Present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15)
Recovering Classical Education
The Trivium is not an Experiment, but a Proven Model
The trivium taught the primary tools of learning. The quadrivium applied the trivium to the complete range of advanced subjects.
For twenty centuries, these methods, integrated with a biblical world view of salvation in Jesus Christ, have educated and guided Christians from all traditions.
Twenty years of first-hand experience at The Oaks confirms that classical education is as up-to-date as ever.
Our Headmaster, Charlie Dowers, explained classical education and the trivium helpfully during a radio interview in 2015.
The trivium helps a guy (or a girl) make sense of gummies, toothpicks, and regular shapes, with rocket wings at the top for good measure.
Recovering Classical Education
The Trivium is not an Experiment, but a Proven Model
The trivium taught the primary tools of learning. The quadrivium applied the trivium to the complete range of advanced subjects.
For twenty centuries, these methods, integrated with a biblical world view of salvation in Jesus Christ, have educated and guided Christians from all traditions.
The trivium helps a guy (or a girl) make sense of gummies, toothpicks, and regular shapes, with rocket wings at the top for good measure.
Twenty years of first-hand experience at The Oaks confirm that classical education is as up-to-date as ever.
Our Headmaster, Charlie Dowers, explained classical education and the trivium helpfully during a radio interview in 2015.
Wisdom Across Developmental Stages
Teaching to the Grain
First graders at work on an art project.
Dorothy Sayers, the noted 20th century Christian intellectual and British novelist, wrote a booklet titled The Lost Tools of Learning. This sparked a renaissance of classical education. She broke fresh ground by mapping the trivium to the three stages of a child's mental and emotional growth.
Following her lead, we "teach to the grain". We use age-appropriate materials to engage students at the intersection of their present spiritual, intellectual and emotional maturity.
Dorothy Sayers
Wisdom Across Developmental Stages
Teaching to the Grain
First graders at work on an art project.
Dorothy Sayers, the noted 20th century Christian intellectual and British novelist, wrote a booklet titled The Lost Tools of Learning. This sparked a renaissance of classical education. She broke fresh ground by mapping the trivium to the three stages of a child's mental and emotional growth.
Dorothy Sayers
Following her lead, we "teach to the grain". We use age-appropriate materials to engage students at the intersection of their present spiritual, intellectual and emotional maturity.
Grammar
No One is Better At It than Our Youngest Students
Typically, many students raise their hands to answer a question.
Memory, rhyme and recitation do not tire, but invigorate, younger children. The grammar stage helps them build a vast array of knowledge upon which all their later learning will feed.
A set of objectives for Bible, spelling, grammar, reading, penmanship, history, mathematics, science, art and physical education offer reachable goals. Behavioral objectives direct the child's growth in character.
Grammar students also benefit from weekly teaching by our secondary Latin, science, music and art staff.
Daily Bible study covers, gradually, the entire Old and New Testament. Beginning students memorize and recite portions from Proverbs. Older grammar students memorize an entire chapter.
Students chant a sequence of history facts, together, supporting recall many years later, without mistake.
Speech meet awards.
Mastering the art and science of observing nature.
Grammar
No One is Better At It than Our Youngest Students
Typically, many students raise their hands to answer a question.
Memory, rhyme and recitation do not tire, but invigorate, younger children. The grammar stage helps them build a vast array of knowledge upon which all their later learning will feed.
Students chant a sequence of history facts, together, supporting recall many years later, without mistake.
A set of objectives for Bible, spelling, grammar, reading, penmanship, history, mathematics, science, art and physical education offer reachable goals. Behavioral objectives direct the child's growth in character.
Mastering the art and science of observing nature.
Grammar students also benefit from weekly teaching by our secondary Latin, science, music and art staff.
Daily Bible study covers, gradually, the entire Old and New Testament. Beginning students memorize and recite portions from Proverbs. Older grammar students memorize an entire chapter.
Logic
It's Easier to Argue When You Know the Rules
Reviewing and plotting strategy for the afternoon section of a multi-school debate event.
Logic stage students insist on debating (competitively and for fun) whether something is or is-not logical. We help them master the distinguo of classical logic across this God-ordained developmental phase.
We teach them to recognize and separate true argumentation from false. We require them to offer factual evidence and sound reasons for their bold claims about reality.
Training in written composition based on the pro-gymnasmata of the Christian educational tradition becomes their bridge to the expressiveness of the rhetoric stage. Browse the Pro-Gymnasmata curricular summary used by students.
These years also introduce students to algebra, geometry, basic and earth science, American literature, English grammar and world history.
Common fables form the opening lesson of the Pro-Gymnasmata.
Allegra Miller
Eric Indgjerd
Students can now, for the first, appreciate their Latin studies for grounding them in non-formal, logical thought.
(Above, left) Allegra Miller leads a Latin class, using engaging dramatization techniques to bring the language alive.
(Above, right) Our long-time Latin head and innovator, Eric Indgjerd, presented his teaching methods at the 2017 national ACCS conference. He also returned to study for a second consecutive summer, with the world-renowned Accademia Vivarium Novum, and consult with them about future plans for our Latin program.
Logic
It's Easier to Argue When You Know the Rules
Reviewing and plotting strategy for the afternoon section of a multi-school debate event.
Logic stage students insist on debating (competitively and for fun) whether something is or is-not logical. We help them master the distinguo of classical logic across this God-ordained developmental phase.
We teach them to recognize and separate true argumentation from false. We require them to offer factual evidence and sound reasons for their bold claims about reality.
Training in written composition based on the pro-gymnasmata of the Christian educational tradition becomes their bridge to the expressiveness of the rhetoric stage. Browse the Pro-Gymnasmata curricular summary used by students.
These years also introduce students to algebra, geometry, basic and earth science, American literature, English grammar and world history.
Common fables form the opening lesson of the Pro-Gymnasmata.
Students can now, for the first, appreciate their Latin studies for grounding them in non-formal, logical thought.
Allegra Miller
Allegra Miller (above) leads a Latin class, using engaging dramatization techniques to bring the language alive.
Eric Indgjerd
Our long-time Latin head and innovator, Eric Indgjerd, presented his teaching methods at the 2017 national ACCS conference.
He also returned to study for a second consecutive summer, with the world-renowned Accademia Vivarium Novum, and consult with them about future plans for our Latin program.
Rhetoric
Expressing Ourselves Beautifully in Service of Truth
The round table supports Harkness-style conversations between students and teacher.
Who today does not regret the frequent descent of political and cultural rhetoric into mere propaganda? For two millennia, rhetorical training was a prerequisite for graduation from the trivium. So it is again at The Oaks.
We train students to place the rhetorical stage arts of invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery into the service of biblical truth across a wide range of secondary studies.
These include American and British literature, modern history, trigonometry, calculus, chemistry, physics, as well as multiple Bible courses.
Maps of important ideas spark rhetorical invention.
Junior and senior-age students select, research, prepare, write, memorize and, finally, present an oral presentation of a thesis project. These form the capstone of their rhetorical studies and, indeed, of the entire trivium.
Mastering the details of experimention demands complete attention.
Kate Cvancara placed third in the 2016 ACCS speech competition. She proposed science fiction as an important apologetic tool.
Rhetoric
Expressing Ourselves Beautifully in Service of Truth
The round table supports Harkness-style conversations between students and teacher.
Who today does not regret the frequent descent of political and cultural rhetoric into mere propaganda? For two millennia, rhetorical training was a prerequisite for graduation from the trivium. So it is again at The Oaks.
Maps of important ideas spark rhetorical invention.
We train students to place the rhetorical stage arts of invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery into the service of biblical truth across a wide range of secondary studies.
These include American and British literature, modern history, trigonometry, calculus, chemistry, physics, as well as multiple Bible courses.
Kate Cvancara placed third in the 2016 ACCS speech competition. She proposed science fiction as an important apologetic tool.
Junior and senior-age students select, research, prepare, write, memorize and, finally, present an oral presentation of a thesis project. These form the capstone of their rhetorical studies and, indeed, of the entire trivium.
Joint Partakers in the Love of Christ
Doctrinal Commitments that Keep First Things First
Seeking God's help to understand His Word.
We live in a culture that dismisses the relevance of well-defended appeals to the authority of scripture and the historic teachings of the faith. At The Oaks, correct doctrine matters, though we teach students to separate essential from secondary teaching.
Essential doctrines must be upheld, without compromise. Our teachers confess their common Christian understanding, gladly, in accord with our statement of faith (below).
Secondary doctrines cover orthodox teachings about which sincere Christians may differ. We encourage free class debate within the boundaries of mutual humility and charity.
Our secondary students devote a year to doctrinal study, a year to methods of biblical interpretation, and a final year to practicing the defense of the faith (apologetics). These equip them to own their Christian confession beyond The Oaks.
Students read Augustine of Hiippo's Confessions. He bequeathed a theological foundation respected by all Christian traditions.
John Calvin
His Institutes yielded profound insights into the sovereignty of God.
Johannes Comenius
The Great Didactic pioneered a Reformed educational pedagogy.
G. K. Chesterton
Orthodoxy still challenges contemporary man with Christ's claims.
C. S. Lewis
In Mere Christianity, Lewis exemplified an evangelical gospel balance.
Joint Partakers in the Love of Christ
Doctrinal Commitments That Keep First Things First
Seeking God's help to understand His Word.
We live in a culture that dismisses the relevance of well-defended appeals to the authority of scripture and the historic teachings of the faith. At The Oaks, correct doctrine matters, though we teach students to separate essential from secondary teaching.
Essential doctrines must be upheld, without compromise. Our teachers confess their common Christian understanding, gladly, in accord with our statement of faith (below).
Secondary doctrines cover orthodox teachings about which sincere Christians may differ. We encourage free class debate within the boundaries of mutual humility and charity.
Students read Augustine of Hiippo's Confessions. He bequeathed a theological foundation respected by all Christian traditions.
Our secondary students devote a year to doctrinal study, a year to methods of biblical interpretation, and a final year to practicing the defense of the faith (apologetics). These equip them to own their Christian confession beyond The Oaks.
John Calvin
His Institutes yielded profound insights into the sovereignty of God.
Johannes Comenius
The Great Didactic pioneered a Reformed educational pedagogy.
G. K. Chesterton
Orthodoxy still challenges contemporary man with Christ's claims.
C. S. Lewis
In Mere Christianity, Lewis exemplified an evangelical gospel balance.
A Grand Tour
The Historic Christian Context of Our Conversation
Students study while on tour, sharing insights with peers.
Students spend several weeks during the summer following junior year on a European Grand Tour. They explore the Parthenon, Delphi, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome (including the Vatican and the Colosseum), Florence and Venice. At all stops, we emphasize the relation of these sites to our Christian heritage.
Casual excursions, beaches, walks and great meals are a must, but students also keep required daily journals. They record there, and share, the insights gained by studying the historic, cultural and spiritual events and artifacts that have formed the backdrop of their Oaks education.
The word unforgettable can be sadly over-used, but not here. This tour becomes the educational high-point of a student's first eleven years, and the kick-off for their climactic senior year. Each graduating class, often accompanied by parents, shares special memories of this trip that will truly last a lifetime.
A Grand Tour
The Historic Christian Context of Our Conversation
Students study while on tour, sharing insights with peers.
Students spend several weeks during the summer following junior year on a European Grand Tour. Parents are welcome, and some participate each year. The group explores the Parthenon, Delphi, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome (including the Vatican and the Colosseum), Florence and Venice. At all stops, we emphasize the relation of these sites to our Christian heritage.
Casual excursions, beaches, walks and great meals are a must, but students also keep required daily journals. They record there, and share, the insights gained by studying the historic, cultural and spiritual events and artifacts that have formed the backdrop of their Oaks education.
The word unforgettable can be sadly over-used, but not here. This tour becomes the educational high-point of a student's first eleven years, and the kick-off for their climactic senior year. Each graduating class shares special memories of this trip that will truly last a lifetime.
Exemplars of the Laws of Teaching
Our Teachers are Also Students
Praising God to begin the morning session at the summer staff retreat, 2016.
Oaks teachers are avid learners. Their return from summer break begins with the call to share how their summer studies will enrich students.
Heads of the Grammar and Secondary schools meet with staff twice-weekly during the academic year. The Headmaster edifies the entire staff at regular intervals.
Conversations explore pressing instructional challenges. Shared reading of important books, such as The Seven Laws of Teaching, stretch staff beyond their own specialized subject area. In previous years, teachers have read Climbing Parnassus, as well as selections from Calvin's Institutes, Augustine's Confessions and other seminal texts.
We encourage staff to be transparent with their students. Long-time Oaks teacher, Ben Palpant wrote a blog post to explain how his assignment of a John Dunne poem became, unexpectedly, an intensely personal lesson about family and the most precious things in life (right). We cannot expect growth from students that we do not first require of ourselves.
Ben Palpant's 'second mom' with her husband.
Exemplars of the Laws of Teaching
Our Teachers are Also Students
Praising God to begin the morning session at the summer staff retreat, 2016.
Oaks teachers are avid learners. Their return from summer break begins with the call to share how their summer studies will enrich students.
Heads of the Grammar and Secondary schools meet with staff twice-weekly during the academic year. The Headmaster edifies the entire staff at regular intervals.
Conversations explore pressing instructional challenges. Shared reading of important books, such as The Seven Laws of Teaching, stretch staff beyond their own specialized subject area. In previous years, teachers have read Climbing Parnassus, as well as selections from Calvin's Institutes, Augustine's Confessions and other seminal texts.
Ben Palpant's 'second mom' with her husband.
We encourage staff to be transparent with their students. Long-time Oaks teacher, Ben Palpant wrote a blog post to explain how his assignment of a John Dunne poem became, unexpectedly, an intensely personal lesson about family and the most precious things in life (right). We cannot expect growth from students that we do not first require of ourselves.