Our agenda is excellent, Christian education

On August 17, 1892, a group of 62 immigrants gathered in the basement of Second Christian Reformed Church to form The Holland Reformed School Society. The following year, the society opened up Amity Street Christian School, a predecessor of Eastern Christian School. 

According to old school records, the date of the meeting was significant: “It was on that date in 1878 that the King of The Netherlands decreed that schooling would be religiously neutral and that specifically Christian instruction would be curbed.” This single act of counter-culturalism by a small group of immigrants would eventually lead to tens of thousands of students receiving a Christian education; students who have branched out and influenced countless thousands of professions, communities and additional people.

Eastern Christian’s story is ultimately one of faithfulness: the faithfulness of a sovereign God weaving many stories and many faithful servants together to form a multi-generational, global tapestry bigger in scope than any of the founding fathers could have ever imagined. In the words of one former principal, Gerrit Dykstra, long passed away, “His Covenant promise that He will be our God and the God of our children is an inducement for us to continue in this great cause of Christian education…Let us then go forward in faith for to him that believeth all things are possible.”

As the oldest and largest Christian day school in the Northern New Jersey/NYC metro area, our archives are full of stories of Eastern Christian School community members who have sought to glorify God. 

We remain focused on raising up people of faith, vision and influence; courageous men and women who will lead in their spheres of influence and glorify God in their vocations and lives. And we believe this faithful commitment to our mission and vision and to every student, now more than ever, is why our enrollment is growing! 

What makes Eastern Christian School distinctive?

Our strategy is three-pronged:

• A commitment to faith
• A commitment to excellence
• A commitment to partnership

Faith: Seeking truth

We’re not like a public school with a religion class tacked on. As a private Christian school, we fully integrate our Christian faith into everything that we do. All truth is God’s truth, and that means God is as sovereign over preschool and high school math and English as he is over Bible class. 

Who is delivering this worldview-shaping curriculum? Our teachers: Amazing Christian educators who love the Lord, pursue high academic credentials, and love their students! You can trust our certified teachers to partner with you in the spiritual, emotional and intellectual development of your child. 

Excellence: Resources, programs and expertise

Eastern Christian School has been accredited for more than 100 years with Middle States Commission on Higher Education. In addition, we are pursuing additional accreditation with Christian Schools International and the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability.

We believe that an excellent Christian education should be just that: excellent. We recognize the desire of our parents for a competitive and robust curriculum. It’s why we have worked toward ramping up programming in all grades, offered competitive professional development opportunities for our teachers, and graduated students who have become successful in all different fields. In addition to career-readiness, we seek to equip our high school students for college readiness; read about one of our recent alumni here. 

We are also committed to pursuing excellent resources. These resources allow us to provide programs and expertise for our students, including: 

• First rate, green facilities
• Integrated technology
• Full athletics program
• Expansive and award-winning arts programs
• Differentiated learning through academic support and learning acceleration programs that keep us among the top Christian schools in America.
• Our test scores, student:teacher ratio, college placement and dual enrollment courses all keep us at the forefront of education. Unlike the trends noted in post-COVID public school data, Eastern Christian School’s MAP scores for fall 2022 showed that many grades scored higher than our historical averages, especially in the area of language usage assessment. 
• Our nationally recognized leadership and character education program recently resulted in our school being named a National School District of Character–one of only seven in the entire nation.

Partnership: Working with families and the local church in shared mission

We own 38 acres of Northern New Jersey land, and offer three campuses: Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, NJ, Eastern Christian Upper Elementary & Middle School in Wyckoff, NJ, and Eastern Christian Preschool & Elementary School in Midland Park, NJ. 

Existing for more than 100 years, our school thrives on the partnership of our Northern New Jersey community, which includes cultivating some creative ways to generate income such as ditto Upscale retail, generating more than $2 million in donations. These initiatives have allowed us to offer an amazing Christian education while making tuition as accessible as possible. 

We serve a creative, intelligent and loving God. Eastern Christian School is a community of Christian believers that seek to reflect his image in every way. As society increasingly loses its footing, perhaps now more than ever before, Christian education has become one of the worthiest of investments. 

We want you to experience the Eastern Christian difference! Are you a parent seeking an authentic, Christian community that pursues both faith and excellence? Inquire or schedule a visit today!