St. Independent

The only classical curriculum in the North, unaffiliated with any parish or diocese

By Ross Boissoneau | Sept. 22, 2018

Commencement at St. Michael Academy in spring 2017 marked the first time students had graduated from a Catholic school in Petoskey in more than 45 years. That’s because the previoushigh school was shutteredin the early ’70s.
 
“It closed in 1971 when the nuns moved out. They were the teachers,” said Marie Law.
Law, now the advancement director for the school, was among a group of dedicated parents who decided to investigate the possibility of a Catholic education for Little Traverse-area high school students, beginning in 2011.
 
But starting a new school from scratch is hardly as simple as ABC. Among the biggest questions the group faced was not only how to do it but also how to do it in a way that would attract students other than just those coming from the K–8 at nearby St. Francis Xavier. She said part of their early studies included determining a distinct curriculum. “We didn’t want it to be the same as other schools,” she said.
 
That led them to an ancient style of learning that’s experiencing a resurgence in American schools today: classical.

“It’s different from anything else offered,” said Law.
 
Classical education is based on a framework first developed during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Law said it is similar to a liberal arts program but the subjects are not separated from one another. “It starts at the beginning of civilization. In [typical] liberal arts you learn about several subjects, such as science, history, humanities, but you learn in silos. In classical education, it’s integrated,” she said.
 
That classical curriculum is what led in turn to the hiring of Dr. Richard Brake as school principal. He joined the school this year, as did four other new teachers. The staff now stands at five full-time faculty and four part-time, along with Brake who is also in the classroom. “It’s cutting edge,” he said of the classical curriculum.
 
Using classic texts such as the Iliad and writings by Plato and Socrates is something most of the students have not previously been exposed to. “It takes a while, but the kids are up to the task,” said Brake.
 
He said the curriculum is finding favor across the country: In the 90s, there were maybe a dozen such schools across the country using such an approach. Today, some 250 schools across the country, with half a million students, are utilizing the classical curriculum.
 
Where many schools offer Spanish or French, St. Michael starts back further, as Law said, with Latin. Critics suggest that Latin is only useful for those who will need a knowledge of taxonomy for studies of plants, animals, or the human body, and less so for everyone else, but Law said it provides a great base for further study and reading. She said understanding the roots of the languages is indeed particularly helpful for those going into medicine or law, those who have studied it typically score higher on vocabulary tests or the SAT. “My daughter took Spanish, and the Latin background made Spanish easier.”
 
Perhaps surprisingly, the school is unaffiliated with a local Catholic church or with the Diocese of Gaylord. Gagnon said that decision is based on a number of factors. As an independent school, those in the school have more say in how it is run. It is also not dependent on a parish for funding, which provides more control as well.

“We wanted to determine how it would be run. Under parish [control] we might not have as much of a say,” she said, pointing to the decision to use a classical curriculum as an example.
 
Nevertheless, it has the approval of the diocese. Bishop Hebda, who was in charge when the school opened, gave it his blessing. Without financial assistance from a parish, the tuition is $5,000, though Law said the cost per student is actually more than that. “That’s where I come in with development and fundraising,” she said.
 
Despite its diminutive size — there were 24 students last year, 27 the year before that — the school offers a number of extra-curricular activities, some in conjunction with other area schools. For example, students can participate with Petoskey High School for band and hockey. St. Michael also has its own cross-country, volleyball, Nordic skiing, and boys’ basketball and golf teams. Co-op sports include soccer, girls’ tennis and girls’ basketball. Each winter the students organize a six to eight week social dance lesson schedule, which is open to all high school students in the region. Professional dance instructors serve as teachers for the program.
 
The small size is exactly what appeals to some students, including Gagnon’s and Law’s daughters. They are both seniors who have attended the school for all four years of high school. “I know everyone. We really get to know one another. You learn how to deal with everyone,” said Jillian Gagnon.
 
“The best part is the small size. We have strong connections,” said Madeline Law. “You get to know a lot of people really well.”
 
Gagnon said that small size offers has built-in advantages for academics. “We get more individual attention from the teachers. My math class is just me,” said Gagnon.
 
Law said the classical education approach enables them to meld all their studies around an advancing time frame. “My favorite class is English. I absolutely love it,” she said. “My first year it was Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato. Then we moved through Shakespeare. Last year it was the “Pride and Prejudice” and the “Great Gatsby,” and this year it’s Hemingway. You see the background, history, the culture they lived in.”
 
The school is hoping for growth, but with a built-in maximum. “We want to double enrollment by next year,” said Brake. “To do the curriculum, we don’t want to be too big,” Brake, noting that a class size of 20 to 30 would be as large as he would want.
 
“We could do around 100 to 120 maximum,” agreed MarieLaw.
 
The school draws from around the area, not just Petoskey. Students from Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, and Indian River are among those enrolled. And its doors are open to students from across the globe as well. Nacel Open Door, a foreign student exchange program, approached St. Michael Academy to gauge the school’s interest in such a program. As a result, the school has hosted at least one exchange student every semester. “This year we have one full-year student from Spain. Others have come from Italy, Brazil, Poland, France, and Czech Republic,” said Law.