A BLUEPRINT FOR THE VISION

Christ Pantocrator mosaic from the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
 

With every building and every work of art, there is a sense in which the finished product or the completed work comes first. The builder or the artist starts with a blueprint, a plan, or a picture of the finished work in mind. Sometimes, the builder modifies the plan during the work, but he cannot modify it entirely without creating something entirely different or destroying the work altogether.

The builder or the artist starts with a blueprint, a plan, or a picture of the finished work in mind.

By keeping this picture in view, the builder can ensure that each step in construction occurs for the sake of the next, and he can see how all the steps combine to build up the whole. If this blueprint does not guide his work, then the result of his labors is not a building, but a heap of stones. Education is like this. Without a clear sense of what education is and the end it serves, we may expend a great deal of effort ‘piling up stones’ instead of truly educating. This outline is like a blueprint. It begins with the end product: the sort of person we hope will emerge from St. Jerome Academy after nine years.

The content of the various subjects within the curriculum is the foundation of the educated person. The skills, aptitudes, and habits we hope to cultivate through pedagogy and the school's culture are like the tools of learning. And, of course, the teachers are the builders who bring their art and experience to bear on the construction of the building.

Vision of the Future of Catholic Education

St. Jerome Academy provides true education by equipping students with learning tools and fostering wonder for the genuinely true, good, and beautiful. We emphasize classical learning so students read, speak, and think well. Truth and beauty matter for their own sake. 

Incorporating two thousand years of Catholic thought, history, and arts helps students understand themselves and acquire character to serve God and others. Education extends beyond classrooms as a lifelong formation of the whole person. Thus, St. Jerome Academy seeks to involve families deeply in school life.

true education rests on two ideas

①
Truth is desirable in itself.

②
Knowledge means conforming ourselves to the truth

True education has always rested on two ideas. First, truth is desirable in itself, not just for what it does. Second, knowledge means conforming ourselves to the truth through love, enticed by its beauty. Education should form the heart, mind, and will in light of truth, beauty, and goodness.

St. Jerome Academy roots education in a compelling vision of reality worthy of student's love. This vision governs all facets of school life with two aims - conveying knowledge and cultivating persons equipped to embrace truth and become their fullest selves. 

Nothing is extracurricular. Everything - from prayer and dress code to classroom arrangements and recess activities - reflects educational judgments and should align with the vision. Details of school life must constantly be assessed in light of the core conviction that truth, beauty, and goodness matter intrinsically and in forming persons.
 

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

The goal of education is to form the student's mind and character consistently with human nature as created in God's image. We aim to achieve this through an integrated curriculum. 

St. jerome academy's vision of education forms an integrated human person

The curriculum integrates two complementary ways. First, through historically-based content revealing the human desire for God met in Christ. This emphasizes the cultures comprising the Western tradition - Greek, Roman, Jewish - appreciating them in their own right yet oriented toward Christ. Literature, art, music, and other subjects complement this understanding. For example, a Grammar class may read Greek myths to think with the Greeks, while a Logic class learns medieval chant correlating with geometry. Students cycle through world history twice, reinforcing and deepening meaning.

Second, the curriculum cultivates aptitudes and habits, shaping the students' approach to all subjects and binding them in wonder and love for the true, good, and beautiful. For instance, observation and rendering are emphasized across subjects to develop concentration, attention, and noticing. Music studies cultivate similar attentiveness in hearing. In this way, recognizing mathematical patterns, distinguishing birds, appreciating painting techniques, or hearing musical harmonies all prepare for contemplating God's subtle presence. Core subjects build the whole person.

This vision of education forms an integrated human person.