St. Jerome School is on a Mission: Anchored in Christ: Navigating Faith, Knowledge and Service
All children deserve an excellent education!
At St. Jerome School we focus learning and instruction through a classical, liberal arts lens. A liberal arts education is oriented toward truth, beauty and goodness by grounding itself in the classics. It develops the whole person and relies on the natural stages of development that all children go through as they grow up. By using the best of what has been written and said and engaging in practices like memory, Socratic discussion, writing, problem solving, deep observation and analysis, students become great thinkers able to comprehend the wonder of this world and their unique place in it.
Students at St. Jerome have many classes including, science, math, religion, and language arts. But, they will likely notice ways in which their studies in each subject are enhanced and enriched by the liberal arts approach. Subjects and content are more integrated and the hard lines between subject areas blur. For example, reading Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” lends itself to lessons in writing, religion, history and geography. The Humanities focus, at each grade level, will focus on a particular time period for each grade level. History, literature and religion--the study of Christ and the Church, great books, and history are brought to life as students dive into the connections that exist between them.
The developmental stages within the classical model
Below are two of the three stages of learning within the traditional classical education model.
Grades K-5
The Grammar Stage
Younger students are really good at memorizing facts, poetry and information. They also love reciting and sharing what they know through song and recitation. And, wow! Are they ever curious! Young children absorb learning like sponges! During the lower elementary years our students use Core Knowledge Language Arts, Groves Phonics, Sadlier Math, Ignatius Press Religion, and Inspire Science and integrated units for Nature Studies and Social Studies. We also introduce the Ruah Woods Theology of the Body curriculum in Kindergarten.
Grades 6-8
The Logic Stage
As most of us know, middle school students like to argue. They want to know what’s going on, they want to ask ‘“why” a lot, and they want reasons for things. This stage of learning is called the logic stage within the liberal arts model. We actually build on this tendency in the middle-school years and use it to teach students how to argue well and find answers and express themselves orally and in writing. Our Middle School learners use Amplify English Language Arts, Visions in English Grammar, Inspire Science, McGraw Hill Math, Ignatius Press Religion, Ruah Woods Theology of the Body, and integrated Social Studies units to delve into big ideas.