Organizations

To provide further learning outside the classroom, BJA provides students at all levels with a wide variety of enriching individual and group extracurricular activities including:

Academian (HS)

The Academian is BJA’s student-designed high school yearbook and serves to capture an exciting summary of each year for BJA students. Academian members write text, design layout and learn to work with publishing deadlines.

Christian Service Organization (ES)

Students in fifth grade who evidence Christlike character and growing leadership abilities are invited to be CSO members. CSO members serve as library assistants as well as help with daily morning and afternoon carline, the morning flag raising, and various other elementary events and responsibilities.

Class Officers (HS)

Class officers learn to lead as they meet with faculty class sponsors to plan special class projects, both in ministry and in activities. The junior class officers enjoy planning and hosting the Junior-Senior banquet each spring.

Math Club (ES)

Students in grades 4 through 6 who love math and want to explore and develop their math skills meet weekly after school. Using the Math Olympiads program, students practice weekly to participate in a monthly competition that will stretch their thinking, encourage problem solving, and develop math vocabulary. Guest speakers and themed projects provide a deeper investigation into various mathematical topics.

Mock Trial Team (MS and HS)

The South Carolina Bar Association sponsors and conducts a middle school and a high school mock trial competition every year, which provides students the opportunity to role-play as attorneys and witnesses in a fictitious court case. Students in Mock Trial are challenged to improve their reading, listening, thinking and speaking abilities. The middle school team competes locally first semester for the opportunity to compete for the state championship in December. The high school team competes second semester, beginning with local competition and seeking to advance to state and national competition. The Mock Trial team has won the State Championship numerous times and won the National Championship in 2004. Students also can earn scholarships awarded by the South Carolina Bar Association.

Robotics Club (MS)

Students meet once a week after school, learning robotics fundamentals and constructing a functioning robot. Students hone their skills programming and manipulating their robots and compete in middle school robotic competitions. The club is sponsored corporately by Northrup-Grumman under the registration of VEX Robotics.

Robotics Team (ES)

Students in grades 2-5 who have been enrolled in TechClub and are interested in continuing to develop their interests and skills in programming and robotics are invited to apply to be a member of the Robotics Team. Like TechClub, the Robotics Team meets after school. Students receive more advanced instruction in coding and work together in teams as part of an international robotics competition.

Speech and Debate (HS)

BJA provides students with the opportunity to participate in speech and debate competitions on an interscholastic team that travels throughout the Southeast. Students gain poise and analytical and communication skills by participating with the team.  Team members have the opportunity to join the National Speech and Debate Association, which is the largest speech and debate honor society in the nation.

Every October, BJA serves as host school for one of the best-attended single-day speech and debate tournaments in North and South Carolina. BJA students help with this event by running concessions, manning the tabulation room, and directing contestants and judges to contest rooms.

The team’s coaches are nationally recognized, and each year students are involved (and some win) at the national level of competition.

Spirit Squad (HS)

The Spirit Squad serves in various capacities, including ushering at programs and assisting the Student Body Organization in a variety of ways behind the scenes.

Stage Crew (HS)

Students on the high school’s stage crew not only set up the auditorium and run curtains for various events—they also learn both light and sound systems.

Stage Crew (MS)

Students on middle school stage crew help with the middle school play. They learn basic skills with lights, sound, curtains, and set changes.

Student Body Organization (HS)

Elected student body officers serve their classmates by organizing and running student assemblies in addition to spirit day and spirit week activities, holiday gift distributions, and a variety of other projects.

Student Body Representatives (MS)

Elected home room officers serve as middle school student body representatives to serve their classmates in a variety of ways—from leading in the opening of chapel to giving devotionals and praying at student activities and checking for clutter in the hallway between classes

TechClub (ES)

TechClub is an after-school technology club for students in grades 1 through 5. Students apply and may be selected to be in the club. They learn about current technology tools and equipment, including green screening, robotics, 3D printing, and coding. Students learn, explore, and create together, completing a project before the conclusion of the meeting. Between the monthly meetings they complete challenge activities and earn merit badges based on their achievements.

The Lion’s Roar (MS) 

The Lion’s Roar is a student-staffed monthly journal that includes creative writing, student and faculty interviews, news articles, student artwork, and other special features.

Triangle (HS) 

The Triangle is a student-staffed newspaper and includes news articles, sports updates, special features and more.

Word Whiz Club (ES)

Weekly Word Whiz Club meetings encourage leadership and reading as fifth graders partner with first graders to encourage a love of language arts and reading. Students participate in writing activities, race each other in competitive language games, share books together, and use creative projects to increase their enjoyment of words and books.