Academics
Christian Education for K-12
Gateway Christian Academy is a fully accredited private Christian school owned and operated as a ministry of Gateway Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. We are interested in educating the whole person. We believe it is vitally important to students spiritually, academically, socially, and physically. Gateway stands hand-in-hand with Christian parents in fulfilling their biblical mandate to train up a child in the way he/she must go.
Objectives
The following is a summary of the basic objectives of Gateway Christian Academy:
Bible Teaching The objectives of our Bible program are to win students to Jesus Christ, to teach students the contents of the Scriptures, to apply the principles of Scripture to their lives, to develop a love and respect for the Word of God, to help them hide the Word in their hearts, and to make the Word of God the major rule of faith and practice when they become adults.
Academic Excellence The curriculum stresses academic excellence and encourages the development of individual talents. Emphasis is placed on the basic fundamentals. We agree that a student’s education, in the final analysis, must be measured largely in terms of his ability to read and interpret intelligently, communicate effectively, compute accurately, write legibly, and spell correctly.
Christian Americanism We teach our students to appreciate and love America and its Christian heritage. We incorporate teaching principles of individuality, self government, conscience as property, and political union upon which our forefathers founded this great republic.
Character-building Discipline The Bible teaches our goal for our youth is to see them “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:20). We are dedicated to the goal of turning out a special product—a young person with Christian character and self discipline, academically equipped to go out into a lost world and lift up Jesus Christ without fear or apology.
Leadership It is our desire to instill within students the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, to take the responsibility to personally do right and to exercise initiative in leading others in the right direction. We feel that the greatest need of our nation and world today is well-trained Christian leaders.
Manners and Courtesies – Unconsciously practicing good manners and etiquette is our goal for GCA students. Good manners and courtesy are the consideration of the rights and feeling of others and not drawing attention to oneself.
Accreditation
Gateway Christian Academy is a fully accredited school and holds the following accreditations:
Christian accreditation through the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools. ACTS strives to set new standards of Christ-centered academic excellence while assisting Christian schools to realize the highest level of educational credibility.
State recognition through the Virginia Counsel of Private Education. VCPE is recognized by the Virginia Department of Education so this recognition of our accreditation guarantees the transfer of student credits from the state-recognized accredited private school to a public school. GCA’s ACTS accreditation is recognized by VCPE.
National accreditation through the National Counsel for Private School Accreditation. NCPSA serves as a national review panel for the standards and review procedures of private school accrediting associations. GCA’s ACTS and Ai accreditations are recognized by NCPSA.
International accreditation through Accreditation International. A.I. assures the educational quality of schools and plans for continuous school improvement to increase student learning using standards based on international research, best practices, and historical accreditation processes. GCA’s A.I. accreditation is also recognized by the International Alliance for School Accreditation.
Learn more about our academic programs
Foundations
In addition to a quality education, it is our goal for each student to adapt these 5 Foundations:
INTEGRITY: Do what is right simply because it is right
Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil (Proverbs 4:26-27). We should each strive to live an honest life of the highest character regardless of consequences. We should take special care to ensure that we are doing what is right in all circumstances no matter how important or trivial they may seem.
RESPECT: Genuinely value others and their property
Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them (Matthew 7:12). We can live out the golden rule by building others up, giving them the benefit of the doubt, and seeking to resolve conflict privately and efficiently.
SAFETY: Look out for the well-being of yourself and those around you
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4). One of the primary purposes of the body of Christ is to meet the physical needs of others. Our own comfort or convenience should never be more important to us that the well-being of others. Everyone has a responsibility to promote a safe environment while actively avoiding actions that could cause harm.
RESPONSIBILITY: Be accountable to yourself and others for what you can control
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load (Galatians 6:4-5). Maturity is marked by the ability to make wise decisions regarding use of time and resources to accomplish specific goals. Only through self-sufficiency and hard work can one take pride in individual effort and the results of labor.
HUMILITY: Follow Christ’s example of self-denial by being a servant to others
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:5-7). Jesus valued the salvation of man more than His own identity as God, His position in heaven, and His own physical life. Gratitude for His sacrifice should drive every Christian to think of others before self and live out this attitude through service of God and man.
