In grades 1-8, Holy Family Classical School works to form the faculties of the senses, memory, imagination, passions, intellect and will through progressively increasing mastery across subject areas. Students will encounter truth, goodness, beauty, and unity in their interactions with their teachers and fellow students, in their classwork, and in co-curricular activities such as art, music, and physical education.
Language Arts
In Reading and Spelling, students learn using explicit phonics and phonemic awareness in grades 1-2 and transition to phonics-based spelling in grades 3-6.
Holy Family uses the Institute for Excellence in Writing curriculum for grammar and composition in grades 4-8.
In literature, students read works that expose them to truth, beauty, goodness, and unity. At higher levels, literature corresponds to the students’ chronological time period in history. Sample texts include:
| Grade | Sample Texts |
| 1st Grade | Aesop’s Fables, Animal Stories (James Herriot), Boxcar Children |
| 2nd Grade | The Velveteen Rabbit, Trumpet of the Swan, Charlotte’s Web |
| 3rd Grade | My Father’s Dragon, Swiss Family Robinson (abridged), Excerpts from Gulliver’s Travels |
| 4th Grade | The Hobbit, The Horse and His Boy, The Good Master |
| 5th Grade | Black Ships Before Troy, The Wind in the Willows, Treasure Island |
| 6th Grade | Fingal’s Quest, |
| 7th Grade | Macbeth, The Prince and the Pauper, A Christmas Carol |
| 8th Grade | Vicar of Wakefield, Castle of Otranto, Woman in White, Father Brown Mysteries, Space Trilogy |
Math
Arithmetic and geometry are two of the seven liberal arts, a part of the trivium that focuses on understanding the ordered nature of created reality. Arithmetic deals with number, or quantity, while geometry deals with number extended in space. In teaching math, students are taught that math does not begin as something abstract, but as something that is deeply grounded in reality.
History
History is taught on a four-year cycle in grades one through eight, allowing students to revisit the same time periods at a deeper level, making additional connections. The same cycle is repeated with primary sources in high school.
| Grade | Time Period |
| 1st Grade | Ancient History |
| 2nd Grade | Medieval History |
| 3rd Grade | Modern History |
| 4th Grade | American History |
| 5th Grade | Ancient History |
| 6th Grade | Medieval History |
| 7th Grade | Modern History |
| 8th Grade | American History |
Science
Science is taught at Holy Family Classical School as a means of understanding the created nature of reality as being distinctively ordered. This is done with a focus on wonder at the beauty of creation and finding joy in recognizing God’s handiwork. Similar to history, science is taught on a repeating cycle that leads to revisiting similar concepts at a progressively deeper level.
| Grade | Field of Study |
| 1st Grade | Earth Science & Astronomy |
| 2nd Grade | Life Science |
| 3rd Grade | Chemistry |
| 4th Grade | Physics |
| 5th Grade | Earth Science & Astronomy |
| 6th Grade | Life Science |
| 7th Grade | Physical Science (Chemistry & Physics) |
| 8th Grade | Earth Science & Astronomy |
Music
As one of the seven liberal arts, music is an essential part of the education of students at Holy Family Classical School. Music begins in the Montessori program, focusing on basic elements of pitch, rhythm, melody, and harmony. In fourth grade, students begin their study of instrumental music with strings, and are able to choose between strings and choir in grades 5-8.
Physical Education
Physical education is a key component of an education that strives to form the whole person – body, mind, and soul. All students at Holy Family Classical School have physical education twice a week.