Principles & Decorum

Commitments of the Institution

Creedal Christianity
Traditionalism
Rigor
Leisure
Beauty

Our Aim

St. Francis Classical Academy provides traditionalist, Christian
education that is rigorous, leisurely, and beautiful.

Christian Education
Because we seek to bring students up in the training and admonition of the Lord, we consider classicism a Biblical directive and take Jeremiah seriously when he prophecies: Thus says Yahweh: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16) As it is beyond the scope of these few paragraphs to fully describe Christian Paideia and the Christians’ methods for cultivating virtue, we offer the following brief sketch of our aims:

We pray that our students will live in such a way that:
Submission to Christ’s kingship manifestly pervades their lives and work
They evince the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control; and the seven virtues: Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom, Justice, Courage, Temperance
They eschew the seven vices: Pride, Avarice, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Anger, Sloth

Traditionalism
We seek to cultivate in our students what St. Augustine calls “rightly ordered loves.” Because we are led by our loves, and because the work to which we commit our hands flows directly from our affections, we want our students to be constantly in pursuit of good taste. And because we are Christians and traditionalists, the things we desire our students to have affection for are the good things that have stood the test of time. In a relativistic age, when new things are in vogue every ten minutes, we teach students to unashamedly believe that popularity does not indicate value. We teach that some things are better than others. Some food, some art, some music, some ideas are inherently good, and some are inherently bad. We believe that the goodness and badness of things is proven only over time. For instance, we may safely cultivate our affections for the paintings of Caravaggio and the sculptures of Michelangelo because they have lasted for over 400 years, and they are likely to last for the next 400. They have been proven good. On the other hand, we are suspicious of the philosophies and baubles that are in fashion today because they are untested. They are not necessarily devoid of value, they simply have not been proven, and must be handled cautiously and interpreted in the light of our loves of the greatest things.

Rigor and Leisure
Our instructional methods are intentionally liturgical, meaning that we instruct using embodied patterns. We seek to strike an elegant balance between creating a culture of rigor and leisure. Our courses are crafted to inspire students to the passionate pursuit of wisdom through unrushed, peaceful, and tranquil discussion, reading, and written work. We desire that students enjoy a deep engagement with Tutors and sources that makes learning memorable and lasting.

Not only do our Tutors safeguard a liturgical and leisurely classroom culture, they uphold high academic standards, asking students to aspire to create the kind of work that venerable men and women produce. While we certainly teach students “on their level,” we always call them to superlative work in imitation of the great men and women of history.

Decorum

Students are expected to comport themselves like scholars and are held to high behavioral standards by their Tutors.
Loving discipline is handled verbally by Tutors who communicate with parents to resolve issues as they arise.

Dress Expectations

Students, Tutors, and parents are expected to dress modestly and in keeping with good taste.
Modesty is here defined as beautiful covering.

Some Specifics
Shoes may be white or neutral colors.
Dresses, skirts, and shorts should be near the knee.
Blouses and Dresses should have necklines near the collarbone and sleeves.
Clothing should not be tight or clingy, but conducive to learning and play.
No denim, printed t-shirts, athletic garb, or dyed hair.

Gents: Shorts or pants in mild, natural colors, shirts in mild, natural colors with buttons and collars
Ladies: Blouses, dresses, and skirts in mild, natural colors

Attendance Expectations

Tardiness – Students ought to arrive on-time for each class in which they are enrolled.
Absences – When they must be absent, students ought to inform their tutors ahead of time.

Technology

At School:
If stylus and paper were good enough for Plato, they’re good enough for us. Student use of phones, e-readers, computers, tablets, smart watches, fit-bits, etc. is not permitted on campus.

At Home:
It is important to note that most of our families highly limit their children’s access to computer technology at home. This is not because we think electronic entertainment is inherently bad, but because we desire to fill our children’s lives with richer and more beautiful things. 

Over time, children who heavily invest their energy and thought in the cheap pleasures of electronic entertainment (video games, movies, social media, etc.) will find those pursuits to be at odds with education at St. Francis. For a Classical education to be effective, what takes place at school must be in harmony with what takes place at home. 

Before a student will be able to really benefit from the education St. Francis offers, he’ll need to give up the things that are at odds with that education. As Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, has said: “Before you heal someone, ask him if he’s willing to give up the things that make him sick.”

Tutor Convictions, Conduct, and Character

Convictions:
St. Francis Classical Academy Tutors affirm the dogmas of Christ as expressed in the Scriptures and the Nicene Creed without exception, affirm our statement of faith, and instruct from a traditionalist, Christian perspective.

Conduct and Character
We expect that our instructors will be individuals who pursue holiness in their own lives as they serve as living examples for our students.

St. Francis Classical Academy Tutors conduct their personal and professional lives in accordance with the following standards:

– Regularly attend Church, pray, and study the Scriptures;
– Respectfully defer to the authority of students’ parents and clergy on controversial issues;
– Refrain from advocating personal political views that might not be shared by other faithful Christians
– Treat those who sin without shaming, judgment, or condescension; restore students who stumble with compassion, grace, and Christian charity;
– Abstain from behaviors that would hinder their ability to serve as role models to the students; and
– Out of a pastoral concern for students, instructors will feel the freedom to briefly depart from their lesson plans to offer wisdom on issues that affect the lives of their students.

Statement of Faith

Tutors, students, and parents must affirm the dogmas expressed in the Nicene Creed without exception and affirm traditional moral teachings of the faith, such as:

– the centrality and supremacy of the 66 books of the Bible as Holy Scripture;
– the liturgy as a manifestation of common worship (i.e. Sunday worship, the Eucharist);
– the role of spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting/feasting, giving, etc.) as formative in the Christian life;
– the sanctity of life (treating life as sacred from conception until natural death);
– historic orthodox standards of human sexual behavior (including sexual identity and chastity—exclusive, monogamous fidelity within marriage and abstinence outside of marriage).

Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day, He rose again, according to the Scriptures; He ascended into Heaven and sits on the right hand of the Father, and He shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father {and the Son}; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets.
And we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church;
We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.