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First Things

Our people write about classical Christian education.

What are First Things?

Every school has a set of foundational beliefs and principles that governs its content and practices. What are the spoken and unspoken assumptions and principles that govern all that we do at Capstone? In First Things, our teachers, staff, and leadership write about the foundational principles of classical and Christian education.

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Classical Christian Education Defined: The Quadrivium

This article explores the Quadrivium—arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy—and its central role in classical Christian education as a path to wonder, wisdom, and worship. It explains how these mathematical arts form the mind and soul, grounding modern science in a theological vision of a rational, ordered creation held together by Christ. Through the Quadrivium, students learn not merely to calculate, but to perceive truth, beauty, and meaning in God’s world.

Paul Fisher

Headmaster

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Classical Christian Education Defined: The Trivium

This article introduces the Trivium—grammar, logic, and rhetoric—as the foundational language arts of classical Christian education and explains how each cultivates the uniquely human capacities for understanding, reasoning, and persuasive expression. It also illustrates how these arts are intentionally formed at Capstone from the earliest grades through upper school to prepare students for wise, virtuous, and faithful engagement with the world.

Paul Fisher

Headmaster

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Classical Christian Education Defined: Rich Liberal Arts Studies

Classical Christian education is shaped not only by its community habits but by a rich, ordered curriculum rooted in the liberal arts. Unlike modern progressive models, this tradition emphasizes time-tested content and the “art of learning” itself, forming students who can think deeply, communicate clearly, and integrate knowledge across subjects. By grounding all studies in the Trivium and Quadrivium, Capstone aims to cultivate wisdom, virtue, and lifelong adaptability in an ever-changing world.

Paul Fisher

Headmaster

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Classical Christian Education Defined: Habits from the Church and the West

In our ongoing exploration of the definition of classical education, we explore the role of developing wisdom and virtue in ourselves and our students by practicing intentional habits rooted in the proven practices of the Church and the best of the traditions of the West most congruent with Christ and his Kingdom.

Paul Fisher

Headmaster

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Classical Christian Education Defined: The Encouragement of Moral Virtue

This article explores Capstone’s vision of classical education as the pursuit of both intellectual and moral virtue through study, habit, and faith in Christ. It emphasizes that true wisdom and virtue are cultivated not only through disciplined learning and daily practice but ultimately through the grace of God, who transforms hearts toward the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.

Paul Fisher

Headmaster

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