SCHOLA

PARENT EDUCATION

Schola, from which we get "school," is a Latin word rich in meaning; it refers to “intermission of work, leisure for learning, meeting place of instruction, learned conversation, lecture, and debate.” This is the name we have given to our program of adult education under the conviction that grown-ups, as much as the youth, need to train their mental faculties for the veneration of God.  

Seminar

Each semester we offer seminars on great texts, which is an opportunity for adults to further enrich their own education in a community of dialogue-partners who undertake a mutual search for understanding and truth. Seminar pedagogy consists of “a guide on the side” (tutor) rather than “a sage on the stage” (lecturer), who, following Socrates and Jesus–the greatest teachers in human history–ask a leading question that is explored through the give-and-take of conversation known as “dialectics.” Together, we hope to cultivate the same habits of mind that are encouraged in our students: “a deepened capacity for reflective thought, an ability to transcend the limits of [our] own horizons, an appreciation of the persisting questions of human existence, an abiding respect for the value of serious conversation, and a lasting love of inquiry” (St. John’s College). 

PARENT ORIENTATION

REQUIRED INFORMATIONAL EVENT

Each year after the start of the school year, ACA holds a Parent Orientation event, required for at least one parent from each family. Parents learn about ACA’s expectations for them as they partner with their children each day for their academic success; about classroom expectations, schedules, homework, and planning; and about ACA’s vision for education. This event is essential for parents to most effectively guide their students throughout the year as they support classroom learning. Refreshments are provided.