Instilling a Lifelong Love of Learning

The WBCA curriculum uses broad conceptual statements at each grade to form the framework for each year’s study. Teachers present thematic units that engage students and provide diverse opportunities for them to interact with the curriculum material. These conceptual statements form the superstructure of the curriculum design, which is reinforced with Biblical principles.

Classroom with students sitting at desks, focused on work, water bottles on desks, windows in the background, and educational posters on the walls.
Two children, a boy with curly blonde hair and a girl with black hair styled in puffs, sitting on a blue playground slide, smiling and looking at each other, with other children playing in the background.
A young boy in a navy blue West Bay Christian Academy polo shirt sits at a desk using a laptop in a library, with other students in the background, some using tablets and others reading.

Early Learning Program

Children in the Early Learning Program at WBCA are encouraged to learn at their own rate and explore their own interests. Students in ELP enjoy organized play, enrichment activities such as Art, Music, Library and Physical Education, engaging group activities, stimulating learning stations, and outdoor play.

  • Designed for children who are 3 years old by September 1

    Program options:
    Mornings: Mon - Fri
    8:05am - 11:30pm

    Full Days: Tues/Thurs
    8:05am - 3:00pm

    Full Days: Mon/Wed/Fri
    8:05am - 3:00pm

    Full Days: Mon - Fri
    8:05am - 3:00pm

  • Designed for children who are 4 years old by September 1

    Program options:
    Full Days: Mon/Wed/Fri
    8:05am - 3:00pm

    Full Days: Mon - Fri
    8:05am - 3:00pm

Primary school

  • In Kindergarten, our overall concept revolves around God’s creation and the child in the family. 
    We begin studying the child as an individual, including our bodies, families, and feelings. The students will learn to compare their family structure and culture to those of their classmates as well as families in different places around the world.

    Academically, we focus on reading readiness and beginning math skills. We use Wilson Fundations for Phonics, whole language experiences, literacy centers/guided reading, and read-alouds. By the end of Kindergarten, most students are reading and writing. Because it is important to modify instruction according to each child’s learning styles and skill level, we differentiate by grouping the students into Learning Stations and Guided Reading Groups. A highlight for Kindergarten students is “Fun Friday!” The children work on crafts and “cooking” activities that relate to the unit or season.

  • Family in Community

    First grade studies how communities and families are similar and different around the world. This is the basis for our units about different countries throughout the year. We focus on building a strong foundation in reading, writing and math. A typical day in first grade consists of several different types of instruction- direct, small group, and individual. The students learn reading on an individual or group basis, depending on their level.

  • Physical Environments

    Second grade is the year of Physical Environments. We teach reading, writing, science and social studies by weaving together concepts such as: the world has many different environments; people use the environment for food, clothing and shelter; and God has given man the responsibility to care for the environment. Students learn about many different kinds of environments like oceans, polar regions, mountains, the prairie, and rainforests.

    Second graders have weekly writing workshops where they learn the craft of creative writing. In our daily math class, we emphasize problem solving. For these and other core subjects, second graders are placed in appropriate groups with differential instruction. In Bible class, students cover Moses to the early life of David. Besides memorizing weekly verses, students learn to apply Biblical principles to their own lives.

Elementary school

  • Cultural Environments

    In third grade, we learn that culture is a unifying set of values, beliefs, and customs – as well as artistic expressions, such as art, literature, music and architecture – which define a distinct group of people. We explore how culture constantly evolves by focusing on Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages and the European Explorers to the New World. Additionally, students grow to appreciate the many ways humans have responded to God’s revelation through cultural expressions throughout history.

  • Cultures

    Fourth grade continues the study of cultures. The class studies three units: Navajo culture, Jewish culture, and Rhode Island history. Each unit consists of readings, projects, and activities which connect language arts, science, and history. The students develop a rich sense of where these cultures come from and how they affect our world today.

  • Emergence of Nationhood

    Fifth grade focuses on Nationhood. The curriculum is based on six statements that allow students to explore the founding and development of the United States of America from the early explorers through the westward expansion. These conceptual statements are also integrated into all other subject areas, particularly Reading, Writing, Language, and Bible. In this way, students are encouraged to go deeper and broader in making connections to historical, present day, and future events. These lessons prepare students for the transition from elementary school to middle school.

A young girl with brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a navy blue school uniform with a white shirt, standing in a classroom, pointing at a whiteboard with a stick.
A female teacher stands in front of a whiteboard with children sitting at their desks in a classroom, engaging in teaching. The whiteboard has colorful clips and decorations, and there are supplies and books around the room.
Three teenage girls standing and talking in front of school lockers, holding textbooks in a school hallway.

Middle school

  • Cultures in Contact

    In their first year of Middle School, students examine how inter-cultural contact affects individuals, families, and societies. In English classes, students read Journey to America, Journey to Topaz, and Where the Red Fern Grows, novels which explore cultural contact through the lenses of war, persecution, and poverty. Students read a variety of short stories, including The Circuit and All-American Slurp, which examine cultural contact in relation to inter-generational conflict and cooperation. Students also learn about the traditional values and belief systems of other cultures through traditional fables and folk tales.

    Social Studies lessons highlight the social structures, cultural conflicts and societal developments associated with the Reconstruction, the Frontier West, the rise of industry and immigration, World War I, the Jazz Age and World War II. In Science, students see the results of inter-cultural cooperation in the scientific community, focusing on the many theories, discoveries, and developments which fall under the realm of Life Science. Bible classes explore the message of the Gospel, prophecies of Jesus’ birth, His ministry, and His ultimate triumphal entry through ascension, emphasizing that while faith and belief systems may be challenged by inter-cultural contact, Biblical beliefs remain unchanged at their foundation.

  • People in Changing Environments

    In the seventh grade, students focus on the larger world community and begin to explore different worldviews. In Social Studies, they analyze and discuss the interactions among cultures, technologies, governments and economies in global societies. In English, lessons examine how people adapt to changing social environments through texts such as To Kill a Mockingbird.  In Earth Science, the focus is on how humans have sought to understand Earth’s various processes, and how this understanding has adapted and changed through the exchange of technology and ideas.

    West Bay nurtures students’ development of a worldview that reflects an understanding of Christian values.

  • Development of World Views

    In the eighth grade, students explore the development of worldviews. English classes investigate how societies can be understood in terms of their structures, functions, and philosophies through works of literature such as Animal Farm, Julius Caesar, and The Scarlet Pimpernel. In Social Studies lessons, students examine the formation of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman societies, and discover the important societal changes which occurred during the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, and French Revolution. In Science, students discover those scientific principles and developments which fall under the field of Physical Science. In this year, students enroll in either the Algebra or Algebra Readiness math course. In Bible, students work to uncover and develop their own worldviews, examining topics such as general revelation, absolute truths, core beliefs, the uniqueness of Christ’s claims, and the importance of being a witness. Students also participate in weekly community service projects and activities. Eighth graders’ final year at West Bay culminates in the completion of the interdisciplinary Renaissance Project.

A classroom with students raising their hands while a teacher points to the whiteboard at the front of the room.
Students sitting in classroom, focused on taking a test or quiz, with notebooks and pencils on their desks.