The Classical Christian Difference

Classical education dates to ancient Greece and employs the tools of learning (reading, writing, speaking, thinking, and listening) to teach young souls how to appreciate beauty, seek truth, and become virtuous and wise. A strong classical Christian education also uses fine points of language and encourages students to engage with the works of the greatest minds in the Western world. Classical learning focuses heavily on ideas, a practice central to our design as rational, thinking creatures who bear God’s image.

Grammar Stage (TK-5th Grade)

Grammar students possess an innate ability to memorize and retain facts. Our classical methodology includes many songs, chants, and jingles to help students memorize and retain foundational truths they will rely on throughout their education. Hands-on learning experiences stimulate students’ natural curiosity and creativity.

Dialectic Stage (6th-8th Grade)

Dialectic students naturally move from questions of ‘what’ and begin to ask ‘why?’ They think more abstractly, and from this newfound capacity flows their love of questioning and a tendency to debate anything. Our Dialectic faculty nurtures sound reasoning skills by teaching students to define terms, recognize logical fallacies, and identify assumptions. Classrooms are filled with discussion and debate as our teachers encourage questions and ideas. The ability to reason and argue correctly sets our graduates apart when they enter college and their chosen spheres of influence.

Rhetoric Stage (9th-12th Grade)

Rhetoric students think independently and are naturally concerned with how they are perceived. Our curriculum helps them communicate effectively and persuade an audience of any size or composition. We encourage students to draw on the facts memorized in Grammar School and to apply the logical thinking skills developed as Dialectic students. Each senior will research and defend an arguable thesis, both in a written paper and in an oral presentation before a panel of professionals. The senior thesis caps their Caldwell education and prepares students for the next stage of life.

Curriculum

Our students enter the Great Conversation by intentionally reading the best literature history has to offer. We emphasize a well-rounded study of math and science, history and literature, foreign language – including Latin studies from the Grammar through the Rhetoric years – plus theology and the arts. Students read primary (original) texts and develop communication skills, including research, writing, and speaking. We incorporate an interdisciplinary approach to our curriculum, whereby all subjects are integrated rather than compartmentalized.

The Teacher as Mentor

We believe in Socrates’ notion that education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire. Teachers with a love for lifelong learning and a desire to mentor students provide the spark. Our teachers do not merely regard their work as vocational training, but look to shepherd their students’ hearts and nurture their souls. They encourage students to think critically and deeply and to seek Christ in every facet of the world. Inspired by Christ’s teaching of His disciples, our faculty looks to cultivate wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul with truth, beauty, and goodness.

Preparing for Life at its Best

Our ultimate goal is for our students to develop more fully as God created them. With His help, the result of our classical Christian framework, curriculum, and staff is young men and women who are lifelong learners and creative problem solvers. Caldwell graduates will think outside the box and communicate eloquently across the disciplines. We prepare our students to flourish and faithfully follow Jesus Christ

The Classical Difference