What Makes BCA Different?

BCA serves students with the proven best practices in education, melding together brain science, character education and effective instruction. Our students not only learn to appreciate the arts, but have rich opportunities to actively participate in creative work and learn relationship building. We develop students' minds and bodies, the complete person. Bay City Academy provides art, music and physical activity for students at all grade levels.

At Bay City Academy, we set the stage for teachers, students and parents to form real relationships that serve as the basis for students' success.

BCA teachers keep the same students for several years — not by necessity, but by design. This means teachers and students don't have to spend several weeks or even months learning about each other and forming friendships on a yearly basis, allowing us to get to the business of teaching and with much more efficiency. Our differential instruction by development, as opposed to age, and encourages continuity of relationships. Students stay with the same teacher and many of the same classmates for several years. Students progress seamlessly through the curriculum by mastery as opposed to arbitrary annual deadlines.

At Bay City Academy, we teach students to do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. Other schools strive to use rewards to control behavior, we believe that building internal motivation is the ultimate driving force for student success now and into adulthood. Students who work for a reward will have limited motivation and will stop striving for excellence when the rewards stop.  Students who have internal motivation work hard to feel pride in a job well done without feeling like they need to earn something for doing the right thing.  We give praise where it is warranted and teach students to do their best to create inner worth. 

We believe that proper behavior leads to good character, which leads to arts, academic, and personal excellence. It's as simple as that. Good character is an important part of every student's success, both in school and beyond. That's why the character traits of respect, compassion, integrity, responsibility, honesty and self discipline are continually modeled, taught, assessed and reported to parents at all grade levels.

It’s no secret that children spend more time on technology than ever before.  At Bay City Academy, we feel like there is a time for technology, but it should not be the primary form of learning.  Our students are taught by teachers, not technology.  Students spend the majority of their learning time on hands-on, project based activities that require creativity and team building skills.

We believe that it is important for students to learn and apply basic traditional values and character such as honesty, manners, eye contact, and greeting others.  We teach and model these traditional values every day.

While our values are traditional, we believe that indoctrination has no place in a school setting.  Our staff will never impose political, religious, or racial beliefs onto our students.  Discussions are modeled and practiced where student opinions can be shared and respected by others.  We believe that parents have the sole right to talk with their children about what they believe and why.

All K-12 students are involved in businesses and financial education throughout their school career.  Teachers mentor students in creating class businesses where they learn financial strategies that will benefit them in the future.  All 8th and 12th grade students are required to take a personal finance class to help them build a solid foundation of smart financial skills.