LATIN, POETRY, AND SONG

Beginning at ages 3-5, students are taught the parts of the Mass sung in Latin. In grades 1-4, Latin is taught using the natural method, i.e., orally by word-recognition and dialogue. By 5th Grade students begin using Cambridge Latin. Successive years of study will take students through Units 2-3. Memorization of poetry and song is taught Montessori to Sixth Grade.

MUSIC AND THE ARTS

From the very start of a student's education at Holy Family Classical School, the curriculum emphasizes the importance of art and music. Beginning in Montessori, students learn to sing folk songs in English and Catholic hymns in Latin. At the same time our curriculum begins to cultivate each child's ability to create art and music.

Using a spiraling design based on the shape of history itself, each grade emphasizes a particular period in art, architecture, and music as follows:

1st and 5th Grade: Classical

2nd and 6th Grade: Medieval
3rd and 7th Grade: Renaissance
4th and 8th Grade: Modern

The goal is to teach the art, architecture, and music that corresponds to each period in history, yet also and simultaneously form the aesthetic sense of students so that they are able to understand and appreciate what makes each period's arts true, good, and beautiful. 

In addition to learning about the arts of each period in history, students at Holy Family Classical School also have opportunities to participate in the creation of art and music themselves. Art is not just something they see and hear; it is also something they create!