K-8 CURRICULUM

Subjects Covered

           First Wesleyan Christian School’s traditional curriculum focuses on all commonly taught academic subjects while also emphasizing traditional phonics in K-3, Bible study and character training, world cultures and geography, creative writing, public speaking, computer technology, art, and music. The overall quality of FWCS’s academic program is evidenced by the many top honors its students have won in competitions against other private and public schools. For example, an FWCS student won the Gaston County-Wide Spelling Bee in both 2002 and 2005.

Level of Academics

           The quality of FWCS's accelerated K-8 curriculum is confirmed annually by the school's Stanford Achievement Test scores that consistently fall in the top 25 percent of the nation. Specific test score comparisons may be viewed on the Academic Standards page of this website.

Accelerated Kindergarten Program

          FWCS's kindergarten program is very accelerated in comparison to nearly all public schools and many private schools. Its full-day classes teach students indepth traditional phonics. By January of each school year, kindergarten students are reading sentences such as "Jake baked a cake." By the end of the school year in May, most kindergarteners are fluently reading hundreds of words, including words such as "scream," "splash," etc. Most of FWCS's kindergarten graduates read as well or better than most students completing first grade in public schools. Besides excelling in reading FWCS's kindergarteners experience a full, rich curriculum that includes math, Bible, chapel, science, social studies, music, art, P.E., and computer. Detailed specirfics are given on the Kindergarten pages of this website.

Spiritual Emphasis

          Along with quality traditional academics, FWCS seeks to "educate for eternity" by systematically integrating a traditional Biblical world-life view and value system throughout all of its academic instruction and student activities. To accomplish this goal, FWCS employes only committed Christians who are expected to spontaneously teach and model spiritual truths. Middle school students receive instruction in church history and creation versus evolution issues. All of the history and science texts used by FWCS are from recognized Christian publishers. All students in grades 2-8 are trained how to use study Bibles, maps, charts, etc. FWCS seeks to present Christ as Creator, Savior, and Lord in every subject area and school activity.

Public Speaking Emphasis

           FWCS has made the equipping of its students with advanced public speaking skills a core part of its curriculum. As part of its English curriculum, all students in grades 1-8 are required to prepare and perform some type of speech. Students are taught specific public speaking skills as they relate to proper stance, eye contact, voice inflections, gestures, etc. After several years of this training many FWCS students become quite proficient and confident public speakers.

Career/Leadership Training

           To achieve its objectives of preparing future leaders for churches and employers, FWCS has established several unique programs. To equip future church leaders, FWCS trains all middle school students in vocal music, creative writing, Bible study skills, and public speaking. FWCS has created a computer technology program which aims to equip all middle school students with skills in keyboarding, Windows, the Internet, and current Microsoft softwares, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Computer instruction takes place in small classes of six to eight students.