Frequently Asked Questions

How are older students assimilated into the classical curriculum? How do they overcome the disadvantage of not having had any Latin?

First, it's important to dispel any misunderstandings behind this question. We are not a school for “the brightest and best.” The students at our school were not born on another planet; they are reflective of our community in their range of academic aptitude. While it is true that we seek to “raise the bar” of academic expectation, we also seek to give students the help they need to “clear the bar.”

We presently have students who have joined us at Petra, all the way up through Grade 12, who are excelling. A motivated student who has done well in a different school model will probably do very well at Petra, sometimes even better than they did in their previous school. Our teachers are excited about what they teach and their excitement is infectious. We teach the same disciplines and read many of the same books that are taught and read elsewhere. The disciplines that are unique to a classical curriculum (Logic and Rhetoric) are very accessible to students at the appropriate grade levels. (We teach Logic at grades 8 and 9, and Rhetoric at grades 11 and 12.)

As to Latin, we understand that many students join us each year “mid-stream.” So we plan accordingly. New students begin “at the beginning.” Obviously, an incoming tenth-grader is expected to progress faster than a third-grader, but we don't assume a certain level of Latin for incoming students. At the secondary level, this invariably means Latin classes are divided into two streams—for advanced and beginning students.

What type of competitive and recreational sports are available at Petra?

Not enough. But we hope to do something about that.

Presently, our students join with the Gallatin Valley Homeschool to compete in girls' volleyball (fall) and girls' basketball (winter) and boys' basketball (winter). Additionally, Petra students compete in both the competitive and recreational soccer leagues in Bozeman youth organizations. Students also participate in community flag football and spring baseball. We also have students that take tennis classes at MSU. A number of our students are avid horsemen, including competitive events. The recreational sport of choice of our secondary students is “ultimate frisbee.”

However, we would like to field soccer, volleyball, and basketball Petra teams to compete in the MCAA, a league comprised of private schools and homeschool groups throughout Montana. Our problem is that we need to sustain adequate numbers in our secondary to field these teams. By our present involvement in the above ways, we hope to expedite this goal.

Are Petra students good hunters or do they just sit at home and read books all day? Did anyone get an elk last year?

Last year? There are already elk stories from this year—with a bow even! If you have any doubts that classicists can also be Montanans, see our FACULTY page now!

What about academic results? Do Petra students get into good colleges and universities?

Last year's class of four graduates includes two National Merit Finalists and a Presidential Scholar. They are attending Caltech, Cascade, Whitworth, and Montana State University. Our students take the Stanford Achievement Test annually and consistently score well above the national and state averages.

Does Petra Academy only measure their success by academic results? What about character?

As fallen people, we are as prone as the next to any foolish reason for pride. As redeemed people, we are acutely aware of the danger of a perverse spirit of elitism and seek God's grace to be delivered from that trap. But in seeking to honor God in the work of our minds, we recognize the even greater need to honor him by submitting ourselves to his Christ-like fashioning in our lives. We seek to model Christ-like conduct in our faculty and encourage our students to be shaped by the character of Christ.