For Christ's Glory, For Students' Hearts and Minds, For Your Family's Growth
Programs Overview
At Veritas Academy, we strive to make every part of the educational experience consistent with the truths of Scripture. We desire to support the family and local churches in molding students to be disciples who love God and His word, members of the Body of Christ who love the church, and missionaries who love the lost. Learn more about Our Beliefs.
In our school we hold high standards of conduct for our students. We emphasize things like obedience to God, respect for authority, and kindness to others. We also emphasize the Gospel, which shows us our need of grace and the hope we have in Christ. Learn more about Our Approach.
All academic disciplines are taught from the perspective of Christian truth. In this aim, Veritas follows the classical Trivium. This model of education divides the stages of learning (*see details below) into the Grammar School (Elementary), Logic School (Middle), and Rhetoric School (High School). As our students progress into middle and high school, we study the “great books.” Our Pre-K and Kindergarten programs are preliminary to the Trivium. Our Extended Day Classes are supplemental to it. For a deeper look at classical education and how it differs from a more conventional approach see our “What is Classical Education?” resource.
Our academic program for each grade is full-curriculum, offering all core subjects in the mornings (Language Arts, Math, Literature, History, Science, and Latin). Learn more about our curriculum for each grade by downloading our Grammar School Scope and Sequence and our Logic and Rhetoric Scope and Sequence.
Electives (Art, Music, PE and Drama) are offered in the afternoons, as well as clubs, house events, and athletics. Our teachers model the love of learning we want to teach to each student.
Defining the Learning Stages
Trivium Application Chart
This chart, drawn from the essay The Lost Tools of Learning, by Dorothy Sayers, summarizes the stages of learning. For a deeper look at the stages see our “What is Classical Education?” resource.
Beginning Grammar
(Pre-Polly)
Grades K-2,Approx. ages 4-7
Student Characteristics
1. Obviously excited about learning
2. Enjoys games, stories, songs, projects
3. Short attention span
4. Wants to touch, taste, feel, smell, see
5. Imaginative, creative
Teaching Methods
1. Guide discovering
2. Explore, find things
3. Use lots of tactile items to illustrate point
4. Sing, play games, chant, recite, color, draw, paint, build
5. Use body movements
6. Short, creative projects
7. Show and Tell, drama, hear/read/tell stories
8. Field trips
GRAMMAR
(Poll-Parrot)
Grades 3-6,Approx. ages 8-11
Student Characteristics
1. Excited about new, interesting facts
2. Likes to explain, figure out, talk
3. Wants to relate own experiences to topic, or just to tell a story
4. Likes collections, organizing items
5. Likes chants, clever, repetitious word sounds
6. Easily memorizes
7. Can assimilate another language well
Teaching Methods
1. Lots of hands-on work, projects
2. Field trips, drama
3. Make collections, displays, models
4. Integrate subjects through above means
5. Teach and assign research project
6. Recitations, memorizations
7. Drills, games
8. Oral/written presentations
LOGIC
(Pert)
Grades 7-8,Approx. ages 12-13
Student Characteristics
1. Still excitable, but needs challenges
2. Judges, critiques, debates, critical
3. Likes to organize items, others
4. Shows off knowledge
5. Wants to know “behind the scenes” facts
6. Curious about Why? for most things
7. Thinks, acts as though more knowledgeable than adults
Teaching Methods
1. Time lines, charts, maps (visual materials)
2. Debates, persuasive reports
3. Drama, reenactments, role-playing
4. Evaluate, critique (with guidelines)
5. Formal logic
6. Research projects
7. Oral/written presentations
8. Guest speakers, trips
RHETORIC
(Poetic)
Grades 9-12,Approx. ages 14-18
Student Characteristics
1. Concerned with present events, especially in own life
2. Interested in justice, fairness
3. Moving toward special interests, topics
4. Can take on responsibility, independent work
5. Can do synthesis
6. Desires to express feelings, own ideas
7. Generally idealistic
Teaching Methods
1. Drama, oral presentations
2. Guide research in major areas with goalof synthesis of ideas
3. Many papers, speeches, debates
4. Give responsibilities, e.g. working with younger students, organize activities
5. In-depth field trips, even overnight
6. World view discussion and written papers