The Classical Difference

• We teach all subjects as part of an integrated whole with Christ at the center, thereby acknowledging the supremacy of God and His investiture of Himself in all knowledge.  In other words, Truth (see John 14:6) is at the center of the educational process, and all instruction comes from and focuses on God as the “all-knowing Knower of all things."

• We educate each child according to his/her God-given way (bent) by presenting materials to be learned in a manner consistent with the student’s stage of development.

• We seek to cooperate with God as He moves students from knowledge to understanding to wisdom and to help students see how God has infused these components into all they learn.

Because God is infinite, learning about Him and His creation is a lifelong process in which we must all participate and for which we must all be equipped.

A thoroughly biblical worldview establishes and informs each aspect of our educational endeavor.

• There is an inter-relationship of all subjects.  No subject truly stands alone but has touchpoints with all others.

• Students learn in different ways as they mature, and there is a style of learning best suited to each stage of students’ maturation.  In our instructional programs, we seek to apply that style appropriately at each stage.

• Every subject at every level has fundamental information that can be known (grammar), a logical ordering and structure of that information (dialectic), and ways of applying and giving meaning and expression to that information (rhetoric).

• We teach students how to learn by providing them with tools that enable them to attack subjects appropriately at any level.  This further stirs a desire and love for learning.

• We emphasize and seek to preserve and pass to successive generations the richness of our Western cultural heritage.

The classical, Christ-centered curriculum finds its bedrock in the treatment of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom in the Scriptures—especially in Proverbs—with Proverbs 2:6 being a key foundational passage.  Divided into three components of learning (grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric), the classical, Christ-centered curriculum best complements the three stages of cognitive development (poll-parrot, pert, and poetic).  By incorporating grammar (the fundamental data that one can know about subjects or knowledge), dialectic (a logical ordering and structure of what one knows, or understanding), and rhetoric (ways of giving meaning to, applying, and expressing what one knows and understands, or wisdom) within the curriculum, our students receive and achieve more than a collection of information – they are equipped with skills that will make them lifetime learners.

Through our classical, Christ-centered curriculum, we seek to equip every student to fulfill his/her God-given potential in all subjects, to develop critical thinking skills within each student through didactic instruction and Socratic dialogue, and to teach each student to communicate eloquently, persuasively, and effectively.  Because of our fundamental desire to integrate faith and learning, our teachers are free to evaluate and adapt curriculum materials so that they accurately express God’s truth.  In doing so, teachers seek to inspire biblical scholarship and independent thinking in their students, with the ultimate goal of interpreting the subject matter in the light of a biblical worldview.

God has given parents the responsibility of educating their children. Christian Heritage Classical School operates as an extension of the family in cooperation with the parents to educate their children. We operate in loco parentis or in place of the parent. Teachers are to remember that they do not function above parental authority.

Click here to learn more about the Classical Difference.

Education at Christian Heritage Classical School is inherently different from secular education in philosophy, pedagogy, and content. At all levels of our program, we seek to:

• Teach all subjects as parts of an integrated whole with Scripture as the center.
• Emphasize grammar, logic, and rhetoric in all subjects.
• Provide a clear model of biblical Christian life through its staff and Board. To this end, Christian Heritage School should only employ teachers and staff who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, exhibit Godly character qualities, and live a lifestyle consistent with biblical teaching.
• Encourage each student to begin and grow in his relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.
• Encourage each student to understand God's gifting and purpose upon his life, and to faithfully pursue them for God's glory and live a life of faithfulness to God.
• Encourage each student to develop a love for learning and to achieve his academic potential.
• Equip each student to shape his life and the culture according to the priorities of the kingdom of God.
• Equip each student with the tools of learning so to the end that they will become lifelong learners.