Academics

Our Philosophy of Education

Wisdom and knowledge come from God; therefore man’s education is complete only when God and His Word are at the center of all learning. The fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). In education, we are concerned with the total person: his intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social being. We believe the needs of the total person can only be met as approached from a Christian or Biblical philosophy. But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him (I Corinthians 6:8).

 

We also believe that Christianity is better caught than taught. While the observable focus of Hamilton Heights is the academic preparation of our students for post-high school experiences, we believe that the mentoring process of relationships will create a strong desire for our students to experience an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. Because we believe that the mentorship process is best accomplished in a small-group or individual setting, it is our desire to provide as intimate setting as possible for the development of our students. Therefore, it is the intention of Hamilton Heights to keep our enrollment at approximately 80 students per academic year.

 

To understand our concept of Christian education we apportion Biblical concepts to three factors of education; the student, the curriculum, and the teacher.

 

  1. The Student

 

Created by God and in His image, the student is of inestimable worth, possessing an eternal soul that should be nurtured and into a relationship with God.  Because of sin, the student is unable to reach God through human abilities. The student’s natural condition is to live in rebellion toward God.  (Proverbs 22:15)

Faith in Christ Jesus is the only way of establishing a right relationship with God. Reality in life’s purposes and values can be ascertained in and through Christ alone.

 

  1. The Curriculum

 

God is the source of all wisdom and He has revealed Himself specifically in the Bible – thus God’s Word is the basis of all our studies and should be correlated with all experiences that the child has under the auspices of the school. Christian education should aspire to train a child in such a way that he will have a sound, practical working knowledge of the Word of God and be able to evaluate every circumstance of life from a Christian perspective.  The home and church, being ordained of God and being charged with the responsibility of training and teaching (Deuteronomy 6:6, Matthew 28:20), should work together with the Hamilton Heights in promoting the student’s growth.

 

  1. The Teacher

 

The teacher in the Christian school must of necessity give evidence of knowing Christ as personal Savior.

The teacher must be wholly committed to following and obeying Christ, thus being wholly committed to a life of service to man for Christ’s sake. He/She should possess the academic and professional learning necessary to perform his task.

Accreditation

Hamilton Heights Christian Academy is nationally accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International. In addition, we have regional accreditation by Cognia (formally known as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and AdvancedEd).  Both of these organizations assist and ensure that member schools offer and maintain a high level of academics, professionalism and student services.  Hamilton Heights Christian Academy is also authorized by the State of Tennessee to issue High School Diplomas and Transcripts that are accepted by colleges and universities, worldwide.

Graduation Requirements

Hamilton Heights’ graduation requirements exceed those required by the Tennessee Department of Education and most colleges and universities. Our graduation requirements are:

 

    4 units of English

    4 units of Science

    4 units of progressively-advancing Math

    4 units of Social Studies

    4 units of Bible Studies and Theology

    2 units of Foreign Language

    1.5 unit of Wellness / PE

    1 unit of a Fine Art

    .5 unit of Personal Finance

 

Exceptions may be made for transfer students at the discretion of the Administration as long as the student meets graduation requirements for the State of Tennessee Department of Education and the respective college or university the student plans to attend.