Welcome to GC High School...get ready to SOAR!
In the High School, our goal is to create an environment where students can build on personal faith and their God-given abilities to embrace the possibilities of a future realized through discipline and commitment to truth.GC offers a careful sequence of challenging core courses and integrated extra-curricular activities because we recognize that our students only have a brief amount of time to gain the knowledge, skills and wisdom necessary for the next phase of their lives – the move from home and church into the university community. We maintain a three-fold the student’s educational, spiritual development and leadership development. If you toured our classrooms on a given day, you may see seniors discussing the universal problem of suffering by contrasting Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Miller’s Death of a Salesman, or you may see juniors reading their personal testimonies – entirely in Spanish. In biology class, you could watch students wrestle with the tensions between creationism and the theory of evolution. In chapel, you would see student-led worship and hear inspiring testimonies.
Providing students with excellent academics is front and center at GC. We begin with creating a respectful environment that facilitates learning then putting the right goals and strategies in place so that students can achieve their personal best. Solid curriculum is at the core of instruction where classroom and extra-curricular experiential activities give information life so that it becomes dynamic and relevant. Rather than being driven to score well on state standardized tests or to provide a standardized CORE curriculum, we are able to focus on developing a wide base of knowledge and critical thinking skills that can be used throughout life as foundational skills for success. All academics incorporate a Biblical worldview so that the student discovers the world as created by God as well as the principles he has put in place, all with purpose.
Because student:teacher ratios are low, students receive an extra measure of attention. Expectations for success are high, so standards of performance are kept high. Teacher turnover is low with some having been at the school for several decades. All core subject instructors are certified by either the State of Texas or ACSI, and many have both certifications. If an instructor does not have certification and teachers a special topic, his/her credentials in that area are extensive. A focus on science, technology, engineering and math is evident in that two GC science teachers were named Teachers of the Year for this region by the Air Force Association. Robotics competitions through BEST teach grit, stamina, problem-solving and success. A new and modern Science Lab provides ample safe work space for research, experimentation and demonstration.
Large computer labs and current technology provide students with the opportunity to learn and practice real-world skills. GC students are traditionally strong in English, spelling grammar, punctuation, composition and perform far above average at the university level. Literature is chosen to provide a solid foundation for knowledge as well as a window into the human mind, other cultures and historical experiences that facilitates a broader understanding of our human experience. Bible classes provide a basis for understanding the journey of our Christian heritage through both the Old and New Testaments. While doctrinal differences are left for home and church, students are able to openly discuss and process their faith so that it is not only knowledge based, but it is also integrated into their personal belief system. As an alumnus stated, “At GC I wasn’t just convinced about my faith, I became personally convinced of my faith and that has created a deep spiritual pillar on which to base my life.”
All of these events, and many more, are purposefully crafted to help students learn to excel in their own gifts, and beyond the walls and campus of our school. We call it "preparing to soar."