Strong Minds
Soft Hearts
Rich Souls
Classically educating the whole person with a solid foundation to understand that they are children of God made in his image and for good works.
Strong Minds
Soft Hearts
Rich Souls
Strong Minds, Soft Hearts, and Rich Souls
WELCOME TO PETRA ACADEMY
“For the ancients, the proper ordering of loves was the crucial edifice that all moral and intellectual education hung upon. Therefore, … the school culture must incarnate piety, virtue, and grace. For inevitably, the culture of the school educates as much as its curriculum.” — The Liberal Arts Tradition
Petra believes that living out the ideals of classical Christian education is as important as the curriculum that we teach. Holding up what is True, Good, and Beautiful throughout the everyday life of the school is essential to shaping the whole child both today and in the future.
STUDENT LIFE
Forming the whole child involves more than the classroom, it includes art, music, athletics, community, and community service.
WHY CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Values-based education is becoming more rare in our world today. Petra strives to awaken love and wonder in our students, encouraging them not only to do good in their community but to be stewards of goodness with their time, passions, and pursuits.
CHARACTER
Classical Christian education teaches students to think for themselves, pursue virtue, communicate eloquently, and love their neighbor.
Classical Christian education is transformational, not transactional. Surrounding students with the truths of God’s word and the great ideas of Western culture, they are changed. Education rooted in virtue formation, rather than a mere vocation, makes the goal of education about who we become, not what we know. We study the great works of literature, engage in vigorous debate (even at the Grammar school level), learn critical thinking skills, and how to ask thoughtful and important questions.
WISDOM
Classical education teaches students how to learn, so they are equipped to pursue whatever they want to learn for the rest of their lives.
Petra’s foundation is rooted in the Bible and is infused in everything we do. Whether it is the wonder of scientific discovery or the complexity of poetry, learning through the lens of a Christian Worldview makes the world come alive.
Community
We learn about the human condition while reading classical literature and how God works through us despite our failings. We learn about integrity and perseverance that honors God on the athletic field and on the stage.
We understand that our goals of formation are not accomplished in a day, a year, or even by the time a senior walks across the stage. While the educational journey is messy and complicated, we rest in the promises God makes in Proverbs 22:6: “train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Classical Christian Education is a foundation to grow, not just a high bar of education to be mastered.
At Petra, we focus on the whole child – mind, heart, body, and spirit. We appreciate each child’s strengths, needs, and interests – understanding all that makes a child unique and setting each of them up for success.
