Frequently Asked Questions

How are older students assimilated into the classical curriculum? How do they overcome the disadvantage of not having had any Latin?

First, it's important to dispel any misunderstandings behind this question. We are not a school for “the brightest and best.” The students at our school were not born on another planet; they are reflective of our community in their range of academic aptitude. While it is true that we seek to “raise the bar” of academic expectation, we also seek to give students the help they need to “clear the bar.”

We presently have students who have joined us at Petra, all the way up through Grade 12, who are excelling. A motivated student who has done well in a different school model will probably do very well at Petra, sometimes even better than they did in their previous school. Our teachers are excited about what they teach and their excitement is infectious. We teach the same disciplines and read many of the same books that are taught and read elsewhere. The disciplines that are unique to a classical curriculum (Logic and Rhetoric) are very accessible to students at the appropriate grade levels. (We teach Logic at grades 8 and 9, and Rhetoric at grades 11 and 12.)

As to Latin, we understand that many students join us each year “mid-stream.” So we plan accordingly. New students in our secondary form a completely different Latin class than our returning students. They begin in Unit One of The Cambridge Latin Course, an excellent Latin curriculum designed for secondary students. In this way, new students are able to progess at a separate level than their classmates who may have studied Latin for several years.

Are Petra students good hunters or do they just sit at home and read books all day? Did anyone get an elk last year?

We enjoy the classics and we enjoy Montana. Petra families and faculty are outdoor enthusiasts. We seek to live the well-rounded lives that we desire for our children.

What about academic results? Do Petra students get into good colleges and universities?

Last year's three graduates chose Montana State University, Wheaton College, and the United States Marine Corps. Previous years' alumni are presently enrolled at Caltech, York College, St. Andrew's University (Scotland), and Montana State University.These alumni include two National Merit Finalists and a Presidential Scholar. All of our students take the Stanford Achievement Test annually and consistently score well above the national average.

Does Petra Academy only measure their success by academic results? What about character?

As fallen people, we are as prone as the next to any foolish reason for pride. As redeemed people, we are acutely aware of the danger of a perverse spirit of elitism and seek God's grace to be delivered from that trap. But in seeking to honor God in the work of our minds, we recognize the even greater need to honor him by submitting ourselves to his Christ-like fashioning in our lives. We seek to model Christ-like conduct in our faculty and encourage our students to be shaped by the character of Christ.