High School at a Glance

Drawing on foundations laid out for centuries, the high school educational standards at Paideia aim to ensure that students leave the school with a well-rounded knowledge that gives them not only the character, the knowledge, and the skills to pursue any desired higher education path, but also the wisdom to understand their true vocation and the courage to choose that over all other possible goals.

Path to Graduation 

Paideia Classical Academy offers 3 diploma tracks to its students:

• • The Classical Diploma (38 Credits)
  • The Classical Honors Diploma (42.5+ Credits, for high-achieving Honors students)
  • The Florida Standard Diploma (24-37 credits, for late transfers — juniors and seniors — to our High School program)

After Graduation 

High schoolers at Paideia graduate well-prepared for college, vocational school, and the world beyond. Our students’ achievements speak for themselves:

• • 100% of our high school teachers have a Master of Arts, Master of Sciences, or higher degree. 
  • 100% of our graduating seniors who have been with us for the entire duration of their high school years have been accepted to college with scholarships.
  • Most of our high school students take dual enrollment classes with Florida Atlantic University. Our requirements for DE are higher than the industry standards. 
  • Our graduating seniors have continued their higher education with institutions like Nova Southeastern University or Ave Maria University; 100% of them have obtained significant scholarships, and some of them even full rides.
  • Our students’ acceptance letters have arrived from many directions: University of Florida, St. Vincent University, Christendom College, Barry University, St. Thomas University, Erskine College, etc.
  • Some of our students have obtained the FAS Bright Futures scholarship.
  • Two of our alumnae are now members of the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honors society, Phi Kappa Phi: Ms. Iulia Goean and Ms. Anna Maria Weber. 

Curriculum 

At Paideia, students pursue these tracks by means of an intensive catalogue of courses, which at present features the following disciplines:

• • Language Arts (8-11 credits): An excellent command of the language arts is not only quintessential to mastery of any other domain (high reading comprehension skills remains the best factor of prediction of college success), but also for the development of a virtuous life.
    • • Traditional Grammar
      • Classic Literature: Click here for a list of PCA’s high school author bank (which includes authors and works studied in all PCA subjects, not only in literature).
      • Classic Poetry
      • Spelling & Vocabulary
      • Composition: Students follow the Progymnasmata, the longest-enduring writing program, written by the ancient Greek rhetorician Aphthonius.
  • Mathematics (4-6 credits): In Mathematics, two tracks are available.
    • • Standard Track (4 credits)
        • • Algebra I (1 Credit)
          • Algebra II (1 Credit)
          • Geometry (1 Credit)
          • Trigonometry & Statistics (1 Credit)
      • Advanced Track (6 Credits): In the Advanced Track, the student will have completed 1 or more of the above courses in middle school, over the summer, or directly after the previous course during the same school year, allowing the addition of at least one of the following:
        • • Calculus I (1 Credit)
          • Calculus II (1 Credit)
  • Science (4 Credits)
    • • Biology (1 Credit)
      • Physics (1 Credit)
      • Chemistry (1 Credit)
      • Anatomy & Physiology (1 Credit)
  • Social Studies (3.5 Credits)
    • • World History (1 Credit)
      • American History (1 Credit)
      • American Government and Economics (1 Credit)
      • Financial Literacy (0.5 Credits)
  • Patristics and Law of God (6 Credits)
    • • Patristics (2 Credits)
      • Law of God (4 Credits)
  • Foreign Languages (3+ Credits)
    • • Spanish (1 Credit)
      • Latin (1 Credit)
      • Biblical Greek (1 Credit)
  • Fine Arts (3-4 Credits)
    • • Music (1 Credit)
      • Chanting (1 Credit)
      • Art (1 Credit)
      • Drama (1 Credit)
  • Other Electives (6-7 Credits)
    • • Philosophy 
        • • Formal Logic 
          • Platonic Dialogues 
          • Classics of Philosophy 
          • History of Philosophical Thought 
          • Capstone: Intro to Patristic Metaphysics
      • Physical Education (2 Credits)
      • Intro to Computers (1 Credit)

Life at Paideia 

At Paideia, students benefit from a vibrant campus life filled with activities and opportunities.

How does Paideia stand out?

• • After-school sports: Under the leadership of our coaches, our teams compete against other schools in the area! We offer three different after-school sports:
    • • Co-Ed Soccer
      • Girls’ Volleyball
      • Co-Ed Basketball
  • House System: In the tradition of great schools, PCA’s Rhetoric Stage students are chosen to be in one of the two Houses: House of Raven or House of Wolf. House points are accumulated on the basis of the following:
    • • Academic and athletic performance
      • Behavior and virtues
      • Volunteering at school and in the community
      • Leadership
      • House competitions
      • Teacher challenges
      • Involvement in the overall good of the school
  • Stewardship (volunteering): PCA Rhetoric students support their school with 30 hours of stewardship yearly. They can earn these hours in a variety of ways:
    • • Acting as PCA ambassadors on campus and at school-sponsored event
      • As peer academic assistants
      • As teacher helpers 

In addition, our community is providing, whenever possible, assistance with various volunteering opportunities.