Academics

The Trivium

A classical Christian education aspires to cultivate students marked by wisdom, eloquence, and virtue. Such cultivation takes place under the guidance of teachers who have integrity, character, knowledge, and wisdom who implement the classic curriculum.

Christian

Holy Trinity Classical Christian School’s philosophy of education rests on the conviction that our students, made in the image of God, are growing in their knowledge of the Lord. Our intention is that each student will come to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and strength–and their “mind.”

Because all creation and all life is under the Lordship of Christ, our teaching throughout is grounded upon the Word of God. We begin with the belief that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10).

Classical

The classical educational philosophy of Holy Trinity Classical Christian School is shaped by the classical model of the Trivium. This centuries-old method applies the biblical concepts of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to the age-appropriate stages of a child’s development.

There are three phases: Grammar (grades K-5), Logic (grades 6-8), and Rhetoric (grades 9-12). The objective of classical methodology is to equip students with the tools of learning and the wisdom to apply them to life situations.

Ultimately it is to instill in our children a passion for truth and a lifelong love of learning as they progress through the phases of Trivium:

PHASE ONE

Grammar

Young children learn the building blocks of knowledge or “grammar.” The fundamentals of all subjects–science, math, history, culture, the arts as well as language–are the facts, rules, and vocabulary. Young children learn these building blocks through singing, chanting, recitation, and memorization.

They learn the Great Story of the loving purposes of God as found in Holy Scripture through chanting and song, by story and verse.

Children also begin to learn Latin during the Grammar phase as this language not only serves as the underpinning for much of the English language and vocabulary, but it also begins to train the mind to think precisely and logically.

PHASE TWO

Logic

As children mature, they naturally seek understanding by asking “why” and by looking for relationships among specific pieces of knowledge. Logic focuses on equipping students to discern truth from falsehood, the right relationship of facts to the whole.

In this phase, children are taught formal logic, logical fallacies, and reasoning skills through tools like the Socratic method and Aristotelian logic.

In Scripture, right understanding is a prerequisite to good judgment and sincere obedience to truth.

PHASE THREE

Rhetoric

This is the capstone of the Trivium. Its goal is godly wisdom preparing effective ambassadors for Christ. The Rhetoric phase trains students to be able communicators through the development of skills in applied science, the written word, speech, drama, and the fine arts.

Students learn to speak and write well and to relate to their audience with clarity and persuasion. Students also will be equipped to defend their faith and commend it wherever they are called (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The Holy Trinity curriculum is a coherent whole in which each year of study builds upon the skills and knowledge of the previous year. However, as a new school we realize that many of our incoming students have not received classical Christian instruction and we have modified our curriculum and pedagogy accordingly.