WE TEACH PEOPLE,
NOT JUST SUBJECTS.

Goals of a Graduate

At Cedar Classical Academy, our mission is to equip students to govern themselves and joyfully serve God and neighbor. To fulfill this mission, we have set eight goals for our students and designed our K-12 course of study around these goals.

Informed faith
Virtuous character (from the Greek kharaktēr, or stamp - something that cannot be removed)
Sound reason
Mastery of language
Trained aesthetic acknowledging objective standards of goodness, truth, and beauty
Robust knowledge of the world
Steadfast citizenship at home and in a local church
Sturdy outlook on life

The Good

Classical education is character education. We are not just teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. We are teaching humans. Parental involvement, classroom management, recess, physical education, lunchtime, and opening ceremony are all vital components of education as we train students to be good citizens in their communities. A classical curriculum cannot educate as well as a classical school culture. A healthy culture will graduate students who can keep a sturdy life outlook through trials.

The True

Truth does not mean indifferent memorization of cold facts. Truth shapes lives, which is why sound reason is essential. Since theology is the apex of education, we teach all subjects from a Christian worldview to cultivate in our students an informed faith. At the same time, properly viewing the world requires letting each subject stand on its own merit. History, science, and literature have some messy edges; we train students to graciously navigate them as they gain robust understanding of the world around them.

The Beautiful

We offer a rich arts and music curriculum, incorporating memorization of old hymns and great speeches, embodied learning, nature study, poetry, singing, and the copying of masterworks into the daily classroom routine. Students master language through a sequential course through phonics, grammar, composition, Greek & Latin, rhetoric, and more. We give beauty the time it deserves to form grooves in children's lives that train their aesthetic.

"Nay, but let every good and true Christian understand that wherever truth may be found, it belongs to his Master."

Augustine

Curriculum At a Glance

Kindergarten 1st & 2nd Grade 3rd & 4th Grade 5th & 6th Grade 7th & 8th Grade 9th Grade

Kindergarten

Our part-time kindergarten class meets three mornings a week. Kindergarten courses include theology, music, math, literature, phonics, and enrichment (science, PE, and seasonal topics like Thanksgiving). Kindergartners get two recesses each day, and eat lunch with the "big kids." In literature, Kindergarten read-alouds include Winnie the Pooh, St. George and the Dragon, The Princess and the Goblin, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and lots of fairy tales. Our two primary goals in Kindergarten are literacy and numeracy.

More about our theology curriculum:

We were thrilled to pilot The Rafiki Foundation's Bible study curriculum in 2019. The Rafiki Foundation's classical schools attached to their orphanages in Africa have developed this robust theology curriculum that takes their students through the entire Bible between grades K and 12. Our K-8 theology classes include expositional Bible study, hymn practice, catechism memorization, and Scripture memorization.

1st & 2nd Grade

Habit formation is the primary focus in our 1st and 2nd Grade class. As a clustered class, 1st & 2nd Grade students are together for theology, literature, music, art, history, and science. They have separate classes for phonics and math. Cursive instruction begins in 2nd Grade. In literature, 1st & 2nd Grade read-alouds include Peter Rabbit, Br'er Rabbit, Peter Pan, The Adventures of Pinocchio, The House at Pooh Corner, Aesop's Fables, Greek mythology, and fairy tales. History alternates each year between an overview of Ancient and an overview of American.

More about our science curriculum:

We use the sequence from E.D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Sequence in Grades K-6.

3rd & 4th Grade

Grammar, Latin, and composition begin in 3rd Grade. In literature, this class begins to move from read-alouds to independently reading their own texts. These include: Greek and Norse mythology, King Arthur, Treasure Island, The Wind in the Willows, Farmer Boy, and The Wizard of Oz. History alternates each year between Ancient and Medieval. In Physical Education, the curriculum expands to include cardiovascular conditioning in addition to gross motor skills.

More about our music curriculum:

We use the Kodály approach to music education, which uses folk music to teach musical principles and emphasizes skillful singing and musicianship.

5th & 6th Grade

Students in 5th Grade already have two years of Latin and grammar under their belt, so composition begins to really take shape. Etymology begins in 5th Grade. History alternates each year between Early Modern and Modern. In literature, students read The Hobbit, The Children's Homer, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Alice Through the Looking-Glass, and more.

More about our PE curriculum:

We use Ready Bodies Learning Minds in Grades K-4, progress through cardiovascular conditioning in Grades 3-6, and then focus on lifetime physical conditioning in Grades 7-8 using the La Sierra High School PE Program.

7th & 8th Grade

Logic School begins in 7th Grade. At this point in the curriculum, students have completed their study of grammar and spelling. In science, they cease the rich and repetitive unit studies of the Core Knowledge Sequence, and begin to spend longer periods of time on different disciplines (earth science and physical science in alternating years). They begin the study of logic. History and literature align with one another. In one year, Logic School students study the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment in history and read epic literature. In the other year, Logic School students study Early American history and read American literature. Physical education shifts its focus to La Sierra curriculum, which is aimed at fitness for life. Students complete Algebra I in 8th Grade.

More about our math curriculum:

We use Singapore Dimensions for Grades K-8, and we love it! Click here to read more about why.

9th Grade

Rhetoric School begins in 9th Grade. Students in 9th Grade will take the following courses: Old Testament Survey (1 credit), Classical & Epic Literature (1 credit), Anatomy & Physiology (0.5 credit), Upper School Choir (0.5 credit), Classical History (1 credit), Algebra II (1 credit), Biology (1 credit), Latin III (1 credit), and Principles of Rhetoric (1 credit).

More about Rhetoric School (Grades 9-12), which we are adding over four years, 2022-2026.

Curriculum Map

For a detailed look at how our curriculum and methods guide students toward the goals of a graduate stated above, view our Curriculum Map. Click on the map to enlarge it.

WE TEACH PEOPLE, NOT JUST SUBJECTS.