The tradition of classical education dates back to the earliest stages of Western civilization. The Greeks developed the concept of paideia, an ideal of child rearing which aimed to produce capable and reliable leaders upon whom the community could depend. Later, the Romans imitated the Greeks’ civic-minded brand of education. Among both peoples, the formation of the young depended heavily on training in public reasoning and debate, on a thorough acquaintance with the great stories of their culture, and on the cultivation of a taste for beauty. In time, this approach to education transformed into the liberal arts tradition, which served as the foundation of Western culture for nearly two thousand years. It was the tradition which shaped the education of the Founders, and of generations of Americans after them. A classical school, then, is one that draws upon the theory and practices of a proven, venerable approach to education. In contrast to so many educators obsessed with the latest fad, classical educators happily invite their students to learn in the same way that Shakespeare and Madison once learned.

Students in a classical school read great literature and study great art. They learn about the accomplishments of famous men and women from the past. They memorize Latin vocabulary and Chemistry formulas. They recite poetry and the times tables. This is what it means to receive a liberal arts education. The students’ daily participation in these learning activities ensures that they acquire real knowledge about their world, and a real ability to make sense of it. But it also ensures that their school days are filled with engaging, meaningful activities. A classical education is one which feeds children’s hunger for truth and beauty, and allows them to experience their increased capacity to know these things. A classical school is one where children arrive each morning confident that a day of growth and purpose awaits them.

At its core, classical education is simply an attempt to honor the potential of each child. We believe that every child who comes to learn with us is a nexus of purpose and meaning, endowed with a high destiny. To help them achieve this destiny, we strive to cultivate their inherent powers - what Matthew Arnold delineated as “the power of conduct, the power of intellect and knowledge, the power of beauty, and the power of social life and manners.” These are the powers upon which a child’s future happiness depends. We cultivate these powers not only through the lessons we present to our students, but through the school culture we maintain throughout the building - a culture built on courtesy, and on membership in a community of learners.