammar of every subject. Students at this stage love to memorize, chant, sing, recite, and play games. They readily memorize times tables in math; states, capitals, and presidents in history; the periodic table of elements in science; parts of speech in grammar, as so on. They accumulate the grammar necessary for the next stage of their education... the "logic stage." Students in grades 6-8 learn how to categorize and analyze information and draw conclusions. They are trained in formal logic, and they learn how to debate (graciously!). Finally, high schoolers in grades 9-12 complete the "rhetoric stage" of their education, learning to communicate effectively both orally and in writing - across every subject area. CCS consistently graduates young men and women who communicate effectively; they write well, speak confidently, and are well prepared for rigorous coursework in college.
I think the best way to evaluate each school is to visit and sit in on classes all the way through high school, even if you only have younger children. You'll want to evaluate the fruit of the effort in the senior class to see for yourself what each school produces in its students.
I'm a big fan of CCS but have dear friends in each of the schools you mentioned. Each school is very different in style and approach, and only you will be able to tell what is right for your own family.
Best wishes!

[rschlegel]

How difficult would it be for a 9th grader who is into the arts and literature (weak in the sciences) to adapt to the classical approach and to Cary's honors level courses?