Our Mission and Model
Our Mission
The mission of Chesterton Academy of Rochester (grades 9–12) is to partner with parents to raise a generation of joyful leaders and saints educated in the classical liberal arts tradition and the truths of the Catholic faith. Students will abound in the skills and character requisite for success in college and professional life in order to build up the Kingdom of God, promote a culture of life, and excel in service of family, country, and Christ our Lord.
Our Vision and Model
Chesterton Academy of Rochester is a classical high school, grounded in the Catholic faith.
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Our school is part of the Chesterton Schools Network, which includes 65 classical high schools around the world, all following the same model and curriculum.
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We aim to help students recognize the true, imitate the good, and adore the beautiful, falling in love with the source of all three—God himself.
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Inspired by Pope St. John Paul II, we take as our motto Cultura Vitae, the culture of life. Our mission at Chesterton Academy is to prepare students to triumph over the materialism and despair that pervade our culture and to accept our Lord's offer to have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
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We believe high school is not just about educating students to do something after they graduate, but to become someone great now. And that someone is a beloved child of God.
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We help students become fully alive in their faith and develop joy, intelligence, and virtue.
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We do this through our three pillars of formation: Intellect, Character Formation, and Spirituality.
I. Intellect
We teach the classics of Western thought from physics to philosophy, and the interrelationship of the great ideas, teaching students not merely what to think but how to think.
HUMANITIES
History, literature, philosophy, languages, and the study of God's plan for humanity are all braided together in an integrated curriculum utilizing the Socratic Method.
MATH & SCIENCE
Math and science are intimately connected; the logic of math is seen in philosophy and God’s handiwork is seen in the sciences.
FINE ARTS
Equal emphasis is given to the arts, so that every student learns to draw and paint, sing in the choir, act on the stage, give speeches, and engage in debate.
II. Character Formation
We help students grow in the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, which we believe are the foundation of leadership.
HOUSE SYSTEM
Chesterton Academy’s House system is drawn from the 1,000 year-old tradition of Christian education exemplified in the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. The Houses provide real, tangible community within the larger school, giving students the opportunity to take ownership, fulfill the call to leadership, and to cultivate the ideal conditions for virtue.
Each House is led by a student prefect and overseen by faculty advisors and parent liaisons.
The four Houses include: Ambrose, Athanasius, Augustine, and Chrysostom.
STUDENT LIFE
In line with our motto, Cultura Vitae (Culture of Life), sponsored activities prompt students to accept our Lord’s offer to have life and have it abundantly.
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We encourage athletics and extracurricular activities as a way of fostering this fullness of life, while maintaining a healthy balance with academics and important family time.
III. Spirituality
Our students come to understand and embrace the truth of why they exist: to know God, to love him, and to serve him in this world and be happy with him forever in the next.
SPIRITUAL LIFE
Catholicism is central to our mission. All classes point to the Incarnation as the central event in human history, so students won't just learn about their faith in one class, but across the disciplines. Students read and discuss the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and key papal documents.
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We begin each day with the Liturgy of the Hours and each class with prayer. We also offer regular retreats, annual pilgrimages, wholesome activities themed around the liturgical year, and sacred art and crucifixes adorning the classrooms.
FAITHFUL FACULTY
We work to find talented and dynamic faculty dedicated to the vision and mission of our school.
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Our Board of Directors, the faculty, and all staff members take the Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium at the beginning of each academic year.
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In addition to their teaching responsibilities, faculty at Chesterton Academy also participate in the House System.
PILGRIMAGES
We provide opportunities for students to go on pilgrimage. In addition to the March for Life and local pilgrimages, Chesterton Academy students travel to Rome and Assisi (Italy) as upperclassmen, meeting with other Chesterton Academy students from around the world.
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They encounter relics from the saints, sing for the Holy Father, and see in real life the wonders of the ancient churches in the Eternal City.
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