To our Parents and Students:

We believe that the education offered to students at WMCHS must be Christ-centered and excellent. We believe we are teaching students to be "difference-makers." If they are to make a difference, we believe they must be able to think critically, while grounded in a strong Christian tradition. We do not believe students should be spoon-fed. Instead, they should develop a mature understanding of their faith and their world through discussion, reading, experience and reflection on what they have been taught. Questioning and searching are not only encouraged but essential.

Students will encounter a variety of experiences as they progress through WMCHS. We intend to provide a Biblical foundation through our religion classes; in addition to this, each class will explore different aspects of life from a Christian perspective. We want our students to explore God’s creation and marvel at what He has done. We want them to study the interactions of people with their environment and with each other, so they can learn from both the genius and the foolishness of earlier generations. And we want our students to appreciate the arts and diversity of creation, so they may enjoy the richness and beauty of life

The high-school experience is also social in nature, as young people go through many changes in discovering who they are and how they fit in. Clubs, athletics, drama, and music are just a few of the areas in which students can interact with others and build relationships. We recognize that students are moving toward adulthood and should be given progressively more responsibility and freedom in the decisions they make. Our staff is committed to helping these young people set goals for growth and achieve them. We will do all we can to help them develop as Christians, citizens, and students. And we want them to enjoy and value their high-school years.

This curriculum guide will give you an idea of the courses that are available, when they can be taken, what prerequisites might be required, and what the content will be. It is difficult to briefly explain what will be taught in a course, because much of the learning comes from discussions in which students evaluate the ideas of others and learn to defend their own beliefs. Each class will present Christ from a slightly different perspective, each adding to the students’ understanding of His part in their lives. Our required classes will help prepare students for a wide variety of life directions; to further build a well-rounded education, students are able to choose about a third of their total curriculum from a wide selection of elective courses.

Western Michigan Christian’s program of study has an excellent reputation in our community and in the college community, both for its academic strength and its spiritual challenges. We hope to stretch student to do more than they thought they could. They will be encouraged to examine new subject areas and activities, to think locally and globally about areas of service, and to appreciate individual differences.

From the parents, we ask support for these efforts through love and discipline. High school is your child’s most important job thus far, and it should not be taken lightly. Consistent attendance is one important key to success, because the interactions of a classroom are impossible to find in a textbook or another student’s notes. Please commit some of your energy and many of your prayers to this important time in your child’s life.