“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
~ Romans 12:2
Prom
The philosophy behind the prom is to honor the Lord by giving our students a formal experience involving eating, socializing, and dancing as a formal occasion. It is also a time for teaching lessons on modesty and frugality in today’s society. Encouraging students to understand appropriate types of dancing and music is another function of the Prom. And so, with the assistance of the Junior Class Staff Advisor and parents, the Junior class plans, raises funds, decorates, and hosts the Prom and After Prom for the students in grades 9-12.
The Juniors and Seniors attend for free, while guests and underclassmen pay not more than $20 per person to attend the event. The themes are quite creative and have included transforming the atmosphere of a local gym, banquet hall, or community center into “A Night In Paris,” “Rooftop Get Away,” and “Arabian Nights,” just to name a few. After Prom activities with a relaxed atmosphere are also part of the evening. Students are dismissed from the evening’s organized activities no later than 1:00 a.m. so nothing should interfere with attending Sunday morning service.
Spelling Bee
Each year our school holds a Spelling Bee which is open to students in grades 4-8. The top 10 winners from the local bee move on to participate in a Christian Consortium Spelling Bee (in coordination with the SCRIPPS National Spelling Bee program) which combines students from several participating local Christian schools. Winners then move on to the Belmont County Spelling Bee and from there, the National SCRIPPS Spelling Bee. This program is a valued supplement to curriculum here at East Richland Christian Schools; it not only teaches confidence and public speaking, it also helps students improve their spelling and vocabulary skills.
Speech Meet
Students in grades 1-8 have the opportunity to participate in a Speech Meet sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Each year, students try out for a position on the team for their grade level; once selected, the team begins to practice in preparation for the ACSI Speech Meet event, usually held in Spring. During competition, students must recite a prepared oral speech in an established category, such as Bible Memorization, Poetry, Prose, or Original Speech. This event helps our students develop effective presentation skills as well as techniques to speak confidently and articulately. Instead of competing against other students, participants of this event are judged against established ACSI criteria.
Science/Academic Fair
As part of the yearly curriculum here at East Richland Christian, students in grades 5-6 complete science fair projects. This is a several month process that requires students to perform meaningful research, maintain a scientific journal, write a detailed research paper, perform scientific experimentation, and orally present their findings. For grades 7-8, a project is still part of the curriculum, but students may choose to instead complete an academic project. These projects are still research based, but instead of doing scientific-method experimentation, students may choose another subject of interest to research; they also write a research paper, construct a model, and present their findings. Once our students reach high school, participation in the Science Fair is optional; if a student chooses to participate, the work is done independently and outside of school.