HILL ACADEMY

Charlotte Mason envisioned a relational education in a living environment filled with books, experiences, nature, and ideas where the child is viewed as a person and the educator as one who cooperates with God.

“Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.”

-Charlotte Mason

An Atmosphere

Our children’s environment has educational value. Therefore we should be mindful and intentional about our home, as well as our school atmosphere. At Hill Academy we desire to create an atmosphere of joyful discovery and freedom (to grow and learn). We consider it our God-given ministry to stir up and encourage our students’ innate desire for things that are “true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.” (Philippians 4:8)

A Discipline

As parents and teachers at Hill Academy, we work with God’s grace to train our students in developing habits of attention, observation, learning, and godly living. We believe this holistic training is essential for educating the mind, shaping character, and nurturing the heart. Through cultivating the habit of attention, we encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. Additionally, we foster the habit of observation by providing opportunities for students to quiet their hearts and minds, engage with God’s creation and art, read and listen to the Bible, impactful literature, truthful history, and music (Titus 2: 11-13).

A Life

Our children need a balanced diet of healthy life-giving food to nourish and strengthen their physical bodies. In the same way their minds and spirits need to be nourished with life-giving ideas -not to only give them information to prepare them for the future or a test, but to give them an abundant life now, to strengthen their hearts and minds today. At Hill Academy we provide a generous liberal arts curriculum with life-giving books, experiences, and relationships. (John 10:10b)

Relational Education

The key to our educational approach is nurturing life-giving connections, which makes learning exciting and meaningful. At Hill Academy, we follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy, which prioritizes building relationships. We guide our students to connect with God, with people from the past and present through books and in person, and with the natural world through subjects like science and nature study. Moreover, we help our students understand themselves—recognizing their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and passions. After that, we step back and let them form their own connections: with their Creator, with influential figures from history and today, with people from different times and places, and within their local communities.