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ABOUT

Why Classical?

THE CLASSICAL DIFFERENCE. Classical education is different because it starts with different goals and produces different outcomes. It’s distinct from most private and Christian schools because the majority of them use the same curriculum as public schools.

Classical Christian education, as we understand it, is a means of transferring a way of life, not simply preparation for the workforce.

We work to revive the medieval model of education, one with a robust core of liberal arts, centered on Christ. We believe Christ is sovereign over everything, and as such should be integrated into every part of the educational curriculum and community. Why study history? Because we can see how Christ prepared the world for his works. Why study math? Because we can witness the meticulous order with which God designed the world. We have found that when Christ is first in every subject, students become lifelong learners, enchanted by the wonder of the world and passionate about justice and truth. We think the world needs more people like these.

Read more here. (Excerpted from https://www.classicaldifference.com/about-us/ )

SAT Performance relative to College and Career Readiness Benchmark

The red ACCS bar to right represents how the Association of Classical Christian Schools outperforms other types of schools on the SAT.

Agathos students’ average composite ACT score is 29. Over half of our 2018 graduates scored a 30 or higher. For reference, the 2017 Tennessee state average is 19.8 and the National average is 21.

Why Agathos?

Good for Children, Good for the World

Our Mission Statement:
Using the tools of classical education, Agathos Classical School assists Christian parents in teaching and training their children to the glory of God.

Philosophy

Agathos exists to support parents in teaching and training their children to the glory of God. Using the time-proven tools of classical education, students develop a love of learning and the capacity to pursue any area of study to which the Lord leads them. Our small classes and family-like community encourage students to achieve their fullest God-given potential.
Agathos Classical School recognizes that an excellent education never takes place in a moral or philosophical vacuum. We believe it is founded upon a disciplined, eager attention to learning, which rests upon the student’s moral character.

Recognizing these principles, and in support of parents’ God-given responsibility to educate their children, Agathos seeks to provide:

A clear and consistent model of Christian life through its staff and board members
Encouragement to develop a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ
A rigorous, classical education, in which grammar (facts), logic (relationships), and rhetoric (persuasive expression) are emphasized in all subject areas
Training to recognize and appreciate truth, goodness, and beauty
Teaching from a biblical worldview
Preparation to further the kingdom of God through our students and graduates now and in the future, in ways that we cannot imagine.
In conjunction with the biblical emphasis, Agathos Classical School strives to provide classical and Christian education, as described in the following works:

1. The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers
2. Classical and Christ-centered/The Logos School Philosophy by Douglas Wilson
3. The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory
4. Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Douglas Wilson
5. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
6. The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric: Understanding the Nature and Function of Language by Sister Miriam Joseph
7. The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home 3rd edition by Susan Wise Bauer and Jesse Wise
8. Wisdom and Eloquence by Robert Littlejohn and Charles T. Evans

Our Name: Agathos is a Greek word meaning good, that which is beneficial and worth passing on to others.

Our Logo: The shield represents the armor of God. Each point of the cross signifies God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When the four ends are multiplied the total is twelve. This is a reminder of the original disciples and how we are called to be disciples as well.

The color is gold. Gold is pure, beautiful and valuable-a precious gift befitting a king. Just as the wise men presented gold to the Christ Child, we are called in Romans 12:1 to present ourselves ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God…’.

When our children wear this insignia let us use it as a tool to continue to teach them of God’s gift of His Son on the cross and what our response to that gift should be.

Our Motto: “Soli Deo Gloria” is Latin for “to the glory of God alone.”

Our Statement of Faith

Vision

That Agathos Classical School will implement a classical approach to education founded on a Christian worldview.
That Agathos Classical School will prepare students for a lifetime of learning by equipping them with the basic tools of learning. At the completion of an education at Agathos, we desire our graduates to be young men and women who possess the classical tools that enable them to acquire the facts (grammar), reason clearly (logic), communicate effectively and persuasively (rhetoric), and live a life to the glory of God alone (Soli Deo Gloria). They will know how to think rather than simply what to think.

By God’s grace, the educational environment will develop young people who will possess a love of learning, be obedient to the Word of God, and thus serve Him with distinction in society. Our vision is to further the kingdom of God through our students and graduates, now and in the future, in ways that we cannot imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

That Agathos students will strive for excellence in all endeavors and achieve to the fullest their intellectual, spiritual, and physical potential. Agathos Classical School will seek and emphasize curricula that conforms to the school’s educational philosophy and that meets, exceeds or sets new standards for academic excellence. Agathos will encourage the full development of the student; that those gifted by God with intellectual talents will be continually challenged; that those gifted with musical, artistic, or other creative abilities will be encouraged and nurtured in those gifts; that those gifted with physical abilities will have opportunity to use and refine them; that our students will “know, love, and practice that which is true, good, and beautiful!”
That Agathos Classical School will encourage every student to come to a saving knowledge of Christ, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. (John 17:3; 2 Peter 3:18) We will encourage growth in Godly character in the students so that they may become mature Christians, equipped to be faithful servants of the Lord in their calling. We desire to see our students develop Christ-like humility and yet be capable of sound, bold, and eloquent apology. (Ephesians 4:29) We desire to have students that fully possess knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, recognizing the wisdom of man as foolishness before God. (Romans 12:2)

That the faculty, staff, and Board of Directors of Agathos Classical School will seek to reflect the character of Christ in their attitudes and behaviors, and thus provide an example of Godliness to the students. Their lives should be a clear model of a biblical Christian life. That parental involvement will saturate every aspect of Agathos. That an Agathos graduate will manifest the following:

Ephesians 4:14-15 “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ.”

Galatians 5:22-23 “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raise up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ!’

Colossians 4:6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Our long-term vision is to have an independent campus on which the school will function as a Pre-K through 12th grade classical and Christian school with a full complement of academic, extracurricular, and athletic programs.

It is our vision that in the end our students, parents, faculty, staff,
and board of directors will be looked upon and hear,
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Matthew 25:23

History

The Lord has been faithful to establish and bless this work. Great efforts by many people have aided in the founding of Agathos, but ultimately all glory and honor must be given to Christ whose grace will uphold Agathos Classical School. Unless He builds our house, we labor in vain.