Mt. Carmel Christian School - Special Programs and Activities

Athletics

In the sports arena, Mt. Carmel has also achieved a high level of success. Our
athletic teams compete mainly through the Fundamental Christian Athletic
Association and the Keystone Christian Education Association. Our fall sports
program offers volleyball for girls and soccer for boys; and our winter sports
program offers both girls’ and boys’ basketball. We also attend a spring Track
and Field Meet sponsored by KCEA. The Mt. Carmel Cougar teams consistently
attain play-off status, and have won state championships in recent years. We
are also satisfied in knowing that these young men and women are learning the
discipline, faithfulness, and physical fitness that will help to shape their
character, and further assist them to become leaders in their chosen fields in the
future.

Special Competitions

Each year, students in grades 4-12 may enter Academic contests such as Math,
English, Spelling and Creative Writing, sponsored by the Keystone Christian
Education Association. Students in grades 7-12 may enter the KCEA Fine Arts
Competition. These contests range from categories such as piano solo and vocal
solo, to speech categories such as declamation and humorous interpretation.
Students with talents in drawing, painting, sculpture and related fine arts are
encouraged to enter in their chosen fields. In addition, students in grades 7-12 may
participate in Bible Competitions held by KCEA. These written competitions include
Old Testament, New Testament, and Bible Memory; and there is a Bible Quizzing
contest as well. Each year, Mt. Carmel has students who achieve on the regional
level and go on to compete at the state level. We even lay claim to many first-place
winners at the state level of competition.

Special Programs

Mt. Carmel Christian School recognizes and honors veterans and their
importance to our country with a patriotic Veterans Day Program each year.
Senior high students are in charge of this program. They write and recite
essays, memorize patriotic recitations, and sing rousing patriotic music. They
invite Veterans to attend, and each one is individually recognized and thanked
in the program for his or her service to our country. This is a very special day
in the life of our student body as they pay tribute to our local veterans and their
service to us.
Our Christmas Program is a joyous holiday program in which all students in
grades K-12 take part. The students perform Christmas recitations and sing
musical selections. Frequently there are instrumental or vocal solos from
particularly gifted students; and often the students learn dramas that they
perform at these festive occasions.       I
In our Kindergarten Graduation ceremony, the kindergarten class
demonstrates the academic skills that they have mastered in their first year,
such as math, reading and short recitations. They perform musical selections
and dramas, and the ceremony concludes with each student in a cap and gown
receiving their diploma.
In our formal Senior Graduation ceremony, each senior has an opportunity to
recite an encouraging or challenging poem or paper. The students work
diligently on this project and meet high standards, both in their delivery and
poise in front of an audience. After a commencement challenge, the seniors
are presented with their diplomas.

Music

In the interim between music instructors, students
learn music in their individual classrooms, and in
different classes in the upper grades, in order to
prepare for the Veterans Day and Christmas
Programs in which they offer choral and other
selections of music. The opportunity to participate in
the KCEA All State Choir is open to students in
grades 9-12.

Book-It Program and
National Young Reader’s
Day

Mt. Carmel participates in the
Book-It Program as another way
to motivate students to read.
We also celebrate National
Young Reader’s Day every
November. We utilize a different
approach than most, though: we
encourage students to dress in
costume as their favorite
character in a book and bring
the book along with them to
school that day. This special
day each year celebrates not
only National Young Reader’s
Day, but also doubles as our
harvest celebration.

Field Day

Field Day is a special day in the last month of school where the students in grades 1-6 have
a fun day outside and compete in athletic games. The day is "staffed" by students in the
upper grades. Snacks and drinks are provided, and the students are awarded ribbons and
awards in the categories in which they achieved well. It is a special day of fun for all.

Community Outreach

Our students regularly
take part in raising money
through the Hop'ning for
Easter Seals, a food drive
for the needy at
Thanksgiving time, and
visits to local nursing
homes to visit with the
residents and perform
music and dramas.

Field Trips

Students regularly take field trips to places such as the Pittsburgh Airport,
Gettysburg and Harrisburg, Washington DC, Westmoreland Symphony, Palace
Theater for the Arts, Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, Bedford Village,
Laurel Caverns, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Fort Necessity, Fire
Stations, and Heinz Field.

Talent Show, Third and Fourth Grade Play, Sixth Grade Graduation Play

Every year the students enjoy performing for their parents and friends in the Talent Show for third through
sixth grades, the third and fourth grade play, and the sixth grade graduation play.