A Different School for a Different Purpose

North Star Classical Christian School is different from other schools in that our approach is based on the classical model, rather than a progressive model of education.  Progressive education has taken root in our thoughts on schooling and education, such that we view the modern-day school as the way school has always been.  North Star seeks to ask and implement a different way of doing things. C. S. Lewis stated “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” At North Star, we are going back to the classical approach, looking at education differently.  We are asking different questions about what education is for, and the best way to reach that goal.

Ultimate purpose.  Our primary and ultimate goal for our students is broader than college and career preparation. Those are both secondary goals.  Primarily, we seek to form young men and women who are true students, and who are more fully formed not just in mind, but heart, soul, and virtue.  We believe this is the purpose of a true education.

Integration.  At North Star, we seek to integrate education in multiple ways.  

Integration of Family.  North Star parents and families are part of the educational experience of the child.

Integration of Faith.  We seek to integrate tenets of the Christian faith into every discipline studied.  We speak often of how God’s creation has design, order, and purpose, and we see that in math, science, language, history, and every field of study.

Integration of Fields of Study.  Rather than disconnected “subjects”, what we are studying at North Star are all aspects of God’s character and creation.  We make deliberate effort to communicate this with students.

Integration across Grades. To overcome age-segregated learning, at North Star, the majority of the school is studying the same material in various fields of study.  By doing this, students are able to participate in conversations with siblings and schoolmates outside their own grade.  

Tools of Learning. - Our goal is to broadly equip students with tools of learning, which are the first of the seven liberal arts (grammar, logic, and rhetoric).  This timeless framework for learning is based on the wisdom of the past. When mastered, these arts enable an individual to learn how to think and learn any field of study.