Liberty Classical Academy

Last updated
Liberty Classical Academy
Liberty Classical Academy, Maplewood MN, logo.jpg
Location
Liberty Classical Academy
White Bear Lake
,
MN

USA
Coordinates 45°3′30″N93°1′10″W / 45.05833°N 93.01944°W / 45.05833; -93.01944
Information
Type Private, day
MottoAcademic Distinction. Classical Tradition. Christian Worldview.
Established2003
DirectorRebekah Hagstrom, M.A.
Faculty50
Enrollment387 total
Average class size17 students
Student to teacher ratio8:1
Color(s)Navy and Bronze
  
AthleticsBaseball
Football
Basketball
Soccer
Track
Volleyball
Golf
Softball
MascotLion
Website www.LibertyClassicalAcademy.org

Liberty Classical Academy is an independent college-preparatory private Christian school in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, United States, serving students in prekindergarten through grade 12. Liberty Classical's stated purpose is to "classically educate children to be moral leaders who impact the culture for Christ." [1] It is a member of the Association of Classical Christian Schools.

Contents

Liberty Classical was launched in the autumn of 2003 by a group of parents seeking to give their children a solid Christian education along with rigorous academic standards, and to teach them how to think critically and learn for themselves. [2] The first 28 students, in grades K–8, met at Lake Phalen Community Church in Maplewood. By 2006 the school had grown to over 100 students, and it expanded by moving grades 6–11 into classrooms at First Evangelical Free Church, a few miles to the north. (In the fall of 2009, grades PK-5 moved to Christ the King Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake.) In June 2008, the first class of four seniors graduated, and that fall, the preschool was opened. Both campuses merged in the fall of 2014 at their new campus in White Bear Lake, MN. Despite its small size, Liberty has already had one National Merit Scholarship Finalist and another student Commended. [3]

Liberty Classical Academy believes homosexuality and same-sex marriage are immoral, and will not employ members of LGBTQ community. [4]

Academics

A classical education teaches students how to learn, reason, and communicate effectively. These three phases are known as the Trivium, and correspond to the natural stages of child cognitive development. In the grammar stage, roughly from grades PK–6, children "amaze adults with their ability to absorb large amounts of information." [5] At Liberty, these students use fun songs, chants, skits, and rhymes to memorize everything from punctuation and sentence-structure rules to chemical elements to U.S. Presidents. Mastery of reading is emphasized, with 15 minutes oral reading part of daily homework. Between grades 7 and 9, children enter the logic phase, asking "why?" questions in their quest for deeper understanding. At this stage, Liberty introduces formal logic, equipping students with the tools they need for critical thinking and sound reasoning. Finally, in grades 10 through 11, students move into the rhetoric stage, where they naturally seek to express their own conclusions about what they have learned. At this point, Liberty teaches formal rhetoric, "[enabling] students to clearly and persuasively communicate their own ideas." [2]

Liberty's first graduating class Liberty Classical Academy, Maplewood MN, 2008 graduates.jpg
Liberty's first graduating class

Liberty believes that all children can learn and achieve at a high level, when the expectations are high and the classroom is an exciting place that engages their attention. [6] From the earliest grades, students memorize famous poems or speeches and recite them to their peers. Extra credit and prizes are awarded to students for reading "challenge books" beyond their grade level. Science Fair projects begin in second grade. "By the time students are in high school, they are writing 20-page thesis papers on what they believe." [7] Every member of the senior class researches, writes and presents a formal Senior Thesis to the Liberty school body and receives a grade from a panel of faculty judges trained in rhetorical exercise. This rite of passage provides students the opportunity to put into practice all of the self-directed learning and logical evaluation and communication skills they have obtained at Liberty and thereby demonstrate their readiness for higher education.

Latin is taught from grades 3 to 8, both to improve analytical thinking skills and "because of its broad application in a variety of areas," [2] including medicine, classical literature, and the foundations of the English language. Since 2004, Liberty students have earned honors in the National Latin Exam. Two years of a modern foreign language (Spanish and German are the 2008-09 offerings) are also required before graduation. [8]

Christian worldview

Cantamus Christi choir in concert Liberty Classical Academy, Maplewood MN, Cantamus Christi choir.jpg
Cantamus Christi choir in concert

Liberty is a multi-denominational Christian school, and welcomes students of any or no religious background, with the understanding that only basic Christian doctrine will be taught.

"The Christian element gives kids a moral grounding, and it is so important for our culture to have a moral grounding. When kids are taught that they are created by God and that he has a plan for them, it gives them a purpose—which in turn gives them motivation and self-confidence outside of what the world can provide." [2]
—Rebekah Hagstrom, Director

As the classical approach also encourages the development of virtue and leadership, students at every level participate in community service and ministry projects. Seniors must provide leadership roles in campus activities and fulfill 30 hours of community service, which culminates in a ministry trip every spring. In May 2009, they will "spend a week helping lower-income elderly in Washington D.C. maintain their homes' exteriors and yards through Episcopal Senior Ministries, a program that helps older folks stay in their homes as long as possible. The students will also visit and encourage elderly residents in group and nursing homes." [9]

Extracurriculars

Grades 4-5 performing Julius Caesar Liberty Classical Academy, Maplewood MN, Julius Caesar, 12-18-07 220.jpg
Grades 4–5 performing Julius Caesar

The school offers visual arts and drama in every grade, highlighted at an Art & Drama Show at each school. In May 2008, the first graders presented Pinocchio Goes To School, in costume, with all lines memorized. The kindergarteners joined grades 2–3 in staging a 45-minute version of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe . Grades 4–5 did The Taming of the Shrew in Shakespeare's original iambic pentameter. Middle school students put on Arabian Nights, grades 9–10 performed Knights of the Rad Table, and the juniors and seniors presented The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood.

Music is an equally important part of life at Liberty. Choir is required through fourth grade and elective afterward, with the Cantamus Christi group (pictured above) open to grades 9–12 by audition. Band is offered at both the Upper and Lower Schools beginning in fourth grade. All music groups perform at the All-School Christmas Program in December, the Annual Band/Choir Concert, and Graduation.

Liberty has a well stocked library, helped by a $10,000 award from retail chain Target that was the subject of a full-page ad in Newsweek magazine. [10]

The school's numerous social activities include field trips to museums, bowling excursions, Harvest Festival, literary "Character Day", hayrides, theater nights, ice skating, and an all-school day of skiing and snowboarding each February. [11] The Upper School has a Spring Formal, and the senior class goes on a retreat each fall.

Athletics

Liberty Lions baseball in action Liberty Classical Academy, Maplewood MN, baseball pitch.jpg
Liberty Lions baseball in action

As of 2008-19, Liberty offers boys' teams in baseball (grades 4–12), basketball (4–12), track (6–12), and cross-country skiing (grades 9-12). Girls' sports include basketball (grades 4-12), volleyball (6–12), and track (6–12). The soccer teams (grades 6–8, and 9–12) are coed. Sports teams are continually being added as enrollment, participation, and parent volunteering increase.

Liberty is a member school of the Minnesota State High School League for soccer, boys' basketball, baseball, and track. The middle and lower school teams participate in the St. Paul Catholic Athletic Association, where the middle school girls basketball team won the Class C Championship in 2008. Local homeschooled students are invited to join Liberty’s teams (PSEO excluded), providing these students an opportunity for organized sports they would not otherwise have, and helping to fill out the squads.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodbury, Minnesota</span> City in Minnesota, United States

Woodbury is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States, eight miles east of Saint Paul along Interstate 94. It is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The population was 75,102 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's eighth most populous city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regents School of Austin</span> Private school in Austin, Texas, United States

Regents School of Austin is a private, classical, non-denominational Christian school located in Austin, Texas.

Classical Christian education is an approach to learning rooted in the long story of Christian engagement with the classical tradition as exemplified first by figures such as the Cappadocian Fathers, Augustine and Jerome as well as the fullness of Christian monastic traditions. Its current revival in American K-12 schools started with three schools founded in 1980 to 1981: Cair Paravel-Latin School, Trinity School at Greenlawn, and Logos School. Various classical Christian schools emphasize and articulate different things in their approaches, but most include biblical teachings and incorporate a teaching model from the classical education renewal known as the Trivium, consisting of three parts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Joseph Academy (San Marcos, California)</span> Private, coeducational school in San Marcos, , California, United States

St. Joseph Academy is a traditional Roman Catholic K–12 school located in San Marcos, CA. Its stated mission is "to transform human society through the most effective means possible, namely through training the youth in faith, reason, and virtue". The school is operated independent of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and offers a complete K-12 education. St. Joseph Academy has been named by the Catholic High School Honor Roll as one of the top 50 Catholic High Schools in the United States for three consecutive years and carries a 99% college matriculation rate. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accredited school and formally approved by the Diocese of San Diego.

Delaware Valley Classical School is a private, K-12 classical Christian school located in New Castle, Delaware. For the 2023–24 academic year, enrollment was approximately 190 students, with approximately 30 faculty and staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Paideia School of Tampa Bay</span> Private classical christian school in Tampa, Florida, United States

The Paideia School of Tampa Bay is a private, classical Christian school serving grades K - 12, located in Tampa, Florida, United States. "Paideia" is the Koine Greek word for "education". The school's stated goal is to use classical education techniques, based on a traditional Christian philosophy, to teach logical thinking, elegant speech, and persuasive writing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ad Fontes Academy</span> Private, classical christian school in Centreville, Virginia, United States

Ad Fontes Academy (AFA) is an independent, private, classical Christian school in Centreville, Virginia. AFA teaches kindergarten through high-school (K–12) classes. AFA is accredited by the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS). AFA is a nonprofit school operating under the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Ad Fontes Educational Trust. Ad Fontes Academy meets on one campus locations at Centreville Presbyterian Church.

Caldwell Academy is a private, Independent Classical Christian school located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Caldwell provides a TK–12 education from a Classical Christian perspective.

Coastal Christian School is a private, non-denominational Christian school from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The school's new permanent campus is in the Oak Park area of Pismo Beach, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage Christian School (Oregon)</span> Private school in Hillsboro, Washington County, Oregon, United States

Heritage Christian School was a private, non-denominational Christian school in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1997, the school offered classes from kindergarten through twelfth grade before closing in 2009. The school was part of the Classical Christian education movement and had 222 students in its final year.

Trinity Classical School is a private, classical Christian school offering college-preparatory, Christian education for grades pre-Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade in Houston, Texas. The school is one of approximately 25 University-style schools in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockbridge Academy</span> Private school in Crownsville, Maryland, USA

Rockbridge Academy is a private, nonprofit, K - 12, classical Christian school near Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Founded in 1995, the school has approximately 380 pupils on roll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Geneva School</span> Private school in Casselberry, Florida, United States

The Geneva School is a private, classical, coeducational Christian day school, founded in 1993. The Geneva School is located on a 40-acre campus in Casselberry, FL. Geneva is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. The total enrollment for 2022-2023 is about 660 students, K4–12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Trinity Academy</span> Independent school, boarding and day school in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Boston Trinity Academy (BTA) is a private Christian school in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It currently enrolls roughly 230 students in grades 6–12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classical education movement</span> Renewal of a traditional liberal arts education

The classical education movement or renewal advocates for a return to a traditional education based on the liberal arts, the canons of classical literature, the fine arts, and the history of civilization. It focuses on human formation and paideia with an early emphasis on music, gymnastics, recitation, imitation, and grammar. Multiple organizations support classical education in charter schools, in independent faith-based schools, and in home education. This movement has inspired several graduate programs and colleges as well as a new peer-reviewed journal, Principia: A Journal of Classical Education.

New Covenant Christian School (NCCS) is a private, classical Christian school in Abingdon, Maryland. It is composed of the Grammar School (K-6) and the Upper School.

Woodcrest Baptist Academy (WBA) is a fundamentalist Christian K-12 school located in Fridley, Minnesota, founded in 1973 by members of Woodcrest Baptist Church. WBA is a member of the American Association of Christian Schools(AACS) and the Minnesota Association of Christian Schools(MACS).

Thales Academy is a network of private non-sectarian community schools located primarily in central North Carolina. The school was founded in 2007 by Robert L. Luddy and graduated its first senior class in 2016 with three seniors. As of 2021, there are over 3600+ students stretched across 12 campuses mainly based in North Carolina, but also a campus located in Virginia and Tennessee. The Pre-K–12 college preparatory school was named for the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus, often credited as the father of Greek Philosophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nova Classical Academy</span>

Nova Classical Academy is a K–12 charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota, that follows the classical model for education. Its executive director is Dr. Brett Wedlund, and it has a student enrollment of 990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilberforce School</span> Christian school in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States

The Wilberforce School is a private, classical Christian school in Princeton, New Jersey, serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Founded in 2005, the school is named in honor of abolitionist William Wilberforce. The Head of School is Howe Whitman and the Academic Dean is Karen Ristuccia.

References

  1. ↑ "Statement of Faith".
  2. 1 2 3 4 "In their own hands: Stillwater residents help found 'classical' education academy in Maplewood," Stillwater (MN) Gazette, December 4, 2003, p. 1.
  3. ↑ "Merit Scholar semifinalists named", St. Paul Pioneer Press, September 28, 2007, p. 3B. This was the Semifinalist roster; lists of Finalists and Commended students were not published in local newspapers.
  4. ↑ "Liberty Classical Academy Employment".
  5. ↑ "Trivium - Liberty Classical Academy". www.libertyclassicalacademy.org. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "Academics Overview".
  7. ↑ "Students receive a classic education", Shoreview (MN) Press, March 18, 2008, p. 1A.
  8. ↑ "Private school adds 2nd location", St. Paul Pioneer Press, July 22, 2006, p. 1B.
  9. ↑ "Integration with Faith".
  10. ↑ Newsweek, October 24, 2005, p. 22a (2STP).
  11. ↑ "Social Activities - Liberty Classical Academy". www.libertyclassicalacademy.org. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.