Aristoi Classical Academy

Aristoi Classical Academy, is a K-12 charter school in Katy, Texas. The school opened in 1996 as West Houston Charter School, with an emphasis on fine arts. In 2006, the student population was only 192, and there were many unfilled seats. After careful deliberation, the school’s board of directors voted to transition to a classical school model, an educational option previously available only in area private schools. Enrollment began to increase immediately with the new focus as families began to see the value of securing a free classical education.HistoryAristoi Classical Academy in Katy, Texas is a first-generation public charter school in its 20th year of operations. The school opened in 1996 as West Houston Charter School, with an emphasis on fine arts. In 2006, the student population was only 192, and there were many unfilled seats. After careful deliberation, the school’s board of directors voted to transition to a classical school model, an educational option previously available only in area private schools. Enrollment began to increase immediately with the new focus as families began to see the value of securing a free classical education.In 2010, the K-8 th grade charter school was renamed Aristoi Classical Academy (“ACA”). “Aristoi” is a Greek term referring to nobility. The school’s mission is to provide students with an academically challenging Classical Liberal Arts education that encourages them to develop a passion for learning and that gives them the means to become responsible citizens of virtuous character. ACA uses “the trivium” to organize the stages of learning based on a child’s natural stages of intellectual development. The grammar stage (K-4 th grades) provides a thorough foundation in phonics, spelling, grammar, literature, vocabulary history, biology, and basic mathematics. The logic stage (5th -8 th grades) focuses on higher mathematics and the application of logic to all subjects (e.g., paragraph construction, thesis writing, textual analyses, the scientific method, and historical questions. In addition, beginning skills in logical argument and debate are fostered in this stage. In the rhetoric stage (9th -12th grades), students learn to write at a collegiate level, speak eloquently, and defend original ideas. Public speaking becomes second nature. Seniors present and defend a thesis prior to graduation.