BRIDGE CAMPUS PRIVATE SCHOOL IN BOISE
How is the Bridge Campus different?
Our Bridge Campus is ideal for parents who want to be highly involved in their child’s education. It provides two days of on-campus instruction by Ambrose teachers, plus lesson plans for three days of parent-led instruction at home. Bridge Campus teachers are available for questions and help on home days and provide most grading and planning.
How does it work?
- For on-campus days, your child will attend a full day of classes from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
- On home days, you act as a co-teacher by instructing your child in the provided lesson plans.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
- TRACK 1: Monday & Wednesday for Pre K – 6th
- TRACK 2: Tuesday & Thursday Pre K – 6th
UPPER SCHOOL
- 7th – 12th grades attend a full day of classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday
But I’ve never taught before. How could I do Bridge?
Actually, you have! You are your child’s first and best teacher. We support our co-teachers (that’s you) with training, support materials, and real-time help from your child’s on-campus teacher during home days. Our proven curriculum has been adapted to the needs of Bridge parents and can be easily implemented at home.
Where is your campus?
We meet at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Academic Center at 4950 N Bradley St, Garden City, ID 83714.
Bridge Campus Distinctives
- Unified – The Bridge Campus is a deeply connected group of families unified under the lordship of Christ with a shared vision for advancing His Kingdom by instilling virtue and wisdom within a Biblical worldview. Since relationships are crucial in each child’s formation, families regularly attend and serve in their local church. As a cohesive team, parents and staff commit to do hard things including working through areas of needed growth and setting healthy limits for technology.
- Involved – The campus exists to educate, equip, and empower parents as they fulfill their God-given role of educating their children. With staff support, parents play an active role in teaching and discipling their children. Learning from home two to three days a week allows students to be shaped primarily by their families rather than their peers. Parents participate in many campus events such as book clubs, hymn sing, prayer groups, and class celebrations.
- Relational – Small class size allows teachers to get to know students well and to guide them in spiritual maturity. Field trips and class activities are planned on Friday home days for grades PK-6th so that young students are able to actively apply what they are learning in the real world. Upper school students plan campus events and take responsibility for community service projects. The House Program provides mentorship and instills valuable leadership skills.
- Balanced – The Bridge Campus collaborative model prioritizes families learning at home. This educational approach trains students to learn important life skills such as organization, ownership, and initiative. Home learning days afford flexibility to complete assignments according to each family’s unique schedule. Students are encouraged to be physically active, spend time outdoors, and pursue well-rounded interests.
- Collaborative – Students attend classes on campus half of the week. On home days, they complete teacher-designed lessons with the guidance of their parents. Teachers provide a five-day lesson plan, which enables families to plan for the week and more efficiently make up work when absent from school. Staff provides parent training, curriculum oversight, and a vibrant learning community for students.
We are a family ministry
We affirm that parents are the child’s first and best teachers. Parents are the single most influential factor in a child’s educational performance, as well as in their emotional, social, and spiritual development. Therefore, we seek to assist parents in their God-given task to train their children in mind, body, and spirit (Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6:4). By providing time, flexibility, and academic expertise, we promote a partnership that enables parents to adequately fulfill the Lord’s commands for the education and training of children for His glory. We provide a support structure for parents by providing Biblical and academically rigorous curriculum and instruction, but also by training parents through seminars to deepen their own understanding of academic subjects, classical texts, and the way in which faith shapes their worldview.
We provide a classical education
Modern education seeks to train for a job or a career. Classical education seeks to train students about what is true, what is good, and what is beautiful to prepare them to fulfill their purpose as humans made in God’s image. To do this, classical education spends a lot of time looking at past works of literature, history and philosophy so that students can understand who they are and what they ought to be in the present day. Classical education seeks to prepare students to be excellent learners, rigorous thinkers, and effective doers.
We provide a Christian education
More than just creating smart students, we desire to help parents train their children to love God and think Biblically. This starts with our teachers who not only teach our students about the Bible but also strive to model Biblical thinking, to nurture and discipline students according to the truth in the Bible, and to bring all discussions back to the one true source of knowledge: God’s revelation through the written Word and through the person of Jesus Christ. Though we cannot guarantee that all our students will be Christians, we work so that the truth of Christianity is woven attractively into all we say and do.
We use the proven Ambrose curriculum
Seasoned teachers and administration have adapted the proven curriculum of The Ambrose School to fit the needs of The Ambrose Bridge Campus. The Academic Dean oversees the selection and development of the curriculum used. We seek to provide the same education that students in our 5-day program receive. Key considerations for curriculum selection include: compatibility with Biblical worldview, classical approach and methodology, and user-friendliness for parents and students.
We equip parents to teach
Parents are deeply connected to everything that happens on the Bridge Campus. Under the leadership of the classroom teacher, the parent acts as a co-teacher in grades K-3 and gradually transitions to the role of mentor as the student becomes increasingly independent in grades 4-12. In grades 9-12, students are expected to take responsibility for their lessons, communicate with teachers, and do their work. We equip and enable parents to provide quality instruction on home days. Parents are expected without exception to take part in training sessions offered once a quarter in order to become familiar with the curriculum and basic teaching techniques.
Classroom teachers teach the key objectives in class and assign reinforcement or application activities to be completed at home. Weekly lesson plans for both the Bridge classroom and the home classroom are available by Friday of the previous week. The co-teacher (parent) or student is expected to print off plans for the week and to prepare for the assignments in advance.
Communication is key
Communication is key to the success of any student and family in Bridge. The communication and co-laboring between teacher and parent is critical to teaching your child. Teachers communicate frequently and promptly with parents, typically via an online school management system, but also via email, telephone, texting, and face-to-face meetings. Parents are expected to also communicate frequently and promptly.
We require uniforms
Students of the Bridge Campus will wear uniforms. Information on requirements and ordering will be provided upon enrollment. Uniforms cost around $100-$150, including shoes, depending on the age and sex of the child.
Q: What is the time commitment for a parent or student?
A: We expect that families will spend Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday completing schoolwork at home. As students progress into harder subjects, they will spend more time on their homework. The benefit of parent-led learning is freedom to progress at the student’s individual pace. Time will vary greatly for each student depending on their personality. Our aim is for students to spend on average three hours a day for grades K-2, four hours a day for 3-6, five hours for 7-9, and six hours a day for 10-12. This amount assumes a parent will be working with multiple children at the same time, and that students will be working more independently as they mature. Weekly assignment sheet examples are available on request.
Q: Will my child’s transcript look the same as any Ambrose student?
A: Yes. Bridge Campus students use the same curriculum as is used on our other campuses.
Q: What if I have a question while teaching my child and cannot reach his or her teacher?
A: All teachers are required by contract to be available during home days. Teachers will check email at regular intervals during those days in order to respond to questions in a timely manner. We also want to emphasize parent and student responsibility for being prepared each week for their lessons.
Q: What if the information my student is learning is far above my own knowledge as a parent?
A: To help with this, we have chosen curriculum that is user-friendly and contains adequate teaching resources. Additionally, classroom teachers are available for questions. One benefit of this model is that parents are given the gift of time to learn alongside their child. Often, the best learning comes when we have to work for it.
Q: Can my student transfer to another campus at any time?
A: Yes, if there is an opening. Bridge is designed so that a student can, for example, attend 6th grade at the Bridge Campus and be prepared for 7th grade at the Locust Grove Campus. As with any transition between schools, parents and students should expect a time of adjustment. Family interviews and an application fee may apply when changing between Bridge and our other campuses.
Q: I have three children in different grades. How will I have the time and ability to manage all their needs the three days a week at home?
A: Teaching multiple levels of students is never easy but Bridge makes our curriculum doable for any committed parent.
Teachers strive to mitigate the work by giving clear instructions for both parents and students. We also emphasize and teach time management and responsibility from a young age.
Q: Can I apply to teach at the Bridge Campus?
A: As openings become available, we welcome applications from teachers who are excited to be a part of our growing community! Email personnel@theambroseschool.org for our Bridge teacher application.
Q: How does the Bridge Campus differ from other Boise private schools?
A: The Bridge Campus is unique because it allows parents to be more heavily involved in their child’s education. We follow a hybrid approach where students are in class on certain days and at home on others.
Q: How do I know the Bridge Campus is right for me?
A: Consider the following questions as parents:
Will our family benefit from having another person organize the curriculum for our children’s instruction?
Can we provide an environment conducive to learning within our home?
Are our family dynamics such that our children will respond to us as their teachers?
Are our family dynamics such that we can commit to the workload required at home?
Is this the best educational model for us?
Pray about it.
Contact us. If you have questions or just want to talk about what this learning structure would look like for your family, please contact us at (208) 789-4440 and we would be happy to meet with you!
Create an account with our online application system. You will be asked which campus you are applying for. Select Bridge Campus You will need to fill out a separate application for each child.
Pay application fee. There will be an application fee for each student. This fee covers student testing and application paperwork.
Bring in your student for testing and a family interview. Every new student is tested to determine his or her academic and behavioral preparation for Bridge. The testing process takes 30-40 minutes and helps our teachers assess in which grade the student will be most successful.
Attend the parent interview. Families participate in a parent interview with Bridge administrators to assess whether our school and prospective families are a good fit for one another. During the interview, parents and administrators will discuss the family’s ability to provide co-teaching for their students, the alignment of the family’s faith with the school’s statement of faith, classical Christian education, and the family’s application documents.
Notification of acceptance. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by May 1. Accepted students will then receive a packet with further information about fall enrollment.
SPORTS
Bridge Campus students can participate in any sports offered by The Ambrose School. Our sports programs are overseen by the Idaho High School Athletics Association (IHSAA).
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Boys Soccer
- Cross Country
- Sporting Clays
- Mountain Biking
- Golf
FINE ARTS
Grammar students attend weekly art and music classes. Grades 5-6 participate in drama. Upper School students are enrolled in bi-weekly art or music classes. Depending on student interest, Bridge Upper School offers extracurricular programs in order to customize activities and practices for the Bridge schedule. Bridge currently offers music, art, and drama classes for 7th-12th.
DANCES
Bridge students put on dances throughout the year.
HOUSE PROGRAM
7th-12th students participate in a program called House. Each student is assigned a House at the beginning of their 7th grade year (or a higher grade if they are a new student). Houses compete with each other in House games, work to keep the school clean and participate in community service projects.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BRIDGE CAMPUS OR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS?
For more information call (208) 392-0244 or email bgreen@theambroseschool.org
Mrs. Bonnie Green
Admissions Director
bgreen@theambroseschool.org
