THE VISION:
“The aim of education is twofold: first, to communicate a certain body of knowledge; and second, to cultivate a certain kind of person, to develop as far as possible what is uniquely human in him, and so to equip him with the skills, habits, [virtues], and aptitudes necessary to embrace truth and to become the person he was truly created to be.
Truth is desirable for its own sake. Knowledge consists not in bending the truth to ourselves, but in conforming ourselves to truth. We can only conform ourselves to truth by freely embracing and loving it, and we can only love truth if we are enticed by its beauty. Love of beauty has therefore always been integral to the discovery of truth and true education has always sought to form the heart and mind, reason and will, desire and knowledge. Education forms the whole person in light of truth, beauty, and goodness.”
-St. Jerome Academy, Washington, D.C.
CATHOLIC ROOTS:
“We seek to incorporate our students into the wisdom of two thousand years of Catholic thought, history, culture, and arts so that they might understand themselves and their world in the light of the Truth and acquire the character to live happy and integrated lives in the service of God and others.”
The Schola is not associated with any parish. Non-Catholics are welcome to attend. Much of our curricula is created by Catholics or influenced by Catholic thought. All enrolled families sign the Nicene Creed as a Statement of Faith.
OUR APPROACH:
The Schola emphasizes a classical pedagogy, which is enriched by many of the great contributions made to educational philosophy by Charlotte Mason. The preschool is based on the work of Maria Montessori, but we are not affiliated with any official Montessori network.
The hybrid model embraces the reality that parents are the primary educators of their children. Our school exists to serve families and support them in the great and beautiful work of formation.
OUR PATRON:
Saint Andre Bessette was a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal in the late 1800’s. After being orphaned at the age of twelve and suffering learning disabilities and physical frailty, he worked as a porter, laundryman and sacristan. Through his humility and devotion to Our Lord, Brother Andre went on to become very holy—healing thousands and beginning the work of building St. Joseph’s Oratory. Though he was not a learned man, he serves as an incredible example for our children. He reminds us that our education is not just about acquiring certain skills or knowledge that will help advance us in society, but rather our aim is to become well-formed in virtue and to grow in love of God and neighbor.