Welcome to Augustine Classical Academy’s website!
We are so glad that you are here. You will find on this website a little bit about who we are and the unique education we offer. We hope that once perusing the material, you will reach out and come visit us on campus! Come and see!
Augustine is a K–12 Christian school, rooted in the ancient and medieval Christian liberal arts ("classical Christian") tradition. Our educational model goes all the way back to Plato and Aristotle, was baptized by Jesus Christ and the Apostles (especially Paul), runs right through the early church fathers such as Justin Martyr, the Cappadocians, and Athanasius of Alexandria, flowers in the middle ages in figures like Anselm of Canterbury and institutions like the medieval cathedral universities, and is currently in a renaissance of recovery and retrieval that began in the mid-20th century and is reaching a point of ripening right now. Our namesake, St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 C.E.), embodies well the heart of who we are as a school. Deeply evangelical and Christ-centered like Augustine (he is known as “the Doctor of Grace”), we are also intentionally ecumenical (Augustine is beloved by Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox alike). Above all, like St. Augustine, at our school we are focused on the integration of faith and learning (crede ut intellegas, “believe so that you may understand” says Augustine in Sermo 43, 7, 9).
As a classical Christian school (see Dorothy Sayers' "The Lost Tools of Learning" and David Hicks' Norms and Nobility for two texts that we think are a great descriptions of our understanding of "classical Christian"), Augustine's curriculum is based upon "Western Christian Paideia" and standing in this Great Tradition is therefore centered–as our model has been for 2,000+ years–on nurture and instruction in civic responsibility, curricular content, physical fitness, as well as the inculcation of strong moral character producing worthy citizens. We are a member school of The Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS), and are also involved with and influenced by The Society for Classical Learning (SCL) and The CiRCE Institute. Our ancient-modern educational model is a three-stage Liberal Arts methodology that conducts a student through their course of learning in a way which correlates systematically with their natural developmental stages. The three stages of the Trivium–Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric–are the methodological and curricular backbone of an Augustine education (we phrase it "Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom"). In short, we believe that education should teach children how–rather than what–to think. Our diverse and talented college of faculty are scholars and teachers who delight in giving Augustine students the tools to think and see the world as God does, both in and out of the classroom. Walking into our halls you are as likely to see a riveting discussion in the classroom about Aristotle's understanding of virtue or a complex Calculus equation as you are to see a teacher in prayer with a student in between classes or in the midst of a competitive game of chess or dodgeball!
At Augustine, we believe that all education is discipleship. We are committed to what one of my heroes in Christian education, Frank Gaebelein, calls “the integration of faith and learning” throughout all aspects of our curriculum–from our classrooms all the way to our rowers on the Hudson River (and everywhere in between), we intentionally seek to integrate Christian principles with–to quote Gaebelein–an “education of a type high enough to merit intimacy with such exalted ideals” such that everything we offer is truly excellent and equally so intricately woven full of virtue, spiritual formation, and the Christian faith (e.g. our rowing program regularly gets our students scholarships to Ivy League universities, but we believe what we are doing at rowing practice is above all else discipleship). Our intentionality in this regard is what makes us unique. Other schools claim to do it; we do it more intentionally than any, I think, and in such a way that remains both evangelical and ecumenical. And, we do it very well: we are ranked as the #1 Private K–12 School in Saratoga County, #1 Private High School in Saratoga County, #1 College Prep Private High School in Saratoga County, and #1 Christian High School in the Capital Region. People are increasingly taking notice of what we offer and realizing the unique quality of education that comes from our intentional integration of the Christian faith with an excellent and rigorous curriculum.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention our location: we find our home in beautiful Saratoga County (known for its many lakes, rolling hills, and being in the foothills of the Adirondacks) in New York’s “Capital Region;” we have access to not only great natural beauty but also unique opportunities for partnerships with many local churches and other Christian organizations; and, we are equidistant (~3 hours) from New York City, Montreal and Boston and stand even closer (30 minutes) to Albany, allowing our students to benefit from all that these great metropolitans have to offer.
Thank you again for visiting our website and for considering partnering with us in the discipleship and education of your children. We hope that you will come visit with us in person soon!
Very best wishes,
Jason R. Radcliff
Head of School