Introducing the Rhetoric School

The Rhetoric School is the culmination of a classical Christian education. Rhetoric is the final component of the Trivium, which includes Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. The high school years are exciting years in a student’s development, both personally and academically. 

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Why Rhetoric?

The Grammar stage provides a robust foundation of information and knowledge, centering on content that is good, true, and beautiful. As students grow into the middle school years of the Logic stage, they are led to ask good questions. Logic School students are being prepared to articulate and defend their faith through discerning and identifying logical fallacies, as well as arguing rightly and humbly from a perspective that is biblically sound. The Rhetoric stage capitalizes on the high school age development of students to present themselves whimsically and persuasively. Through an intense study and practice of the art of rhetoric, students will write speeches and debate ideas with the end goal of participating in the “great conversation”–an interaction with faith, philosophy, and worldview that engages the world around them with the redemptive power of God’s truth.

“The good man speaking well.”

Quintilian

THE PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE

We approach education with the end in mind. We know that at its heart, education is a formative enterprise–we are cultivating children to embrace, to embody, and to extend a vision of “the good life.”  This good life is not high scores on standardized tests, a lucrative career, or college acceptance. Rather, the good life and aim of education is the cultivation of virtue and rightly ordered affections. To that end, Heritage partners with parents to grow students in the following ideals:

Jesus himself declares that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  As such, the Heritage graduate knows the God of the Old and New Testament Scriptures as his Savior and greatest treasure.  His chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

Jesus also affirms that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.  The Heritage graduate seeks to obey the biblical mandate to love others as self and to do to others as you would have them do to you.

The Heritage graduate, being broadly read in the foundational works of western culture, and having been taught in the methodologies of classical education, loves to learn.

One of the marks of the growing Christian is loving the things she ought to love and hating the things she ought to hate.  The Heritage graduate places the highest value on all that is true, good, and beautiful, knowing that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of each of these transcendentals.

Having been formally trained in logic and rhetoric, the Heritage graduate formulates cogent arguments and defends them winsomely in speech and in writing with alacrity and precision. Grounded in the truth of Scriptures, and informed by a broad exposure to literature and academic study, the Heritage graduate aims to think deeply, employ wisdom, and speak graciously and persuasively for the sake of Christ to the world.

Having been taught in the classical forms and pedagogies, the Heritage graduate possesses the rudiments and skills to study any discipline.  He is thus ready to pursue whichever course of learning in which the Lord leads.

Learning is not done for the sake of the individual alone. Rather, the tools, wisdom, eloquence which are now the possession of the Heritage graduate are meant for the growth of God’s Kingdom. As such, the Heritage graduate understands the primacy of the Church in the continual growth and development of believers, and the responsibility of each believer to submit to local church leaders as the believer seeks to serve the local church body in ministry and disciple-making.

Courses

The following courses will be offered at HCA’s Rhetoric School:

Subject Area 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade
Math Geometry Algebra II Honors Pre-Calculus* or Integrated Math Honors Calculus* or Business Math
Science Biology Chemistry Physics Advanced Physics* or Advanced Biology*
Humanities Omnibus III Omnibus IV Omnibus V Omnibus VI
Rhetoric Rhetoric I Rhetoric II or Government/Economics Rhetoric III Senior Thesis or Honors Senior Thesis*
Languages Latin Readings I or Greek I Latin Readings II or Greek II Latin Readings III or Greek III
Fine Arts Chorale, Strings, Theater, Art, Photography, Design Media  Chorale, Strings, Theater, Art, Photography, Design Media  Chorale, Strings, Theater, Art, Photography, Design Media  Chorale, Strings, Theater, Art, Photography, Design Media
Health Health, Physical Education, Athletics  Health, Physical Education, Athletics  Health, Physical Education, Athletics  Health, Physical Education, Athletics
Electives Mock Trial, Debate, Yearbook, World Language Mock Trial, Debate, Yearbook, World Language Mock Trial, Debate, Yearbook, World Language Mock Trial, Debate, Yearbook, World Language

*These courses are required to earn the Honors Diploma at HCA.

What to Expect in Ninth Grade
What to Expect in Tenth Grade

A Look Into Omnibus III

The Rhetoric School allows for the continuation of the Omnibus course. Omnibus is a six-year program beginning in seventh grade with two rotations of study. Its purpose is to enter students into the Great Conversation. Students will study all kinds of texts, such as poetry, philosophy, law, theater, scripture, and history, and analyze them in the light of Christ.

The ninth grade Omnibus course consists on Primary books and Secondary books. Primary books are the traditional Great Books, while the Secondary books provide balance in the areas of Theology, History and Literature, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Gulliver’s Travels, and The Old Man and the Sea. Primary Books to read include: 1984, Anti-Federalist Papers, The Communist Manifesto, Daniel, Federalist Papers, The Great Gatsby, Epistles of John, Lincoln: Speeches and Writings, Mein Kampf, Epistles of Peter & Jude, Philemon, Of Plymouth Plantation, Pilgrim’s Progress, Reflections on the Revolution in France, The Social Contract, A Tale of Two Cities, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and The Westminster Confession of Faith.