ESTABLISHING A FOUNDATION
“You could just see the wheels turning in the heads of the students. ‘What gifts do I have?’...and they all just teamed up.”
Students took Mrs. Fuhs's lesson to heart. After an evening at home processing a simple assignment, a group of boys darted to action to lead their class. They used many skills Mrs. Fuhs has taught them. Mathematics, grammar, and Bible lessons coalesced into a bake sale to multiply their talents. These foundational lessons are setting up students for big things.
Building Faith
Hillcrest’s Lower School utilizes the classical Christian model of education. That means that students here spend significant time understanding foundations. Students not only learn Bible stories but practice understanding context. Classical habits like narrating and memorization give students the muscles to understand what happened, take that understanding into their basic language knowledge, and communicate it in their fashion. In practicing this and other disciplines, students are mentored to understand that the truths of Scripture are knowable, understandable, and something for them to participate in. The foundational faith-building at Hillcrest is dynamic.
Developing Intellect
As part of Hillcrest’s classical approach, students exercise several disciplines in their learning to build muscles for greater scholarship. For instance, students learn cursive as they mature. This enables them to read historical documents later in life. Students are trained in classroom decorum, gaining insight into the importance of learning skills that will serve them well in the future. Students also exercise tools like memorization and narration, which help them build habits in understanding concepts they’re learning, and with that understanding, they share the source knowledge and then paraphrase the information to build confidence in their understanding. There are so many tools students gain in Hillcrest’s approach to classical education that equip them to not only be excellent scholars throughout life but also to be people who understand the times they’re living in and who know what they should do.
Strengthening Character
Virtue is a muscle that is formed by instruction and experience. Much is said that society hinges on the virtue of citizens. Hillcrest’s approach to classical education shares important resources for students to utilize. In each classroom, students are taught a variation on a theme of filtering all thoughts, wonderings, and actions by whether they celebrate the good, adhere to truth, and exemplify what is beautiful. Good, truth, and beauty are hallmarks of a flourishing society, and at Hillcrest, we forge a character that can identify what is good, true, and beautiful and teaches students to prefer it. We do this by building muscle memory for students, using theme variations inside lessons. We also establish curbs in thoughts, words, and actions to call students to adjust their behavior to align with good, truth, and beauty both inside and outside the classroom, teaching students that all good, truth, and beauty find their definition inside Scripture and the character of Jesus Christ.
WHAT PARENTS SAY
Many education philosophies and strategies sound great on paper. Most of us appreciate a good presentation and seeing the road map. Many parents' biggest question is, “Does this actually work?” We’ve seen that it does, and some parents want to meet you. For now, check out these testimonies from our parents on how Hillcrest’s approach to classical education is encouraging their families.
Developing Critical Thinkers for Life
“They teach them critical thinking with the Classical Christian Education, and not just what to think but the why behind it.”
VISIT HILLCREST
Being known and heard by a teacher is very important for grammar and elementary grades. Preschool through 5th-grade students at Hillcrest Lower School enjoy supportive relationships with their teachers and staff. Visit the campus to meet our team and learn how we’ll support your family.