Xavier Charter School

Xavier Charter School is a public charter school in Twin Falls, Idaho.

History

Xavier Charter School opened in 2007 offering kindergarten through eighth grade classes.^[2] A ninth grade class was added for the 2008-09 school year, and an eleventh grade was added for the 2009– 10 school year.^[3] and an additional grade will be added each year with the first high school class graduating in 2011. The school currently has grades K–12.

Teachers

Two science classes, taught by Bradley Hansen and Rick McNurlin. Bradley Hansen has a degree in physics, and Rick McNurlin has a degree in chemistry. There are three history teachers, Brian Loosli, Nathan Barnhill, and Donaven Craner. The two art teachers are Paul Hanson and Jason Hicks. The three math teachers are Karolyn Crocket, Ben Neilson, and Megan Talbot.[4]

Philosophy

Xavier Charter School teaches a classical education. Its purpose is to train young people to think well and to aspire to live virtuous lives. Classical education began in Greece and was continued in Rome. It was refined during the Renaissance, and was alive and well when our Founding Fathers went to school. Classical education all but died out over the course of the twentieth century as progressive educators dumbed down curricula and replaced time-tested methods with fads such as “whole language” and “new math.” In the twenty-first century, classical education is making a huge comeback, as seen in the growth of Latin programs all around the country.[5]

Xavier practices virtuous living using the 9 Pillars of Character which include responsibility, respect, perseverance, integrity, honesty, courage, citizenship, cooperation, and excellence:

1. Responsibility – We accept obligations related to our own good and the good of others, and we act on those obligations in a manner suitable to their timely and satisfactory fulfillment. We are willingly accountable for what we do and say, and we seek to learn from our mistakes.
2. Respect – We regard others and ourselves as deserving of kind and just treatment. Our conduct is considerate and polite. We look for the good in others and demonstrate compassion. Our attitudes toward others and their property reflect the way we wish to be treated.
3. Perseverance – We spurn despair and strive to complete tasks to the best of our abilities, regardless of the difficulty. We respond creatively to overcome obstacles and ask for help when necessary.
4. Integrity – We are individuals of strong ethical values, who make consistently good choices in keeping with our knowledge of right and wrong. We seek the wisdom of others in cases of moral uncertainty.
5. Honesty – We never knowingly induce another to believe what is false. We are always truthful in what we say and do, regardless of the circumstances or consequences.
6. Courage – We always do what we know to be right despite fear, hardship, and opposition. We resist negative peer pressure, defend our rights and the rights of others, and encourage others to do the same.
7. Citizenship – We honor rules and laws and respond to authority in obedience. We give of our time and abilities to serve others. We uphold liberty and social equality through respect for individual differences and knowledge of our democratic system.
8. Cooperation – We work with others for the good of all involved with a positive attitude.
9. Excellence – We seek to raise the standard for ourselves to that which surpasses the ordinary. Because we understand that excellence is not an act but a habit, we strive to practice it consistently so that we might grow to be prosperous and fulfilled.^[6]

References

External links

• Xavier Charter School