At St. Mary Catholic School we build a solid foundation from the roots up with the classical education model. Here we have provided resources to parents and guardians to make our goals more clear. 

Resources

Classical and Catholic Education

• Bishop Olson on the Mission of Catholic Education
• "The Five Marks of Catholic Schools" by Archbishop J. Michael Miller
• "What Is Classical Education?"
• "Catholic Classical Education on the Rise" 
• "The Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Rediscovered" by Elisabeth Sullivan
• An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents by Christopher Perrin
• The Classical Approach: Understanding the Classical and Christian Difference
• "The Goal of Classical Education Is Truth"
• "Google That! Education and Technology" Humanum Issue
• "In Defense of Memorization" 
• "Why Memory Matters" by Andrew Kern and Wes Callihan (CIRCE Institute) (podcast)
• "Learning's True Aim": On the Importance of a Liberal Arts Education
• "The Lost Tools of Learning" by Dorothy Sayers
• "Teaching Classical Literature Classically" by Andrew Kern
• Classical Education–The Best Preparation for STEM by Christopher Perrin
  
  

The Moral and Poetic Imagination

• Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination by Vigen Guroian
• "Awakening the Moral Imagination: Teaching Virtues Through Fairy Tales" by Vigen Guroian (pdf)
• "Why Fairy Tales are Not Optional: A Conversation with Angelina Stanford"(podcast) 
  
  

Education & Development

• Understanding Child Brain Development, Part 1 (podcast)
• Understanding Child Brain Development, Part 2 (podcast)
• Pen and Paper: What the Research Says, Part 1 (podcast)
• Pen and Paper: What the Research Says, Part 2 (podcast)
• Pen and Paper: What the Research Says, Part 3 (podcast)
  
  

Reading Aloud: Why It Matters

• TED Talk: "Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Children" by Rebecca Bellingham
• Read Aloud Revival #49: "Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Children"
• "The Hidden Benefits of Reading Aloud — Even for Older Kids" by Connie Matthiessen with Jim Trelease
  
  

Reading Lists

• John Senior's Thousand Good Books List
  
  

Why Latin? Advantages of Learning and Knowing Latin

• "How Latin Develops the Mind"
• "Top 10 Reasons for Studying Latin"
• "3 Reasons To Study Latin" 
• "An Apology for Latin and Math"
• “Why We Should All Learn To Speak Latin”
  
  

Discussion Guide for Any Book

• Questions to ask your student for a deeper conversation about any book
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Recommended Books

• Beauty in the Word by Stratford Caldecott
• Beauty for Truth’s Sake by Stratford Caldecott
• The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark and Ravi Scott Jain
• The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis 
• Compass: A Handbook on Parent Leadership by James B. Stenson
• Family Virtues: A Guide to Effective Parenting by Jose M. Martin (ed.)
• The Heart of Virtue: Lessons from Life and Literature Illustrating the Beauty and Value of Moral Character by Donald DeMarco
• The Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti

Video Resources

“From Greeks to Geeks: The Classical Liberal Arts as the Best Foundation for STEM” by Michael Ortner

"The Moral Imagination: Cultivating Virtue Through Great Children's Stories" by Vigen Guroian

“Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination”  by Vigen Guroian

“The Poetic Imagination & Education: The Continuing Influence of Louise S. Cowan”