North Raleigh Christian Academy
Encyclopedia
North Raleigh Christian Academy (NRCA) is a private
, Christian
, coeducation
al, primary
and secondary
day school
located in Raleigh
, North Carolina
, United States
. Also referred to as simply North Raleigh, the school was founded in 1996.
in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The original site of the school was Mt. Vernon Baptist Church located in Raleigh, NC. In its first year, NRCA had 400 students in K–12th grade at its "Falls campus" at Mt. Vernon. In 1998, the school began a second campus with K-6th grade at Open Door Baptist Church where over 140 students arrived its first year. Open Door Baptist supported the "Durant campus" as it grew to over 250 students in three years. Total enrollment at both campuses reached 868 by 2001.
With the purchase of 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) on Perry Creek Road in 1999, the school's Board of Governors began plans for the "Perry Creek campus." Ground was broken in the fall of 2000 for the new campus. On August 17, 2002, the K–12th grade "Perry Creek campus" was dedicated. Two days later on August 19, 2002, over 1,100 students entered the doors of the academy. Today, the school continues to grow with over 1,450 students, and is now the largest private K–12 school in North Carolina.
In order to facilitate increased demand and future growth, the school has recently added two additional wings to the school, which have provided additional classrooms, music and dance space, and a third gymnasium. Increased parking space and a soccer complex were also added. The project was completed by the start of the 2010–11 school year and has increase enrollment capacity to 1,800 students.
(Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), ACSI
(Association of Christian Schools International), and CITA
(Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation). The school’s elementary students average 2–4 years above the national average on the Stanford 10, and middle school students score 3 to 4 years above the national average on the SAT 10. Senior classes have consistently averaged above 1150 on the SAT
, and have been accepted to some of the top universities in the country. NRCA is also a member of the National Honor Society
and the National Junior Honor Society.
The elementary grades use the A Beka curriculum, Shurley Grammar, A Reason for Science, ACSI Bible, ACSI Spelling, and additional supplements. Electives offered on the elementary level include: computers, Spanish, art, physical education, choral, band, and library. A system of academic field trips for elementary through 12th grade accents the classroom experience.
The middle and high school use a combination of A Beka, Bob Jones University Press, Prentice-Hall, Scott Foresman, and other texts. Middle and high school Bible curriculum is an assortment of Bob Jones University Press, A Beka, Summit Ministries, ACSI, and current authors such as James Dobson
and Henry Blackaby. All 7th and 8th grade students are required to take Latin I and II. In addition to the three track adacemic system of general, college-preparatory, and honors tracks for high school students, advanced placement classes for college credit are also offered. Current advanced placement classes include: biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, calculus, European history, American history, psychology, music theory, and English. Honors classes are available in college math, Spanish III, advanced math, economics, choir, band, dance, and English. Computer and science labs also help prepare students academically.
Middle and high school students are offered participation in drama, dance, set design, art, photo journalism, speech, video broadcasting, and yearbook.
NRCA also participates in the ACSI math league, math olympics, spelling bee, speech competition, and science fair.
NRCA also offers piano and strings lessons during the school day.These lessons are offered by professional instructors at a per lesson fee.
Drama classes are open to students in grades 6-12, including an Honors Theater class for high school students having successfully completed Drama I.
Every year the theater department produces two large scale, Broadway style shows. Past productions have included Sound of Music, At the Table, OKLAHOMA, A Night to Remember, The Wiz, Journey of a Dreamer, West Side Story, ONE, Singin’ in the Rain, Little Women, Thoroughly Modern Mille, Pride and Prejudice, Beauty and the Beast, It's a Wonderful Life, The Music Man, The Robe, and Hello, Dolly! In 2008, the drama department won outstanding musical, as well as many other awards, in North Carolina Theatre
's Capital Awards for Beauty and the Beast.
In the fall of 2010, the theatre department put on You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
; and, in the spring of 2010, was among the nation's first high schools to produce Andrew Lloyd Webber
's The Phantom of the Opera
.
NRCA is a member of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA). Since joining the NCISAA in 1997, NRCA teams have won two state championships and have been the state runner up five times. Varsity teams compete at the 3A level in the NCISAA and are members of the Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference (TISAC). Middle school teams are members of the Triangle Middle School Conference (TMSC).
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Christian
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...
, coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al, primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
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...
located in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Also referred to as simply North Raleigh, the school was founded in 1996.
History
North Raleigh Christian Academy was founded in May 1996 by Dr. Sonny L. Sherrill and a group of teachers and students from Friendship Christian SchoolFriendship Christian School (North Carolina)
Friendship Christian School is a private, Baptist, coeducational, primary and secondary day school located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Also known as simply Friendship, the school seeks to educate students in a traditional Christian environment.-External links:**...
in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The original site of the school was Mt. Vernon Baptist Church located in Raleigh, NC. In its first year, NRCA had 400 students in K–12th grade at its "Falls campus" at Mt. Vernon. In 1998, the school began a second campus with K-6th grade at Open Door Baptist Church where over 140 students arrived its first year. Open Door Baptist supported the "Durant campus" as it grew to over 250 students in three years. Total enrollment at both campuses reached 868 by 2001.
With the purchase of 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) on Perry Creek Road in 1999, the school's Board of Governors began plans for the "Perry Creek campus." Ground was broken in the fall of 2000 for the new campus. On August 17, 2002, the K–12th grade "Perry Creek campus" was dedicated. Two days later on August 19, 2002, over 1,100 students entered the doors of the academy. Today, the school continues to grow with over 1,450 students, and is now the largest private K–12 school in North Carolina.
In order to facilitate increased demand and future growth, the school has recently added two additional wings to the school, which have provided additional classrooms, music and dance space, and a third gymnasium. Increased parking space and a soccer complex were also added. The project was completed by the start of the 2010–11 school year and has increase enrollment capacity to 1,800 students.
Academics and Curriculum
North Raleigh Christian Academy is an accredited, state-approved, college-preparatory school. The school’s accreditations include: SACSSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), ACSI
Association of Christian Schools International
The Association of Christian Schools International is an association of evangelical Protestant Christian schools.-Purposes:ACSI, a protestant association for Christian schools, impacts nearly 23,000 schools and transforms the lives of more than 3.9 million students worldwide...
(Association of Christian Schools International), and CITA
Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation
The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation was an international educational accreditation agency.CITA was formed in 1994 by regional accrediting organizations in the United States following a long history of collaboration under other auspices...
(Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation). The school’s elementary students average 2–4 years above the national average on the Stanford 10, and middle school students score 3 to 4 years above the national average on the SAT 10. Senior classes have consistently averaged above 1150 on the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
, and have been accepted to some of the top universities in the country. NRCA is also a member of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
and the National Junior Honor Society.
The elementary grades use the A Beka curriculum, Shurley Grammar, A Reason for Science, ACSI Bible, ACSI Spelling, and additional supplements. Electives offered on the elementary level include: computers, Spanish, art, physical education, choral, band, and library. A system of academic field trips for elementary through 12th grade accents the classroom experience.
The middle and high school use a combination of A Beka, Bob Jones University Press, Prentice-Hall, Scott Foresman, and other texts. Middle and high school Bible curriculum is an assortment of Bob Jones University Press, A Beka, Summit Ministries, ACSI, and current authors such as James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
and Henry Blackaby. All 7th and 8th grade students are required to take Latin I and II. In addition to the three track adacemic system of general, college-preparatory, and honors tracks for high school students, advanced placement classes for college credit are also offered. Current advanced placement classes include: biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, calculus, European history, American history, psychology, music theory, and English. Honors classes are available in college math, Spanish III, advanced math, economics, choir, band, dance, and English. Computer and science labs also help prepare students academically.
Fine arts
NRCA students may participate in 54 concerts and recitals each year. Students may participate in the nation’s largest ACSI fine arts festival hosted by NRCA. Over 1500 students from a three state area representing close to 30 schools compete in a one-day event where the groups showcase their talents in music, art, and piano competitions.Middle and high school students are offered participation in drama, dance, set design, art, photo journalism, speech, video broadcasting, and yearbook.
NRCA also participates in the ACSI math league, math olympics, spelling bee, speech competition, and science fair.
Music
K-4 general music, 5th grade choir, and 5th grade band are offered on the elementary level. All elementary grades are involved in Christmas and/or Spring concerts and musicals. Middle and high school students are offered participation in several choral and instrumental groups (including auditioned ensembles and jazz and marching bands). Choral students participate in NCMEA events including elementary, middle, and high school honors chorus and all-state chorus. With sight singing being an important part of the choral program, both middle and high school students have consistently scored superior ratings on both music and sight singing at NCMEA events. In 2004, and 2007, the NRCA Honors Vocal Ensemble was selected to participate in the National Youth Choir performing in New York City at Carnegie Hall. This honor will also be a part of the 2009-10 school year.NRCA also offers piano and strings lessons during the school day.These lessons are offered by professional instructors at a per lesson fee.
Drama
Students are led through many aspects of drama including acting, improvisation, theater history, technical theater and more. Two major theater productions and several chapel performances take place each year.Drama classes are open to students in grades 6-12, including an Honors Theater class for high school students having successfully completed Drama I.
Every year the theater department produces two large scale, Broadway style shows. Past productions have included Sound of Music, At the Table, OKLAHOMA, A Night to Remember, The Wiz, Journey of a Dreamer, West Side Story, ONE, Singin’ in the Rain, Little Women, Thoroughly Modern Mille, Pride and Prejudice, Beauty and the Beast, It's a Wonderful Life, The Music Man, The Robe, and Hello, Dolly! In 2008, the drama department won outstanding musical, as well as many other awards, in North Carolina Theatre
North Carolina Theatre
North Carolina Theatre is a professional theatre located in Raleigh, North Carolina. They perform four mainstage shows each year at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. It was founded by De Ann S...
's Capital Awards for Beauty and the Beast.
In the fall of 2010, the theatre department put on You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
; and, in the spring of 2010, was among the nation's first high schools to produce Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
.
Dance
Dance classes at NRCA include barre training and conditioning as well as choreography in various styles of liturgical, ballet, and contemporary dance. Students perform in chapels, theater productions, and in an annual dance recital in the spring.Visual arts
NRCA claims their goal in the Visual Arts program is to provide each student with:- An awareness of their God-given gifts and abilities;
- A sensitivity to God's creation and a means to respond to what they see;
- The opportunity to express ideas visually, by developing skills in drawing, painting, sculpting, designing, and crafting.
- A fundamental knowledge of artistic heritage and how art history relates to the present.
- The opportunity to make qualitative visual judgments as they learn to appreciate diverse expressions of creativity.
Publications
A yearbook is published annually, a school newspaper is published quarterly, and the students of the Broadcast Production class produce a weekly, eight-to-twelve minute broadcast entitled The Knightly News, which is a summary of recent events during the school's last week.Athletics
North Raleigh Christian Academy offers competitive sports for males and females beginning in the 6th grade. The school states its athletic program's primary mission is to "assist students in improving and developing physically, personally, and spiritually so that they can apply these skills in all areas of life." Boys' sports include: basketball, baseball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track. Girls' sports include: basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming, track, tennis, volleyball, and cheerleading.NRCA is a member of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA). Since joining the NCISAA in 1997, NRCA teams have won two state championships and have been the state runner up five times. Varsity teams compete at the 3A level in the NCISAA and are members of the Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference (TISAC). Middle school teams are members of the Triangle Middle School Conference (TMSC).
Student life
In addition to opportunities in athletics and fine arts, students at NRCA participate in a number of other extracurricular activities. Some of these include:- student led prayer groups where students meet together for prayer prior to the opening of each school day.
- student council where elected class representatives from each class in grades 6-12.
- community service projects where students of all ages take part in service projects for several organizations including Samaritan's Purse, House of Hope, and the Raleigh Rescue Mission.
- junior/senior banquet where the junior class hosts a formal banquet for the senior class
- senior trip where each year the senior class travels to Europe for 10 days
- winter ski getaway where each winter students travel for a spiritual renewal time accompanied by skiing and fellowship and
- ACSI middle and high school leadership conference. Students chosen from grades 6-12 attend this trip for the encouraging and training student leaders.