Registration for academic year 2025-26 is currently open. To inquire about a class, please contact the teacher via email (click on the teacher's name below). If you would like to discuss a course or student placement over the phone, please include your phone number in your email to the teacher.

 

NEW! Integrated Biology (Charles Nystrom)

Intended to be a companion course to the core Biology course, or to serve as a stand alone course for the motivated student or curious life-long learner. Using that week’s core biology material as a starting point, we will explore anything and everything biology touches: graduate fields of study, careers, industries; theology, philosophy, poetry, art; medicine, practical life, whimsy. We will begin with review of optional homework/readings, move into group discussion/activity, and end with a time of informal lecture/dialogue that is open to the public. Optional grading and adjustably rigorous assignments can be discussed on an individual basis, or the class can be taken without a grade in mind and simply to explore biology. Parents are welcome to participate as they desire.

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 + adult

No tests; written and oral assignments optional

Pre-requisites: currently taking or have taken high school biology; or strong interest in biology

Meets once a week in the evening (see Schedule)

Special cost: $100 (no cost to students of Introductory Biology course)

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NEW! The World of Faërie: Fairy Tales, Faith, and Enchantment​ (Joseph Leake)

​G.K. Chesterton once described a time when, in search of something to read, he found himself looking drearily through a stack of dreary-sounding modern novels, when all of a sudden he found one that made him cry out for joy: “Here at least, here at last, one could find a little common sense!” he thought. The book he had found was a copy of Grimms’ Fairy Tales. C.S. Lewis once observed that fairy tales were an essential part of preparing children for the trials and tribulations of the modern world, reasoning “Since it so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” And J.R.R. Tolkien wrote that fairy tales contain an image of the Gospel, “giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief.” What did Tolkien mean by this? And how could Chesterton and Lewis claim that fairy tales were relevant—even vital—in the modern, “real” world? We’ll explore the answers to these questions (and more!) in this course, as we delve into the origins, symbolism, and artistry of the fairy tale tradition. We’ll examine the roots of fairy tales in ancient myth and trace out the influence of fairy tales on modern fantasy and film; discover the origins of the word “fairy” itself; survey the great 19th-century effort to rescue fairy tales from oblivion; read and discuss the sometimes-surprising original versions of well-known stories such as Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid, as well as less-well-known tales such as Soria Moria Castle, Childe Rowland, and The Battle of the Birds; examine the writings of authors such as Chesterton, Lewis, and Tolkien on the value and meaning of fairy tales for Christians; and ultimately, consider why it is that fairy tales have always delighted readers and filled them with wonder—and continue to do so today. 

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 + adult

No tests or written assignments

Meets once a week in the evening for 14 weeks (see Schedule)

Special cost: $100​

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Music: Meaning and Materials (John Sundet)

Introduction to music from the perspective of language and participation. Covers physics and philosophy of music, notation, and theory, stressing concrete examples and active involvement with voice—the primary musical instrument given to each of us.

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 (also open to adult students)

Prior musical experience welcome but not needed.

Meets once a week (see Schedule)

 

Bible Overview (John Sundet)

A guided journey through the full text of the Bible designed to promote biblical literacy and to establish the basis for a lifetime of reflection and re-engagement with the text. A prominent goal is to assure that no book or chapter remains obscure or unrelated to the redemptive narrative.

Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12 (also open to adult students)

Meets twice weekly (see Schedule)