Portrait of a Graduate

Portrait of a Graduate

At Ascension Classical School, guiding young children to grow into mature young adults requires three things: a course (or curriculum), a community (our school family), and a culture (our school traditions and core beliefs). From a curricular standpoint, it takes thirteen years to teach a child the grammar, logic and rhetoric of each subject known as the Trivium.

As we instruct students in our school’s curriculum, we are also seeking to train them in the formation of godly character. Character is the process of becoming who we are uniquely designed to be, reflections of God. We are not simply seeking to educate young minds. We are seeking to transform them to the likeness of Christ who is wisdom and virtue personified.

Ascension Classical School desires to graduate wise and virtuous scholars who are defined by the Portrait of a Graduate. Thus, the education at Ascension begins with that end in mind. The destination is set and the journey is long and rigorous. Our goal is to set a course in the right direction at the beginning so that the journey is filled with joy and a real sense of accomplishment as our students reach the destination.
Students at Ascension Classical School are taught to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and mind. Through loving the Lord with all your heart, students also should express this love to all God’s children. By seeking to know the heart of Christ our students will be transformed into his likeness. Attributes of this kind of love are displayed by:

  • Understanding and loving God’s Word
  • Treasuring, upholding and appreciating whatever is true, good and beautiful
  • Recognizing, honoring, and submitting to God’s authority
  • Respecting and showing dignity to all God’s people
  • Honoring authority in thought, word, and deed
  • Protecting the weak and oppressed

Godly Character Attributes & Virtues for a Portrait of a Graduate

Kindergarten and First:

  • Trust
  • Obedience
  • Attentiveness
  • Respect
  • Honesty
  • Metacognition-- thinking things through before responding or acting

Second and Third:

  • Perseverance
  • Diligence
  • Wise words and choices
  • Honoring one another and authority in thought, word and deed
  • Self-denial
  • Giving our best as unto the Lord

Fourth and Fifth:

  • Wisdom in speech
  • Attentiveness to detail
  • Responsibility for actions

Sixth:

  • Honoring authority
  • Upholding rules
  • Developing leadership

Seventh and Eighth:

  • Increasing sense of responsibility
  • Accountability for actions
  • Service to others
  • Understanding that virtue is Spirit-led as a result of God’s grace
  • Pursuing appropriate decorum in speech, attitude, and decorum
Students who attend and graduate from Ascension Classical should display attributes of sound reason and sound faith. We expect students to view the world through the lens of Christ with Scripture as the measure of all truth. With scripture as their guide, students will reason wisely and discerningly. Thus, our students will display these characteristics of sound faith, reason, and discernment:
  • Understand that Christ is the authority over all creation
  • Apply Christian worldview principles to everyday life
  • Articulate and defend their faith persuasively and humbly
  • Listen carefully and discerningly
  • Understand the relationship between faith and all learning
  • Think clearly, precisely, and creatively
  • View every subject as integrated in and through Christ
Students who attend and graduate from Ascension Classical should utilize the tools of learning, thinking, and expressing. A command of language and broad exposure to literacy will enable our students to relate and discuss the central works of literature, history, science, mathematics, music and art. Our students should possess these learning traits:
  • Embrace challenging subjects and topics
  • Exhibit excellence in academic pursuits
  • Read carefully and critically and delight in the written and spoken word
  • Write and speak articulately, eloquently and persuasively
  • Participate in the “Great Conversation” through familiarity with the great books of literature
  • Learn and think independently 
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