Private schools offer a variety of curriculum

Editor’s note: Material for this article was provided by officials at each private school.

North Kannapolis Christian Academy

North Kannapolis Christian Academy, a ministry of North Kannapolis Baptist Church, at 312 Locust St., will welcome about 300 students in grades 3K through 12th when the school opens on Aug. 8.

The school will hold orientation on Aug. 6 and 7.

The school is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International and strives to maintain academic excellence but keeps its main emphasis on helping students accomplish God’s will for their lives.

The school’s faculty numbers 28.

Students have the opportunity to participate in soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country, golf, wrestling and cheerleading.

This year, the school will add a band program for students in grades 5 to 12.

Sherry Connell serves as principal, and the Rev. David Myers is pastor of the church.

For more information, contact the school at 704-932-6138 or nkca@nkca.aboveme.com .

Covenant Classical School

Covenant Classical School expects about 150 students to return Aug. 27 to the private school near Exit 55 on Interstate 85.

With an expanded faculty of 16, the school maintains a 15-to-1 student -to-teacher ratio as it enters its sixth academic year.

Ken Jewell, a Cabarrus County native and former instructor at South Rowan High School, serves as headmaster.

Jewell said the nondenominational school’s mission is to “develop Christian leaders,” and its core curriculum emphasizes English, Latin, math, lab sciences, logic and rhetoric.

“We were particularly pleased to expand our language offering in conversational Spanish and Latin III this year,” Jewell said. “Our students come from families with high expectations.”

Covenant Classical competes in the Mid-State Conference and offers boys’ soccer, basketball and golf and girls’ soccer, basketball and volleyball. A new edition to the sports program is cross country.

The school is located on a secluded 16-acre campus off N.C. 73 behind The Landings apartment complex. For more information, call 704-792-1854.

Sacred Heart Catholic School

Sacred Heart Catholic School opens the new year with 257 students on Aug. 20.

The school offers pre-kindergarten (4 years old) through eighth grade.

Founded in 1882, Sacred Heart is located at 123 N. Ellis St. All grades are contained on the same campus and after-school care is available until 5:30 p.m. each school day to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Study hall is available until 4 p.m.

“Our mission is to proclaim the good news of the gospel and to develop each student spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially so that each is prepared to live and serve as a self-respecting and responsible Christian citizen,” said Principal Kathleen Miller.

Sacred Heart is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Diocese of Charlotte Catholic Schools. The school follows North Carolina and Southern Association as well as diocesan guidelines in establishing curriculum for all grade levels. The student-teacher ratio is 12.4 for K-grade 3; 12.7 for grades 4 and 5; and 14.3 for grades 6-8, with a faculty of 30.

The school offers computers, a library, Spanish, art, music and drama. The library is fully automated and offers a computer-research center for the benefit of the students and faculty.

Hot lunches are available for the students each day through the parent volunteer program.

Family activities will include skating parties, festivals, dances and suppers. Fund-raisers will include the annual sale of wrapping paper, used uniform sales, Christmas poinsettias, Food Lion and Winn Dixie days and golf tournament.

Boy and Girl Scout programs are available to all students through the sponsorship of church organizations. Middle school sports include co-ed soccer in the fall, basketball and cheerleading for boys and girls in the winter and co-ed soccer and softball and girls’ soccer and tennis in the spring.

For more information, call 704-633-2841.

North Hills Christian School

After 33 years of offering Christian education to the Salisbury community, North Hills Christian School will open its doors for classes on Aug. 15 for the first time as an accredited institution. The school received accreditation this summer from the Association of Christian Schools International, the world’s largest Christian school association, with more than 4,000 member schools in America and 95 foreign countries.

This is a milestone in the life of the school that will significantly affect the quality of education being offered. North Hills also is approved as a non-public school by the N.C. State Board of Education.

On opening day, the school will welcome more than 330 students enrolled in grades 3K through 12. A licensed day care program also is available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for enrolled students.

Dr. David Olah begins his third year as administrator, and Geneva Siegmund her 15th year at North Hills; she is principal of the elementary grades.

The academic program at North Hills, with emphasis on English, math, science, social studies and foreign language, is biblically integrated and college preparatory. The high school curriculum has recently been expanded to include Advanced Placement courses in English, biology, history and art. Other special courses include Bible, health and physical education, music, journalism, keyboarding applications and computer software. The school also offers field trips, service projects, mission trips and other off-campus opportunities.

North Hills offers varsity and middle school athletic programs in volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf and cheerleading. The school also fields middle school teams in cross country and softball. North Hills is a member of the N.C. Christian School Athletic Association and operates under the auspices of that body.

North Hills has completed the planning phase of a $1.8-million capital expansion, and the board has hired the Rev. Alex Coblentz as director of development to oversee the campaign.

Salisbury Academy

Salisbury Academy will begin its ninth year on Aug. 15 with an enrollment of 133 students. Students and parents are invited to an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 13.

An opening chapel service will be held Aug. 16 at Haven Lutheran Church, and all parents and friends are invited.

Salisbury Academy, Jr. K-eighth grade independent school, prepares average to very bright, ultimately college-bound students socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually to become lifelong learners. This year, the school seeks initial accreditation from the National Association of Independent Schools, of which it already is a member.

Kerin Hughes, head of school, has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s of education. She has been teaching and administering at the school since 1996.

The school has 27 staff members and optimum class sizes of 20 students. The school, currently located on three sites, is proud to announce that it is actively planning a unified campus.

Salisbury Academy’s mission is to provide an enriching and challenging curriculum and education community in a Christ-centered environment.

Tailored to meet the needs of our students, the curriculum incorporates the Core Knowledge Sequence. Enrichment classes include Spanish, computer, drama, music, art, mentoring, club, DARE and physical education.

The school also offers competitive team sports in soccer, tennis, golf, basketball and cheerleading in grades 5-8.

Religious instruction includes devotions, a weekly chapel service, Biblical stories and character development.

For more information, call 704-636-3002.

Salisbury Adventist School

The Salisbury Adventist School, located at the Salisbury Adventist Church complex at 305 Rudolph Road, has been in operation for 60 years.

The school is fully accredited by the N.C. Department of Non-public Education and the North American Division Board of Regents and operates under the direction of the Carolina Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist.

Each teacher is fully accredited and teaches to his or her areas of strength. It is the goal of the staff to help each child develop a strong academic background, with the tools to be successful in life while helping them to develop the character to use them wisely.

With a low student-teacher ratio, teachers are able to customize student learning styles and needs for optimal learning success. One advantage to our school is that a child may have the same teacher for more than one year, so the teacher knows the strong and weak areas for each child. Standardized tests are given, and students perform at higher than national and state averages.

The staff for the coming year will be Cheryl Simonds, grades 1-4; Gregg Iverson, math, science and physical education, grades 5-10; Jason Jackson, band and music; and Sherry Daily, language arts, history and Bible. Dailey also serves as the school’s principal.

The school requires students in grades 5-10 to participate in the band program. Computer literacy and application are an integrated part of instruction.

Registration will be held on Aug. 2, from 4 to 7 p.m., at the school. Classes begin Aug. 13.

For more information, call 704-633-1282 or 704-932-0999.

Cannon School

On Aug. 14, Cannon School will welcome more than 660 students to its campus at 5801 Poplar Tent Road near Interstate 85 at exit 52.

New student orientation begins at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 13. Parent orientation is scheduled for Aug. 21 for Lower School and Aug. 23 for Middle and Upper schools.

More than 100 new students will join this year’s classes, and Cannon will celebrate its first graduating senior class in 28 years.

Enrollment had reached capacity with waiting pools at most levels through the eighth grade, and increased interest in ninth grade has prompted the addition of another freshman section this fall. A few openings remain for qualified students at the Upper School level.

The school already is accepting applications for the 2002-2003 academic year and will offer an admissions preview program on Nov. 17.

Cannon’s focus on academic excellence has been a tremendous factor in the exponential growth in the school’s enrollment and its reputation as one of the premier college-preparatory schools in the region.

Cannon students score 30 to 40 points above the national average on the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) standardized tests, exceeding independent school norms in most categories, placing them in the 90th percentile on national norms.

Cannon’s Upper School curriculum is constantly being augmented with new courses like physics, world literature and world religion. College-level Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry, psychology and calculus will be offered in the upcoming year.

Cannon students also excel athletically. The school offers basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, lacrosse, volleyball, track and cross-country, and competitive sports continue to become a defining part of Cannon School’s identity.

To connect students to the community, students participate in more than 95 outreach trips during the year and work with organizations like Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity and the United Way. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, recently visited the school to inspire students to continue to develop a lifelong dedication to community service.

Enrichment programs include study skills, literature, art and music appreciation, class plays, dance field trips, public speaking and debating, drug education and celebration of religions and ethnic traditions.

Cannon is accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

For more information, call 704- 786-8171.