Curriculum Overview
An Education that Enlightens and Enlivens
At Trinity Academy South Bend, we are honored to partner with each of our families to provide the lifelong gift of a classical Christian education.
Trinity Academy students are taught to think deeply, communicate clearly, and practice virtue. By uniting a rigorous, time-tested classical curriculum with a Christian worldview, students not only acquire basic skills and knowledge, but develop the moral imagination to recognize and love what is true, good, and beautiful. In an age of information overload, Trinity Academy students are provided the necessary tools and mentoring to thoughtfully and creatively engage with the world, and to lead with courage and integrity.
We invite you to explore our curriculum and reading list, meet our faculty, and discover what makes our program unique.
All Trinity students follow a set curriculum. Our course schedule is designed to be cohesive within each grade level, as well as across all grade levels.
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics is presented as both the most powerful tool employed by science to understand our world and also as a field of study in its own right that reveals beauty and evokes wonder. Students learn not only efficient and accurate problem-solving but also how to think mathematically and understand the subject at a deeper level.
In middle school, teachers impart basic mathematical skills through direct instruction and tutorials. Students move through pre-algebra and complete an algebra course by the end of eighth grade. In high school, students learn geometry, pre-calculus, trigonometry, calculus, and advanced topics in mathematics. Mathematical proficiency is the goal. Study is marked by intuition, analysis, logical rigor, elegance, and simplicity.
SCIENCE
Science begins with observation which develops a sense of wonder and moves toward more carefully constructed experiments, the development of theories, and a deeper grasp of the mathematical foundations of science. Seventh- and eighth-grade courses are centered upon observation, data collection, and the beginning of theory development. Students study life science, with extensive investigation into the animal kingdom, and earth science, which covers astronomy, weather, and geology.
In ninth grade, students study biology, followed by chemistry in tenth grade. They spend eleventh and twelfth grades studying physics, including Newtonian mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and modern topics in physics. One semester of computer science is taught. Physics, calculus, and advanced math topics incorporate the MATLAB programming language for modeling and solving more complex problems. The goal of these courses is to discover how the physical universe works. Students proceed by observation, generalization, and mathematical analysis. Problem-solving is emphasized throughout.
HUMANITIES
The Trinity reading list for humanities courses includes many of the greatest works of philosophy, literature, theology, and political theory in the Western tradition. Students learn through careful reading of original texts, through rigorous seminar discussions, and frequent writing assignments.
In middle school, students receive instruction in English grammar and punctuation. They begin to write sentences, then focus on writing paragraphs on questions drawn from imaginative literature and poetry. They are instructed in close reading and participate in lively, textual, and mature discussions. Finally, students memorize and practice for poetry recitations.
The Humane Letters seminar for ninth and tenth grades integrates historical, imaginative, and expository literature into a two-hour course. Students receive rigorous instruction in writing and practice regularly to hone their skills. Ninth-grade American history begins with a focus on the events surrounding the founding of the United States. The second semester includes a deep study of the Civil War and concludes with the fall of the Berlin Wall. The tenth-grade seminar turns to European history, with a focus on the development of constitutional government in response to the various revolutions fought on either side of the Atlantic.
In the junior Humane Letters seminar, students examine the roots of the western tradition, beginning with the Greek poets and philosophers including Homer, Aeschylus, Plato, and Aristotle. Senior year continues the study of the western tradition. Readings include Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Locke, Rousseau, and Marx.
LANGUAGES
In middle school, students study Latin with the goal of learning the vocabulary and grammar of a language other than English. They also spend time doing basic translation of texts. In ninth and tenth grade, students advance in their knowledge of Latin, culminating in the translation of great works by Caesar, Cicero, and Virgil. In eleventh and twelfth grade, students move to the study of a modern language (French or Spanish), applying the basic skills of translation and knowledge of vocabulary and grammar that they have gained through the study of Latin.
SCRIPTURE & DOCTRINE
The Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament are essential for understanding of human nature and our call as Christians. Trinity students study biblical geography, work through the Old Testament and New Testament, study the traditions of their own denomination, and read works by great theologians.
FINE ARTS
In middle school, Trinity’s commitment to fine arts begins with learning to draw through observation and learning to paint with an understanding of color. In music, students perform individual and ensemble recorder pieces, learn some basics of music composition, and compose their own pieces.
In high school, two years of art instruction includes drawing, painting, color theory, and art history. Two years of music instruction includes theory, composition, and performance. Two years of drama teaches characterization, interpretation of texts, and students act in two full-length drama performances.
