With a freshly renovated library and digitalized learning system in place, Zion Classical Academy will begin its 2022-23 school year with eyes to the future and roots in the past.
The student body of 85 students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade can largely expect to experience a new year with few changes from last year — something fifth-year Principal Sara Nielsen considers an ideal starting point.
Moving into its fourth year of implementing an old-school curriculum adopted from Hillsdale College in Michigan, the academy blueprint has proven to be a good fit at the school, providing area students with a rigorous Christ-centered education that rekindles an environment of learning that transports students back in time to how schools in America looked 100 years ago.
As a model, the program has proven to be an easy sell to families looking to turn back time to when uncompromising respect for God and country was the norm rather than the exception.
Parents with children in the school have expressed overwhelming support for the program, embracing what they consider to be a welcomed return to an educational system implemented by the nation’s forefathers.
“We’re really liking the results after adopting the classical academy model,” Nielsen said. “The results we’re seeing are making a big difference in our students and in the culture, and the types of families that are joining our school have really made for quite a transformation.
“I’m excited that this year we didn’t lose a single teacher or staff member. We’re coming back full force with a great, unified team with another year of experience under its belt. It’s a great team to work with, and we’ll be capitalizing upon that.”
Since adopting the Hillsdale model at Zion, the academy has seen a notable increase in parental involvement. It is the type of response Nielsen said shows just how much buy-in the program has received from families seeing desirable results.
“It has become more of a partnership at home,” she said. “Parental involvement has improved by leaps and bounds because these parents want to be involved in the process.
“We are seeing a lot less behavior issues among our students and a lot less discipline referrals. We are also seeing a marked increase in standardized test scores from students.”
Part of that increased involvement is reflected in the renovation of the student library, a project that included volunteer assistance from parents and teachers. In addition to obtaining new curriculum tools, the overhaul included fresh coats of paint, new flooring, and revised floor plan.
“We switched over to a digitalized system two or three years ago but have been acquiring new books pretty extensively the last few years,” Nielsen said. “We like to use old books and novels and make sure they are quality reads, books that have withstood the test of time that are going to help students learn virtue and character.”
Other notable differences emphasized in the academy’s liberal arts platform include music, use of traditional math formulas over common core methods, history lessons entrenched with ongoing Bible history references, formal logic courses, cursive handwriting lessons and Latin language instruction.
“History is taught with a big emphasis on the perspective of the Bible and how it has informed our Western civilization,” Nielsen said. “There are many Bible stories that tie in with well-known history stories.”
Weekly chapel services will be led by a rotating group of one dozen Lutheran pastors, with daily morning assembly gatherings giving students an opportunity to pray and share historical and biblical accounts with staff and classmates.
Pieces of art prominently displayed on campus walls include reproductions of masterpieces painted by legendary artists featured alongside replicas of founding American documents.
Athletic opportunities for students include physical education classes led by both staff and students from Hastings College. Academy students also may choose to participate in team sports through the Hastings Family YMCA.
Ultimately, the academy’s primary function is to educate students in a Christian-based environment that is both family-friendly and nurturing to students and staff alike, Nielsen said. And with an average of a dozen students in each classroom to educate, each child can expect to receive ample attention from staff as needed.
“With zero staff turnover, we can really focus on the learning and nurturing of students,” Nielsen said. “It’s such a small school that it really feels like a family. All the teachers know every child’s name and who their parents are. Nobody is going to slip through the cracks at our school.”
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