St. Pius X. Classical Academy

🌟 Key Highlights: St. Pius X. Classical Academy

St. Pius X. Classical Academy (SPXCA) is a private, co-educational Catholic parochial school in Nashville, Tennessee. It is committed to providing a classical education rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, focusing on the spiritual, intellectual, social, and moral formation of its students to prepare them to be well-formed Christian citizens and lifelong learners.

🏫 Overview

• Type: Private / Parochial Catholic School

• Location: Nashville, Tennessee (Davidson County)

• Grades Served: Pre-Kindergarten (PreK 3) – 8th Grade

• Enrollment: Varies, typically a smaller student body (reported enrollment around 72 students).

• Core Mission: To manifest God’s love in the world through a commitment to the spiritual, moral, emotional, and intellectual development of its students accomplished through the use of a Catholic classical curriculum.

• Affiliation: Roman Catholic Church; part of the Diocesan Catholic Schools of Nashville.

• Accreditation: Fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) / Cognia and the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office of Nashville.

• Focus: Elementary and middle school education utilizing the classical education model (Trivium) and integrating the Catholic faith into all aspects of learning.

✅ What Makes the School Unique?

SPXCA is distinguished by its classical curriculum, Catholic identity, and structured learning model:

• Classical Education Model: The curriculum is structured around the three stages of the Trivium:

  1. Grammar Stage (PK–4th Grade): Focuses on the fundamentals of subjects (structure and objective characteristics).

  2. Logic Stage (5th–8th Grade): Emphasizes the relationships and reasoning of these characteristics, leading students to master and communicate what they have learned.

• Catholic Identity and Formation: The mission is rooted in Catholic teaching, integrating the Faith and Life religion series and daily spiritual practices like Adoration and Benediction, aiming to educate the whole child in the values of Christ.

• Latin Instruction: The curriculum includes the study of Latin, which serves to efficiently teach the grammatical structure of English (over 50% of which is derived from Latin) and prepares students for other Romance languages.

• Cross-Curricular Learning: Utilizes a four-year history cycle (e.g., Ancient History, Medieval, etc.) as a guide for content across various subjects, including literature, visual arts (sculpture, painting, architecture), and science.

• Strong Student-Teacher Ratio: Maintains a highly favorable ratio (reported as low as 6:1 or 5:1), which facilitates individualized attention and high-quality instruction necessary for the rigorous classical model.

• Fine Arts Emphasis: Focuses on the appreciation and production of beautiful works in the visual arts, integrating art instruction with the corresponding time periods studied in history.

• Diverse Community: The school welcomes a diverse community of learners and emphasizes the collaborative relationship between the school and the parents (who the Church recognizes as the primary educators of their children).

📞 Contact Information