Admissions

Upper School
(Grade 7 - 12)

Scroll

Middle School Grades 7 and 8

The middle-school years mark a significant transition from elementary school to high school. Personal discipline and organization become increasingly important as students move from class to class. The amount of homework increases, and behavioral and academic expectations are higher.

All of our middle school coursework is designed to prepare our students for a college-prep course load in high school. Students in these grades who have not achieved a very high level of English proficiency will require intensive EAL instruction in order to advance and succeed in high school coursework.
Learn more

Grades 7 and 8

Bible

The Bible Defines A Biblical Worldview

As the Christian Philosopher VISHAL MANGALWADI so accurately put it… “The Bible is the soul of Western Civilization. It propelled the development of everything good in the Western world; the notion of human dignity, human rights, human equality, justice, optimism, heroism, rationality, family, education, universities, technology, science, culture of compassion, great literature, economic progress, political freedom.”

The bible is the most famous book in all of history. No other book has been more translated, published, distributed, studied, debated, loved or hated. 

• Modern medicine was born from the Bible. Based on the Bible’s revelation of God’s high view of the human person, including his body, and Jesus’ expressed desire to heal all men, early Christians were motivated toward the medical research and practice that eventually led to medical hospitals and universities.

• Universities all over the world owe their existence to the Bible. Augustinian monasteries and Cathedral schools in the first millennium A.D. blossomed into West European universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Prague, Heidelberg, and Wittenberg.

• Jesus’ compassionate teachings like the story of the “Good Samaritan” and His sacrificial care for those who were in need led the way to philanthropy, humanitarian aid and ultimately to the establishment of non-profit organizations. 

• Modern ideas of human rights and equality are based on the Bible’s declaration that all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore worthy of the redemptive sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ.

• The Mosaic principles of blind justice and the evidence-based court system are the foundations of our criminal and civil justice systems.

• The Bible is the only book one can read to learn of God’s plan of salvation by grace through personal faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. No wonder the Bible says, Matthew 4:4. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.

The Bible Program at GGIS  

• Given the fact of the Bible’s enormous impact on our personal lives and on the entire Western Civilization, GGIS considers the daily 30 minute bible class to be the most important part of the daily instructional program. Our desire is that all of our students will, through the study of God’s Word, His creation and the academic disciplines, understand God’s plan for their lives and follow Jesus Christ in His care for people, self-sacrificial generosity and compassion for the needy of our world.

• All students receive biblical instruction daily. Bible classes provide students with age appropriate lessons that give them an understanding of how the Bible is laid out, the story of redemption and GGIS’s core values: morality, discipline and respect. The Lower school teachers have flexibility in their daily schedule, but generally place the bible teaching early in the day. Upper school students begin each day with either a formal bible class (3x/week), Homeroom Bible (1x/week) or Chapel (1x/week). These morning Bible classes create a loving and God-centered school environment where truth is sought  and Christ’s love is manifested.

Computer Science

Grade 7 students are required to practice typing skills until they can achieve a minimum goal of reaching 30 words per minute with an accuracy of at least 85%. Students are introduced to the basics of computer hardware, software, data processing and computer applications.

In grade 8 students learn to work in the Windows environment, effectively utilizing the different features offered by Microsoft Office. Students also learn to navigate Google suite, specifically Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail and Google Classroom. This course is meant to satisfy the basic needs for school and work-place computing. Students meet 2 or 3 times weekly for 50 minutes.

Science  

Science for grade 7 Is a life science course where students learn  about the vast variety of life found upon earth. Taught from a Christian perspective, the course encourages students to embrace science as the systematic study of God’s creation through observation and experimentation. Six units cover the basics of life science (including cells and taxonomy), viruses, bacteria, plants, animals, the human body, genetics and heredity, and ecology.

Grade 8 students study Earth and Space science.  This course covers minerals, types of rocks, the structure of the earth, weathering and erosion, soil, crust movement, earthquakes, volcanoes, water systems and weather, the environment, astronomy, space exploration, and more. Like all of our science courses, this course integrates the Christian worldview with current science standards.

Mathematics  

The grade 7 course is a pre-algebra class. Students learn with  the highly structured Saxon instructional plan, featuring time to learn, time to process, and time to practice. This course focuses on the algebra concept of linear relationships, including ideas about proportional relationships. Students learn to understand the relationship of equations to their graphs, as well as to tables and contextual situations for linear functions. In addition, work in algebra extends into simplifying and solving simple expressions and equations. The main concept from geometry in grade seven is similarity of polygons, which also draws on ideas about proportion. Students apply their understanding of ratio in data based situations. You can view the grade 7 Math book here.

In 8th grade, students take a rigorous  Algebra 1 class. This course  covers all topics in a first-year algebra course, from proofs, statistics, and probability to algebra-based, real-world problems. Students begin developing the more complex skills and understanding required for high school level mathematics. 

Social Studies

In grade 7, The focus is on “geographical literacy”. This  term can be described as “the ability to use geographic understanding and geographic reasoning to make far-reaching decisions.” We target two areas of our world to teach these skills: Europe and Russia, and Asia and the Pacific. Students benefit from the strong reading and writing support embedded in the World Studies texts, which focus on the history, culture and geography of these two distinct regions.

In Grade 8, students begin the first of two, year-long courses in World History. This first year, students will study history from the dawn of civilization through to the Renaissance. Students are encouraged to explore the past and delve into the twists and turns of world history through reading, writing, research and class discussions.

English Literature and Language

For the various aspects of  English Language Arts, our  students  work with literature in the Mirrors and Windows program. Grammar, language skills and writing are taught creatively and practiced systematically all year long. These classes  provide rich and varied opportunities for students to practice the sort of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking strategies they will need for high school and beyond. 

Students are also expected to complete specific outside reading during the year, including classic novels such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Bronze Bow, and Shane  and Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, and The Hiding Place. 

High School Grades 9-12

High school students at GGIS take 4 years of core classes in English, Science, Math, and Social Studies. The Bible is also taught daily, with a weekly chapel and various after-school opportunities for spiritual development. In grades 9 -11, students study the foreign language of their choice either in a traditional classroom or online using highly-effective Rosetta Stone software.

A variety of electives or clubs such as Art, Drama, Photography, Yearbook and College Prep are available as allowed.  Students can take Advanced Placement  courses and earn college credit by passing the AP exam in May. School retreats and class trips are also a big part of the students’ high school years.
Learn more

Grades 9-12

Bible

The Bible Defines A Biblical Worldview

As the Christian Philosopher VISHAL MANGALWADI so accurately put it… “The Bible is the soul of Western Civilization. It propelled the development of everything good in the Western world; the notion of human dignity, human rights, human equality, justice, optimism, heroism, rationality, family, education, universities, technology, science, culture of compassion, great literature, economic progress, political freedom.”

The bible is the most famous book in all of history. No other book has been more translated, published, distributed, studied, debated, loved or hated. 

• Modern medicine was born from the Bible. Based on the Bible’s revelation of God’s high view of the human person, including his body, and Jesus’ expressed desire to heal all men, early Christians were motivated toward the medical research and practice that eventually led to medical hospitals and universities.

• Universities all over the world owe their existence to the Bible. Augustinian monasteries and Cathedral schools in the first millennium A.D. blossomed into West European universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Prague, Heidelberg, and Wittenberg.

• Jesus’ compassionate teachings like the story of the “Good Samaritan” and His sacrificial care for those who were in need led the way to philanthropy, humanitarian aid and ultimately to the establishment of non-profit organizations. 

• Modern ideas of human rights and equality are based on the Bible’s declaration that all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore worthy of the redemptive sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ.

• The Mosaic principles of blind justice and the evidence-based court system are the foundations of our criminal and civil justice systems.

• The Bible is the only book one can read to learn of God’s plan of salvation by grace through personal faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. No wonder the Bible says, Matthew 4:4. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.

The Bible Program at GGIS  

• Given the fact of the Bible’s enormous impact on our personal lives and on the entire Western Civilization, GGIS considers the daily 30 minute bible class to be the most important part of the daily instructional program. Our desire is that all of our students will, through the study of God’s Word, His creation and the academic disciplines, understand God’s plan for their lives and follow Jesus Christ in His care for people, self-sacrificial generosity and compassion for the needy of our world.

• All students receive biblical instruction daily. Bible classes provide students with age appropriate lessons that give them an understanding of how the Bible is laid out, the story of redemption and GGIS’s core values: morality, discipline and respect. The Lower school teachers have flexibility in their daily schedule, but generally place the bible teaching early in the day. Upper school students begin each day with either a formal bible class (3x/week), Homeroom Bible (1x/week) or Chapel (1x/week). These morning Bible classes create a loving and God-centered school environment where truth is sought  and Christ’s love is manifested.

Advisory

GGIS is concerned about, not only academics, but also our students’ mental and physical wellness. “Advisory” is part of our student safeguarding that gives students a place to go when they need to talk to someone. Advisory is a scheduled, non-academic program designed to make time for teachers to reach out to their individual advisory students and vice versa. While there are scheduled times each week for Advisory, Advisory teachers make themselves available to their students during more informal times like lunch, study hall, before school or after school. All Advisory meetings happen on campus during normal school hours.

GGIS’s has a reputation of being like a ‘family’ and a ‘loving community’. In kind with our reputation, the Advisory program better ensures that all students have the opportunity to experience the school community by being known and heard; not only as a member of a classroom but as an individual.

Electives

Students may choose from a variety of Electives. There are both staff and student lead Electives. Students have the opportunity to lead an elective with the assistance of a staff member.

Social Studies

With a truly international student body, and have developed a social studies curriculum to address the needs of our unique student population. The two year study of World History ends in grade 9, with a Modern World History course that spans from the 1500’s until present day. Grade 10 students take a Worldviews philosophy course, exploring world views from a Christian perspective using the book Understanding the Times as a primary text. Grades 11 and 12 alternate with an American History course and an Economics course.

Science

The goal of our science program is not merely content acquisition and scientific literacy, but to provide students an enduring understanding of the order of God’s universe. The grade 9 Biology course provides students with a strong foundation in the vocabulary, methods and concepts of general biology. Topics covered include: the five-kingdom classification scheme, microscopy, biochemistry, cellular biology, molecular and Mendelian genetics, evolution, dissection, and ecosystems. The 10th grade students study Chemistry, the study of matter and its interactions.

This course introduces the student to fundamental concepts of chemistry by providing real-world connections to chemical concepts and processes. This course is a prerequisite for the grade 11 Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry course. This AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first year of college. This course is structured around the six big ideas articulated in the AP Chemistry curriculum framework provided by the College Board . Students who successfully pass the College Board AP Chemistry test are well prepared for advanced chemistry studies in university. In the 12th grade, we offer optional Science courses from an on-line provider, Seven Star.

Math

GGIS uses the rigorous and highly-rated Saxon math program, with a college-prep high school tract of Algebra 1(grade 8) , Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus and regular or AP Calculus. Saxon math features a spiral curriculum, with an incremental, building block approach to mastering math skills. The result is that all students have time to learn, process and master each topic, achieving conceptual understanding and building a strong foundation of the big mathematical ideas.

An Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics course, usually offered in grade 12, has become very popular with our students. This is an introductory college-level statistics course that introduces students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. Students cultivate their understanding of statistics using technology, investigations, problem solving, and writing as they explore concepts like variation and distribution; patterns and uncertainty; and data-based predictions, decisions, and conclusions.

English/Language Arts

English/Language ArtsStudents in grades 9-12 use the innovative and standards-based curriculum Mirrors and Windows: Connecting with Literature: Common Core States Edition. This program is built on a collection of rich, diverse, and timeless writings by renowned, award-winning authors. Using a gradual release of responsibility approach to reading, students achieve deeper comprehension of the material and a greater appreciation of literary genres. The lessons emphasize writing skills, revising and editing skills, and reading skills.

Additional Program

Music

Honors Choir and Orchestra are offered to High school students. These are year-long courses that include participation in various events such as Honors music festival, Christmas concert, annual Spring concert and special ceremonies for the community.
Additional Program

Physical Education

In the upper grades, we further develop previously taught skills as well as continue to build physical strength and personal fitness. Activities in this class will focus on developing and refining specialized movement skills, such as dribbling, throwing a frisbee, or hitting a wiffleball with a floorball stick, as well as developing and implementing strategies for successful outcomes with and without equipment, such as performing a handstand, a forward roll or climbing a rope. Students develop and practice leadership and collaboration skills while working in teams during the soccer, basketball, volleyball and floorball units. In each unit, students will learn the beyond-the-class benefits of each athletic skill, and their impact on their life in the larger context. Students will also understand how Biblical worldview impacts their attitudes toward developing athletic skills and building personal fitness (1 Corinthians 6:19), as well as their interaction with their teachers, coaches, classmates, facilities and sports equipment (Colossians 3:17).
Extra-curricular

Clubs and Electives, Grades 7-12

Upper school students are able to participate in a variety of clubs and activities during the regular school day. These include Honors Choir, Praise Band and/or Orchestra, Art Club, Yearbook Design and Publication, , Debate Club, Gardening Elective, Philanthropy Club, Outdoor Club, Science club, and more. After school opportunities include study groups, soccer and Great Grace Youth Group (GGYG).