Proven Academics
BRCS students receive 50% off Liberty University tuition upon acceptance!
In the News:
Local Student Scores In SAT’s 99th Percentile
“Lopez-Cotaina scored a 1480 on the PSAT and recently scored a 1550 on the SAT and 33 on the ACT.”
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Local Student Scores In SAT’s 99th Percentile
A Letter of Commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the program, was presented to Lopez-Cotaina last week by Mary Beth Anderson, the academic dean.
Joseph is the son of Jose and Chrissy Lopez-Cotaina. He has attended Blue Ridge Christian School since the second grade.
Approximately 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized this fall for their performance on college admissions tests. Commended students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.5 million junior level students who entered the 2020 competition for taking the Preliminary SAT, also known as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Lopez-Cotaina scored a 1480 on the October 2018 PSAT and recently scored a 1550 on the SAT and 33 on the ACT.
In math alone, Lopez-Cotaina scored in the top .02 percent in the country.
Lopez-Cotaina said he was pleased with his scores but plans to take both the SAT and ACT again. He plans to study cyber security or computer science at a four year university but is still figuring out what he can afford.
“It’s hard to say when I’m still applying for my first job and waiting for this year’s FAFSA to open,” Lopez-Cotaina said. “I might stay local and attend BRCC and JMU, or I might get enough in financial aid and scholarship grants to afford some place like MIT.”
Course Details:
Honors Courses are offered across grade levels for most core subjects.
Advanced placement (AP) courses are offered based on student interest and enrollment. AP English is currently offered.
Dual Enrollment courses are offered based on student interest and enrollment. US History 221 and 222 and Government 221 and 222. MTH 173: Calculus with Analytic Geometry has also been available based on interest.
College & Career List:
Elective Examples:
Designed with a Purpose
We are not merely training young people to one day “get a job”—we are cultivating worthy loves within our students. St. Augustine said that God made us for himself and that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in him. Christian education done well answers the restlessness and anxieties of our own age by reminding us of the purposes for which we were made—to love God and others—and by preparing and equipping us to flesh out our loves in meaningful work and service.
- Preschool: Growth through play-based learning and exploration in literacy-rich environments
- Kindergarten-4th grade: Differentiation: Growth through flexible, differentiated learning tailored to students’ unique academic needs
- 5th-6th grade: Growth through enhanced focus on critical and creative thinking and presentation skills
- 7th-8th grade: Growth through new enrichment opportunities, academic competitions and increased independence
- 9th-12th grade: Growth through content mastery in Honors, AP and Dual Enrollment courses and electives that promote lifelong learning and career readiness
Small Class Sizes: Student to Faculty Ratio is 13:1
- Each grade has a cap on the number of students enrolled. Though there may be more than 13 in a class, we maintain a 13:1 ratio with educational aides and splitting classes according to academic needs.
Resource: Supporting student learning needs
- The Resource Department provides support to students with identified learning needs. Faculty work with each resource student’s individual plan. Extra study halls for assistance with available teachers are often incorporated into student schedules. Technological enhancements such as talk to text may also be utilized.
Academic and College Counseling: To help students stay on track toward their goal
- The Guidance, College, and Career Counselor provides services that begins with class selection in freshman year and continues, via individual and group guidance, until students have completed the college application and acceptance process as seniors.
Vocation Education: Preparing students to enter the workforce
- Vocational credits may be applied toward our high school graduation requirements. We recognize the value in learning and experiencing a trade to prepare students to enter the workforce after graduation.
National Honor Society: Recognizing Success
- Students earn membership to Junior National Honor Society in 8th Grade and National Honor Society in High School. Membership is earned through effective demonstration of four key qualities: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. A minimum G.P.A. of 3.5 is required.
Enrichment Classes
Enrichment classes begin in preschool with Conversational Spanish, Library, and Music. Technology, PE and Art are added in elementary school. As the students progress through BRCS, students are able to select which subjects they would like to explore! These have included Architecture & Design, Mock Trial, Debate, Workplace Skills, Cooking, Lego Robotics, Fashion Design, Ecology, Weight Training and so much more.
Technology and Learning
BRCS makes use of Google Apps for Education, which provides online word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications.
- 3rd — 5th: Students receive instruction in keyboarding, proper use of online resources, and presentation software. Computer projects are integrated into the core curriculum and help the students reflect on what they are learning in other subjects.
- Students accounts are restricted from communicating outside of the school community until the high school level, and website filtering is in place on each campus.
- A biblical ethic is emphasized for all online communication, research and presentation.
- 6th-8th Grade: Students work to improve their keyboarding while also learning to use spreadsheets, drawing applications, online databases, and tackling design challenges. The middle school technology elective covers video editing and 3D printing.
- 9th-12th Grade: Electives incorporate keyboarding, web design, online research, 3D printing, and graphic design, and well as the ethical issues of copyright and communication.
SAT and Standardized Testing
BRCS does not participate in SOLs. However, we do participate in annual assessments. These assessments do not reflect on the student but ensure we are providing the highest quality academics. The assessments are used as a tool for curriculum improvements. BRCS exceeded state and National averages. *Note: Standardized testing was not given for the 2019 school year due to COVID.
The Class of 2018 had an average of 1217. The average math score was 583 and the average reading and writing score was 633.
Each grade, K-5, exceeded the National Average by a combined 1307 points. This is a private school assessment. *Individual class assessments available.
