Chesterton Schools Network
Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II Classical School is part of the Chesterton Schools Network based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A collaborative venture of the American Chesterton Society and Chesterton Academy, the Chesterton Schools Network aims to inspire and encourage parent-led Catholic schools across the nation. The Network offers consulting services; templates for evaluating interest and operating a school; and the Chesterton Academy curriculum framework.
For more information about Chesterton Schools Network, please click here.
Hallmarks of a Chesterton Education
An Incarnational Environment
From history and theology to math and science, the Incarnation is the central mystery we explore across the entire curriculum. It is our desire that each student would personally experience the Incarnation.
Rediscovering the Lost Tools of Learning
Our curriculum is centered on skills seemingly forgotten in our modern society – reading, writing, oral presentations, and the development of critical reasoning skills through logic and philosophy.
A Focus on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Our classical curriculum combines a broad, liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the development of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty.
The Socratic Seminar
The Socratic seminar is perhaps the oldest educational tool. Through this method, a teacher imparts knowledge through directed questions and guided dialogue, bringing ideas and knowledge to life.
A Joyful Learning Environment
We create environments where students experience the joy of community and the discovery process, providing them with an opportunity to live out their spiritual life in an atmosphere of joy and fun.
The Wit and Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton
G.K. Chesterton exemplified the Catholic faith through through his wit, his clarity, his kindness, and his ability to love people with whom he disagreed, while sharing the faith in Christian charity.
About G.K. Chesterton
Chesterton Academy is named for the great English writer and Catholic convert, G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936). Chesterton is a model for our school because he exemplified the Catholic faith through a life filled with joy, wonder, and gratitude.
Chesterton was considered one of the world’s most outstanding men of letters in the early 20th century. An accomplished essayist, novelist, and poet, he wrote a hundred books on all different subjects. In 1922, he shocked the literary establishment by converting to Catholicism. He was later eulogized by Pope Pius XI as “a gifted defender of the faith,” and there is presently a popular movement to have him canonized. He represents the fullness of faith and reason, as well as Catholic joy and common sense.
