Grades TK – 5th
Each stage of The Academy meets children where they are—and points them to Christ.
TK – 5th grade
The Grammar School at Donum Dei focuses on both student development and curricular practices as we seek to nourish the minds, hearts, and bodies of our youngest learners.
Beginning with Transitional Kindergarten and extending through 5th grade, students are taught the fundamental rules and core knowledge of each subject using classical Christian education pedagogy.
We employ the classical Christian education pedagogy in our Grammar School by connecting the natural strength of young students’ ability to memorize with the appropriate tools of songs, chants, physical movement, games, and journaling. This connection helps to ingrain valuable information that will serve students well in their future learning experiences.
Curriculum is integrated so that students are able to make connections across multiple subjects. Central to this approach is our biblical worldview, which places Jesus at the center of all we do and teach. As such, the curriculum weaves the Bible across subjects to make it a cohesive study. For example, a student studying the early books of the Bible also studies ancient history, the science of machines and catapults, and the geography of the Middle East.
Early on, students learn factual information in the subjects of Bible, grammar, Latin, mathematics, history, geography, science, and timeline. This memory work serves as the foundational building blocks for their further education in the Logic and Rhetoric Schools. These skills of the Grammar stage, moreover, are complemented by students’ development in reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics.
Our teachers help young students commit to memory the things that will shape their souls and form the foundation of their later learning experiences. Students are engaged in multi-sensory classroom learning activities that foster human creativity and connection in the form of theater, art history, and geography mapping, to name a few.
Every student belongs to a house—a community of peers across grade levels who compete, serve, and celebrate together. The house system cultivates leadership, mentorship, and a deep sense of belonging that extends far beyond the classroom walls.
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From serving with partner ministries across San Francisco to co-curricular activity programs like chorus and art history, students cultivate wisdom and character while serving and learning to love what is beautiful.
learn moreEffective parent partnerships are a key contributor to developing a strong Academy culture. As a covenantal school, Donum Dei partners with parents who share faith in Jesus Christ and equips them to disciple and train their children by assisting in their academic and spiritual development.
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DONUM DEI
CLASSICAL ACADEMY
