CORE COURSES
We offer a variety of core courses to reduce the homeschooling workload for parents, allowing students to engage in the formational programming offered through the Paideia Centre.
Core courses include English Writing and Literature, Shakespeare, History, Geography, and Latin. In our Tuesday/Thursday Program, we now also offer Science, French, Logic, and Mathematics.
ENGLISH LITERATURE
GRAMMAR
& WRITING
Students will read and discuss the great works of Western Literature. They will learn the nuances of grammar, the structures of writing and the art of penmanship.
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY
LANGUAGES
History courses will cover Classical, Medieval and Early Modern eras. Most importantly, we will cover church history and how it intertwines with the complexities of the developing Western Civilizations.
Latin is NOT DEAD!
Our senior program offers beginner Latin. Latin is the foundation of rational thinking which has greatly influenced literary and religious works. It is the official language of the Catholic Church.
Most of all, Latin is fun!
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Since the basis for understanding most of English literature are the classical works and the Scriptures,
we hope to offer our students a good exposure to these early works and help them understand
how these writings have affected most of the literature of the West.
In the junior program, we enjoy fairytales and fables, poetry, stories of the saints,
and discuss two to three novels a year.
We take the time to enjoy these works of literature and allow students time to learn
why these works are considered great.
In the senior program, students will gain a deeper understanding of the treasure of English prose and poetry.
We begin with the great works from the Greek, Roman and Anglo-Saxon time periods,
while at the same time enjoy historical fiction and other more contemporary great works.
In the upper grades, we will study authors such as Homer, Chaucer, Dante, Shakespeare,
Dickens, Benson, Tolkien, Lewis, Belloc and Chesterton.
In all of our classes, our focus is not only to read the literary works, but also to delve into the styles,
techniques, lessons and themes particular to each piece.
Most importantly, however, we want our students to learn the great lessons these works can teach
and to help them enjoy these literary treasures.
Due to so many great works of literature, we may ask students to read certain books over the summer.
SHAKESPEARE
All literature written in the English language for the last four hundred and more years owes a debt to William Shakespeare. His plays and poetry have been endlessly adapted and used as sources of inspiration. The beauty of his language and the complexity of his characters continue to enthrall modern readers. This beauty can be difficult to penetrate for the modern student, but it is well worth the effort. The beauty of Shakespeare is truly capable of transcendence. While even on the page Shakespeare’s texts live and breathe, for many students they remain dead and divorced from their original theatrical context. Through the Academy of Our Lady, we hope to kindle a love of the Bard not only through textual study, but also through theatrical performance.
HISTORY: CLASSICAL, MEDIEVAL, EARLY MODERN & CHURCH
The basis of our modern world, from nations to cultures, resides in history. Our languages, art, and cultural practices were all forged in the events of history. History is complex, yet captivating. It contains stories of beauty and tragedy, of saints and sinners alike. History, when properly studied, lends the student greater appreciation not only for the products of the past in artistic form but also for our own inheritance. While history is often the victim of ideological narratives, it has a truth all its own that can be discovered through the actual texts of the time. Through the Academy of Our Lady, we hope to present history through the voices of history itself, for this is their story and ours.
GEOGRAPHY
Students in the junior program will study Geography as it forms a necessary part of understanding History. They will memorize continents, countries and provinces, learn to use maps, atlases, and globes. In the senior program, students will discover how maps developed throughout different time periods, and will use maps proper to the historical time period they are studying.
LATIN
Historically, Latin has served as an essential part of language formation and rational thinking. This ancient and active language helps develop the mind and allows one to better interact with literary and religious works of the past. Since it is the language of the Catholic Church, understanding Latin will serve our students as they continue their formation in Sacred Music, Theology, Philosophy, and History.
Most importantly, Latin is fun!
FUTURE COURSES
MATHMATICS &
SCIENCES
As a rule in the Regular Program, Mathematics and sciences are taught by parents at home. However, students are now able to have assistance in these subject in our Tuesday/Thursday program.
PHILOSOPHY
History courses will cover Classical, Medieval and Early Modern eras.
Most importantly, we will cover church history and how it intertwines with the complexities of our developing Western Civilizations.
TRIVIUM & QUADRIVIUM
The Trivium includes Grammar, Rhetoric and Dialectic. The Quadrivium includes Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy.
TRIVIUM & QUADRIVIUM
The Trivium, the primary grade of the Seven Liberal Arts, consists of Grammar, Rhetoric, and Dialectic. This is the basic curriculum to be mastered in the Liberal Arts. Grammar is the study of language, literature, and ‘the art of the letters’; Rhetoric is the study of oratory and delivered argument; and Dialectic is the study of logic, classical and Christian philosophy.
The Quadrivium, the secondary grade of the Seven Liberal Arts, consists of Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy. This is the uppermost grade and terminus of the Liberal Arts. Based in the Pythagorean theory that everything can be understood in terms of number: Arithmetic studies number in itself; Geometry (which also includes Geography) studies number in space; Music studies number in time; and Astronomy studies number in space and time.