Princeton Latin Academy--A Classical Education in a Private School Setting

The word curriculum comes from the Latin word currere which means “to flow” as in the flow of a river. The Magistri of Princeotn Science Academy are the navigators of your child’s boat which sails on the river of knowledge. Though a mentor guides your child, only the child’s volition and urgency to know can move the boat forward. The child holds the oars. It is this sacred relationship between mentor and student that permits progress in education.

PSA Classical Education Curriculum

|Rhetoric| |The Arts|

Mathematics: Mathematics is the language of science; without it, science cannot speak of the laws that guide our physical reality. Like all languages, mathematics is the abstraction and simplification of complex ideas. Therefore, it must be studied methodically and thoroughly. Princeton Science Academy’s mission for the student is the complete mastery of algebra and geometry. Only with these two branches firmly planted in the student’s mind can he approach calculus and the higher levels of math. In order to achieve this end, students study algebra and geometry all four years. Those who demonstrate skill and determination will undertake the study of trigonometry and calculus.

Grades 9-12 Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry/PreCalculus, Calculus

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Science: Science is primarily theoretical: by it is sought the underlying laws that govern natural phenomenon. Technology is not science, but ancillary to it; therefore, technology should never supersede nor replace the study of scientific theories. In order to provide the student with the necessary scientific background for further studies and to help him be able to discern good science from bad, Princeton Science Academy requires that the student study physics, chemistry and biology for four years. Physics, a difficult subject, is the foundation of all sciences and the force behind all technology. The laws of physics govern all things material, from the smallest particles of an atom to the vast distances between galaxies. Chemistry explores the relationships between the fundamental parts of matter, i.e. atoms. Although a compound or organism is more than the sum of its material parts with its emerging properties, the understanding of this remains a mystery. Biology, the youngest of all the sciences, arises from the laws of physics and chemistry. Its proper place is in the context of the physical sciences. Without that context, biology may go astray.

Grades 9-12 Biology, Chemistry, Physics

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Philosophy: The logo for Princeton Science Academy contains the phrase Mens et Materia, which means in Latin Mind and Matter. Philosophy, a Western endeavor, arose in Ancient Greece and, up until the twentieth century, was a staple of European academic studies. Descartes, Leibniz and Newton -- these mathematicians and scientists of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were well versed in past and contemporary philosophical issues. Where science is limited to explaining the how’s of the universe, philosophy seeks to answer the why's. Indeed, notions of logic, proofs, theories and truths -- all are essential matters of science and math that can only be appreciated and understood through philosophical theories. The student of Princeton Science Academy spends four years studying the five categories of philosophy: ontology (existence), epistemology (knowledge), ethics (behavior), politics (justice) and aesthetics (beauty).

Grades 9-12 Philosophy

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History: History, which comes from the Greek word “inquiry”, began as a subject with the Ancient Greeks. Herodotus and Thucydides, whose different approaches would mirror the controversies of modern historiography, chronicled the past for the benefit of those in the present so that they might determine their future. Whereas other schools have been making history class the forum for a present-day revisional, political agenda, Princeton Science Academy approaches high school history differently. Instead of thematic classes that provide little, if any, overview of history and that diminish the great works of influential people, Princeton Science Academy simply presents history chronologically. World history is covered in a four-year cycle, which starts with the Babylonians and Sumerians and ends with the post-cold-war era. The goal is to give each student a framework from which he may draw when confronting the real world. In this way, a student will possess the necessary reference points to engage intelligently in any discussion that requires historical knowledge, such as in the areas of literature, science and philosophy. He will be exposed to interesting stories that may inspire him to read in depth on his own.

Grades 9-12 Ancient World History, History of the Middle Ages, Pre-Modern World History, Modern World History

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Literature: Although science may cure diseases, mathematics reach the moon, philosophy explain justice and history reveal future possibilities, it is literature that allows the student to explore the personal world within himself without limits and to share his insights with others. Princeton Science Academy, rather than focusing on a single author or novel for the entire year, presents an array of writers throughout history, which exposes the student to its vast canon of works. The student, upon finishing the required four years of literature, will have access to a mental card catalogue, from which he may draw in his personal experience of reading.

Grades 9-12 British Literature, American Literature, World Literature, Writing Workshop

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Latin: The study of Latin, even a rudimentary one, without doubt is an asset to anyone entering the fields of science, medicine, law, history, politics or literature. Subsequently, Latin is a four-year requirement at Princeton Science Academy. Besides contributing to the majority of English words, Latin provides a meta-structure for all languages. The study of Latin aids the understanding of English syntax and grammar and reinforces the role of Roman culture in shaping our Western society. Most important of all in this modern age where people change the meaning of words to suit their agenda is the knowledge of Latin, an unchanging language, which keeps us honest when speaking of religion, liberty, authority, imperialism, legality and civilization.

Grades 9-12 Latin I, Latin II, Latin III, Latin IV

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Foreign Language: Universality, not diversity, is emphasized at the Academy. Therefore, the study of foreign languages is vital for the educated person. How others view the world in a different light can only be understood by knowing another language. Spanish, Italian and French are offered.

Grades 9-12 Spanish, French, Italian

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Rhetoric: The word rhetoric has always possessed, even from the time of Ancient Greece, a negative connotation. One cannot refute the power that speech and writing can have over the minds of men, powerful enough to reduce reasonableness to the irrational. However, at Princeton Science Academy, rhetoric plays a much different role. How many great minds have died unknown, their insights unexpressed, because they lacked the means to convey their ideas concisely to the world around them? How many in their everyday lives have lacked the confidence to defend their dreams, principles and actions against an onslaught of denunciations, propaganda and accusations? Rhetoric becomes the tool by which the student may express himself and make decisions for himself. The subject offers an opportunity to build one’s confidence and make known one’s presence.

Grades 9-12 Rhetoric

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The Arts: Princeton Science Academy requires all students to take four years of art class and participate in Princeton Latin Academy’s annual opera. In a society that has designated ugliness and profanity as the only legitimate forms of expression, this high school opens the student's eyes to beauty and sacredness. Such experiences include trips to art museums and national memorials, participation in Halloween skits and Saturnalia celebrations, and attendance of art-history classes. Along with rhetoric, art is another way for the student to express himself by molding with his hands his thoughts and feelings in various art forms and media. These works are displayed every year at the school's annual art show and in the Folia Viridia, the school’s literary and art magazine.

Grades 9-12 Fine Arts

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PSA Alumni
Emily Jenison
Class of '10

"Fac Laborum. Do Work. PSA has helped me in so many ways, not just in my studies but socially as well. I deeply appreciate everything the teachers have done for me and how they made me look at learning in different ways than I had in previous years. "