Training students in truth, wisdom, and worship.
Unlike the public school system, Classical Christian Education trains the whole child – the heart as well as the mind.
Students are trained to know God, to see His hand in each subject, and to get to work from a place of wonder and awe.
St. George Christian Academy brings glory to God by equipping students to think critically; to love learning; and to see truth, goodness and beauty in all things.
Curriculum
The structure of our curriculum
Our curriculum follows the Liberal Arts Tradition, along with the renewed idea of the Trivium (see our "About Classical Education" page). The above image is a general outline of how our curriculum is structured:
First and foremost, piety undergirds everything. Teaching students whom to love and respect - with the emphasis being first on God, and then to parents and adults - orients the student into remembering what education is for. Thus, giving glory to God is infused into every subject.
Physical exercise and music help to create poetic knowledge: something which is developed and trained into an individual, with the result of not just thinking coldly, but taking in the world with wonder. This helps to raise students into a lifestyle of seeing God’s hand in everything
The seven liberal arts, which consist of the Trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) and the Quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music) help to build within the child the tools of learning. With language being built in the Trivium, and logic and spatial reasoning being built in the Quadrivium, this historic method helps students to learn how to learn – preparing them for entering into a lifestyle of learning and studying how God created the world (Philosophy), and what he says in his word (Theology).
Features of Classical Christian Education
The Great Books
The Great Books
The Great Books
Classical Christian Education uses the great books of western culture - not just Christian books. We believe God created His world with truth, goodness and beauty, and that - since He is the source of beauty - his fingerprints are in everything that that is beautiful.
Kodaly Music
The Great Books
The Great Books
The Kodaly Method uses whole body movement and hand motions to teach tonal memory. This prepares them to begin learning an instrument, to sing and to engage in a lifetime of fully formed music proficiency.
Art
Latin
Latin
Studying and imitating the great artists of western society, in all their various forms, is crucial to a Classical Education. As with everything, the Trivium is the predominant method for teaching art. At the Elementary level, students learn the grammar of art, then the logic (the 'why'). Finally, in the rhetoric stage, students learn to make something beautiful of their own.
Latin
Latin
Latin
We study Latin as the language of the church and theology. Its structure also serves as a key to learning many other languages easily. Students will be able to learn other languages far easier later on in life!
Grammar School: The Grammar Stage (Kindergarten - 6th grade)
Students in this stage are excited about learning; enjoy stories, songs, and chants; memorize easily; and can retain an enormous amount of information. The combination of constant physical movement and singing makes this stage not only fun for the child, but also aids in creating poetic knowledge from an early age, with intentional virtue training at every opportunity. These instructional practices are integrated throughout, along with other Classical Educations strategies.
Below is a snapshot of what you can expect in 3 of the Grammar school grades:
- Kindergarten: Virtue training; Phonics training (early reading); math properties (patterns, adding); science; "History of Me" (learning to tell stories); Bible stories & catechisms; introductory Latin chants; integrated art projects; PE; music, both integrated in each class and explicitly taught through the Kodaly method.
- Third Grade: Guided independent reading of books; arithmetic skills; science; spelling; cursive; writing imitation; English grammar; Geography/History; formal Latin instruction begins; Bible reading, catechisms, memorization and recitation, integrated art projects, PE; integrated thematic music and Kodaly music.
- Fifth Grade: Monitored, independent reading of books (integrated with history, science); the beginnings of discussion skills to prepare for The Great Conversation; arithmetic skills and problem solving; science; spelling patterns & rules; writing assignments; English grammar; continued Latin instruction; Geography & History; Bible reading, oral presentations and recitations; integrated art projects; PE; choir.
The St. George Reading Culture
Teachers will guide their students to choose and read quality literature on their own throughout the school year. Students should always have a book in their backpack.
The question “What are you reading right now?” will be a question students at St. George Christian Academy will be quick to answer.
Other features
High Standards
High Standards
High Standards
While many schools inflate grades and pass students along without accountability, St. George Christian Academy holds firm to meaningful academic standards. We believe learning unfolds over time, and we use homework as a disciplined and reasonable tool to support mastery—not as busywork or overload.
Uniforms
High Standards
High Standards
Students wear uniforms as a way to eliminate distractions, emphasize our unity in Christ, and to highlight our focus on learning.
Behavior
High Standards
Class sizes
Since our school’s purpose is not just academic, but spiritual as well, we expect high levels of behavioral excellence. Our Christian conduct policy aims at promoting healthy relationships with God and others. Ultimately our goal is to produce godly, respectful, well-educated individuals.
Class sizes
High Standards
Class sizes
Class sizes will be between 15 and 18. Smaller classes means more focused time between teacher and student.