We believe genuine civic-mindedness is not so much a matter of preaching the good as it is of living it. Therefore, we prepare our students to become men and women of virtue, because that is how they will have the most positive effect on their families, communities, and country.

By immersing students in historical examples of human excellence, they learn to fall in love with wisdom, courage, and justice.

We also expose students to the best and most beautiful literature of all time, which helps to shape both their imaginations and their hearts as they grow in virtue and love for all that is good.

We daily impress upon our students that they have a responsibility to do what they can to relieve the hardships and anxieties of others. We offer many opportunities for service, focused particularly on feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and almsgiving. Among other initiatives, our students:

~sewed mittens out of their own sweaters for homeless shelters during winter

~made baby blankets for mothers and babies in need

~baked dog biscuits and donated them, along with toys, to an animal shelter

~wrote Christmas letters to soldiers serving abroad

~launched successful food pantry, clothing drive, and blessing bag campaigns

~sang Christmas carols & visited with residents at a nursing home

~collected school supplies for hurricane victims

An education ordered to teaching students how to live well must also prepare them to evaluate their progress towards that ultimate end. For this reason, we don’t place outsized importance on grades or test scores, because numbers only tell part of that story. While important in assessing skills acquired and content mastered, the real measure of the work students do is only marginally approximated by a numerical evaluation.

The truest criteria of success, rather, is whether they are better human beings for having been at school -- not just upon graduation, but at the end of every day. Have they given themselves over to the wonder and delight offered by each class that day? Did they seize every opportunity to grow in their understanding of the truth, and to live faithfully according to their individual callings as they understand them?

This is the standard we hope our students will permanently embrace for themselves.

We value friendly competition as a proving ground of character.

To that end, we embrace a system in which each student is placed into one of four Houses. Throughout the year, the Houses vie with one another in academic and athletic competitions, earning valuable points and prizes along the way.

Our House system fosters small group communities in which students feel known and valued. For the younger students, it allows them to take risks in a supportive and encouraging environment. For the older students, it gives them incomparable opportunities to develop and demonstrate real leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

It’s not just about competition, though! The Houses undertake many works of service both inside and outside the school. The relationships forged by serving others together are authentic, deep, and lasting.

We also offer a variety of competitive sports for students in Grades 3-8, so that our young athletes can give expression to their passions and hone their skills.