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Health & Fitness

Faith Christian student earns Northwestern University award

For the past eight years, Geneva residents Dan and Terri Riner have appreciated the opportunities Faith Christian Academy (FCA) has provided their older son, Benjamin, as a gifted student. After Benjamin was honored at Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) Award Ceremony in September, they value the Geneva school’s educational philosophy and caring approach even more.

NUMATS is Northwestern’s challenging above-grade-level testing program. NUMATS, which uses the ACT®, SAT® and EXPLORE® tests, is part of Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD). Located at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, the CTD is an accredited learning center and research facility serving gifted students and their families for nearly 30 years. As part of the program, Benjamin took the EXPLORE® test, an examination generally given to eighth- and ninth-grade students. On a test with a maximum score of 25, Benjamin was one of only 34 fifth-graders in the Midwest to earn a 24, and just four fifth-graders earned a 25. By comparison, the nationwide mean score for eighth-grade students was 14.9.

Benjamin’s score placed him in the top one percent of fifth-grade students across the Midwest and earned him the NUMATS Outstanding Achievement Award at a ceremony held at Northwestern on September 7.

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“Ben always strives for excellence in his endeavors, be they academics, sports or music, and he really enjoys the challenges of advanced learning,” Dan Riner said of Ben, who is now in sixth grade at Faith Christian. “We’re proud of Ben and thank Northwestern for this award.”

The Riners credit Faith Christian Academy, which has served the Tri-Cities area since its founding in 1982, as a driving force behind Benjamin’s academic and personal development. The family and Faith Christian Beginner School first identified Benjamin’s gifts as a preschool student. Benjamin was already reading at a fourth-grade level by kindergarten. Faith’s administrators and teachers immediately began collaborating with the Riners to ensure that he would be sufficiently nurtured and challenged academically. The school has created numerous opportunities for Benjamin to further his education, including tailoring individualized curriculum assignments and enrolling him in honors math courses with students two grade levels above him.

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“Ben’s overall experience with Faith Christian Academy has been very rewarding,” Terri Riner said. “The school has dedicated, experienced teachers, and the small class sizes allow Ben and other students to receive one-on-one and small-group attention that is invaluable.”

Faith Christian’s academic approach is reflected in its students’ performances on the annual Stanford Achievement Test. FCA students’ scores far exceed the national average for the nationwide exam, which tests students in second through eighth grade on a variety of subjects. Most seventh- and eighth-grade FCA students even achieve a national grade equivalent of post-high school.

“The school presents all students with a quality curriculum that prepares them for higher levels of academic learning and, ultimately, for life itself,” School Director Ruth Clapper said. “The curriculum builds from the simple to the complex. It takes into account the learning level and ability of each student and stretches each student to reach his or her potential. The school’s experienced staff and educational philosophy serve a wide variety of students equally well.”

Through the Center for Talent Development program, Benjamin has also taken additional enrichment courses in science and mathematics. As a next step, the family plans for Benjamin to take the ACT exam later this year.  The ACT is a national standardized achievement test taken by high school juniors and seniors for college admission.

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