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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.

girl looking at paper

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

bw chapel

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

chapel stained glass

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

chapel pic with mcguire

Classical Christian Education Defined: Wisdom and Intellectual Virtue

Our definition of classical Christian education starts with a pursuit of wisdom through a cultivation of intellectual virtue (which must be taught, unlike the moral virtues). In a sense, wisdom is both the end and the means of classical education, and in classical Christian education, Christ is the embodiment of wisdom.

Paul Fisher

Headmaster

roughead at whiteboard

Classical Christian Education Defined

"What is classical Christian education?" It's the question I get asked most, and sometimes I wish it had a more succinct answer. Over the next few articles, I hope to unpack the answer to that seminal question, and spotlight the vital, missional aspects of what we do here at Capstone--namely shape virtue and a love for God in our students.

Paul Fisher

Headmaster

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