Preschool
Preschoolers enjoy days filled with purposeful play, circle time, Bible instruction, gross motor activities, art, music, and free play. We celebrate seasons and holidays including Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day. Our spiritual emphasis is not limited to one specific part of the day, but is included in all we do. We encourage children to love “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.” (Philippians 4:8) Highlights of our Preschool years include, Teddy Bear Picnics, Hayrides, Apple Walks, Show and Tell, and other MGCS preschool traditions. Chapel programs designed especially for preschool are held twice a month. Our preschool also participates in field trips designed to reinforce classroom experiences and specific units of study. The year ends with a musical program where students showcase the skills they developed that year in music class.
Elementary school K-5th grade
In addition to core academic subjects, lower school students take weekly computer, physical education, art, music, and library classes. Fourth graders begin using academic planners which they use through eighth grade. All lower school students enjoy a 30 minute lunch break, 30 minutes of recess, and daily snack times. Each grade in elementary school maintains a bed in our garden classroom and visits regularly to tend their plot and care for our school chickens
Students in every grade level attend field trips that reinforce classroom learning or serve as that grade’s mission project. Fifth graders participate in The Great Fifth Grade Adventure, an overnight trip to the coast of Carteret County, and a Manners Reception which provides students an opportunity to demonstrate social skills they learn during the spring semester.
Our elementary school regularly shares with the rest of the MGCS community by way of performances at Christmas and Spring Fling, parades through the school, and displays of their work. Students love Wednesdays because they either participate in Chapel or Tribes which are multi-grade small groups led by 8th graders.
Middle school 6th – 8th grade
The Middle School day is filled with opportunities to grow academically, physically, and spiritually. Middle School provides multiple possibilities for students to develop leadership skills by working with other students on their grade level as well as lower school students through chapels and school-wide Tribe days. Seeking to harness rapidly developing minds and bodies, teachers work to expand possibilities both inside and outside of the classroom. While building on the development of skills started in lower school, students take part in more challenging courses with a deepening and widening depth. Students continue growing in their knowledge and proficiency of Spanish, more challenging math opportunities, and the ability to select electives of interest for further enrichment.
Extracurricular activities such as Science Olympiad, Beta Club, and Student Government give students the opportunity to develop academic and leadership skills. Most students are involved in at least one sport, from soccer to tennis, basketball, cross country, baseball, volleyball, and cheerleading. Day trips for mission projects and academic adventures include field studies in Carolina Beach State Park, Fort Fisher, and the Cape Fear River. Eighth graders enjoy an overnight field trip in the spring to Virginia. These trips provide off campus experiences for growth, as well as connections to classroom learning.
Middle school students are given other privileges as well. In addition to a modified uniform code, middle school students move from class to class independently, and enjoy a lunch and recess break in our picnic shelter.
Although each group at MGCS has a slightly different schedule and daily experience, all MGCS students begin their day with announcements and a daily Bible verse. The biblical worldview is woven throughout all that is taught. All K-8 MGCS students participate in our school-wide annual Field Day. Tribes are made up from all grade levels and are led by eighth grade students in fun activities and games.