Academics
Curriculum, Multi-Grade Classrooms & Testing
A Curriculum For All Students
The curriculum consists of subject areas commonly taught at the elementary and middle school level and would fall in line with a traditional curriculum. We are not bound to Common Core standards, but instead study different standards to compile student learning targets for each grade in the following subjects.
Word of God
Word of God includes lessons from the Bible, the commandments, and Christian creeds. At Shepherd of the Hills, students will learn and sing songs of praise, as well as study and memorize verses from Scripture.
Science & Mathematics
We teach general mathematics in all areas of the subject. Advanced eighth graders may take a high school level Algebra class. Scientific concepts in life, earth, and physical science will be taught. Students will learn to ask questions and use the scientific process and engineering process to solve problems.
Language Arts
Reading, phonics, writing, classifying sentences, spelling, and vocabulary will be taught in our curriculum.
Social Studies
Students will study general social studies, American history, California history, and world history.
Physical Education
In Physical Education, students will learn about healthy living and lifestyle, movement, fitness, sports, and games.
The Arts
Music, music theory, and playing instruments through tone chimes are important and fun for our students. There is an option for students to take music lessons in piano, flute, and violin. Art techniques and art history are also part of our exciting curriculum, as well as other extracurricular activities.
*If you want to know more about the benefits our school can have on your child please read the following article from the Witherspoon Institute: The Data Are In: Religious Private Schools Deserve a Second Look
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.
– Martin Luther
Multi-Grade Classrooms
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School offers multi-grade classroom settings for our students. We find that combining mixed-age students in the same class cultivates a more home-like atmosphere, perfect for both academic and personal growth.
What are the Benefits of a Multi-Grade Classroom?
How Does a Multi-Grade Classroom Function?
Lutheran Schools Rank at the Top!
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that students in Lutheran Schools are among the highest achievers in the nation.
Students at SOTH receive a high quality, well-rounded Christian education using traditional and research-proven teaching practices. We offer a traditional curriculum in math, reading, writing, social studies, and science. We also offer classes in the arts including music and art class, with physical education and recess contributing to healthy lifestyles and offering “brain-breaks” from learning.
COMPETITIVE Test Scores
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School participates in the NWEA Map Growth standardized testing program with our synod WELS, which is the fourth largest private/parochial school system in the United States. WELS schools (Shepherd of the Hills) have continually offered a high quality education which can be seen in our students’ test scores.
The most-recent class outperformed the nation in the areas of reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies. The average national percentile scores for Grade 8 were 74% across all core subjects.
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Math
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Reading
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Language
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Science
*The test scores above are national percentiles, not percentages. A score of 75 does not mean that our students answered 75% of the questions correctly. It means that our students scored above 75% of the students who took the test. For example, if 100 students took the test, a student at the 75th percentile performed better than 75 of the 100 students. The 50th percentile indicates the national average – 50% of the students performed higher and 50% of the students performed lower.