Programs

Pursuing Excellence in All We Do

We are committed to the belief that all students can succeed and God asks for nothing less than the best we have to offer. We also believe that differentiating instruction is the Christ-like call for Christian educators to respond to the varied and differing needs of our students.

Programs Menu

Robotics

Follow Team 8612 on The Blue Alliance to watch live matches and matches from previous years.

Welcome to Calvin Christian Robotics

Calvin Christian Robotics is an afterschool engineering team participating in FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and FIRST Lego League (FLL). The team is open to all students and supported by Engineering, Fabrication, and CAD classes at the high school level. Along with classwork, the team is supported by local engineers, programmers, machinists, and other professionals. The mentors work side by side with students to guide them through the engineering design process and produce a competitive product.

Our mission is to provide a real-world working experience for students to apply what they learn in classes, gain soft skills, and learn what it means to work on a professional team.

Accomplishments

2024

  • Team 8612 delivered its first Go Baby Go car to an inspiring child in our community
  • Berrien Springs event: first pick of Alliance 3
  • Muskegon event: first pick of Alliance 4
  • Michigan State Championship participant
  • FTC team competes in state competition

2023

  • Calvin University event
  • West Michigan event
  • FTC team expands from one to two teams
  • FTC team wins judges’ choice award

2022 (rookie season) 

  • Highest seeded rookie at the Calvin University event
  • 2022 Finalist at the Calvin University event
  • Rookie all-star at the Calvin University event
  • Rookie Inspiration award at the West Michigan event
  • Highest seeded rookie at the West Michigan event
  • Rookie Inspiration at the State event
  • FTC team wins judges’ choice award

As the Squire Robotics program continues to develop, our goals are to grow our team, inspire middle and elementary school students to join our program, and engage the broader Calvin Christian community.

We also are working on building a robot with the capability of launching t-shirts at Calvin Christian sporting events, as well as working with sponsors on potential advertising opportunities. 

We are continuously involved with outreach programs such as Go Baby Go to serve the broader West Michigan community.

  • Grade schoolers

FIRST Robotics

To learn more about FIRST Robotics, visit their website:

FIrst Robotics

Spanish Immersion

Developing Global Empathy Via Spanish Immersion

What is Spanish Immersion at Calvin Christian?

Immersion is a method of language instruction in which the second language is the medium rather than the subject of instruction. 

The classroom environment becomes the setting for second language acquisition through core subject content instruction, intentional language study, educational discourse, and social interaction.

Our Spanish Immersion program allows students to build a love for the language and culture of Spanish speakers across the globe.

Spanish Immersion Program Goals

academic achievement

language proficiency

cultural competency

Spanish Immersion FAQs

  1. The most important thing you can do for young children is read aloud in English.
    This does NOT mean you need to teach your child to read but simply that you are exposing
    them to English books and modeling fluent English reading.
  2. Be positive and encouraging!
    Your child will often mirror your attitude, so you can model for them how exciting it is to be
    able to learn a second language.
  3. Listen to your child read in Spanish.
    Even if you don’t understand what they are reading, it’s good practice for them! You can also
    ask them questions about what they read, although they may not be able to explain it all in
    English.
  4. Help with homework using English instructions.
    Many teachers will send home an English copy of the homework instructions or will explain
    homework assignments in their parent letter. So even though your child may be completing
    their homework in Spanish, you can help make sure they understand the assignment and are
    completing the requirements. As students get older (middle school/high school), much of
    their homework will be in English.
  1. Don’t expect your child to “perform”.
    Students understand that language is used for communication and will naturally use it in
    appropriate contexts but will likely not feel comfortable “performing” for family members
    and others. This, of course, depends on the personality of your child. Some children do
    enjoy showing off their Spanish!
  2. Your child may not be able to fully explain what they’ve learned in English.
    At school, they are learning the concepts in Spanish, and being able to understand the
    concept is a different skill than being able to explain it in English.
  3. Students may not be able to translate from one language to the other.
    Students in our program learn language by being immersed in it, not by translating from
    English to Spanish, so they may not always know the equivalent of each word in Spanish
    and English.
  • In accordance with research surrounding literacy development in multiple languages, students receive all initial literacy instruction in the second language (Kindergarten-2nd grade).
  • English instruction begins in 3rd grade. Up until this point, students may seem behind their peers when comparing English reading or writing, but they are actually working at grade level in Spanish. For example, a 2nd grader may not be able to read yet in English, but they are reading at grade level in Spanish. They aren’t actually behind when comparing their reading skills; they’re just doing it in another language!
  • Once English instruction begins, students transfer the reading and writing skills they learned in Spanish to English (for example, directionality, decoding, comprehension strategies, etc.). English-specific skills that are not transferable from Spanish are addressed in 3rd-5th grade.
  • Almost all of our immersion students read at or above grade level in English by the end of 3rd grade.
  • Research consistently shows that students who struggle in a particular area (reading, math, etc.) will do so regardless of the language.
  • Immersion classes have a range of student achievement just like English classes.
  • Academic support/intervention is available for those who need it.

Spanish Immersion Through the Grades

What to expect at each grade level.

Preschool
Elementary
Middle school
High school

Celebrating Over a Decade of Spanish Immersion

16

years of experience

40%

of student body

21

teachers

10

countries represented by teachers

Educational Support Services / Inclusion

Welcoming All Kinds of Learners

Supporting students with various physical, cognitive, and social-emotional needs.

Belonging means that all students are valued members of our classroom families. We are committed to supporting academic, social, and spiritual growth for all students so that they may reach their full potential.

All three campuses partner with Grandville Public Schools/Kent Intermediate School District to provide the following services to students who qualify:

  • Speech & Language
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Vision and Hearing
  • Teacher Consultants
  • Physical Therapy
  • Social Work
Calvin Christian educational support services teacher and student
Fair isn’t everyone getting the same thing.
Fair is everyone getting what they need in order to be successful!

Elementary Educational Support Services

Our highly trained, caring team provides:

  • Support to meet students’ needs in various academic learning areas
  • Support for students with Learning Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cognitive Impairment, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, sensory needs, and other challenges
  • Services in both our English and Spanish Immersion programs
  • Support for students with social emotional needs that affect learning, behavior, and relationships in the school environment

A partnership with Grandville Public Schools/Kent Intermediate School District for the following services for students who qualify:

  • Speech and Language
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Vision and Hearing
  • Teacher Consultants
  • Social Work

Middle & High School Student Support Services

Calvin Christian offers support and curriculum to meet the needs of a wide variety of learners.

  • Our Educational Support Services Department supports the needs of students with unique needs. This program meets the learning challenges of students with Learning Disabilities, mild Cognitive Impairments, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Behavioral/Emotional challenges, and Physical/Health disabilities.
  • Our Inclusive Education Services Department supports the needs of students with intellectual impairments. These services are available to students with moderate to severe disabilities who need moderate to high interventions and support. We help integrate these students into general education classrooms and school extracurricular activities as well as teach specific subject areas based on student’s needs.

Student Support Team: by Campus

Grandville Christian School (Elementary)

Calvin Christian Middle School

Calvin Christian High School

International Students

Join A Christ-Centered, Global Community

Experience Another Culture In A Supported, Loving Environment.

Every year at Grandville Calvin Christian Schools, we are blessed to host students from across the globe. Our small school provides numerous opportunities for students around the world to experience life within the United States and make lifelong friendships and connections.

International Application Requirements

Application Documents: English Language Proficiency Test, Skype interview with student and family and proven academic success in your previous school.

Test scores from one of the following:

  • SLEP: 47+
  • TOEFL: 60
  • TOEFL Junior: 690
  • Itep Slate 2.75+

Requirements (cont.)

We accept direct applications to the school, agency applications and semester students.

Seniors may enroll for a diploma if they have studied in the U.S. as a high school student in a prior year.

Graduation Requirements – 22 credits:
(4 Math, 4 English, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 World Language classes, 2 Religion classes, 0.5 Technology, 1.5 Elective, 1 Physical Education & 1 Fine Arts)

International Students: Quick Facts

Grandville Calvin Christian School is a co-ed school in Grandville, MI. Busing is provided for students residing in Grandville and Wyoming and part of the Hudsonville area. 

Learn more about Grandville, MI

International high school students have opportunities to travel domestically to places such as New York City and Washington DC. We offer a variety of experiences outside of the classroom including sports and clubs.

Discover our High School

Our International Club offers a chance for American and international students to fellowship and learn from one another through many social events. 

Inquire about International Club

Start Your Future Today

Have questions about our Programs? Contact Erin Nichols, Director of Admissions, and we’ll be sure to get in touch!​

Email ERin