Samuel Fuller School

of the universe is a God of order and beauty, children, being made in the image of God, learn best in an atmosphere of order and beauty. The classical model of education, by its very nature, supplies this sort of atmosphere. It is a well-established, time-tested method of education that was widely used throughout the western world until the mid 1800’s and is experiencing a rebirth across the country today. The scholars and artists of the Renaissance, the theologians of the Reformation, our founding fathers in America, and many of the great scientists and philosophers of the twentieth century were classically taught. The classical model emphasizes certain skills and concepts at the appropriate age in relation to the student’s development. Thus, children will thrive in an atmosphere that is based on the premise that when taught appropriately, all children love to learn. Students are encouraged to develop this love of learning and an ability to think that will bring them satisfaction and serve them well for the rest of their lives. Samuel Fuller School will work with parents to ensure that they understand the methods and materials of the classical approach and feel confident in their ability to support their child’s educational growth. The classical model employed by Samuel Fuller School includes basics such as reading, writing and math with the following emphases in the curriculum:

• History - Knowing where we are in the full scope of human history enables us to serve more effectively in our generation.
• Language - Not only do we use it to speak, but we think with language. Thus, we teach Latin as a tool in learning the fundamentals of language and as a foundation for English vocabulary.
• Logic - Those who cannot think clearly are left to the whims of emotion and charismatic persuasion. We teach formal and informal logic both as a defense against error and as a tool in the pursuit of truth. We encourage every student to do his or her very best. More capable students may achieve more, but all students will be challenged to maximize their God-given abilities and be honored for doing so. Education is about training the whole person for life in God’s world, and that includes character. Integrity, industry, courage, fortitude, as well as honesty, loyalty, respect, compassion, goodness, and humility are among the virtues we attempt to cultivate. Samuel Fuller School will carry out its classical model of education by utilizing what is known as the Trivium. The Trivium consists of three stages: grammar, logic (dialectic) and rhetoric. Children that are taught with these developmental stages in mind are receiving an education using classical methodology. The other aspect of what makes an education classical is the content taught. The focus in a classical education is on our Western heritage which students gain through reading the great works of the West. A classical education is literature-based, with emphasis on the primary sources that capture the essence of our past in order to understand more fully God’s world and our place in it. Thus, in both methodology and content the education provided by Samuel Fuller School is distinctively classical.