Cornerstone Programs
At True North Classical Academy, we offer a program steeped in the classical tradition. Our goal is to develop our scholars to their fullest potential, drawing upon multiple disciplines that allow for richness of learning and connections across courses. Below you will find a variety of programs that set us apart. Our collection of Cornerstone Programs is unique to True North and provides opportunities for students to emerge as lifelong learners who embody the highest standards of scholarship, citizenship, and leadership by engaging in programming that highlights our mission and core virtues.
Moral Philosophy & Logic
Students learn about the art and science of thinking computationally and algorithmically with a grounding in the progression of logic from Aristotle through Boole, drawing connections to coding and the larger world.
Latin
Through the study of the Latin language, students pursue a more complex understanding of the morphology, grammar, and syntax of the Latin language, building their ability to apply those understandings to a broader range of learning, including world languages, vocabulary, history, and culture. Every year, True North scholars are recognized for their outstanding performances in the National Latin Exam, earning distinctions such as cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude.
True North Suzuki Strings Program
True North has partnered with Suzuki strings experts from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Through the Suzuki method, students first focus on listening and imitating before moving to reading music. Violin, viola, and cello are offered.
Humane Letters
The purpose of Humane Letters is to seek a deeper understanding of literature, philosophy, and history so as to reveal the fullness of humanity. Through the Humane Letters course work, students will read more than fifty classical works and make connections, contextualize their reading, and draw conclusions across literature, history, and philosophy for a more holistic learning experience.
Annual Symposium
Every year, the faculty and students of True North Rhetoric School join together to discuss a common topic such as the meaning of true friendship or temperance. For a full day, the normal academic schedule is paused in order to come together in community for this noble cause, an invitation to engage with ideas that have stood the test of time and reflect on applying it to one’s own life. The day includes a seminar discussion, panel discussion, keynote speaker, and plenty of time for fellowship and food.
Arete Experiences Upper School Program
Arete is the ancient Greek concept that human excellence means always reaching toward one’s full potential in an endeavor. Well-aligned to True North’s mission, we developed the Arete program’s events and experiences to continue to challenge and enrich our students.
We also believe these are means to extend the intellectual and civic engagement of our students. Arete experiences are opportunities for students to expand their own character and intellectual development and also make a broader impact with their fellow students and our community. The Arete experiences are for those seeking to go beyond just the learning in the classroom, and seek knowledge and goodness for its own sake.
The Arete Experiences consist of three opportunities:
- Leadership Seminars: Seminars with noted business, civic, and educational leaders in our community and state. Various leaders present and guide discussions around what success and achievement look like from their perspective.
- Short Story/Text Studies: Once a quarter, a faculty member selects a short story or philosophical text for review and small group seminar discussion.
- Cultural Events: True North organizes a concert, play, or other culture event for group attendance.
Arete Distinction at graduation can be earned by students who engage in Arete experiences throughout each of their years in the upper school at True North.
Senior Thesis
This course is the capstone of the 12th grade experience that includes a written thesis and an oral defense before a faculty examination jury. The thesis includes a meaningful question that will arise through a deep engagement with a text on the six great ideas of the West- truth, beauty, liberty, goodness, justice, and equality- and will offer a well-argued, interpretative answer that provides resolution to that question or problem.
AP Capstone
True North’s AP Capstone is a diploma program based on two year-long AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. These courses are designed to complement other AP courses that students may take.
Instead of teaching specific subject knowledge, AP Seminar and AP Research use an interdisciplinary approach to develop students’ ability to reason and think deeply across disciplines, leveraging their considerable background knowledge. Through this course, students engage in research and collaboration to develop a college-level research paper that is presented to their peers and faculty.
Junior College Success Course
True North offers elite college counseling and coaching that would cost thousands of dollars if provided by a private consultant. Programming starts in freshman year building to the Junior College Success Course where students learn from best-in-class exemplars to build their resume, college list, personal statement/essays, and letters of recommendation. Additionally, students receive guidance on developing their extracurricular pathway and community impact. All students apply to an average of eight colleges mixing reach, match, and safety to ensure many options for higher education. Students also receive Dual Enrollment credit for this course.
Classical Course Catalog
Rooted in the history of Western thought and learning, the classical education model is built on the three stages of learning in the liberal arts- grammar, logic, and rhetoric. In each subject, our dedicated faculty guide our scholars’ journey through these stages, mastering the subject’s basic facts, developing the ability to reason clearly about them, and finally possessing the capability to argue and support ideas creatively and persuasively. The result is scholars who understand critical concepts, synthesize their learning from across subjects, and apply that knowledge in purposeful and persuasive ways.
Associate’s Degree Pathway
True North students who wish to pursue an Associate in Arts (AA) Degree can meet with True North academic counselors and Miami Dade College advisors to consider this pathway. The AA degree pathway is designed to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Earning an AA degree at a Florida college guarantees admission into one of the State’s eleven universities where students can complete a four-year Bachelor’s degree.
Character Education
True North Classical Academy prides itself on our Core Virtues program. We believe that striving for human excellence must be grounded in the nature of the human experience, and with that we strive to teach our scholars the importance of virtue through our Core Virtues program.
Core Virtues is a character education program that promotes civility, respect for the human person, and human excellence in every way. The word virtue, in fact, derives from the ancient Greek philosophical tradition and means excellence. Drawing on the American Founders’ insight that knowledge and virtue are essential to a properly functioning republic, the Core Virtues program seeks to promote intellectual, moral, and civil virtues. This development is complemented by an 8th grade moral philosophy class once a week where students read and discuss texts. Through the lens of storytelling, the students gain insight into the different influences that shape moral character.
Each month, True North Classical Academy focuses on a core virtue including respect, responsibility, perseverance, stewardship, service, courage, loyalty, mercy, humility, wonder, wisdom, and integrity. These virtues are emphasized and interwoven throughout students’ daily experience such as in morning assembly, discussions within literature and history instruction, interactions between teachers and students, athletics, and overall school culture and community-building.
"The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life."
– Plato