School of Rhetoric (9th-12th)

Where your child comes to maturity.

New Covenant offers the most distinctive high school experience in Central Virginia.

Grades 9 through 12

Unique among schools, New Covenant maintains the most distinctive high school experience in the region. We refer to grades 9-12 as the School of Rhetoric. In addition to teaching classical rhetoric, we emphasize primary sources and the “Great Books” including the Bible, Homer, Aristotle, Virgil, St. Augustine, Dante, and Shakespeare, just to name a few. Students who graduate from New Covenant have an awareness of the world’s greatest thinkers, and they have engaged their writings directly. We use textbooks, of course, but there is an equal emphasis upon primary sources in history, literature, language, science, religion and politics. Our students do more than learn about the Constitution, Magna Carta, Council of Nicea, or the French Revolution – they read, study, and discuss the documents that pertain to these events. By the time students reach their junior year, many of them will be reading selected works in Latin or Greek. During the senior year, students research, write, and orally present and defend to the faculty a significant thesis of a debatable or controversial nature.

The curriculum at New Covenant Schools is rooted in the liberal arts and is challenging at all levels. Ninety-six percent of our graduates have entered four-year colleges. Average standardized achievement test scores are consistently far above the national average with an overall SAT average range of 1210 – 1320 (Reading + Math). Class sizes are small and there is a high level of personal attention to students. The faculty is well qualified, with 100% of the faculty holding the master’s degree. Classical languages are required for all students beginning in kindergarten. Formal instruction in logic and classical rhetoric is required in grades 9 through 12. Students are expected to use their acquired logic and rhetorical skills in all areas of the curriculum, to think deeply and defend their positions rationally when answering questions of science, government and ethics, as well as in discussions of history, literature and religion. The senior year is completed by researching, writing, and defending a senior thesis before the faculty.

Reading List

Academic Profile

See the full academic profile here.

School of Rhetoric Experience

Senior Thesis

Every senior at New Covenant finishes the high school career with the completion of a senior thesis. The thesis project begins in the spring of the junior year when students choose a debatable topic, usually involving what we refer to as a “great question.” The project kicks off with research throughout the fall semester of the senior year, with faculty advisors serving as “readers” to encourage and assist with topic choice, research, revision, and editing. After several iterations the students submit a final draft which they present publicly on “Thesis Day.” For this event the entire SoR suspends the regular academic schedule and underclassmen attend presentations of their choosing. Each presentation is 15 minutes long, followed by 45 minutes of questions by faculty readers. Time permitting, questions are also received from the audience. Parents are encouraged to attend the event, which is celebrated with food and fellowship between presentations. This is a capstone project that represents a unique and single achievement in the life of a New Covenant student. Alumni routinely credit this program with “over” preparing them for college level reading and writing.

J-Term Catalogue

Tech Map

Starting in late middle school New Covenant provides instruction in technology including keyboarding and in MS Office 365. Students are issued a New Covenant email address and RenWeb credentials in grade 5, and are expected to begin using these tools incrementally. By the time our students reach the School of Rhetoric, they have been given enough instruction to manage technology appropriate to the high school experience.


KEY: I = introduced; R = reviewed; M = mastery expected				8	9	10	11	12

.: FACTS :.
Login to FACTS	I	R	M	M	M
Retrieve class documents	I	R	M	M	M
Access lesson plans	I	R	M	M	M
Access grades	I	R	M	M	M

.: OUTLOOK :.
Access Outlook via office365.com	I	R	M	M	M
Read & respond to email	I	R	M	M	M
Formal email etiquette	I	R	M	M	M
Download & add attachments	.	I	R	M	M

.: WORD:.
Access Word via office365.com	I	R	M	M	M
Create & save documents	I	R	M	M	M
Basic formatting: margins, font, header, page #	I	R	M	M	M
Submit printed papers	I	R	M	M	M
MLA parenthetical citations & works cited page	.	I	R	M	M
File management on physical drives (hdd, flash drive)	.	I	R	M	M
CMS footnotes & bibliography page	.	.	I	R	M
File management in the cloud	.	.	I	R	M
Review & resolve electronic comments	.	.	I	R	M
Convert files to PDF	.	.	.	.	I

.: POWERPOINT :.
Access PowerPoint via office365.com	I	R	M	M	M
Create presentations from theme, add slides, & save	I	R	M	M	M
Insert pictures & other objects	I	R	M	M	M
Basic presentation protocols	I	R	M	M	M
Transitions & animations	.	I	R	M	M
Notes & presenter mode	.	.	I	R	M
Elements of style	.	.	.	I	R

.: EXCEL :.
Access Excel via office365.com	.	I	R	M	M
Create & save new workbook	.	I	R	M	M
Basic use & formatting	.	I	R	M	M
Simple functions (e.g., SUM and AVERAGE)	.	I	R	M	M
Bar graphs	.	.	I	R	M
Advanced functions (e.g., MEAN, MEDIAN, STDDEV)	.	.	.	I	R
Line & pie graphs	.	.	.	I	R
Sort & filter functions	.	.	.	.	I

KEY: I = introduced; R = reviewed; M = mastery expected	8	9	10	11	12
.: RENWEB :.
Login to RenWeb	I	R	M	M	M
Retrieve class documents	I	R	M	M	M
Access lesson plans	I	R	M	M	M
Access grades	I	R	M	M	M
Submit via Homework Drop			I	R	M
.: OUTLOOK :.
Access Outlook via office365.com	I	R	M	M	M
Read & respond to email	I	R	M	M	M
Formal email etiquette	I	R	M	M	M
Download & add attachments		I	R	M	M
.: WORD :.
Access Word via office365.com	I	R	M	M	M
Create & save documents	I	R	M	M	M
Basic formatting: margins, font, header, page #	I	R	M	M	M
Submit printed papers	I	R	M	M	M
MLA parenthetical citations & works cited page		I	R	M	M
File management on physical drives (hdd, flash drive)		I	R	M	M
CMS footnotes & bibliography page			I	R	M
File management in the cloud			I	R	M
Review & resolve electronic comments			I	R	M
Convert files to PDF					I
.: POWERPOINT :.
Access PowerPoint via office365.com	I	R	M	M	M
Create presentations from theme, add slides, & save	I	R	M	M	M
Insert pictures & other objects	I	R	M	M	M
Basic presentation protocols	I	R	M	M	M
Transitions & animations		I	R	M	M
Notes & presenter mode			I	R	M
Elements of style				I	R
.: EXCEL :.
Access Excel via office365.com		I	R	M	M
Create & save new workbook		I	R	M	M
Basic use & formatting		I	R	M	M
Simple functions (e.g., SUM and AVERAGE)		I	R	M	M
Bar graphs			I	R	M
Advanced functions (e.g., MEAN, MEDIAN, STDDEV)				I	R
Line & pie graphs				I	R
Sort & filter functions					I

Study Abroad

New Covenant offers four opportunities for study abroad in the disciplines of science, literature, history and Christian service. Destinations are offered on a rotating basis to Rome, the Caribbean, Nogales, MX, and a science based trip to a selected location. Trips are offered during the months of January or July. Ancient history students are given opportunity to stand in the Forum, experience the Coliseum, and many other historic sites in Rome and Italy, the cradle of early Christianity. Marine Science students prepare for an excursion to the great reef off Cancun, MX, where they are dive-certified, and they spend three days diving with faculty members who are also certified divers/instructors. One of the most popular trips is led by the Chaplain to Nogales, MX, where students spend time at the Curim House in one of the most impoverished slums of Mexico near the border town of Nogales. Lastly, a science excursion to Peru, Iceland, or other location gives students an in depth look at species and environment. The classes are offered on a fee basis.

New Covenant Schools offers a classical, Christian education designed for the college-bound student and is fully accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and the Society for Classical Learning. The Guidance Office at New Covenant plays a vital role in helping students and their families achieve their goals for educational experiences beyond their high school careers. The director partners with students to discover opportunities or institutions that best fit their interests, abilities, and priorities. Students receive personal guidance and support through each stage of the college application process, helping them to stay organized, meet deadlines, and present applications that accurately reflect their unique strengths.

See the full list of college, university and graduates school acceptances here.

Lauren Helm

Director of Guidance
lhelm@newcovenantschools.org
434.847.8313

Every rising freshman or transfer student is assigned to a “House.” The house system is designed to foster meaningful friendships across the grades in a context of fellowship and competition. There are four houses in the school that take their names from great centers of Christian faith: Antioch, Alexandria, Canterbury and Wittenberg. Students are assigned to the houses and are vertically integrated such that students in grades 9-12 are mixed for house meetings and projects. The houses are responsible for such things as school dances, spirit days, house competitions, and leadership development. The House Council, with representatives from each house, is the student government arm of the school. Houses compete throughout the year on the basis of grades, athletics, participation in co-curricular activities and many other platforms. The House of the Year, or Honor House, is a coveted status and is awarded each year.