Immanuel Christian High School

At the heart of every human being is the desire to be known and to know others in a deep and authentic manner. ICHS offers a vibrant community of faculty and staff who love the Lord, are committed to professional excellence in their subject matter, and who desire to invest into the lives of students. We value the formal and informal moments during the four years of high school that lead to deep and abiding friendships. It is our hope that our students will not only feel at home in this community but also look for ways to make others feel at home.

The advisory program is an important part of the way we use intentional time every week to support, challenge, and guide our students. This program provides every student the opportunity to connect with an individual faculty or staff member on a regular basis and receive academic, social and emotional, as well as spiritual encouragement, direction, and motivation. In a day and age when students struggle to feel seen and heard, Advisory time offers valuable, consistent, and personalized attention.

Advisory time is also be the place for students to look outside of themselves, collaborate with other students and faculty members in order to serve others at school, at church, in the area, and beyond. This mentoring goes hand in hand with our desire to inspire purposeful lives of learning, godliness and service in our students.

Our Head of School, Steve Danish, refers to life’s three most important questions: Does God exist? Has he communicated with us? And is there a way to know him? Our carefully crafted curriculum intentionally weaves both these questions and the opportunity for students to explore, discover, wrestle with, and internalize the answers through a rich and diversified coursework. We take time on a daily basis not only to continue the practice of diligently studying God’s Word but also to discuss, think through, make connections, and apply these principles to the content areas that we are studying.

We offer each student the opportunity to enjoy a balanced selection of coursework designed to prepare them for life after high school whether that be at a university or in a career. We offer advanced and accelerated course options and tracks of study as well as a rich and varied curriculum. Building on the hard work of the K-8 teachers, we provide exceptional academics as well as life skills, and real world experience. Our trimester schedule allows for more opportunities for students to explore exciting electives, including fine arts, of their own choosing.

For students who need minimal additional support, we provide an individualized plan to assist them and access to the structured help they need to continue to flourish academically as independent learners.

We are blessed to live in an area that is replete with historical, cultural, scientific, and commercial opportunities. Our high school uses our area and beyond as an extension of the traditional classroom and a gateway to ignite meaningful life-long learning in our students.

Our desire is to prepare global leaders who are knowledgeable of fine arts both nationally and internationally. The Fine Arts module helps students learn about, create, and enjoy the excellence of the masters in each of the six fine arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater, and dance.

To be competitive in the world we live in, our students need a basic if not in depth exploration of STEM. The STEM module creatively allows students to design projects based in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math while exploring the professions they inform.

The formation of new businesses is vital to the growth of our economy both here in the US and globally. A business module allows students to learn the basics of running a business and discover the exciting world of entrepreneurship in a personal and practical way.

After a rich exploration of fine arts, STEM, and entrepreneurship, students have the opportunity senior year to participate in internship or externship placements in a selected area of interest. This provides students with distinction and valuable experience as they move on to a university or a career.

Travelterm is a term used by many schools to describe a set of weeks dedicated to special programming. Our Travelterm is a condensed semester carefully woven into the curriculum of first and second semester. The hallmark of our Travelterm is a trip abroad. This term begins with a week and a half of intensive coursework including history, geography, Bible, and practical life skills. The lessons fly out of the classroom and travel into real life during the next ten days when students and faculty journey into an adventure abroad.

During Travelterm students:

• discover new strengths and abilities, conquer new challenges, and solve new problems as students encounter situations that are wholly unfamiliar and they learn to adapt and respond in effective ways.
• broaden their perspectives of other cultures which produce understanding, empathy, and a healthy dose of self-reflection, self-awareness and thankfulness.
• awaken a desire to read history and geography, to reflect and mature as they experience history first-hand.

Our intensive and immersive travel program covers a full year’s unit of course study providing all students with additional credits to complete the Advanced Diploma requirements. Possible opportunities, depending on ongoing travel restrictions during a pandemic, for travel are:

• Year 1: The Reformation: England & Scotland
• Year 2: Ancient Civilizations: Italy
• Year 3: Serving Others: Africa
• Year 4: Foundations of Our Faith: Israel

This immersive education is fast paced and unparalleled, as students see, taste, and experience first-hand what they have been studying. Students return to the classroom for three days to participate in activities, presentations, and projects to synthesize what they have experienced and learned, and how it has changed them.

Senator Ben Sasse writes in his book, The Vanishing American Adult, “When we travel, we subject ourselves to the vertigo that accompanies leaving familiar surroundings, customs, language, and food, while diving headlong into a different world…it arouses our curiosity to learn the perspectives of other people and cultures—it creates empathy…[and] heightens our appreciation of the great benefits we have as Americans.”

Currently, most professional writing, collaboration, research, and communication happens electronically. This is also true of our high school students as every student receives a laptop to use during their high school career and these devices provide students with rich resources for learning and productivity.

Our foreign language courses are accessed through an online educational services provider who is a recognized leader in providing online instruction for Christian schools, and allows us to provide foreign language instruction in

• Spanish
• French
• German
• Latin
• Chinese.

Students are provided traditional textbooks for all subjects.  In addition, they have access to laptops as needed, as well as any supporting online materials which enhance classroom instruction. Students are given authentic tasks and project-based learning opportunities so they develop necessary skills. Our students will be prepared to use apps and online resources in support of classroom instruction. Laptops are viewed as a tool to support and enhance education, even as we continue to value the benefits of interpersonal interactions between the students and teachers.

Students have the option to earn either a Standard or Advanced Academic Diploma. Students can choose the Advanced Academic diploma which requires the rigor of a series of core courses and foreign language credits as well as fine arts, PE, and electives. The Standard Diploma requires fewer core courses and opens time in their schedule for students to explore other areas of interest through additional electives. Our students are prepared on day one of high school as we assist students with their plans for college or career because we have an experienced guidance counselor on staff who assists our students as they prepare for life after high school.

For students in 11^th and 12^th grades, our high school will offer AP courses and also Dual Enrollment courses. We partner with select colleges so that students in the upper grades can enroll in college level courses and receive credit on their high school transcript and at the same time receive credits that will transfer to the college of their choice. Dual Enrollment also has the advantage of not having the year-end test that is required for AP courses. Our faculty work with Dual Enrollment students to assist them with assignments, deadlines, and proctoring exams.