Knowing and following God and recognizing Him in all things is at the heart of everything we do. By integrating the Scriptures and a Biblical worldview throughout our curriculum, we present the Lord as the One in whom all knowledge is united. This approach requires all subjects, whether history, art, music, literature, mathematics, or science, be taught in the light of God’s existence and His revelation to humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because we are created in God’s image, we can appreciate the goodness He has made. But our inherent brokenness, coupled with the pressures of our culture, requires deliberate effort to focus on what is true, beautiful, and good. Each day, we engage our students with noble and beautiful objects of study, nourishing their imaginations so that they will always recognize the truth, beauty, and goodness of God in the world. This pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness is coupled with our desire for students to develop a deep, genuine relationship with Jesus, becoming vessels to share His love with others. Our faculty consistently look for teachable moments with our students throughout each day to encourage this lifelong journey with Him.
Classical education, rooted in the ancient world of Greece and Rome, has been the primary educational method used throughout Western Civilization. Augustine, John Calvin, George Washington, John Wesley, G.K. Chesterton, and C.S. Lewis, are just a few of the classically educated men who have greatly influenced culture. Classical education is like a very large museum with many beautiful, wonder-filled rooms that could be studied over a lifetime. It is a long tradition of education that emphasizes seeking after truth, goodness, and beauty. The goal of classical education is a life of wisdom and virtue, a goal perfectly realized only in the life of Jesus Christ. Through the framework of the Trivium, classical education is characterized by rich exposure to the history, literature, and culture of Western Civilization that cultivates a deep love for learning. Our goal is not to teach students what to think, but how to think, encouraging wisdom and biblical virtue, through the study of the liberal arts and the great books, in every aspect of life.
The classical method of education is a three-stage approach to instruction with the goal of producing graduates who have mastered the art of learning so they may skillfully acquire and apply knowledge, reason critically, and articulate persuasively.
As a University-Model School®, Valor integrates stimulating academics, student engagement, and Christ-like character development while affirming the parents’ role as the primary influence in their children’s lives by redirecting time from the school to the family. The UMS approach employs a university-style schedule adapted to the elementary, junior, and senior high levels, gradually preparing and releasing students towards age-appropriate independence and organization. Professional teachers, instructing in their areas of expertise, conduct central classroom instruction. Grammar and Logic School students in grades PreK-8 attend classes on campus three days per week, while older students in the Rhetoric School (grades 9-12) attend school on campus five days per week. Students spend alternate days at home where parents continue the instruction or monitor student progress. Teachers provide parents with detailed lesson plans and instructions for days spent at home. Parents need not have teaching experience but must commit the time to actively engage, direct, instruct, and mentor their students. This is not a part time school—it is full time education — it’s simply split between two campuses: our classrooms and your home.
Important aspects of our educational philosophy are based on the theories and practices of British educator Charlotte Mason (1842-1923). She defined education as “ an Atmosphere, a Discipline, and a Life.” First, a beautiful, God-filled atmosphere that inspires the heart and mind of each student is a key component to the Charlotte Mason method. Teachers and parents bring this atmosphere to their relationship with children by cultivating a daily, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and a peaceful attitude about learning. Secondly, our teachers and families support the formation of good habits in students’ daily thoughts and routines at home and school. To remind ourselves of our God-given identity and our human responsibilities, we often quote Ms. Mason’s motto: “I am, I can, I ought, I will.” Lastly, the presentation of living ideas places students in direct contact with great great authors, scientists, mathematical principles, nature, artists, poets, and musicians. Through this broad and generous curriculum, students develop natural connections with the world around them and discover the essential unity of all knowledge: “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” Ephesians 4:6.