academics

At our core

We offer a Christian liberal arts and sciences education that draws from a variety of publishers to provide a broad, high-quality curriculum. The disciplines forming the Classical Core at VCS are as follows:

Humanities

  • History

  • Literature/Poetry

  • Grammar/Composition/Phonics

  • Theology 

  • Philosophy

Sciences

  • Mathematics 

  • Natural philosophy (science) 

  • Logic

  • Latin

  • Music

 
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.”
— C. S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
 

How do we get there?

Education is more than becoming technically proficient

We care deeply about students growing intellectually and becoming more and more proficient with the subject matter they are learning. Yet, education is about more than technical proficiency. Education of a student includes the growth and maturation of the whole student as they learn to walk in the good works that God has prepared for them. For this reason we also care deeply about providing an environment and curriculum that trains students to grow in character, maturity, and ultimately the knowledge and wisdom of God.

  • We use proven teaching methods that align with a child's natural developmental stages, equipping students with tools for lifelong learning through the phases of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The classical curriculum is largely in line with what has historically been known as a liberal arts and science education. 

    The classical approach is a language-rich method of study that helps train students to recognize and love what is true, good, and beautiful. It is well-rounded in the study of science, math, chronological history, literature and poetry, English grammar, spelling, writing, Latin, and the arts. 

    This form of education has its roots in antiquity and for centuries has helped students become lifelong learners.

    The grammar stage (kindergarten through fourth grade) capitalizes on a child’s natural ability to memorize. Songs, lines from stories, and phrases from conversation are easily absorbed and repeated. The grammar stage uses these innate memory skills to introduce students to great poetry and master mathematical facts and Scripture using tools like group recitation, songs, and chants. 


    The logic stage (fifth through eighth grade) recognizes the student’s developing inclination to argue at this age and nurtures the analytical component of the learning process. Students use information they gathered and memorized in their grammar years and start to look at it from different angles by comparing and contrasting ideas, and by digging more deeply into all realms of study. 


    When the rhetoric stage begins (ninth through twelfth grade), the students have a solid foundation of knowledge and the ability to logically process their knowledge. They are now prepared to craft their own ideas and express them gracefully. The rhetoric stage students learn how to inform, persuade, delight, and move others through written work and oration. They explore areas that they enjoy at a deeper level and develop a stronger understanding of how they bear God’s image. 

  • Students attend class on campus with trained teachers 2 days a week for grades PreK through 4th and 3 days a week for grades 5th and up, and then receive assignments to complete under the guidance of parents at home 2 to 3 days a week. This allows parents to share in the academic instruction of their children, but also provides the structure and benefits of the classroom environment. 

  • A Christ-centered perspective in education means that the board, staff, and families of Valley Classical School are united in affirming our statement of faith. It also means that the way we think about and pursue the training of students is influenced by our understanding of the gospel and the truths of the Bible. Ultimately, what is true, good, and beautiful is rooted in Christ.

 

SAMPLE WEEKLY SCHEDULE 

Monday: Campus Day

Tuesday: Campus Day (5th and up), and Home Day (PreK - 4th)

Wednesday: Campus Day

Thursday: Home Day

Friday: activities vary by grade level

 

Campus Days

VCS students come to campus two or three days per week, depending on their grade level; Lower School students (grades PreK through 4th) attend school two days per week, and Upper School students (grades 5th and up) attend school three days per week. The days students attend classes on campus are called, “Campus Days.” Each campus day includes teaching in Classical Core: Math, Science, Language Arts, Latin, History, and Fine Arts or PE (Lower School has both). 

Example schedule for PreK - 4th Grade

  • 7:50 am – 8:10 am Parents drop-off their students

  • 8:10 am – 8:30 am Students attend Morning Assembly

  • 8:35 am – 11:30 am Morning academic block

  • 11:30 am – 12:00 pm Lunch

  • 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Afternoon academic block

Example schedule for 5th - 12th Grade

  • 7:45 am – 8:00 am Parents drop-off their students 

  • 8:00 am – 11:45 am Morning academic block

  • 11:45 am -12:15 pm Lunch

  • 12:15 pm – 2:35 pm Afternoon academic block

  • 2:35 pm - 2:55 pm Afternoon Assembly

 

Home Days

Days where students are completing assignments at home are called, “Home Days.” On Home Days, Parents guide students in completing assignments prepared by the campus teacher, and the campus teacher serves as a resource to the parents. This arrangement gives parents more time to enjoy and train their children, yet also provides freedom from choosing/planning curriculum and always being “on” as teacher. It also offers flexibility in family schedules, allowing a range of other activities to supplement on-campus activities. The learning schedule during at-home days can be adapted to a student’s particular learning style.

The following are estimates for how much time will be needed on the home day to complete assignments. These numbers are simply a framework, and could certainly vary based on your child.

  • Pre-K: home assignments are optional.

  • Kindergarten: 1-2 hours (2 home days per week)

  • 1st grade: 2-3 hours (2 home days per week)

  • 2nd grade: 3-4 hours (2 home days per week)

  • 3rd grade: 4-5 hours (2 home days per week)

  • 4th grade: 4-6 hours (2 home days per week)

  • 5th grade+: 5+ hours (2 home days per week)

 

Portrait of a Graduate

By the grace of God, our graduates will…

  • love truth, goodness, and beauty and recognize Christ as the source

  • delight in the breadth and beauty of the academic disciplines  

  • seek wisdom and virtue

  • grow in their taste for hard work and the fruit that it bears 

  • apply the tools of learning (grammar, logic, rhetoric) to everyday life

  • grow in their understanding of God’s story of redemption and their place in it

  • use their education to further Christ's Kingdom