Lower School (JK-4)
In our Lower School, we honor childhood. Students are given the time and space to be young and provided the framework to develop confidence in who they are. Our teachers are masterful experts at attending to every child’s cognitive, emotional, and physical development while harnessing the power of curiosity.
Welcome to SouthLake Christian, where faith and learning converge to shape the hearts and minds of our students. We are committed to integrating Biblical principles into every subject, offering an education that reveals God's presence in disciplines ranging from science and math to literature and history. By weaving faith into our academic programs, we ensure that students excel intellectually and grow spiritually.
We believe in providing a holistic education that nurtures the diverse talents and interests of our students. Beyond core academic subjects, we offer a rich array of fine arts and elective programs designed to foster creativity, physical fitness, and intellectual curiosity from JK-4.
Our dedicated faculty fosters an environment where students can explore and strengthen their faith while achieving academic excellence.
Departments & Curriculum
Vertical Alignment: A Collaborative Approach
At SouthLake Christian, we believe that each grade's content should serve as a steppingstone for the next grade. Vertical alignment is a priority in our educational model, ensuring that:
- Continuity in Learning: Skills and knowledge are built progressively from one grade to the next.
- Collaborative Teaching: Our teachers participate in vertical alignment meetings throughout the school year to discuss curriculum, share insights, and align teaching strategies.
- Community Model: This collaborative approach fosters a strong community of educators who support each other and work together to meet the needs of every student.
Curriculum Guide
Updated September 6, 2024
ASC Program
SouthLake Christian's After School Care Program brings students, teachers, and staff together to create a nurturing environment where children learn and grow through enriching activities.
Lower School Events
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Welcome To Lower School
Our Lower School serves students in grades JK-4. SouthLake Christian Academy (SLCA) introduce curious and creative young minds to active learning. Experienced teachers nurture a safe, joyous learning environment where students make discoveries about themselves, their friends, and the world around them.
CHAPEL
Students participate in weekly chapels. There is a session for Junior Kindergarten through 2nd grade students and another session for 3rd through 6th grade students, which allows the Biblical principles to be taught in an age-appropriate way. The Gospel Project is our guiding curriculum, and students take a four year cycle through the entire Bible, focusing on the over-arching story of God’s plan for us in the Bible.
SPECIALS
Students participate in one 30-45 minute class each day. They rotate through five different specials classes: PE, Art, Library, Music, and STEM. These classes allow students to explore their interests and talents as well as build problem solving and critical thinking skills in a fun way.
TECHNOLOGY
First through fourth grade students have a 30 minute technology enrichment time once a week. Skills build each year as students develop skills in navigating a laptop computer. They also learn to use Google Classroom and some of the Google Suite programs (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.)
BIBLE
Our classes use the Deep Roots Bible program to guide instruction. This curriculum guides students to view all of life through a Biblical perspective and teaches them to apply their faith to their everyday life.
MATH
We have adopted the Big Ideas Math program for our students. This program builds a foundation of number sense and problem solving skills that allow students to develop a deep understanding of mathematical principles.
READING
The Into Reading curriculum guides instruction for our students. Students build a love of reading through a variety of text topics and genres. They gain knowledge of different topics and vocabulary and learn many comprehension strategies through whole group and small group instruction.
WRITING
Our students use the Institute for Excellence in Writing (or IEW) program for writing instruction. They learn to summarize information as well as a variety of “dress-ups” to improve their writing skills.
SCIENCE
The lower school utilizes the Mystery Science program, which challenges students to use their natural curiosity to think critically about the world around them. Topics are taught through lesson videos and reinforced with hands-on experiments and activities.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Our classrooms teach social studies topics through a variety of thematic units. Some of the topics covered over the years include communities, early American history, map skills, government, and regions of the United States.
Our goal is to offer class sizes that maximize student success. Our elementary classes are limited to approximately 18 students, often with a teacher and full-time assistant. Our upper school grade levels have 50-60 students each, with an average class size of 18. The average size of upper school math classes is 12. Our upper school honors and AP classes have as few as 7 students. Smaller class sizes enable our talented instructors to provide individual attention and to encourage students to perform at their highest level.