Just in time for the start of a new school year, Aristoi Classical Academy, a local charter school built around a classical liberal arts curriculum, has hired Mr. Matthew Watson as its Assistant Headmaster their new high school. For the past five years, Mr. Watson has been a highly regarded teacher and administrator at Pope John XXIII High School in Katy. Since arriving at Pope John in 2009, Mr. Watson has taught upper division honors and AP history, economics, and government classes, served as the History and Social Studies Department Chair, and led the school’s House System as its inaugural dean.
Mr. Watson holds Master’s degrees in Early American History (University of Massachusetts – Amherst) and Teaching and Curriculum (Harvard University). He earned his B.A. in History (summa cum laude) from George Fox University in Oregon. He is a member of the Organization of American Historians and serves on the Board of Directors of the Houston-based Our Lady of Walsingham Institutes for Catholic Culture. Mr. Watson is a parishioner at St. Bartholomew’s in Katy, where he lives with his wife, Jennifer, and five children.
Aristoi Classical Academy is Growing
Mr. Watson will work with Headmaster, Brenda Davidson, in developing Aristoi’s new high school. High school correlates with the period of classical liberal arts education known as the rhetoric stage. Beginning with ninth grade this fall (2014), high school students will study Western Civilization’s key literary and historical texts, work out their interpretations of the subject matter in seminar-style Socratic discussions, and learn to compose powerful written and oral arguments. Advanced courses in mathematics and the sciences will not only prepare students for college, but aim to develop well-ordered minds and an understanding of mankind’s place in the natural world. The liberal arts curriculum will be complimented by courses in Latin grammar and translation.
Each year, students’ inquiry will be structured around a “Great Theme”—Man (Freshman Year), Society (Sophomore Year), Democracy (Junior Year), and The Modern Age (Senior Year). Seniors will pose an historical, scientific, philosophical, or literary question and draft a Senior Thesis under the supervision of a chosen faculty advisor. Four years of rigorous study will culminate in the public presentation and defense of the Senior Thesis.
About the Academy
Aristoi is an open enrollment charter school serving grades K-8. Beginning in the fall of 2014, Aristoi will add one high school grade per year. 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.
Contact
To learn more about Aristoi Classical Academy, please visit www.aristoiclassical.org or contact Heidi Manna, Marketing & Development, 5618 11th Street, Katy, TX 77493. Phone 281-391-5003 or email hmanna@aristoiclassical.org.
