Content
The Content of Catholic Classical Education
Content can be summarized by three key words: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. These are conveyed to students through stories, art, music, poetry, a well-taught math lesson, a nature walk, and how the classrooms and hallways are decorated. The goal of our Content is to give our children a memory, to make sure they know their heritage, to enliven their imaginations, to help them see that they have a role to play in Salvation History, and to form in them a Catholic way of seeing the world that includes a lively awareness of the presence of God, the angels, and the saints. In short, we want our students to imbibe truth, goodness, and beauty because they form the soul and they point to Christ.
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God in His loving kindness has revealed Himself through Creation and Revelation. The study of the book of nature and the story of salvation illuminate His Divine Plan.
Salvation History in The Saint Patrick Curriculum is not just a series of names and dates but a compelling story wherein God works through those who trust in Him. The pivotal moment of this history is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By encountering the drama of sin and the hope of restoration, students discover that there is meaning and purpose to their lives.
The chronological content for grades K - 8 integrates history, literature, and religion and immerses students in the geography, stories, poetry, great speeches, masterpieces of music, art, and architecture, and more from each time period. Teacher notes and student materials are provided, along with guidance on how to integrate this rich content with teaching the skills of the Trivium and Quadrivium.
For more information, please read: “Why Salvation History?”
See also our talk, “Salvation History: Teaching from the Heart of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” (beginning at 37:00) given at Christendom College’s Eternity in Time Conference, February 21, 2026.
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Students study God’s plan for Salvation throughout Grades K - 8 as follows:
K - Old Testament through Elijah (Creation - c. 850 B.C.)
1 - Old Testament from Elisha though Maccabees & Ancient Greece (1250 B.C. - 160 B.C.)
2 - Rome, The Incarnation, The Early Church (753 B.C. - A.D. 350)
3 - Christendom (A.D. 476 - c. A.D. 1300)
4 - Renaissance, Exploration, Reformation (c. A.D. 1300 - A.D. 1571)
5 - Early America through Beginning of Immigration (A.D. 1513 - 1890)
6 - Ancient History through Early Church (Creation - A.D. 476)
7 - Christendom through Counter-Reformation (A.D. 476 - 1600s)
8 - Early Modernity through Pope Saint John Paul II & Beyond (A.D. 1655- )N.B.: We are indebted to the authors of the St. Jerome Educational Plan and RCHistory for their ground-breaking work, for furthering the idea of teaching from this chronological, integrated approach, and for inspiring us to create and provide the Saint Patrick Salvation History curriculum for other Catholic schools.
For more information about the topics covered in each grade, please read:
“St. Patrick Curriculum Salvation History Themes & Topics by Grade”
We are collectors of story and song, gatherers of wisdom – both Catholic and educational – and of “something ancient, something new.” These treasures of the Church, once widely known and shared, are now threatened with being lost
We are merely passing on what we have received. These are the fruits of many encounters the Holy Spirit has been pleased to place in our lives – friendships, stories, homilies, books, articles, teachers, and mentors. We are passing on to you what has been given to us. What we offer here is thus less of our own making or originality than the recollection of influences, the gathering of wisdom, so that we may pass on the cultural and educational genius of our betters. Your input (contributions of stories, poetry, songs, explanations, and links, or your clarifications and corrections) is heartily welcomed. Please reach out to us!
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