Athletics
Equestrian
Agathos students aged 6 and up may take small group or private horsemanship and riding lessons at Highland Manor Farm. Horses can be instrumental in learning confidence, respect, responsibility, trust, focus, problem solving, and developing deeper relationships with others. Lessons focus on learning all aspects of horsemanship: grooming, tacking up, safety with and around horses, along with balance and skill in riding. Though Agathos does not sponsor a competitve team, individuals may progress to displaying their skills in competitions and shows.
Philosophy
- God
- Family
- Academics
- Athletics
Character
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal 5:22 – 23“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Rom 5:3-4
“Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he completes according to the rules. ” II Tim 2:5
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” I Cor 16:13
Commitment
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Col 3:23“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it a slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” I Cor 9:24-27
“He who gathers crops in the summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.” Prov 10:5
Community
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers… let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16, 18
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11
Athletics, rightly understood as an integral part of education, compliments our greater mission at Agathos. Lessons of commitment. teamwork and overcoming adversity are advanced on the courts and the fields of competition. It is in the midst of “running to win the prize” that our student-athletes experience great life lessons. These lessons go beyond the x’s and o’s and into the heart of each one as they develop a love for Christ and service to those around them.
Along the way, our programs also provide wonderful opportunities to strengthen the larger community of Agathos. Relationships built on the sidelines provide cohesiveness among our parents as they support their children. Parents’ enthusiastic participation is important as we continue to seek to honor God through our athletic program.
Mock Trial
What led to such an amazing debut and increasing success? The students were smart and hardworking, and yet so were their opponents. They receive excellent coaching from local attorneys Jason Whatley and Cory Ricci, but they weren’t the only team to benefit from strong coaching. We know they were not the only team who sought God’s blessing and strove to glorify Him in their efforts.
How they were educated, however, for years preceding their Mock Trial participation, differed distinctly from others. Classical education trains students to acquire facts, analyze them logically, and communicate eloquently. Students think on their feet during Socratic questioning and express their views in class discussions. They practice rhetorical skills in writing and debates, and hone their presentation skills in speech class.
Rather than being taught what to think, they are taught how to think. Such preparation certainly contributes to the team’s performance. But ultimately, we give all glory to God, who gives life, ability, and the opportunity to compete.
Protocol
Students learn practical ways to show honor and esteem, prevent embarrassment, and glorify God in their relations with others. Topics covered include: Introductions, Manners at Home, Sportsmanship, Humor, Thank You Notes, Being a Gracious Host and a Welcome Guest, Table Manners, Conversation, Escorting, Dressing Appropriately for the Occasion, Business Etiquette and Dining, Interviewing, and Workplace Relations.
Travel
Clubs
House System
Art
The Christian Worldview of Art
- “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” -Michelangelo
- “Every artist was first an amateur.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.” -Wassily Kandinsky
Art can and should be taught to young children initially in the form of basic skills – using the whole page, correctly holding the pencil and brush, studying and practicing perspective, mixing colors, and other universal artistic elements. At Agathos, we seek to train the elementary students in the requisite skills for art and to complete art projects that combine skills and practice with copying from another picture, still life or design.
After these students learn the basic skills and imitate masters (as young apprentice artists have done for centuries in Europe), they are far better prepared to construct their own, unique renderings. As students mature, the program addresses teaching the names and major works of the artistic masters. The students are taught to recognize similarities and differences between artists through evaluating the works themselves and then sorting appropriately. At the same time they continue to imitate a variety of works while seeking to master concepts including proportion, shading, depth, color, contour, balance, and positive and negative space.
Art Goals
- We seek to teach all our students the basic fundamentals of drawing to enable them to create adequate renderings.
- We seek to encourage the students to appreciate and imitate the beauty of the creation in their own work.
- We seek to introduce the students to masters’ works.
- We seek to equip the students to knowledgeably use a variety of art media.