Christian

The gospel of Jesus Christ is central. Education that is distinctly Christian begins with the conviction that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10). We subscribe to the historic creeds and confessions of the traditional church. You can read our Statement of Faith here. On doctrinal matters, we hold to the principle, “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, and in all things, charity.”

Classical

We are committed to a classical course of studies, a path that has been tried and proven since ancient times.  The long tradition of classical Christian education has emphasized the seeking after truth, goodness, and beauty and the study of authentic liberal arts and the great living books. The classical model of education is rooted in the pedagogy of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The classical Greek view of education meant something much more than our typical understanding of the word; it referred to the training of the whole man—mind, soul, and heart—to fit him for his place in his culture and society.  Our aim as Christians in training our children—mind, soul, and heart—is to fit them for their place in the Kingdom, which in turn will fit them to lead and shape their culture and society.  A classical liberal arts education frees the mind to think, to discern, and to reason. It trains young people (and parents!) not to be swayed by every popular new idea that comes along or to remain in intellectual subjugation to the powers that be. We follow a core sequence of studies, which includes Latin (or Greek), logic, writing, and rhetoric as well as the great books, fine arts, mathematics, and science. We seek to grow in and integrate classical principles such as festina lente (making haste slowly), multum non multa (much not many), virtue education, and cultivating curiosity and wonder.

Restful

We are united by a pursuit of restfulness in learning, or scholé. The word scholé (pronounced skoh-LAY) comes from a Greek word that means “restful learning,” with the connotation of “contemplation,” “conversation,” and “reflection.” Ironically, it is also the basis for our English word school, which no longer holds for us these restful connotations. We seek deep engagement that results in enjoyable, permanent learning that is free from anxiety—that is, they seek to put the scholé back into (home) schools. The concept of scholé cuts across the grain of modern education and therefore takes a principled commitment to the ideal in order to be implemented and realized. We will model and practice this using a variety of educational and practical resources for understanding and implementing scholé into our community and families.

Communal

We seek to be a vibrant community of adult and student learners united by a passion for truth, goodness, and beauty. In this life, however, there is a tension between the real and the ideal. We believe that there is a real standard to reach for, so we teach, work, and grow. We also know there is the reality of today and so we encourage, inspire, and support by, “expanding wisdom while extending grace.” While student learning is at the core, parent-teacher education is also of great value to the community. Integration of parent-teacher education and growth occurs on a regular basis using ClassicalU, the teacher-training platform, and community-wide discussions.  This is an integral part of our purpose.

Flexible

We honor the parents in their God-given role as the leaders and teachers to their child(ren). While we are united by the values above, we encourage flexibility for families to customize their practices to the unique persons and settings of their family and home. We appreciate the diversity represented by our families and encourage each family to seek a structure and focus that works best for their unique family while still adhering to our core values (Christian, Classical, Restful). While we offer a great amount of flexibility, we understand that guidance can be helpful for those who desire it! With this in mind, we provide additional support and recommendations for families who are looking for more guidance as they root and establish themselves in the classical tradition restfully in their families.