The Northside Christian Academy Story

Northside Christian Academy was founded in 1961 by Northside Baptist Church, under the direction of Dr. W. Jack Hudson. The school began with 44 students in kindergarten through third grade. The school operated in the church buildings on Old Concord Road in north Charlotte. Both the church and the school grew steadily, and the ministry bought property in 1971 to build a new facility. Northside Baptist church purchased 116 acres in the original transaction. Over the years, additional property was purchased to complete the campus. In the meantime, the school kept adding grades until it had its first graduating class, the Class of 1973.

Godley Construction Company, directed by NBC member Fred Godley, built the new facility, and in the fall of 1973 the school moved to the current location. The educational wings that the school occupies were actually completed first, and a few months later the church auditorium was completed. By March of 1974 the entire ministry was located at the property. Dr. Hudson chose the 333 Jeremiah Boulevard address because of the Scripture verse that the Lord had impressed upon him through the construction process. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

In the early days Headmaster Paul Montgomery did much to develop the program. Other key figures were Coach Marty Benton (who helped develop the athletic department) and Rev. Barry Shearer. Rev. Shearer served short term as a geometry teacher and headmaster, then returned to church staff but continued his involvement in Christian Education. He served as president of the North Carolina Christian School Association from 1991-2007. NCA was an active, accredited member of that association followed by its affiliation with ACSI and the accreditation process. These leaders were followed by capable men and women who have influenced many lives for Christ.

The current student body is over 550 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Typically, students score well above national averages on the Stanford Achievement Test, and 98 percent or more of the graduating students go on to further programs of study. NCA graduates are currently serving in business, law, medicine, education, and Christian ministry, just to name a few areas. The school’s graduates have been accepted at over 100 colleges and have pursued programs of study both nationally and internationally. Last year’s graduating class scored above the national score in each of the three areas of the SAT and earned in excess of 1.7 million dollars in scholarship offers. NCA’s faculty members are known for their longevity and their desire to train young men and women to be godly leaders in their culture. The school has enjoyed a rich history of leading the way in Christian Education for 49 years, and is well-situated to continue to develop Kingdom leaders in the twenty-first century.

NCA'S Authentic Christian Faculty!

“The comprehensive purpose of Northside Christian Academy is to provide a Christian educational experience based on the authoritative Word of God.” 

Few things are as important in the life and development of a school as the selection of faculty members. Teachers personally committed to the Christian faith and highly trained in their academic fields are the heart of Northside’s excellence. In large measure these men and women, with their distinct personalities and teaching skills, make up the fabric of the school.

The brightest, best trained and most caring teachers are invited to be a part of our dynamic teaching team. Our teachers are committed to helping their students learn, achieve and mature to their fullest potential. What is unique about Northside’s teachers is that they take time to truly get to know their students and discover the most effective ways to instruct and mentor each individual student.

Our teachers are fully certified, several of our teachers hold master’s degrees, and many have more than 20 years of teaching experience. Many faculty members take advantage of the ability to continue their education and are always striving for excellence. Our teachers are committed to our students, our families and most of all the ministry of Jesus Christ.

We believe Christian parents are looking for a special type of teacher, one we call the Living Curriculum. Parents understand these teachers will have awesome responsibilities and opportunities to shape their children's lives. But how do we identify a Living Curriculum Teacher?

First of all, there is no prototype. They come with different personalities from different types of families. They were raised in the different environments in different parts of the world. They attended different colleges or universities and enjoy different styles of worship. Today, they are a wonderful mix of people rooted in Evangelical Christianity but with different heritages and different experiences.

We do believe, though, that Living Curriculum Teachers share a number of identifiable beliefs and qualities. Living Curriculum Teachers are:

·         born-again, growing, followers of Christ and they desire that their students experience the same personal relationship with Christ that they have.

·         happy and positive people. Students trust, respect and desire to be around Living Curriculum Teachers.

·         humble and trustworthy. They have an open mind and a sensitive spirit. They are approachable, and they really listen.

·         relationship builders. They understand that modeling through relationships is essential for growth in Christian character. They pay attention to the individual needs of students as they work at building meaningful and appropriate relationships.

·         committed to treating students with dignity. Students know they can count on a predictable, nurturing and stimulating environment in the Living Curriculum Teacher's classroom.

·         parent partners. They believe the best education is one where parents and teachers work together supporting students from both sides.

·         life-long learners. They never stop getting better at the art and science of teaching. They understand that teaching content is not the only goal. Study skills, higher-level analysis, critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities should all be taught and practiced within the study of each subject area.

·         motivated to motivate. They take time with students one on one. To see a student end up serving God, using his or her gifts clearly within the will of God, provides an indescribable joy to the Living Curriculum Teacher.

We are passionately committed to providing Living Curriculum Teachers for Northside Christian Academy parents and their students.

Making Christian Education Priority

America is home to people with a great variety of attitudes. Americans have different ideas and priorities which can affect how we choose to raise our children. Across these differences, however, research has shown that being effective parents involves the following qualities: showing love, providing support, and setting limits. Young people need adults who are there for them, communicate with them, spend time with them and show a genuine interest in them. That is what we are about here at Northside Christian Academy School.

As we enter the spring season, it can be hard to keep children focused on learning. What can we do to make school a top priority for our kids? Keep these simple ideas in mind--they’re useful at any time of the year.

Make attendance job #1. Let your youngsters know that unless they’re sick, they must go to school. Try to schedule routine dentist and doctor appointments after school hours. If possible, take family vacations during school breaks. Tip: Give awards for perfect attendance each month. Try a “Job Well Done” certificate or a coupon good for a night of bowling or a movie.

Show you care. Want your children to know that you’re interested in their learning? Talk about their school activities and projects. Attend as many school events as you can. If homework and after school activities conflict, speak up: “I know you have baseball practice this evening, but homework needs to get done as well.”

Keep it upbeat. Try to set a positive example for your children, even when your own day has been difficult. Instead of saying, “I had a hard day at work. I’ll never get my project done,” try, “Work was hard today, but I made some progress on my project.” If you show a positive attitude about your work, your youngsters may feel better about their own.

Billy Graham said, “Children will invariably talk, eat, walk, think, respond, and act like their parents. Give them a target to shoot at. Give them a goal to work toward. Give them a pattern that they can see clearly, and you give them something that gold and silver cannot buy.”

Choose Christian Education!