Bona Verba

See what’s happening at Cincinnati Classical Academy

Safety and Security for Human Flourishing

Bona Verba from the Headmaster Dear Parents of Cincinnati Classical Academy, As we eagerly prepare for the start of the upcoming school year, I would like to address an important matter that lies at the heart of our educational mission: the safety and security of our students, staff, and entire

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Exploring Architectural Masterpieces

Bona Verba from the Headmaster At Cincinnati Classical Academy our commitment to providing students with a comprehensive and enriching classical education extends beyond the boundaries of our traditional classrooms. Building upon the success of our “Painting of the Week” initiative last year, which focused on famous paintings throughout history, we

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The Vital Role of Physical Education

Bona Verba from the Headmaster At Cincinnati Classical Academy, physical education is a fundamental component of a comprehensive education that nurtures students’ overall well-being and academic success. Research consistently demonstrates the numerous benefits of regular physical activity (see Christopher M. Palmers’s Brain Energy or John J. Ratey’s Spark), making a

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Desire for the Good, True, and Beautiful

Bona Verba from the Headmaster In our contemporary world, fueled by boundless desires and insatiable consumption, René Girard’s philosophical concept of mimetic desire presents a powerful framework for understanding our social fabric. Girard suggests that individuals often desire what they see others desiring. We look to others as models and

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Reading Aloud

Bona Verba from the Headmaster In today’s fast-paced digital age, where screens dominate our daily lives, it is essential to cherish the enduring delight of reading aloud to our children. As parents, we hold the power to unlock a world of wonder, imagination, and endless possibilities simply by opening a book

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Taking Cues from Winnie the Pooh

Bona Verba from the Headmaster By now, our rising first and second graders (among many others) at CLASSICAL are deeply familiar with A.A. Milne’s classic Winnie the Pooh stories. One motif that is prevalent throughout the stories is the importance of valuing simple pleasures, such as spending time with friends,

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Providing Alternatives to Digital Dependency

Bona Verba from the Headmaster Our faculty and staff are currently engaged in a discussion about Nicholas Kardaras’s book, Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids—and How to Break the Trance. Kardaras, a clinical neuropsychologist, convincingly argues that parents and educators must take responsibility to limit children’s screen time and help

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The Liberal Arts, including Science!

Bona Verba from the Headmaster At Cincinnati Classical Academy, we talk a lot about our “content-rich curriculum in the liberal arts.” Unfortunately, in our day and age, the utilitarian faction of American educators has encumbered the term “liberal arts” with numerous negative connotations, primarily aligned with the idea that this is

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Education & Cultivation of the Moral Imagination

Bona Verba from the Headmaster You might say that Cincinnati Classical Academy is a “Back to the Books” school. Along with all of the Hillsdale K-12 member schools, we believe in the importance of great books in a child’s education; it matters what our students read. The books in our curriculum

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Living Out Our Mission

Bona Verba from the Headmaster There’s an old adage, often attributed to the great Vince Lombardi: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Since August 30, our faculty and staff at CLASSICAL have worked tirelessly to chase perfection. And since perfection is elusive in this life, as

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