Why Christian Education?
Our passion for Christian education is rooted in the belief that Christ's Lordship extends over every realm of life, including education.
No education is neutral, but rather reflects the worldview of the institution and the faith commitments of its leaders.
Therefore, our aim is to establish a Biblical worldview across the curriculum that enables students to learn about everything - from algebra to zygotes - through the lens of the Christian faith.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight"
Proverbs 9:10
Why Classical?
A Classical education is a time-tested method that matches the style of instruction to the natural development phases of children.
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In Grammar School (K-6), when students' abilities to memorize peak, we provide them with a solid factual foundation.
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In Logic School (7-8), when students love to question everything, we focus on developing sound reasoning and critical thinking skills.
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In Rhetoric School (9-12), when youth yearn to express their independence, we empower students to express themselves with clarity and confidence.
This method, as described by Dorothy Sayers in The Lost Tools of Learning, has proven effective in equipping students to become wise thinkers and lifelong learners.
See Life Outcomes Results Survey of classical christian students
Test Results
Each year, our students take the Iowa Standardized Tests to evaluate their academic progress against national benchmarks.
For the past two years, our students have averaged in the 80-99 percentile in reading and language arts and in the 75-90 percentile in math.
Grammar School (K-6)
Our focus in Grammar School is the acquisition of knowledge, capitalizing on young students’ capacity to absorb information. Our goal is to develop competency in reading, listening, writing, and observation. The core of the curriculum is Bible & History, Mathematics, Grammar & English, Latin, and Science.
Students begin Latin in 3rd Grade, for the reasons Dorothy Sayers articulates, “I will say at once, quite firmly, that the best grounding for education is the Latin grammar. I say this, not because Latin is traditional and medieval, but simply because even a rudimentary knowledge of Latin cuts down the labor and pains of learning almost any other subject by at least 50 percent. It is the key to vocabulary and structure of all the Romance languages and to the structure of all the Teutonic languages, as well as to the technical vocabulary of all the sciences and to the literature of the Mediterranean civilization, together with all its historical documents.”
Logic School (7-8)
Our focus in Logic School is the development of understanding, capitalizing on the students' growing ability to analyze and reason. Our goal is to develop competency in the tools of investigation: analyzing, comparing, and contrasting. The core of the curriculum is Bible & History, Mathematics, Latin, Logic, and Writing.
The study of formal Logic is an essential foundation for higher level classes in Rhetoric, as well as the sciences. Learning how to construct good arguments and identify bad ones prepares students for disciplines ranging from computer science to philosophy. More importantly, the ability to reason correctly helps children logically understand what they believe and be prepared to defend it throughout their lives.
Rhetoric School (9-12)
Our focus in Rhetoric School is the development of wisdom, capitalizing on the students' growing desire to express themselves. Our goal is to develop competency in tools of prudent judgment and effective expression. The core of the curriculum is Science, Mathematics, Bible, Literature, and Civics/Economics.
The Greek & Roman worlds focused rhetoric training on individuals who would become citizen leaders, preparing them to speak eloquently and persuasively about the issues of the day. A rhetorician was a person of good character who tried to convince people of wisdom. The pursuit of virtue and the proclamation of truth are lifelong skills for citizens of God’s kingdom.
A la carte classes
As our history explains, our school’s roots come from the homeschooling community, and many families came to appreciate having direct involvement with their children’s schooling .
Therefore, we continue to offer a la carte classes for grades 7-12 to serve the homeschooling community
ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
In the fall, many of our grammar & middle school students participate in cross-country, practicing regularly and competing in meets to learn the value of hard work, persistence, and teamwork.
For the last several years we have joined with Livermore's St. Michael parish as part of the CYO Cross Country and Track & Field programs.
DRAMA
Each fall, the fifth through eighth grade students audition for roles in the annual Shakespeare production.