St. Jerome School is on a Mission: To Learn!
Anchored in Christ: Navigating Faith, Knowledge and Service
All children deserve an excellent education!
At St. Jerome School we use many of the tools of a classical liberal arts education, while honoring and celebrating the contributions of our beautiful diverse community. We strive to develop the whole person and rely on the natural stages of development that all children go through as they grow up. By using the best of what has been written and said and engaging in practices like memory, Socratic discussion, writing, problem solving, deep observation and analysis, students become great thinkers able to comprehend the wonder of this world and their unique place in it.
Students at St. Jerome have many classes including, science, math, religion, and language arts. But, they will likely notice ways in which their studies in each subject are enhanced and enriched by a liberal arts approach. Subjects and content are more integrated and the hard lines between subject areas blur. For example, reading Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” lends itself to lessons in writing, religion, history and geography. History, literature and religion--the study of Christ and the Church, great books, and history are brought to life as students dive into the connections that exist between them.
The developmental stages of Learning
Below are two of the three stages of learning within a traditional classical education model.
Grades K-5
The Grammar Stage
Younger students are great at memorizing facts, poetry and information. They also love sharing what they know through song and recitation. And, wow! Are they ever curious! Young children absorb learning like sponges! During the lower elementary years our students use Core Knowledge Language Arts, Groves Phonics, Sadlier Math, Ignatius Press Religion, and Inspire Science, along with integrated units for Social Studies. We also introduce the Ruah Woods Theology of the Body curriculum in Kindergarten and continue with it through 8th grade.
Grades 6-8
The Logic Stage
As most of us know, middle school students like to argue and they naturally question as they develop more independence. They want to know what’s going on, they want to ask ‘“why” a lot, and they want reasons for things. This stage of learning is called the logic stage within the liberal arts model. We full-heartedly embrace middle school and its wonderful opportunities for growth and exploration. Our Middle School learners use Amplify English Language Arts, Visions in English Grammar, Inspire Science, McGraw Hill Math, McGraw Hill Social Studies, Ignatius Press Religion, and Ruah Woods Theology of the Body.