Curriculum
At Dunnville Christian School, we strive to help our students develop academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally. Our curriculum meets Ontario Ministry of Education expectations but with a faith-based focus in every facet of learning that remains rooted in God’s Word.
Through its curriculum, Dunnville Christian School strives to nurture and challenge our students, enabling them to develop their gifts and abilities in service to God and others.
The graduate profile goals are carefully implemented throughout our curriculum. Learning activities also include building students’ skills in critical thinking and problem solving, innovation and creativity, collaboration and self-regulation. Our teaching staff is trained in "Responsive Classroom" to help enrich their learning with carefully modeled expectations and activities to develop these skills. Students are given opportunities to connect with one another, deepening their sense of who they are in Christ and their purpose for learning
What follows is a brief overview of the subjects taught at Dunnville Christian School.
Through its curriculum, Dunnville Christian School strives to nurture and challenge our students, enabling them to develop their gifts and abilities in service to God and others.
The graduate profile goals are carefully implemented throughout our curriculum. Learning activities also include building students’ skills in critical thinking and problem solving, innovation and creativity, collaboration and self-regulation. Our teaching staff is trained in "Responsive Classroom" to help enrich their learning with carefully modeled expectations and activities to develop these skills. Students are given opportunities to connect with one another, deepening their sense of who they are in Christ and their purpose for learning
What follows is a brief overview of the subjects taught at Dunnville Christian School.
DCS Graduate Profile
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Dunnville Christian School considers the following characteristics to be essential for life with Jesus Christ: faith, humility, compassion, forgiveness, perseverance, wisdom, and gratitude. Dunnville Christian School graduates are on a journey of faith that will last their lifetime. It is our prayer that the seeds of faith planted in each student through learning opportunities at Dunnville Christian School will grow deep roots in the Word of God and flourish throughout each student’s life through loving God and others.
It is our hope and prayer that students grow and deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, nurturing Christ-like attributes in their daily walk with Him by: 1. Developing faith in God, with a growing knowledge of the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ; 2. Maturing as a humble Christian, seeking to confess, believe in and live for Jesus; 3. Developing compassion for others; 4. Developing wisdom, learning to discern right from wrong with integrity, becoming a critical thinker; 5. Displaying an attitude of perseverance; 6. Acquiring understanding of forgiveness and offering grace and mercy to others; 7. By displaying a deep sense of gratitude. |
2022-2023
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RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM and MORNING MEETINGS
Students in Grade 1 (2019-2020 school year) participating in the "I mustache you a question" lesson.
The grade 1 class celebrates Dr. Seuss Day, a day where they celebrate the great children's author, Dr. Seuss.
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The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching consists of a set of well-designed practices intended to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities. The emphasis is on helping students develop their academic, social, and emotional skills in a learning environment that is developmentally responsive to their strengths and needs."
Our morning meetings include greeting one another by name, spending time in devotions through reading the bible and praying together as well as an interactive activity that helps to develop the social and emotional development of students. |
PROJECT BASED LEARNING
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Project Based Learning (PBL) is a practice that engages students in their learning process. It uses an inquiry-based approach to education and utilizes a project to teach them. Students are given a question at the beginning of a unit to spark their curiosity and engage them in brainstorming ways to answer the question. From these ideas, a project is chosen and the students brainstorm what they will need to learn in order to complete their project. PBL gives students the opportunity to create beautiful work with an authentic audience. It gives them voice and choice and engages them to be more involved in their learning.
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Grade 7 & 8 students sharing with DCS students what the learned while working on a Heritage Fair project of their choosing. (2021-2022 school year).
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GROWTH MINDSET
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Growth mindset is having the belief that your qualities are things you can cultivate through effort. People with a growth mindset thrive on challenge, viewing failure as a learning opportunity and a building block towards success. These people believe, “I can get smarter. Effort makes me strong. I’ll spend more time and work harder to reach my goals.”
Students with a fixed mindset often give up when they can’t solve a problem and give in to defeat. With a focus on a more positive outlook, the teacher at DCS are helping students to work to improve their skills, learn from their mistakes, develop perseverance and hopefully lead to greater success. We encourage our classes with visuals and spoken reminders of phrases like, “This may take some time and effort”, “I’m going to train my brain”, “I will try a different strategy”, and “Mistakes help me learn!” |
BIBLE
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God’s Word guides our learning in all subject areas, students also receive specific instruction in the Bible. Using a curriculum created by Christian Schools International, teachers share God’s big story with students. In turn, students are encouraged to learn more about God and deepen their faith in Him.
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Mrs. Margaret Kamping offers differentiated learning opportunities for students of all abilities in all subject areas.
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FINE ARTS
The whole school partakes in an annual Christmas program.
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These subjects are taught in the upper grades.
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HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION
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At Dunnville Christian School we believe the “body us a temple of the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 6:19). Our Health curriculum encourages our students to develop healthy bodies that can be used to serve God and others. Topics include proper diet, fitness, the proper function of body systems, mental health, and the importance of proper social and spiritual habits.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE To realize that our bodies are temples of the Lord and to learn that care for the body is our responsibility and integral to our PE program. |
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PROGRAM The Physical Education program, involving both indoor and outdoor activities, stress a growing development in the following areas:
- Basic movement experience
- Games and relays
- Team sports and skill development
- Physical fitness
FRENCH
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We live in a bilingual nation and have the blessing of being able to learn two languages in our classrooms. A structured program is taught from Grade Three to Grade Eight. Here the students are introduced to more complex grammar and sentence structure.
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LANGUAGE ARTS
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The Language Arts program is the academic heart of our curriculum. Language is such a special gift of God that He has made it permeate all other aspects of our lives. It is language that makes us listen to each other: to think clearly, to express our thoughts and feelings, to pray, to understand God’s Word, to understand literature. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are the skills that unlock other subjects for us and that make us capable of pursuing knowledge independently. Students are exposed to a wide variety of literature and explore many genres. Students are encouraged to develop their own literary skills through formal instruction in Spelling, Phonics, Grammar, and Writing. The Daily 5 is a program implemented in all primary grades.
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MATHEMATICS
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Mathematics instruction at DCS helps students to investigate and discover God’s creation has numerical order and unity. The mathematics program follows a well-developed scope and sequence. With the use of a textbook series and a vast array of support materials, students receive approximately 60 minutes of math instruction daily.
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SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY
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While following Ontario Ministry of Education Guidelines in these subject areas, students are encouraged to be engaged in their learning and to be active problem solvers. Using the Project Based Learning model, students strive to answer a question or solve a problem, locally or globally. With expert support, students embark on a journey to raise awareness and provide solutions.
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STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
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Dunnville Christian School (the “School”) is actively striving to be a more inclusive school, recognizing the diversity that exists amongst God’s children. Each child that comes through the School’s doors is a unique creation of the one true God and is made in His image—regardless of ability, ethnic background, or socio-economic status.
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The School values a Christ-centered community that is a safe and caring environment in which all students develop their God-given gifts and use them as participants in God’s Kingdom. Each child is to be part of a caring Christian community within the classroom and school. The student support services strive to complement and foster this development and feeling of security within the classroom by providing support and assistance, when needed, in order to help the student flourish within the classroom.
The School is committed to providing a positive learning environment, in both the regular classroom and with student support services, for students. Educational opportunities aim to nurture the unique needs and talents of each child with exceptionalities using a strengths-based student-centered approach. This occurs in different settings: individual or small group settings, sometimes in the regular classroom, and sometimes withdrawn from the classroom. We are committed to meeting the academic and social needs of each student to the best of our ability, in order that each child may feel like an important, integral part of the classroom community.
Striving to meet the unique needs of each student to the best of our ability is a challenging process that, at times, requires discussion and review. The School is a privately owned and operated institution which seeks to provide an attainable Christ-centered education for its students. As such, the limited resources we have may affect the amount of specialized education the School is able to provide. The School will accommodate enrolled students to the point of undue hardship in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. Admittance of a student with exceptionalities requires significant and intentional communication in order to determine a student’s strengths and needs and the ability of the School to meet those needs. At times, a student’s needs may be better met elsewhere. A procedure for admittance of a new student with exceptionalities as well as a procedure for access to additional support for a current student of the School is outlined in the Student Support Services Procedures.
The School is committed to providing a positive learning environment, in both the regular classroom and with student support services, for students. Educational opportunities aim to nurture the unique needs and talents of each child with exceptionalities using a strengths-based student-centered approach. This occurs in different settings: individual or small group settings, sometimes in the regular classroom, and sometimes withdrawn from the classroom. We are committed to meeting the academic and social needs of each student to the best of our ability, in order that each child may feel like an important, integral part of the classroom community.
Striving to meet the unique needs of each student to the best of our ability is a challenging process that, at times, requires discussion and review. The School is a privately owned and operated institution which seeks to provide an attainable Christ-centered education for its students. As such, the limited resources we have may affect the amount of specialized education the School is able to provide. The School will accommodate enrolled students to the point of undue hardship in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. Admittance of a student with exceptionalities requires significant and intentional communication in order to determine a student’s strengths and needs and the ability of the School to meet those needs. At times, a student’s needs may be better met elsewhere. A procedure for admittance of a new student with exceptionalities as well as a procedure for access to additional support for a current student of the School is outlined in the Student Support Services Procedures.
Homework Expectations
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Homework is an integral part of our academic program, and it is intended to build habits of self-discipline and of independent study in our students. If students are absent due to vacation or a mission trip, parents are responsible for making sure that their children catch up on homework at home.
All students from Grades 3 - 8 receive an agenda in September. The teachers write the homework on the classroom homework board throughout the day. It is the students’ responsibility to copy the assignments, take the agenda and the homework home, have their parents sign the agenda after work is complete, and bring the agenda back to school the next day. Teachers check the agendas on a daily basis. |
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Both the amount and the type of homework will be carefully planned by the teacher. Weekends will generally be kept clear, which does not mean that independent study during weekends is discouraged! In the Primary Grades "homework" will actually be Snuggle Up and Read, practicing spelling and word station words, and the Bible Memory Work Program. We strongly recommend the “ten-minute rule”. Starting in Grade Four, an average homework period of no more than forty minutes per day is recommended. 50 min/day in Grade Five, 60 min/day in Grade Six, etc. the actual time spent, of course, will vary from student to student. Students work at different paces, so your child may require more or less time for homework.
Assigned homework must be completed.
Help your child choose an appropriate place to do his/her homework. A well-lit area, free from distractions and equipped with necessary supplies (pencils, rulers, erasers) is most beneficial. Make every effort to be involved in your child’s homework, guiding and encouraging your child to work independently. You are an integral part of your child’s educational team.
If your child has too much homework, check their work habits before calling the teacher. Difficulty staying on task, poor study skills, or an inability to work without supervision may interfere with the learning/homework process. Build healthy work/study habits and when needed, seek assistance from the teacher. Open dialogue with your child’s teacher will only enhance the educational experience.
Assigned homework must be completed.
Help your child choose an appropriate place to do his/her homework. A well-lit area, free from distractions and equipped with necessary supplies (pencils, rulers, erasers) is most beneficial. Make every effort to be involved in your child’s homework, guiding and encouraging your child to work independently. You are an integral part of your child’s educational team.
If your child has too much homework, check their work habits before calling the teacher. Difficulty staying on task, poor study skills, or an inability to work without supervision may interfere with the learning/homework process. Build healthy work/study habits and when needed, seek assistance from the teacher. Open dialogue with your child’s teacher will only enhance the educational experience.
