Academics and Curriculum

Religious Instruction

Students at HLS have the special opportunity to study God’s Word on a daily basis in the classroom. Students participate in devotions and use the Christ Light curriculum that is published by Northwestern Publishing House. Special emphasis is given to applying God’s Word to our everyday life. Students have the opportunity to worship together in a weekly chapel service.

Language Arts

A large amount of time in school is spent in the area of language arts. This includes listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. From reading their first book to the study of literature, and from writing their first sentences to composing a formal composition, our students are learning effective communication skills necessary in our complex world. We include a strong reading program in the early grades called Superkids. The Superkids Reading program is a core literacy curriculum for kindergarten through second grade that teaches all aspects of reading seamlessly integrated with the language arts. Built on scientific research and proven pedagogy, it combines rigorous instruction with highly motivating materials. For more information go to the Superkids website.

Our upper elementary and junior high school students use the Building Christian English series. A good understanding of language is basic to the study of any subject and for communicating with others. The Building Christian English series is designed to develop such an understanding of English. This series teaches traditional grammar and mechanics (capitalization and punctuation), and it takes a conservative approach in matters of usage. The lessons carry a Biblical tone and promote Christian virtues. Exercise sentences deal with a broad range of topics—Bible stories and concepts, Christian living, family life, and historical and scientific facts.

Mathematics

Students at HLS learn not only basic math facts, calculation, computation, geometry, and pre-algebra, but also how to problem-solve and apply the logic of math to math-related problems they are likely to encounter. The Big Ideas Modeling Real Life Curriculum features several components to help position students for success and keep them on the right track for mathematical proficiency. The Big Ideas Math Curriculum provides students with learning targets and success criteria at the chapter and lesson level to make learning visible. Diverse opportunities to develop problem-solving and communication skills through deductive reasoning and exploration are also prominent throughout the text. Students gain a deeper understanding of math concepts by narrowing their focus to fewer topics at each grade level. Students master content through inductive reasoning opportunities, engaging activities that provide deeper understanding, concise, stepped-out examples, rich, thought-provoking exercises, and building connections to previous skills for coherence.

History and Geography

We are concerned with people and their relationships to God, each other, and the world in which they live. From home and community to our state, country, and world, students study the history and culture of people. Students at HLS stay abreast with current events and geography to better understand the world in which they live. MI Open Books have been written and created by Michigan teachers as part of the TRIG grant. Students start learning about themselves and others in Kindergarten and progress through United States History in 8th grade. 

Science

Apologia’s award-winning science curriculum is designed to support Christian families with educational resources you can trust. Explore a wide range of courses, including science textbooks, notebooks, audiobooks, self-paced courses, live classes, and ebooks. Their immersive approach to science brings learning to life with hands-on experiments, engaging video lessons, and dynamic audiobooks. Apologia's science curriculum provides all the necessary books, resources, and lab equipment and promotes independent learning. Unlock the wonders of science and spark a lifelong love of science for your students.

Health and Physical Education

In our study of health we encourage the development of positive life skills. The focus in our P.E. program is on fostering personal life-long fitness activities, encouraging children’s sense of self-confidence in order to achieve them.

Music

We offer music/choir classes for Kindergarten through eighth grade. Students in grades K-8 are expected to participate in special School Sunday Worship Services each year and in our annual Christmas musical and Spring Music Program. These programs provide opportunities for developing performance skills and for praising God through music and drama.

Art

HLS offers an art program in each grade to foster creativity and cultivate appreciation. We believe that each child is endowed by God with creative talent, and though this talent may vary, it is our goal to nurture it and encourage its growth.