News Detail
Monday, November 15, 2021
Dear JH Classical Academy Families,
In classic art, Prudence is personified, or imagined, as a woman wearing a dress and traditional draperies around her head with two faces. Her forward-looking face is a young woman, holding a mirror whilst holding onto a snake, signifying wise conduct through self-knowledge. Her backward-looking face is a bearded and learned man, perpetually looking backward so as not to lose track of the past. The two faces represent the deep meaning behind Prudence. She has both the foresight to see beyond the present circumstances and keenly consider how past events have gone, as well as discern how her future actions will turn out. In a moment of frustration, Prudence has a deliberate eye on not making the same mistake twice, applying the old saying, “look before you leap.”
When we go about the tremendous task of intellectual and moral formation, we prudently begin with the end in mind. During the high school years, or rhetoric stage, we teach students to skillfully speak and write with eloquence and to persuade others of what is true, good, and beautiful. In the middle school years, or logic stage, we train students in the skill of reasoning: following questions, analyzing arguments, and committing to find the truth with rigor and thoroughness. All through the elementary years, or grammar stage, students learn the art and mechanics of reading deeply and charitably, to understand other points of view without immediate criticism. Together we "work backwards" from graduation to kindergarten, assessing our curriculum and school culture in light of our classical distinctives and Christian foundation. We do so for purposeful alignment with our desired outcome: A Portrait of a Graduate.
In joining the Jackson Hole Classical Academy community, families are agreeing upon the objectives captured in that Portrait. We work with and for parents to educate the hearts and minds of their children, our students. Authority is delegated to us from parents who entrust us with their educational responsibilities. Parents don’t dictate the curriculum or pedagogy, but teachers serve the parents, listening carefully to their feedback and forging relationships through healthy communication. Healthy communication requires that our Academy communicates the goals and priority mentioned above. Teachers need to communicate students’ academic and social progress, and parents need to communicate questions, concerns, or helpful information about their children. Supporting our shared goals, we are in this together.
Your children, our students, are a gift and a responsibility. We are thankful to partner with each of you to help them become the people God created them to be, and to educate them well with the qualities of Prudence: foresight, keen perception, and practical judgement.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Mrs. Polly J. Friess
Head of School
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Physical Address:
2500 S. Park Loop Rd.
Jackson, WY 83001
2500 S. Park Loop Rd.
Jackson, WY 83001
Contact Us
Enrollment Inquiries:
Lisa Landis, Admissions
(307) 201-5040
All Other Inquiries:
School Office
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Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 7466
Jackson, WY 83002
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