Our Curriculum
INTEGRATED, CLASSICAL, CATHOLIC
St. Michael High School (SMHS) offers a unique, yet time-honored, approach to education through its Integrated Classical Catholic Curriculum. Our students enjoy a cohesive, content-rich education that exposes them to a variety of disciplines and fields of inquiry.
Below is a description of the major components of our curriculum, along with an overview of the specific disciplines and courses our students are asked to investigate and master.
HUMANITIES
History, literature, philosophy, theology, and languages are braided together in an integrated curriculum utilizing the Socratic Method.
MATH & SCIENCE
Math & Science are also intimately connected; the logic of Math is seen in Philosophy and God’s handiwork is seen in the sciences.
FINE ARTS
Study of the Arts is emphasized so that every student learns to draw and paint, sing in the choir, act on stage, give speeches, and engage in debate.
The Humanities Program
History, literature, philosophy, theology, the social sciences, and languages are braided together to form a comprehensive, integrated conception of reality. This curricular alignment helps students understand the motivations of important historical, philosophical, theological, and literary figures, while also understanding the impact these individuals had on society as a whole.
Grade 09: Ancient World
Grade 10: Early Medieval Period
Grade 11: High Middle Ages to The Renaissance
Grade 12: Modern World
HISTORY
The history classes at SMHS form the backbone of our curriculum. The four-year history sequence covers ancient history through the Greek and Roman civilizations, early Church history, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. In senior year, students study the modern era, including the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, the Communist Revolution, and the Sexual Revolution. Each history course is tailored to provide a colorful backdrop for literature, art, and science classes.
LITERATURE
Our study of literature is tied to the study of history and the rest of the humanities. Students are first introduced to classical epics of Homer and then exposed to early English classics such as The Canterbury Tales and modern literary renderings of medieval history. Moving towards the modern period, they read Dante and Shakespeare. As seniors, they read American literature, Austen, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, and Chesterton. Reading and writing go hand in hand, and each student masters the art of the essay in their written assignments in all subjects.
PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy, “the love of wisdom,” exercises the brain while it elevates the soul. The ability to understand abstract concepts leads to clear and systematic thinking in all things. We use philosophy to connect the humanities, but also to show its obvious connection to logic and mathematics. We study the development of philosophy from its classical roots focusing on Plato and Aristotle, through its dramatic encounter with the early Church, its christening by St. Thomas Aquinas, and its deterioration in the modern era.
THEOLOGY
Theology, “the study of God,” is the context by which all other texts are studied. The principal theological texts studied are the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We also read selections from the Church Fathers, Documents of the Church Councils, and Papal Encyclicals.
ECONOMICS AND THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER
The study of economics provides perhaps the best example of the problems caused by the fragmentation in modern thought. When a society’s economic principles are divorced from Christian principles, it is certain to have a detrimental effect on the culture. During junior and senior years, key texts are read in conjunction with the study of modern history, philosophy, and in the light of Church teaching. In addition, the same students are made intimately acquainted with America’s constitutional structure, and how the legislative process influences, and is influenced by, not only the economy, but by other aspects of political culture.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
The study of a foreign language is required of all students for two years. All students are required to take two years of Latin. After satisfying the Latin requirement, students may take electives in the modern languages of Spanish or French, or continue to Latin III. There are also plans to begin offering introductory Greek if there is sufficient student demand. Because students may have already studied a foreign language before they arrive at the school we try, as much as possible, to place them in the correct level right from the start regardless of their grade.
The Math & Science Program
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics is the study of the intelligible order present in the quantitative aspects of our world. It is the foundation of the Quadrivium, part of the seven traditional liberal arts that prepare young minds for the study of higher things. Properly taught, Mathematics is uniquely suited to inspire students with the conviction that the truth can be known and that it is worth pursuing. Mathematics at SMHS covers Euclidean Geometry and Algebra all the way through Calculus.
- Algebra I
- Algebra II
- Euclidean Geometry
- Pre-Calculus
- Calculus
- Statistics
SCIENCE
Science, formerly known as Natural Philosophy, is the study of the world of material beings, the world of change and motion. Wisdom about these things must begin with a sense of wonder, and our students start with Astronomy, turning their gaze up to the motions of the heavens, whose causes they will study further in Physics. In Earth Science and Chemistry, they explore the changes of inanimate substances and in Biology they contemplate the mystery of living substances – substances that have been endowed by God with the power to move themselves. Our approach to Science prepares students for Philosophy and Theology; it leads them from studying changeable substances to studying God, who, though unchanging, is more alive and beautiful than any of His creatures.
Grade 09: Astronomy & Earth Sciences
Grade 10: Biology
Grade 11: Chemistry
Grade 12: Physics
The Fine Arts Program
MUSIC
Music appeals to the ear and the mind, the emotions and the intellect, the senses and the spirit. Students are exposed to a wide variety of music that they perform chorally in class and at special performances. A music education at SMHS includes music theory, performance, ear training, note reading, and musical analysis. Music history is taught according to the grade level with an emphasis on music development within the Church, and corresponds to the historical period in which the students are immersed.
ART
A complete education must include Art, as it involves the development of our creative nature and provides students with the tools and the technique with which to express their ideas, their feelings, and their love. It must also include the analytical skills with which to judge a work of art and therefore must provide the continuous exposure to great art. Most importantly, the mechanical skills and the aesthetic aptitude must be put into the proper context of eternal Truth. A good artist is a complete thinker and vice versa. The influence of the arts in today’s society cannot be overstated, and is why art is required at SMHS.
DRAMA
The Dramatic Arts are particularly powerful in our present culture where movies and the media are often the primary source of knowledge and ideas for many young people. It is therefore imperative that students learn as much as possible about this potent art form. Drama involves the study of how words are brought to life and in order to successfully do this on stage the actor must understand more than just his character. He must learn to see the work as a whole, to understand the author’s vision, and sometimes even the time in which it was written. In other words, the actor must learn to be a good literary critic, philosopher, and sometimes even a good historian. Drama ties together the information students learn in the classroom and asks them to actively participate in its performance.