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Herrad of Landesburg, “The Seven Liberal Arts,” ca. 1180 (photo: Public Domain)
Gaudium de veritate, so precious to Saint Augustine, which is that joy of searching for, discovering and communicating truth in every field of knowledge. In Catholic education, a privileged task is "to unite existentially by intellectual effort two orders of reality that too frequently tend to be placed in opposition as though they were antithetical: the search for truth, and the certainty of already knowing the fount of truth"
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The curriculum at OLPA is designed to develop students' aptitudes, habits, and qualities, fostering a deep appreciation for all that is genuinely true, good, and beautiful.
The various disciplines of knowledge are a unique illumination of the Divine truth. The "golden thread" that binds them all, from subjects in the humanities to the biological and physical sciences, is the Logos, the Divine Intelligence, upon which God the Father continues to speak the world into existence. Made in the image and likeness of God, to be fully human means to utilize the gift of reasoning and language. Thus, the humanities curriculum emphasizes the cultivation of logic and the development of rhetorical skills that follow.
The history curriculum,(complimented by its geographic component) aims to help students understand human culture and history as the lived answer to fundamental human questions and the human desire for God. Christ's reconciliation of all things and the transformative power of his Church and culture should inspire students, giving them hope and appreciation for the great cultures of history. Understanding history as the story of the world’s anticipation of truth and happiness revealed in Christ, students should have a special understanding of classical cultures and the birth of modern culture within Christianity. This culminates in the middle school years when the renowned classic, "A Little History of the World," provides a spine for seminar classes on the history of Salvation's great works of literature as well as corresponding primary sources of historical oratory accounts.
Emphasizing observation and rendering in subjects like art, music, and nature studies, the curriculum aims to cultivate habits of listening, looking, seeing, and noticing. These skills lead to improved concentration, whole-hearted attention, and stillness of both body and soul. Furthermore, each day's studies aim to cultivate the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, thus, preparing students for a fully human way of living in the world. In the words of St. Iranaeus, "The glory of God, is man fully alive."
General Principles and Goals
The theory and practice of the Church’s social teachings are embedded into the curriculum.
Sacred Scripture, sacred Tradition and Catholic intellectual tradition are used in all subjects to help students think critically and ethically about the world around them.
The moral and spiritual life of the class, through its culture, climate, and curriculum, is designed to help students identify, define, and live in accordance with core principles of Catholic social teachings and habits of mind that aid in the development of strong moral character.
Goals in Instructional Design
4. Classroom instruction is designed to help all students’ strengthen and grow their multiple cognitive intelligences, meeting the needs and capabilities of all students and their individualized learning needs.
5. Classroom instruction is designed to engage and motivate all students through the implementation of rigorous, standards-based instructional objectives, activities, and assessments aligned to best practices in cognitive learning science.
6. Classroom instruction is designed to intentionally address Catholic habits of mind and the affective dimensions of learning, which include emotional, social, moral, spiritual, and motivational development.
Striving Toward a Holistic Curricula
7. Curricula prepare students with the knowledge, understanding and collaborative skills to become creative, reflective, literate, critical, and moral evaluators, problem solvers, and decision makers.
8. Curricula prepare students to think and to learn within and across all academic disciplines to better uncover God’s revelation.
9. Curricula prepare students to become socially responsible global citizens by providing access to learning experiences within and across core subject areas (English language arts, mathematics, religion, social studies, science) that address questions of how to live morally in our current society.
Interdisciplinary Learning Opportunities
10. The classroom provides students the chance to use the engineering design/problem solving process (i.e., ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve) to develop meaningful solutions to challenges through the lens of the Catholic worldview.
11. The classroom provides students with opportunities to become expert and responsible users of technology; students are enabled to create, publish, and critique digital media, and respectfully communicate in ways that reflect their understanding of content, Catholic culture, and technology skills.
12. The classroom provides students with opportunities to express Catholic culture and faith through visual, audio and performing arts.
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