Our Curriculum
Preparing Children for Advanced Education through Traditional Curriculum
South Hills Catholic Academy's curriculum is grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Students explore the virtue, order, freedom, harmony, justice, truth, goodness, and beauty of the Divine in their spiritual and academic lives. It is based on The Educational Plan of St. Jerome Classical School.
A detailed explanation of this educational plan may be found here.
Theology: In its foundation, all education is fundamentally an enterprise in Theology. Education is understood as the development of the whole person for his final purpose; to that end, Theology at SHCA forms the core to which everything is connected.
English/Language Arts: English/Language Arts embodies the communication skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, with this mastery of language being the foundation of logical thinking. Students will develop their minds and souls through questioning, discussions, debates, and writing.
History: History will be taught as a compelling story of man’s relationship to God as opposed to a series of names and dates. It will begin with stimulating the student’s interest in their country and the world with a focus on the concept and value of Christian citizenship.
Science and Math: Science and Mathematics are understood to reveal order, harmony, and mystery in the life of the world. Careful study will promote habits of learning to improve the child’s ability to reason and perceive reality and to nurture analytical reasoning.
Latin: Latin contains the roots of many English words and forms the base of several Romance Languages. The structure of Latin promotes ordered thinking, opening up the world of classical literature and the language of the church.
Art: God is the first and ultimate Artist and Maker of heaven and earth.
Music: Music in its purest form is an expressible connection with God that is tied into the musical heritage of the Catholic church through its use of Latin and through chant. Music helps to express emotions when words are inadequate.
Physical Education: Physical Education begins with a strict school uniform policy that sets the tone for how students are expected to respect themselves and others.
Technology: At South Hills Catholic Academy, we focus first on our primary role: providing a challenging, traditional Catholic education. Technology is available to complement instruction when appropriate.