BUILD FAITH AT HILLCREST ACADEMY


Students form important relationships at Hillcrest. The relationship most actively mentored is with God. Students find it hard to not grow in their knowledge, understanding, and personal conviction of the reality of God and His overwhelming love for the world and all of humanity that bears His image.

 

GUIDING STUDENTS IN LIFE-LONG FAITH FORMATION

While we are concerned about how students leave Hillcrest, our primary concern beyond how students are doing at 18 but instead the faith of students at 28, 38, 48 and so on. That is best formed by guiding students to love the church and build faith that is integrally tied to the body of Christ.

FORMING FAITH AT HILLCREST

 

 

BUILDING FAITH AT HILLCREST ACADEMY

 
 

CHAPEL

Hillcrest’s student body chaplain and worship interns lead chapel with guidance from faculty and staff. This is a time for students to orient their hearts and minds on Christ throughout the school day.

PRAYER DAY

For the past 100 years Hillcrest has led students in a day of prayer. Students sing, are instructed in the discipline of prayer, and huddle in prayer groups to pray for their community.

WORSHIP INTERNS

Students are mentored to organize and lead worship services at Hillcrest. They organize themes, messages, and music under the discipleship of Hillcrest staff.

 

DORMITORY DEVOTIONS

Students gather in routine devotional times in the dormitory. These times are spent in Scripture, sometimes accompanied by singing, to guide students as they close their school day and prepare for lights out.

DEVOTIONAL PERIOD

To address concerns young people have Biblical illiteracy, Hillcrest conducts a routine devotional time in the school day where students pause and read Scripture as part of the overall discipleship program at Hillcrest.

ATHLETICS

Athletics provide incredible success and failure side-by-side. Having virtues and a strong faith equips students to not become prideful in success while also not losing perspective and becoming despondent in failure. Coaches mentor students to build faith at Hillcrest.

 

 
 
 

DEVELOP INTELLECT
AT HILLCREST ACADEMY


Education is a theological pursuit. The reason? Because we are made in God’s image, and God created the entire world. Knowing that, as we explore the world and exercise our freedom, understanding, and creativity inside God’s creation we are not only imaging Him but also understanding Him in a more dynamic way.

 

MENTORING STUDENTS TO KNOW GOD

Hillcrest is a discipleship school that utilizes a classical Christian approach to education. That means we take the incredible dynamics of the classical model and filter that through a distinctly Christian approach to education, utilizing mentorship, contemplation, and Christian formation.

LEARNING FOR LIFE AT HILLCREST

 

EDUCATION IS A
LIFE-SHAPING ACTIVITY


 
 

At Hillcrest, students see an unavoidable interdependence between knowledge and virtue. As students learn more about the world, they’re inspired to apply knowledge by exercising truths and virtues to enable individual and cultural flourishing.

At Hillcrest,  our mission and approach to education are rooted in the historic Christian faith and carried out on the principles of classical Christian education. Our curriculum typically includes the Great Books of Western Civilization, such as the Bible, Homer’s Iliad, Plato’s Republic, and Virgil’s Aeneid. It also has traditional Christian literature, such as the works of Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin, as well as important modern works. 

In addition, courses include studying history, philosophy, literature, and science. The curriculum, expressed in the Trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, provides students with the skills to learn, think, and express themselves. 

Instruction in Christian principles, values, and ethics found in pursuing the classical ideas of the true, the good, and the beautiful are central to a student’s time at Hillcrest.  

The curriculum includes the study of Scripture and its life application. Also, our curriculum provides for the study of music and visual arts. 

The Hillcrest curriculum equips students to engage the world around them from a Biblical worldview. This includes instruction on interacting with people of other religions, cultures, and worldviews. All are delivered in a Christ-centered, Bible-based environment where the Lordship of Jesus Christ is preeminent, and His Word is studied and esteemed.

THE CLASSICAL APPROACH

Our Christian classical approach to education gives students a Biblically sound faith that points them to Jesus Christ and helps them understand the significance of His work on the cross and His bodily resurrection. Students have the opportunity to understand God’s character more deeply and to apply that understanding every day to their lives and the world around them through our classes. We foster close relationships that allow students to grow and mature academically while strengthening their character in daily interactions with instructors and peers. While there are other facets of our program, the Christian classical curriculum provides us with an essential tool to carry out our core values to develop our students' intellect, strengthen their character, and build their faith.

Our complete (Pre-K through 12th grade) academic curriculum is based upon the classical Trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. It fosters mastery of grammar, logic, and articulation of concepts in language, history, science, math, and the Bible.

In providing this curriculum, we desire to see our graduates with a virtuous and mature character, sound reason, a masterful command of language, literate with a broad exposure to books, well rounded and competent.

 

COLLEGE PREPARATORY CURRICULUM

Hillcrest Academy offers the academic rigor necessary to prepare for university and a successful college experience. Hillcrest’s academic success is primarily based on our instructors working with students to build an understanding of the character of God as they progress in their knowledge of the world God created. As a result, the test scores from Hillcrest students display the academic rigor evident in the Biblically-based and Christ-centered approach to education and character formation.

CHOICE OF ELECTIVES

In addition to the required courses at HLA, students round out their academic experience with elective courses. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

1 Credit per year

4 Credits

3.5 Credits

3 Credits

3 Credits

.25-.50 Credit (Depending on course availability)

1 Credit

1 Credit (.50 credit per year, participation in a sport will be accepted PE credit)

.25-.50 Credit (Depending on course availability)

7.5 - 8 Credits (See Health and Computer Applications above)

Credit Requirements

27    Required number of credits for an entering freshman 

26    Required number of credits for an entering sophomore

25    Required number of credits for an entering junior

24    Required number of credits for an entering senior

 

GRAMMAR & RHETORIC

MATHEMATICS

 

 

 
 
 

STRENGTHEN CHARACTER
AT HILLCREST ACADEMY


Character is the right ordering of freedoms around virtues that control emotions and guide actions. At Hillcrest, students build character in a number of ways through interaction with the community.

 

STRENGTHENING VIRTUES IN A BIBLE-BASED ENVIRONMENT

Knowledge and faith are presented in the life of the Christian through character. Building character around Biblical virtues is best created inside a community. One class can’t teach virtue, but consistent mentorship does strengthen character.

STRENGTHENING CHARACTER AT HILLCREST

 

COMMUNITIES THAT SHAPE
CHARACTER IN STUDENTS


 
 

Christian character is formed in education, experience, and practice. At Hillcrest, developing Christian character is the primary byproduct of our discipleship focus and history.

In classrooms, the dormitory, after-school clubs and activities, and through a purposed faith formation program, we see students grow an understanding of how Christian character promotes moral excellence. The Hillcrest environment is a crucible where integrity, honesty, and fairness are tested in real-world everyday situations as mentors surround student life seamlessly.

 
 

ATHLETICS

MISSION EXPERIENCES

STUDENT LIFE

Students are mentored to organize and lead worship services at Hillcrest. They organize themes, messages, and music under the discipleship of Hillcrest staff.

 

DORMITORY

Students gather in routine devotional times in the dormitory. These times are spent in Scripture, sometimes accompanied by singing, to guide students as they close their school day and prepare for lights out.

LANGUAGE

To address concerns young people have Biblical illiteracy, Hillcrest conducts a routine devotional time in the school day where students pause and read Scripture as part of the overall discipleship program at Hillcrest.

THE ARTS

Athletics provide incredible success and failure side-by-side. Having virtues and a strong faith equips students to not become prideful in success while also not losing perspective and becoming despondent in failure. Coaches mentor students to build faith at Hillcrest.