CSD: Lookbook

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

As the hymnist proclaims, we “ponder anew what the Almighty can do!”

What began in 2018 as a small collective of pioneering families has grown into a vibrant community united around a vision of education that nourishes the whole person – head, heart and hands.

As we continually see evidence of the Lord’s faithfulness in the lives of Classical students and families, we happily proclaim,

“Surely His goodness and mercy [has] daily attended," every step of the way.

Within our uniquely collaborative model, we invite families to slow down and create meaningful time together. Although the days with our children may feel long, the years do fly by.

So, if you’re looking for something more, consider a different way — integrate learning and living by joining our family at Classical School of Dallas.

Paige Watkins Co-Founder

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

OUR MISSION

Partnering with parents

to cultivate passion and depth in students through an imaginative, faithful, and intelligent exploration of God’s Word and world.

At Classical, we provide Christ-centered, classical, and collaborative education for students in the liberal arts tradition.

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

OUR VISION

By the grace of God

, Classical graduates grow into disciples of Christ who love truth, goodness and beauty — furthering His Kingdom as they discover their unique giftedness.

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE

We partner with parents to cultivate students who

• Love truth, goodness, and beauty — recognizing Christ as the source.

• Apply a biblical worldview to learning and living — pursuing a growing faith in Jesus Christ.

• Read deeply, listen thoroughly, and reason truthfully.

• Speak and write charitably with wisdom and eloquence.

Engage creation with wonder.

• Work diligently and serve faithfully by acting for the good of others.

• Seek to develop and deploy individual gifts and passions in God’s redemptive story.

“ Why are we reading

if not in hope that the writer will magnify and dramatize our days, will illuminate and inspire us with wisdom, courage, and the possibility of meaningfulness, and will press upon our minds the deepest mysteries, so that we may feel again their majesty and power?"

—ANNIE DILLARD THE WRITING LIFE

Celebrate the Great Books

Our Philosophy of Education

CHRIST-CENTERED • CLASSICAL • COLLABORATIVE

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

CHRIST-CENTERED

“In Him all things hold together” –Col. 1:17

Knowing Christ to be “before all things” and that “in Him all things hold together,” we believe academics and faith must go hand and hand to effectively navigate the whole of reality. By integrating subjects, we teach students to have a cohesive biblical network of principles to understand the world. We seek a discipleship orientation to cultivate wisdom and virtue through a spiritually formative education.

CLASSICAL Love what lasts

Using proven, time-tested historical teaching methods aligned with a child’s natural developmental stages, we equip students with the tools for lifelong learning known as the Trivium (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric). We follow scholarly and robust curricula to cultivate affections for things that have stood the test of time. With thoughtfully selected good, true and beautiful books we guide students to love what truly lasts.

COLLABORATIVE Parents as primary influencers

Students enjoy the best from both learning environments: two or three days of structured campus classrooms and programs (led by professional teachers) balanced by two or three days of more flexible learning at home (led by parents). Curated curricula and step by step daily instructions enable parents to create increasingly enriched homes and to share in the academic formation of their children. The combination of settings uniquely integrates living and learning, ultimately fostering whole-person education.

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

PREK—KINDERGARTEN

Primer

Foster a sense of wonder and discovery; build a foundation of reading and math.

Primer students learn to

• Read and write through a phonetic approach to spelling

• Explore mathematical concepts using incremental instruction and tactile manipulatives

• Embark on a curated path of “World Discovery” through rich, living literature

• Create weekly handiworks thematically organized by recognized, well-written reading selections (Inspired by Charlotte Mason)

• Recite classic nursery rhymes and beloved poems

• Enjoy class “read-aloud” books

• Study and discuss stories of scripture

• Develop penmanship skills

Experience the joy of choral instruction and performance

• Sing hymns, chant scriptures, and proclaim the joy of theological truths

Collaborative.

Grammar

Educate in accordance with students' natural abilities to memorize, observe and imagine.

Grammar students learn to

• Memorize math facts, history timelines, scientific information, geography, Latin vocabulary and English grammar through chants and songs

• Routinely recite poetry and scripture

• Explore the natural world and classification system through Omnia Mirari (wonder in everything), a Charlotte Mason-inspired nature study

• Cultivate observation skills and curiosity with journaling, sketching and watercolor

• Present hands-on-projects orally as training in public speaking

• Parse and diagram sentences to identify and explain how words function

• Spell with a phonetic and multi-sensory approach

• Imitate masterful writers as a pathway to write without trepidation

Immerse in a comprehensive Latin program

• Learn math by skip-counting, manipulatives, drills, incremental instruction and continual review

• Integrate biblical and world history through focused time period studies

• Enjoy rich literature, sing enduring hymns and narrate (retell) classic stories

• Attend to detail and beauty in art studies and penmanship

Educate in accordance with students' natural inclinations to argue and test assumptions.

Logic students learn to

• Read deeply and Socratically engage with peers and teachers through the Great Books curriculum

Unlock a sophisticated vocabulary and exacting grammar through Latin as a root language

• Explore the scientific method through research, hypotheses, experiments and reporting results

Practice careful listening, accurate retelling (narration) and persuasive speaking through routine presentations and seminar discussions

Study and master logical fallacies, providing an essential lifetime framework for filtering good and bad reasoning

• Move from passively collecting information to actively interacting with knowledge

• Build a strong foundation of mathematical skills, concepts and principles

• Compare and contrast information and ideas across traditional subject lines

• Continue to develop clear and effective written communication skills, including proper grammar, syntax and organization

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

9 TH

Rhetoric

Educate in accordance with students' heightened desires for independence and creative expression.

Rhetoric students learn to

• Make connections through the integrated Great Books humanities approach of Bible, theology, literature and history

• Join the Great Conversation by creating what is true, good and beautiful

• Build compelling and persuasive arguments, culminating in the Senior Capstone Thesis

• Advance with real-world and abstract mathematics to develop high-level quantitative skills and an analytical mindset

• Deepen scientific understanding and gain appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world

Read classic texts in original Latin by authors such as Virgil and Cicero

• Use Latin roots as a springboard to Spanish, focusing on oral conversation skills

• Appreciate nuance, grapple with stretching questions and develop the ability to consider multiples sides of an argument

Speak charitably and winsomely through routine oral presentations and lively dialogue

Discovering individual calling

Vocatio trains students to know the nearness of God by integrating learning with living.

Paul’s piercing declaration in Acts 17 creates the framework for Vocatio at Classical. Students learn the closer we draw to God, the more fully we discover his unique calling on our lives.

As students grow to know God, they begin to know themselves. Moving from idea to application, belief to behavior, teachers mentor students to address important questions about how our studies inform real life decision-making and purpose.

Vocatio is an educational approach to love, teach and train youth in “the way they should go.” Students and families are led through grit and motivation assessments, interest and learning style exploration, intentional observations from teachers and parents, prototype fieldwork and graduation guidance.

This combination of information, prayerful conversations and family sharing encourages students to discover for themselves God’s unique and personal calling.

Who am I?

Why do I get up in the morning?

What do I really value?

What communities and commitments will give order to my life?

What is “the good life”?

What should I do?

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

HOUSE SYSTEM

Acting for the good of others

Classical’s House System is designed to provide service and community opportunities for students to lead, explore individual giftedness and encourage virtue.

Developed in the 19th century, the tradition of the House System provides a sense of community and belonging among students.

The cardinal virtues of Classical’s House System serve as thematic organization for leadership and character development within Logic and Rhetoric students (5th - 12th grade).

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

Our House Virtues

PRUDENCE

The ability to make wise and practical decisions

JUSTICE

The virtue of fairness, promoting peace and caring for the vulnerable

TEMPERANCE

The practice of self control, regulating emotions and desires

FORTITUDE

The virtue of courage and strength amidst adversity, willingness to endure suffering

2nd Grade Boys Soccer

Training for lifelong fitness

Our athletic approach fosters both discipline and love for lifelong sports and movement.

We believe human flourishing involves the whole person: heart, soul, mind and strength.

Classical’s flexible model allows families to pursue a variety of sports through community and club leagues. We also partner with Caliber Athlete to provide a unique training experience for Classical students. Hosted at Kaycee Pool in Lake Highlands, students may seasonally or annually participate in Classical's swim team.

Upper school Classical students may choose to compete in TAPPS cross country and swim meets.

All Classical students are encouraged to participate in Caliber’s weekly running club, including Friday morning runs and seasonal races.

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

Creating with elegance

In celebration of the arts, classes are designed to foster transcendent moments through beauty.

Students select specialty classes of interest to attend. Eloquium class offerings vary from year to year; popular opportunities include

ART IN LIFE

Study and recreate art found in everyday life; projects include architecture, landscape and industrial design.

DANCE & ART

Celebrate the beauty of movement through creative and worshipful expression.

MUSICAL THEATER

Build a foundation for the performing arts through auditions, rehearsals and production.

TAE KWON DO

Develop strength, flexibility, agility and self-defense through timetested skills in the martial arts.

BOOK ART

FAIRY TALE ART

Create imaginative handiworks inspired from classic fairy tales.

FOUNDATIONAL ART

Mimic master artists by studying line, form and color through the skills of sketching and other medium exploration.

Explore a variety of art mediums with tactile bookbinding techniques.

MUSICAL ENSEMBLE

Enjoy musical training in vocal development through harmony, breathing techniques, articulation, sight reading and pitch control.

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

Cultivating enriched rhythms

Intentionally designed to elevate parents as the primary influencer in a child’s life

Strategically relational, the collaboration of school and home provides families with the necessary support to raise up children who, by God’s grace, love and follow Christ.

As a community of families, Classical creates meaningful shared experiences including:

• Family scripture memory and Bible reading

• Family oriented book parties

• Field trips designed for the whole family

• Daddy-daughter and mother-son date nights

• Family worship nights

• Mom and Dad events for parents to connect

• Intentional prayer time after Morning Assembly

A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.

—C.S. LEWIS

Admissions

LEARN • APPLY • INTERVIEW • ENROLL

At Classical School of Dallas we are devoted to both scholarship and discipleship, to cultivation of both heart and mind. Along with hundreds of collaborative schools across the nation, we create a life-style of learning that invites parents into the exciting journey. If this description matches your hopes for education, then we might be the home for you.

Our admissions process is designed to help you discover the best education for your family. We are grateful for your interest and are honored to join you in this important conversation.

▶ Visit classicaldallas.org/apply to get started today.

Christ-centered. Classical. Collaborative.

Annual Narnia Celebration