From the ACA Board

Dear Augustine Classical Academy Friends and Supporters,

In the latest issue of "The Classical Difference," a publication of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, is a beautiful and powerful article by an American teacher who traveled to Rwanda.  There to share some classical teaching methods and understand her hosts' passion for this distinct approach to education, she asked her hosts this fundamental question:

Why, we ask, does [this pastor] -- already a prolific evangelist and church planter -- consider academics a crucial part of his mission?  Why not stick to spreading the gospel?  His answer, framed by the backdrop of blood-spattered killing walls and shelves of fractured skulls, takes my breath away.  Moral education would have prevented the genocide.  Education that is Christian and thoughtful, cut along the grain of God's own nature and the nature God gave to man, is an antidote to the genocidal theologies and "the key to a better future for Rwanda."

That's big, heavy stuff -- and true.  Classical, Christian education is not just a benefit to our kids.  It's a gift to our communities and our culture because it equips students with a whole understanding of God's story, as it's expressed in all of life (even, yes, geometry and grammar); it nurtures a love of truth that seems shockingly absent from much public discourse today; and it cultivates nimble minds, who can follow an argument to its logical end and propose fresh ideas rooted in substance.

Augustine Classical Academy is proud to be this type of school, and we're writing to ask you to support our important mission, for the sake of our students and the Denver community at large.

At the beginning of this academic year, we launched The Augustine Campaign, a three-year fundraising effort to raise $600,000 for operating expenses (teacher salaries and rent), financial assistance, and classroom supplies.  We have $85,000 left to raise to meet our year-one goal.

Here's how you can help:

Skip a Starbucks: By giving $5 or $10 a month, you can help equip our classrooms with necessary materials.  Sign up for automatic giving at augustineclassical.org/giving.

Invest in Enrollment: The best way for ACA to continue to thrive is to build enrollment.  We've seen growth each of our last six years, and we are only at about 35% capacity in our current facility.  Help us reach more families with a $100 gift toward our marketing efforts.

Sponsor a Scholarship: We will award $66,000 in financial assistance in the 2016-17 academic year. Making a gift designated for scholarships relieves stress on our operating budget and allows us to continue serving families with high financial need.

Introduce Us: Think about who would be excited by ACA's distinct model and mission.  Would your church sponsor a scholarship?  Does your company have a grant-making arm that supports local non-profits?  Who do you know who would love to give their children this type of education? To expand our reach and build our school, we need the help of all members of our community.

You can make a one-time or recurring gift online at augustineclassical.org/giving or by mailing a check, made out to Augustine Classical Academy, to:

480 S. Kipling St. | Lakewood, CO 80226

Thanks for your continued partnership in this exciting work of equipping students to know, love, and practice what is true, good, and beautiful, for the good of all people and the glory of God.

Yours sincerely, The Augustine Classical Academy Board of Directors.