Black Forest Academy
| Black Forest Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
|
Kandern Germany | |
| Coordinates | 47°42′37″N 7°39′32″E / 47.71028°N 7.65889°ECoordinates: 47°42′37″N 7°39′32″E / 47.71028°N 7.65889°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Private international boarding school |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Protestant Christian |
| Established | 1956 |
| Director | Scott Jones |
| Enrollment | 310 students (50% boarding, 50% day) |
| Website | http://bfacademy.com/ |
Black Forest Academy (BFA) is a private, coeducational boarding school in southwestern Germany. It was founded in 1956 by TeachBeyond, formerly Janz Team Ministries, in Kandern, Baden-Württemberg and provides an English language education with a Christian worldview for both elementary and secondary students. Admission is conditional upon agreement with the school's educational philosophy. Preference is given to children of Christian missionaries and international business families in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The enrollment is approximately 320 students in grades 5-12. Many students live with their families or commute across the border from Switzerland and France. The residential boarding program for grades 9 to 12 includes over 150 students. Over 55 countries are represented in the student body and many hold dual citizenship having been born outside their parents' passport countries.
Academics
BFA is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS),[1] the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSA)[2] and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). The staff is made up of experienced and certified faculty members plus residence staff. Eleven mission agencies are represented on the School Board. The school itself pays no salaries.
Instruction is in English and the North American university-entrance curriculum is overseen by a curriculum coordinator and committee. Entrance to European and Asian universities has been gained by many students taking AP exams. English Language Learning (ELL/ESL) is offered to students whose mother tongue is not English. German instruction is available from grade 1 to 12/AP, French from grade 7 to AP, and Spanish Level I and II in the high school.
In addition to core academic courses, BFA offers Apologetics, Computer Programming, Creative Writing, Economics, Environmental Science, Graphic Design, Industrial Arts, Journalism, and Statistics. There is a student council that plans social activities and separate classes that produce the school's yearbook and student newspaper.
The school's science curriculum adheres to the viewpoint of contemporary Evangelical Christianity. Darwinian macro-evolution, for example, while taught, is rejected in favor of "Intelligent Design," or Creationism.
As a general rule a student is required to study a language other than the one of their country of residence or passport. However, some exceptions have been made for a student who has been out of his/her second language or out of school in that language for a significant length of time and can no longer use the language effectively (particularly grammar and writing). This student will take a placement test and the Department Head will decide where that student is placed. Another case would be a student who speaks the language to a greater or lesser degree but has little or no experience reading and writing it.
The academy offers Bible classes, chapel services, and church services on campus. A majority of students choose to be a part of a small group for support, growth, and accountability. Annually, numerous staff and students travel during Spring Break to Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, and Africa, in order to be involved in various types of service projects.
Sports
Interscholastic team sports currently include volleyball, basketball, European football/soccer, track, cross country, and wrestling. BFA teams compete against U.S. Department of Defense Dependents' Schools (DODDS). The Physical Education (PE) program includes instruction in tennis, softball, American football, basketball, badminton, volleyball, football, European handball, and many others. In addition to intramural sports in both the middle school and high school, students can participate on local German sports teams. The school's mascot is the Falcon. Taylor Iserman was also the leader of the womans lacrosse team. He was all-euro 1st team and scored 40 goals his senior year
Location
There is no centralized campus. The Black Forest region encompasses the southwest corner of Germany, with BFA located in the village of Kandern.
The main campus, in the city of Kandern, is where the high school is located. It includes the Main Building and the Janz Building. The middle school campus is located in the town of Sitzenkirch. Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK) is a partner-school of BFA, in cooperation with the Freie Evangelische Schule (FES) Lörrach. CSK is located in the town of Wollbach.
Sitzenkirch Campus
Black Forest Academy Sitzenkirch is a middle school, offering grades five through eight. It's located in Sitzenkirch, roughly 3 km north of Kandern. There are just over 50 students enrolled at the middle school.
Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK)
CSK is a bilingual German/English school located in Wollbach, roughly 4 km south of Kandern. The school is operated by the Freie Evangelische Schule (FES) Lörrach in partnership with BFA. There are around 90 students enrolled at CSK.
See also
External links
References
- ↑ "Council of International Schools Accreditation (no direct link; search required)". http://portal.cois.org''. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ↑ "Middle States Commission on Higher Education Accreditation". http://www.msa-cess.org''. Retrieved 18 February 2013.