As students approach adolescence they enter the Logic, or “Dialectic,” stage of the classical Trivium. They are eager to ask questions and find answers for themselves. At the heart of this transition is living a Christ-honoring life while developing the ability to think critically about the world around us. Classical educators recognize that this is a necessary phase that students must pass through in order to become independent, thinking adults. Students dissect ideas, analyze arguments, and ask questions to consider the reason behind everything. Teachers help students learn to reason and think logically through arguments, debate is incorporated as much as possible, and students begin learning how to express their ideas in a winsome and respectful way.

As students transition to High School, they enter the Rhetoric stage of the classical Trivium. Rhetoric is simply the art of persuasive expression. Students learn to more broadly engage with the world through writing, speech, and service. They learn to communicate and express themselves effectively while they dive deeper into all subjects. An emphasis is placed on teaching a biblical worldview and preparing them for higher education. Students also have the opportunity to participate in an Honors Track of their choosing to advance their studies and prepare for more rigorous future studies. As a final rite of passage, seniors partake in the writing and defense of their senior thesis and have the opportunity to travel abroad to Europe in their final year.

Augustine School offers two Honors Tracks: the Math and Science Honors Track and the Humanities Honors Track. High achieving students may earn the opportunity to participate in one or both of these Honors Tracks. The Math and Science Honors Track exposes students to accelerated math courses, advanced math electives, as well as an additional advanced science elective. Those who maintain at least a “B” average in all math and science classes are awarded a STEM honor cord at graduation. The Humanities Honors Track is open to students who have demonstrated academic excellence in the previous year by having a GPA above 3.5. Participating students select one of three Honors Seminars offered each year. Students meet weekly, reading slowly and in-depth a Great Work(s) of Western Literature, Theology, Philosophy, or History that goes beyond the core Augustine School curriculum.

Every Augustine School senior concludes his or her education by writing and defending a Senior Thesis. Written throughout the year on a topic of their choosing, students work with Upper School faculty and our Senior Thesis Advisor to write a persuasive essay, developing their thoughts, and arguing their perspective. Students then defend their thesis at the end of the year in a public forum of peers, parents, and faculty.

As a member of the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS), Augustine School is part of a growing movement to recover the classical Christian model of education that has proven so successful throughout Western history. Although the primary benefit of this model of education is its ability to cultivate wisdom and virtue, ACCS schools have also consistently proven their ability to meet and exceed the highest standards for college preparation as measured by college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT. Augustine School is also consistently a top performing school on the CLT Exam, a PSAT/SAT/ACT alternative. See survey data regarding ACCS college readiness here.

Throughout their time at Augustine School students are given many opportunities to gain valuable leadership skills through Augustine Schoo’s student leadership programs. Learn more here.

Augustine School’s house system is designed to promote healthy relationships across middle and high school grades while providing leadership opportunities to older students and trustworthy mentors to younger students. Beyond providing a rich community of peers, the house system creates structure for student life each year. Learn more here.