PRIMARY

AGS - Atlas Grammar School

Formation from First Breath to Mastery

“Ad veritatem crescimus — We grow toward truth.”

Overview.

The Atlas Grammar School is a 12-year formation journey that begins at age four and culminates in the A.B.A.)—the world’s most rigorous primary school curriculum.
It replaces fragmented schooling with a continuous arc of formation—intellectual, moral, artistic, physical, and spiritual.

Every child is treated as an image-bearer whose faculties—memory, imagination, language, reason, and will—must be trained toward wisdom.
The Academy’s mission is not to produce graduates, but to raise wise stewards of civilization: children who can read deeply, think precisely, speak truthfully, and act courageously.

Ages: 4–18
Structure: Pre-Primary (4–6), Lower Academy (7–10), Middle Academy (11–14), Upper Academy (15–18 → C.Bac.)
Credential: Atlas Academician (A.A.C.)
Supervision: Atlas University & Council of Covenant Schools

Program Architecture

Stage I: The Imago Stage

“To see the world as God made it.”

The Imago Stage cultivates awe and holy curiosity. Children learn through rhythm, recitation, and sensory experience.
The curriculum revolves around Scripture, song, play, and nature.

Core Elements

  • Daily Scripture stories & catechism

  • Psalm recitation and song

  • Early phonics through biblical language

  • Counting, patterns, and shape recognition

  • Nature walks, gardening, and observation journals

  • Basic art and calligraphy

  • Manners, prayer, and community service

Goal: to awaken love for truth and readiness for memory-based learning.

Stage II: The Grammar Stage

“Learning the language of creation.”

Children now absorb the factual vocabulary of all knowledge: words, numbers, geography, Scripture, and song.
This is the age of memory and imitation.

Subjects

  • Grammar & composition

  • Latin / Hebrew / English roots

  • Arithmetic and geometry foundations

  • History of Israel, Rome, and early Church

  • Life science and the creation order

  • Music and rhythmic dictation

  • Art, color, and calligraphy

  • Recitation of Proverbs and Beatitudes

Rituals

  • Morning recitations from Psalms

  • Weekly oral reading circles

  • First public recital and copywork exhibition

Goal: children learn precision and delight in words, numbers, and nature.

Stage III: The Dialectic Stage

“Asking the right questions.”

The Dialectic Stage forms the reasoning mind. Students begin disputation—asking, testing, connecting ideas.

Core Studies

  • Logic and syllogism

  • Scripture as argument: prophets and letters

  • Geometry, algebra, and early physics

  • Biology and the terrain of the body

  • World history from creation to modernity

  • Literature: Homer, Augustine, Shakespeare

  • Art: perspective and sacred proportion

  • Rhetoric foundations through debate

  • Languages: Latin + one modern language

Key Milestones

  • First disputation before peers

  • Annual “Creation Symposium” science presentation

  • Introduction to fasting and temperance disciplines

Goal: to shape reason under humility; to begin intellectual virtue.

Stage IV: The Rhetoric Stage

“Speaking wisdom with beauty.”

This is the summit of the Academy and the entry into the Covenant Baccalaureate (C.Bac.) program.
Students integrate knowledge and express it through writing, speech, invention, and service.

Core Studies

  • Great Books Curriculum (100 essential works)

  • Biblical Law and Justice

  • Classical & Modern Languages (2 fluent)

  • Advanced Mathematics & Natural Philosophy

  • Covenant Psychology and Philosophy of the Soul

  • Civics, Governance, and Diplomacy

  • Music, Art, and Architecture of the Kingdom

Capstones

  • Annual public disputation

  • Senior Covenant Thesis (10,000 words)

  • Dual-language proficiency certification

  • Service Practicum (120 hours)

  • Publication in the Atlas Youth Canon

Goal: full integration of faith, intellect, and leadership.

Pedagogy

  • Tutorial Method: 8–10 students per instructor; conversation and mentorship over rote instruction.

  • Recitation and Song: rhythm establishes memory; psalmody builds poise.

  • Disputation: every week, reason is tested aloud.

  • Workshop Learning: every truth is enacted through craft—gardening, architecture, experiment, or invention.

  • Spiritual Formation: daily Scripture readings, weekly communion, and seasonal fasting.

Language Formation

By graduation, all students:

  • Read and translate Hebrew or Greek fluently.

  • Speak and write in one modern language (French, German, Spanish, or Mandarin).

  • Complete one published translation of a sacred or classical text.

Physical & Moral Education

Each student is trained in physical discipline: fasting, strength, and outdoor stewardship.
Activities include:

  • Martial arts or fencing for self-control

  • Field building and regenerative agriculture

  • Annual wilderness camp and silence retreat

  • Community service and leadership rotations

Ethical Curriculum: Sermon on the Mount and Proverbs serve as the moral constitution.

Art & Beauty

Every child learns the visual language of harmony: line, proportion, light, and sound.
Courses include:

  • Iconography and illumination

  • Sculpture and sacred geometry

  • Music theory and choir

  • Architecture and design labs

Each year culminates in an Academy Exhibition, combining all disciplines.

Governance: Houses and Tribes

  • The Academy is divided into Tribes (Israel), linking students by mentorship and legacy.

  • Older students lead and serve younger peers, embodying the rhythm of discipleship.

  • House competitions in rhetoric, art, and service build loyalty and excellence.

Assessment

Grades are replaced by mastery rubrics:

  • Exemplar (E): complete command with virtue

  • Faithful (F): mastery in progress with diligence

  • Restoration Needed (R): character or knowledge gap

Students must demonstrate both intellectual accuracy and moral steadiness to progress.

Tuition

Standard Tuition: $7,500–$9,500 per year (stage dependent)
Scholarship Tracks:

  • House Scholar Track: for top disputation and service leadership.

  • Language & Translation Fellowship: for exceptional linguistic achievement.

  • Innovation Fellowship: for practical creations advancing the covenant community.

Admissions

Learn more

Eligibility

  • Age 4 or older (Imago Stage entry).

  • Parent and student covenant meeting required.

  • Basic literacy and speech for entry interview.

Admission Components

  1. Application & family statement of faith.

  2. Observation day or interview (for ages 7+ includes a short oral recitation).

  3. Language aptitude and readiness assessment.

  4. Parent participation agreement (familial covenant).

Selection Standards

  • Joyful curiosity and obedience.

  • Evidence of stable family partnership.

  • Capacity for language, memory, and community spirit.

Transfers: Admitted only at Grammar or Dialectic levels after placement review.