ACADEMICS

At Petra, we believe that education is about formation.  Learning is not simply about acquiring information, but how learning gives us perspective and eyes to see the world the way God sees it.  Our goals are to equip students with what Dorothy Sayers called “the tools of learning.” Like the goal articulated by 19th century educator Endicott Peabody, we desire that our graduates are “able to take up successfully any subject owing to [their] early training.” 

To this end, our academic program includes classes in language arts (literature in the secondary), mathematics, science and logic, history, classical languages, fine arts, common arts, biblical studies, and physical education.  Using the “three-way” methodology of the classical trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric), we desire that our students be well grounded in the fundamentals of the core curriculum, that they reason well, and that they articulate with precision and grace. Along with the trivium, we also engage in the quadrivium, expanding the students course of study to include the arts, math, and science.

The pursuit of academic excellence has come as a natural fit to Petra since its inception. Our teachers are highly-qualified and motivated. Families are supportive and appreciative of the quality of education offered at Petra. The classical pedagogy and use of great texts and serious subject matter of our curriculum further necessitate the enthusiastic entry of our students into the “great conversation” of ideas of our civilization past and present. Small teacher-student ratios and well-ordered classrooms that provide an atmosphere conducive to diligence add to the formula for success in this area. Finally, and most significantly, the desire to do all we do “heartily as to the Lord” calls for mirthful diligence from us all.