Educational Program
A rich and rigorous Core Knowledge curriculum including foreign language, art, music, and physical education using the Classical approach will help students achieve high academic standards.  It is expected that the school will be a high performing academic institution with a college preparatory focus where students who enroll will know that they will eventually plan to pursue a post secondary education.

What is a classical education?
The Classical approach to education is about 1000 years old and has been experiencing a revival of popularity over the last hundred years.  The basis for the Classical approach to education is called the Trivium.  The Trivium’s function in a student’s education has multiple meanings at different stages of development.  It encompasses the stages of academic development as well as specified pedagogical approaches with all academic disciplines.

The three Trivium Arts Stages are the Grammar stage, the Logic stage, and the Rhetoric stage, occurring in that order.  These three stages are experienced by all students in grades K-12, but each stage is emphasized at different developmental levels of a student’s education.  The beginning Grammar stage is a focus in grades K-2.  At this stage, a student is highly motivated and is excited about learning.  They enjoy learning games, stories, songs, and projects.  They are creative and imaginative, but also want to experience the concrete aspects of life by touching, tasting, feeling, smelling seeing.

The regular Grammar stage includes grades 3-6. Students at this level are interested in building a foundation of knowledge through interesting content and facts.  They like to figure things out, organize information, explain, and talk.  They want to relate their own experiences to topics and stories.  The Logic stage includes grades 7-9.  They still can enjoy learning but could need more motivation and challenge.  The developmental focus is on higher level skills such as critiquing and debate.  They are curious about the “why” of most things and want to know the “behind the scenes” facts that tell the rest of the story.  They like to show off their knowledge and sometimes may think and act as if they are more knowledgeable than adults.  The Rhetoric stage includes grades 10-12.  The higher level skills focus at this level can include synthesis, interpretation, and persuasive communication in written and spoken form.  Students at this level are interested in present events, justice, fairness, their own feelings and ideas, and focusing on moving toward special interests and topics they value.

The developmental characteristics of the Trivium have many implications for classroom instruction and pedagogy.  Even though each aspect of the Trivium has a developmental focus, the pedagogical tools of the Trivium Arts may be used across all grade levels.  A Classical education then becomes a life-long process of the application of the “tools of learning” students take with them through all stages of the Trivium; tools meaning the skills learned in the grammar, logic, and rhetoric stages that are carried forward through every stage of learning.  The end result is a well trained mind ready for higher education and ready for life.