The high school years at Grace balance a rigorous academic program with the freedom to pursue special interests in athletics, ministry, clubs and fine arts. Students are challenged daily to reflect a growing intellectual maturity, while discerning how to answer God’s call on their lives. Whether they are heading for college, trade school, military or ministry, their time at Grace builds a solid foundation.
GCS High School students are challenged with rigorous academic curriculum and the expectation to strive for continual intellectual maturity.
Students are expected and challenged to take ownership of their learning and to develop critical thinking skills consistent with a Biblical worldview. Academic writing, literary analysis, foreign language, scientific discovery, perspectives in history, and logical thought are all developed in a nurturing and safe environment. Honors and Dual Enrollment options are also available for numerous courses, weighted at 4.5 and 5.0 grade points, respectively; and our extensive Elective Program offers a variety of specialized and life application courses.
Today’s GCS education has a technological advantage unlike any other.
Technology-rich classrooms provide a flexible and enhanced learning experience thanks to wifi, overhead projectors, microphones, and interactive whiteboard devices. Each high school student is provided a Chromebook for use in the classroom and off campus.
Learn more about Classroom Technology and Virtual Learning opportunities.
Each year our faculty works to develop new elective courses with the goal of helping students prepare for the calling God has placed on their lives. Our diverse course lineup provides opportunities across a variety of industries and subject matters, to include those in the technology and trade sectors.
GCS High School students have many opportunities to push their creative abilities through our Fine Arts program. From visual art electives to performance in Theatre or Praise Team, students can continue to develop their talents and build their leadership skills.
Each semester, Grace hosts student performances as well as art showcases. Check our calendar for upcoming events.
High school students interested in physical fitness and training will find a number of intriguing opportunities. Our high school physical education classes are much more than a typical “gym class” — students are challenged with the science, application and psychology of sport and exercise.
We offer a variety of physical education electives to help students improve their fitness while sharpening their skills and knowledge for a healthy lifestyle.
Spiritual formation at Grace Christian School is not limited to just Bible class; rather, it is an integral element in all we do. Academics, the arts, athletics, technology, and even lunch all play a role in our students’ spiritual formation as they are trained to approach all aspects of life with a Christian worldview.
High School chapel is held weekly, led by an area pastor, GCS or Grace Chapel staff, or GCS students, to include our Praise & Worship Team. Chapel services are designed to engage students in high-energy praise and worship, prayer, and a message from God’s Word, and give students a quiet time each week to reflect on and respond to God’s calling on their lives.
Our GCS faculty participate in professional development programing to increase their effectiveness of making disciples of Jesus in the classroom and during everyday life with students.
GCS students learn to live beyond themselves, serving and blessing others. From local to international service and mission projects, students have opportunities to experience the joy of giving and making a real difference in the lives of others. Just a few of our past high school projects include:
Our senior class gets to be the hands and feet of Jesus outside of the walls of our campus and community on a week-long mission trip during the spring semester. Previous trips include both international and domestic trips. Mission trips are typically planned at least a year in advance and students participate in fundraising to help cover the costs.
The GCS High School Bible curriculum is designed to help students mature with a Christian worldview, beginning with analysis of the Old and New Testaments, and moving into critical evaluation of major topics in Christian Theology and analysis of ideas that can construct our worldviews.
The GCS Crusader Athletic program provides students the opportunity to further develop their Christian character including diligence, endurance, boldness, obedience, faith, humility and dependability. We are proud to offer a variety of high school athletic teams at the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels. GCS athletic teams are 2A members of the Raleigh Area Athletic Conference (RAAC) as part of the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA).
Our Junior Varsity athletes demonstrate the fundamentals taught in our Middle School Athletic program and learn to play under the more intense demands of excellence, competition and complexity of the game at the JV level.
Our top athletes compete on our Varsity teams, having mastered the demands of the JV program and demonstrating a consistent display of required core Christlike character traits.
High school life at Grace awards students with freedoms to experience and explore, coupled with responsibilities to lead and demonstrate Christlike character. Our Student Clubs appease a variety of special interests, and leadership opportunities present themselves all throughout campus. Special events keep students engaged throughout the year, to include the highly-anticipated Homecoming, Junior-Senior Prom and Spirit Week. And our students love our Grace Café and Risen Grounds Coffee Bar for great food, healthy snacks and satisfying treats.
Students who need help being academically successful in the classroom will find the support they need through our Learning Support Program (LSP).
LSP is a multi-tiered level model that provides support tailored to the student’s God-given skill sets or learning styles. Students can address areas of academic need while discovering how God has wired them to problem solve, think critically and creatively, make decisions, and work collaboratively. High School Math and English Language Arts support programs are standards-based, absorbing the entirety of instruction so they can be driven by present level of performance while meeting grade-level standards, to include credit requirements for high school graduation.
GCS students can receive college credit concurrently for the work done in their high school classes at Grace Christian School. Students gain exposure to the academic challenges of college while remaining in their supportive GCS environment. This concurrent enrollment partnership differs from other models of dual enrollment because high school instructors teach the college courses. Learn more about our Dual Enrollment Program.
Our goal is to improve student success by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program from the elementary through the high school years. Your student’s success is our top priority and we work to collaborate with your family, community, teachers, and administrators. Our guidance counselor advocates for students while acting as a systems-change agent when needed. Learn more about our Guidance Services.
Every GCS High School teacher, coach, counselor and principal is called to guide students to a closer relationship with Jesus Christ while teaching them skill sets that support them academically, spiritually, and emotionally. Our goal is to help students develop and understand social and emotional learning gives them better opportunities in their future careers to bring glory to God and to engage in diversity work. This is accomplished through formal instruction and day to day relationships between GCS staff and students.
GCS high school students get to experience the majority of our 36-acre campus facility first hand, including our worship center, the Grace Café, Torgerson Gym, athletic fields, and outdoor gathering areas. Learn more about our facilities and campus security.
