Seeking the Fruit of Truth, Virtue, and Joy
The vision for Providence Classical School is rooted in God's wise rule. "Providence" is the warm assurance that every event in history, every family, and every child’s story unfolds under the wise hand of the Lord.
Our name signals that this school is not a side quest or a human experiment but an act of trust in God’s promises for generations. We aim to serve parents as they bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
We aim to help students read history, literature, and their own lives as part of the unfolding story of God’s providence, so that they learn to give thanks in all things, stand firm in trials, and labor in hope.
“Truth, Virtue, Joy” summarizes the fruit we seek: students grounded in the truth of God’s Word, trained in moral and intellectual virtue, and tasting the deep joy that comes from resting in a sovereign, good Father.
The posture we seek to cultivate as we pursue Truth, Virtue, and Joy.
We express gratitude as our first response to the Gospel, recognizing that salvation is God’s gift, not our own achievement.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith... it is the gift of God.” Eph. 2:8
We imitate Christ by denying ourselves. We invest deeply in this work, taking up our cross daily to serve one another.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matt. 16:24
We pursue "grace-powered excellence" as an offering to God. In teaching, learning, and leading, we do all things heartily as unto the Lord.
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Col. 3:23
Our objective is defined by the Greek concept of paideia (παιδεία).
Without an exact English translation, paideia encompasses the upbringing, education, and culture that forms the soul of a human being. It is the command found in Ephesians 6:4 to raise children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord".
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”
We do not use "Christian" as a flavor or condiment added to a secular base of knowledge. A faithful Christian school is not simply a secular institution that adds a chapel service and a Bible class as a spiritual garnish. Instead, we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord over every square inch of the curriculum.
This formation is not merely about worldview; it is about cultivating affections and habits so that a child loves what is true, good, and beautiful. If children belong to Christ, their minds and imaginations must be discipled in His truth.
What is Paideia? Watch this ACCS YouTube video to learn more.
We reject the notion of a neutral education. All education is inherently religious. Every school, whether it admits it or not, answers fundamental questions about what is real, what is true, what is good, and what a human life is for.
Math, science, literature, history, art, and athletics either honor Christ as Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer—or they treat Him as irrelevant. To subject our children to an education that denies God and His Word as the interpretive principle of all things is to deny the Lordship of God over our children.
To maintain our freedom to teach Biblical truth without compromise, we will not apply for or accept federal or state funding, vouchers, or state-sponsored accreditation.
We will be free of all government entanglements. By freeing ourselves from government dependence, we recover the responsibility our forefathers held. We will be funded by generous giving and reasonable tuition, not our fellow taxpayers.
The State protects; the Church trains believers; the Family educates. We will operate under the delegation of the family, believing the Bible instructs parents—not the state—to be the primary educators of their children.
All knowledge is interrelated. God's character is revealed in His Word and creation, connecting every subject. As J. Gresham Machen wrote, "The Christian cannot be satisfied so long as any human activity is either opposed to Christianity or out of all connection with Christianity".
God commands us to love Him with our minds (Matt. 22:37). We challenge students using the centuries-old, proven classical method to teach them how to learn, not just what to learn.
Faculty, parents, and board will joyfully unite under the Apostles' Creed and a distinctly Protestant statement of faith. Every subject will be brought into its connection to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
When we use the word 'Classical,' we are not simply referring to old books or a nostalgic return to the past. We are referring to a proven way of forming a human being—one that prioritizes wisdom over mere information.
We aim to teach students how to learn, not just what to learn. By mastering the tools of language, logic, and persuasion, we hope to equip students to master any subject they encounter in the future.
We envision students entering into the 'Great Conversation' of Western Civilization. By studying the Great Books, history, and art, students understand their heritage and learn to engage with the greatest minds of history.
We aspire to provide a 'Liberal' education—derived from the Latin liber (free). This is not political; it is an education designed to train a free man or woman to think clearly, judge rightly, and live freely in service to God and neighbor.
We aim to match instruction with the natural phases of a child’s development. In her essay The Lost Tools of Learning, Dorothy Sayers calls this educating along the God-given "grain" of a child's development.
We are currently evaluating curriculum options that align with the classical tradition. While final selections are in progress, the following resources represent the standard of rigor and quality we intend to use.
We will also learn from ACCS what offerings are available that meet our goals of a classical Christian curriculum.
Data from the University of Notre Dame "Good Soil" study on ACCS alumni.
ACCS alumni earn more A's in college than any other group.
Attend church at least 3x/month (vs. ~50% for peers).
Highest scores in "independent thinking" and respectful engagement.
More likely to read literature; 2.6x more likely to pray alone.
We believe school culture is formative. Here is the culture we aspire to build:
We will require uniforms to reinforce modesty and unity. They remove class distinctions and allow students to focus on character and academics.
Our proposed 5-day schedule allows for ample time for deep immersion in academics, fine arts, and daily physical education. Kindergarten is a half-day program.
Our teachers will be the "Living Curriculum". We believe the quality of a school never rises higher than the loves of the teacher. We seek faculty who model intellectual rigor fused with humility. Faculty will be subject to a Protestant statement of faith.
We view athletics as a vital part of the curriculum, not a competitor to it, rejecting the false dichotomy between training the mind and the body. While we will start small, our long-term hope is to offer interscholastic sports, potentially exploring options like Cross-Country, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, and Football as our community grows.
We believe beauty allows us to enjoy God. We aim to build a program where:
We believe the environment shapes the student. We aim to create classrooms that are peaceful, orderly, and beautiful, avoiding the clutter of modern educational trends. We envision spaces featuring nature studies, classical art, and living plants to calm the spirit and focus the mind.
Our discipline focuses on repentance and restoration, not mere compliance. We aim to shepherd the heart rather than just manage behavior.
We honor the complementary design of boys and girls. We tailor methods to their typical strengths (e.g., movement/risk for boys, collaboration/detail for girls) to produce confident gentlemen and gracious ladies.
Usage will be purposeful, not pervasive, and active, not passive. Our four guiding principles are: Purposeful, Active, Formative, Relational. We prioritize formation over addiction; technology assists but never substitutes for relational formation by human teachers.
We aspire to train "citizen-saints" who engage public life with charity and courage. Our vision includes a senior Western Civilization tour (e.g. Rome or Athens).
We aspire to be members of the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) and will utilize their training resources for our faculty.
Rendering of aspirational academic village
Rendering of aspirational indoor building
Rendering of aspirational track and field
We aspire to build a campus modeled after Thomas Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia: smaller buildings arranged around a central lawn of grass and trees.
Using classical architecture, which has a language of order, balance, and authority, the campus would exemplify truth, beauty, and goodness. This design allows us to build in phases as funding is received.
We are currently in the vision-casting and interest-gathering stage.
Interested in enrolling? We are gathering a list of pioneer families.
Parent Interest FormCalled to teach? We are looking for faculty ready to be a "Living Curriculum."
Faculty Interest FormWe intend to offer needs-based variable tuition to assist families in making classical education accessible.
Providence Classical School
Newnan, Georgia
Contact: Zach Miller
[email protected]
Soli Deo Gloria!
