Whitinsville Christian School
Encyclopedia
Whitinsville Christian School is a K-12 Christian
day school
, one of the oldest in Massachusetts
. The school is organized into an elementary school
(grades K-5), a middle school
(grades 6-8) and a high school
(grades 9-12). It is a member of Christian Schools International
http://www.csionline.org/ and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
.http://www.neasc.org/
http://www.crcna.org/pages/index.cfm of Whitinsvillehttp://www.whitinsville.com/ organized a Society for Christian Instruction. It was their desire and purpose to educate their children in a school where the Scripture was central to all of learning. In 1924, the Society was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an educational institution. Classes began in 1928 in the basement of the Christian Reformed Church
on Willow Street in Whitinsville.
In 1966, a 28 acre (11 hectares) site was purchased from the Whitin Machine Works, and on March 30, 1968, ground was broken for a new school building, which was completed in November, 1969. In August 2006, the school, located at 279 Linwood Avenue in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, serves about 640 students with about 60 faculty and staff.
http://www.internationalsuzuki.org/index.html. Over 125 students participate in the WCS strings program. Every two years the most advanced members of the orchestra go on a tour to play their instruments and interact with the people in that area. Many trips are to places in the U.S., although past trips have included the Dominican Republic
in 2005 and England
in 1998. Many middle and high school students audition for the Central District orchestra, which is composed of musicians from the Central Massachusetts area. Two musicians from WCS made it to the All-Eastern level orchestra this year, and one student has gone on to the National Honors Orchestra. The high school and chamber orchestras are directed by Monica Vanderbaan, and middle school orchestra is directed by Tammy Kaye.
WCS also has a talented high school band which plays regularly. The band performs two major concerts during the course of the year: the Christmas Concert and Band Finale.
WCS's Choir has also gained acclaim in recent years. In 2004, four female singers (3 sopranos and 1 alto) were invited to sing in the Massachusetts All-State chorus. One of these went on to join the United States Youth Ensemble tour that year which visited six European countries during the course of a month. In 2011, 2 vocalists received recommendations to the All-State chorus. The WCS Choir also embarks on a tour of the Eastern United States each April and has recently performed concerts tour in Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey and New York. A documentary will be produced in the Spring of 2011 chronicling the Tour Choir's most recent tour.
For high school students who want a more prestigious vocal experience, there is a singing group, "Encore", which meets after school once a week. Encore is a by-audition vocal ensemble which rehearses once a week and performs a variety of different music genres such as musical theater, pop, rock, gospel and jazz. Almost all of Encore's music is specifically arranged for the group and they engage in a number of performances throughout New England each year sharing their music.
Choir, band and Encore are directed by Joshua Lawson.
field was built in the memory of the late Karen Taylor. The school also has six tennis
courts that were built in the memory of Kaitlin Sperry Koopman.
The boys varsity
basketball
team was the 2004-2005 division 3 state championship winner, and they have been district champions three years in a row: 2004, 2005, 2006. They have reached the district finals three years in a row: 2009, 2010, and 2011. They were the district champions in 2010 and have won again in 2011. The 2011 team has also won the second division 3 state championship in school history.
The cross country running
team has made it to states for 11 years in a row.
Tennis
is also one of the school's sports.
Baseball is one of the spring sports.
The school has varsity, junior varsity, and middle school volleyball teams open to girls only, and they play both public and private schools in the area. The varsity team reached the districts this year.
The school's soccer program includes varsity boys, junior varsity boys and varsity girls teams.
^denotes required courses.
/denotes semester courses.
'denotes classes with Honors components.
%denotes courses with both Level 1 and Level 2 classes. Level 1 is harder and moves more quickly. Level 2 students cannot move up to Level 1 without approval from the administration.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
, one of the oldest in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The school is organized into an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
(grades K-5), a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(grades 6-8) and a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(grades 9-12). It is a member of Christian Schools International
Christian Schools International
Christian Schools International was established in 1920 and supports Christian school teachers who want Bible-based textbooks for their classrooms, principals and school administrators investigating employee benefit plans, Christian school board members seeking information about governance, and...
http://www.csionline.org/ and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
.http://www.neasc.org/
History
In 1907, a group of fathers from the Christian Reformed ChurchChristian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
http://www.crcna.org/pages/index.cfm of Whitinsvillehttp://www.whitinsville.com/ organized a Society for Christian Instruction. It was their desire and purpose to educate their children in a school where the Scripture was central to all of learning. In 1924, the Society was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an educational institution. Classes began in 1928 in the basement of the Christian Reformed Church
Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
on Willow Street in Whitinsville.
In 1966, a 28 acre (11 hectares) site was purchased from the Whitin Machine Works, and on March 30, 1968, ground was broken for a new school building, which was completed in November, 1969. In August 2006, the school, located at 279 Linwood Avenue in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, serves about 640 students with about 60 faculty and staff.
Music
WCS also has an orchestra program for students in grades K-12. The students are taught using the Suzuki MethodSuzuki method
The Suzuki method is a method of teaching music that emerged in the mid-20th century.-Background:The Suzuki Method was conceived in the mid-20th century by Shin'ichi Suzuki, a Japanese violinist who desired to bring beauty to the lives of children in his country after the devastation of World War II...
http://www.internationalsuzuki.org/index.html. Over 125 students participate in the WCS strings program. Every two years the most advanced members of the orchestra go on a tour to play their instruments and interact with the people in that area. Many trips are to places in the U.S., although past trips have included the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
in 2005 and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1998. Many middle and high school students audition for the Central District orchestra, which is composed of musicians from the Central Massachusetts area. Two musicians from WCS made it to the All-Eastern level orchestra this year, and one student has gone on to the National Honors Orchestra. The high school and chamber orchestras are directed by Monica Vanderbaan, and middle school orchestra is directed by Tammy Kaye.
WCS also has a talented high school band which plays regularly. The band performs two major concerts during the course of the year: the Christmas Concert and Band Finale.
WCS's Choir has also gained acclaim in recent years. In 2004, four female singers (3 sopranos and 1 alto) were invited to sing in the Massachusetts All-State chorus. One of these went on to join the United States Youth Ensemble tour that year which visited six European countries during the course of a month. In 2011, 2 vocalists received recommendations to the All-State chorus. The WCS Choir also embarks on a tour of the Eastern United States each April and has recently performed concerts tour in Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey and New York. A documentary will be produced in the Spring of 2011 chronicling the Tour Choir's most recent tour.
For high school students who want a more prestigious vocal experience, there is a singing group, "Encore", which meets after school once a week. Encore is a by-audition vocal ensemble which rehearses once a week and performs a variety of different music genres such as musical theater, pop, rock, gospel and jazz. Almost all of Encore's music is specifically arranged for the group and they engage in a number of performances throughout New England each year sharing their music.
Choir, band and Encore are directed by Joshua Lawson.
Sports
The school's sports facilities were updated in 2005-2006. At the end of the 2005-06 school year a track was completed. It circles the varsity soccer field that was added the year before. In 2005 the softballSoftball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
field was built in the memory of the late Karen Taylor. The school also has six tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts that were built in the memory of Kaitlin Sperry Koopman.
The boys varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team was the 2004-2005 division 3 state championship winner, and they have been district champions three years in a row: 2004, 2005, 2006. They have reached the district finals three years in a row: 2009, 2010, and 2011. They were the district champions in 2010 and have won again in 2011. The 2011 team has also won the second division 3 state championship in school history.
The cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
team has made it to states for 11 years in a row.
Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
is also one of the school's sports.
Baseball is one of the spring sports.
The school has varsity, junior varsity, and middle school volleyball teams open to girls only, and they play both public and private schools in the area. The varsity team reached the districts this year.
The school's soccer program includes varsity boys, junior varsity boys and varsity girls teams.
High school classes offered
As of 2009-10:^denotes required courses.
/denotes semester courses.
'denotes classes with Honors components.
%denotes courses with both Level 1 and Level 2 classes. Level 1 is harder and moves more quickly. Level 2 students cannot move up to Level 1 without approval from the administration.
Science
- Physical science^
- Health/^
- Biology^
- Chemistry'
- Genetics
- Physics
- Kinesiology/
- Anatomy/
- Ecology/'
- Marine Biology/ (summer course, compressed to three weeks)
Mathematics
- Algebra I^% & II%
- Geometry^%
- Trigonometry/Pre-calc
- AP Calculus'
- Discrete Math/
- Statistics/
History & Social Sciences
- U.S. History^
- European History^
- Cold War History/
- American Government/^
- Psychology/
- Philosophy/
- Modern American History/
- Ancient Civilizations/
Bible
Four Bible classes, one semester each, are required for graduation. Juniors and Seniors can choose which Bible class they want to take; this decision is usually based on avoidance of schedule conflicts.- Hermeneutics/^
- Christian Life/^
- Biblical Palestine/
- C. S. Lewis/
- Marriage and Family/
- New Testament Theology/
- Foundations/
- (Evening) Jesus the Rabbi/
English
- English 9^
- English 10^
- American Literature^
- British Literature'
- Contemporary Literature
- Advanced LIterature and Composition'
- Creative Writing/
- Speech/^
- Creative Writing/
- Junior Paper^
- Senior Paper^
Technology
- Computer Applications I/^ & II/^
- Java Programming/*
- (Evening) Java/
- Spreadsheeting
Fine arts
- Band/
- Choir/
- Orchestra/
- Music Theory I/ & II/
- Music Composition I/ & II/
- Design Fundamentals/
- Drawing/
- Printmaking/
- Sculpture/
- Photography/
- Painting/
- Senior Art Studio/
Misc.
- Architectural Design/
- Accounting I & II
- Business Law/
- Economics/
- PE 9/^ & 10/^
- World Cultures/
Extracurricular activities
- Sports - m=boys only, f=girls only, b=both
- Basketball-b
- Baseball-m
- Softball-f
- Cross Country-b
- Outdoor Track-b
- Indoor Track-b
- Tennis-b
- Soccer-b
- Volleyball-f
- Debate club
- Robotics Club- FIRSTFirstFirst or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
http://www.usfirst.org/ team 663, students given 6 weeks to design, build, program and test a robot. - Drama Club- Stages two productions each year.
- Student Council is in charge of Spirit Week and the dances.
- Class Officers are responsible for hosting class events and raising money for the class fund.
- Yearbook Committee
- Chapel Committee
- Crusader Outreach
- Choir- Encore
- Band- Brass Ensamble
- Chamber Orchestra