Frequently Asked Questions
What is Valor Classical Christian Academy?
Valor Classical Christian Academy is a private school located in Neenah, Wisconsin. We currently offer grades Kinder through 6th grade. We will add grades 7th and 8th grade in the 25-26 school year.
What is Valor’s religious affiliation?
Valor is a non-denominational Christian. Our enrolled families represent a variety of churches from across the Fox Valley.
What areas of the Fox Valley does Valor serve?
Valor welcomes students from all over the Fox Valley, including Neenah, Menasha, Oshkosh, Appleton, Kaukauna, Greenville, and more.
Where is Valor located?
Valor is located at 1025 Tullar Road in Neenah, Wisconsin, inside of Faith Global Methodist church. We are leasing a portion of the building and have access to classrooms, a gym, a lunchroom, and ample space to expand.
What is the organizational structure of Valor?
Valor is a private, educational, non-profit 501(c)(3) incorporated in the State of Wisconsin and led by a Board of Directors. The vision, initial infrastructure, and philosophical direction of the school is formed and carried out by a school board comprised of interested and invested individuals (i.e., parents of students, educators, and others who share a passion for bringing a classical, Christian educational option to the Fox Valley). The board oversees a headmaster, who implements the vision and mission of the school and handles the day-to-day leadership and operations of the school. The headmaster in turn supervises and supports the staff and students.
Does Valor offer financial aid?
Valor provides need-based financial aid to qualifying families. This aid is determined each year and available as the budget allows. For more information, visit Tuition and Financial Aid.
How is Valor staffed?
In the beginning, we anticipate that Valor will staff a headmaster, office support, and teachers for grades kindergarten through sixth as well as art, music, and physical education. While our eventual goal will be to offer single-grade classrooms with full-time teachers, we recognize that the school’s early years may require a mix of full- and part-time teachers and/or blended classrooms. Teachers will not be required to have a teaching degree or license but must have a four-year degree. Moreover, the school will seek to recruit staff who demonstrates a passion for learning, genuine knowledge of certain subjects, skill in communication, high character, and spiritual maturity.
How is Valor funded?
Valor is fully independent, meaning that Valor does not accept government funding of any kind (i.e., vouchers). As such, the school’s income is generated via tuition and fundraising. While this is an increasingly unique stance, this approach allows the school to maintain a superb educational and cultural offering separate from government influence that may compromise our mission. It also has the related benefit of requiring that Valor steward resources carefully. Much like a well-run household budget or a flourishing small business, we must prioritize our spending, invest wisely in our teachers and programming, and pursue steady and stable growth that embraces quality over quantity.
What is a typical class size at Valor?
We prioritize small class sizes to build strong community and foster a deep and quality learning experience. We estimate that initial class sizes will range from 8-10 students per grade. As Valor grows that range will likely shift to 15-17 students per class.
Is Valor a member of any associations?
Valor is a member of the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) and the Society for Classical Learning. We utilize training and counsel from other trusted resources such as Circe Institute, ClassicalU, and more.
Is Valor accredited?
Accreditation is a rigorous process that requires a school offer grades K-12. We plan to undergo the process once we have reached the required milestones. In the interim, we are reverse-engineering our curriculum and infrastructure to ensure that the school has the necessary elements in place to obtain accreditation once eligible.
Does Valor conduct standardized testing?
We are in the process of selecting testing options. It is important to note that Classical Christian education does not conform to many of the benchmarks and examinations available today, as they are grounded in the public sector and Common Core state standards. As a result, we seek to land on a testing option that is both accurate and appropriate for CCE. Nonetheless, students enrolled in schools affiliated with the Association for Classical Christian Schools consistently outperform students across the nation, including public, independent, and other religious schools.
Do Valor students wear uniforms?
Yes, Valor embraces the many benefits of uniforms. Uniforms help establish a mindset of unity and honor among students. Since learning well is important and takes diligence and focus, uniforms show respect for that task and help minimize distractions. Uniforms also set a clearly defined standard for a dress code, function as an “equalizer” among students, and make dressing easier. Uniforms are worn every day unless otherwise designated for special events. School uniforms are available exclusively via Lands End and can be ordered here.
Why does Valor teach Latin?
Latin has been considered necessary to the fundamental understanding of English, history, and science for centuries. It is a language that lives on today in almost all major Western languages, including English: over 50 percent of English vocabulary is derived from it. Because it is so embedded in our language, Latin gives the student a better understanding of the roots of English vocabulary and lays the foundation for learning other Latin-based languages (i.e. French, Italian, Portuguese). The benefits of studying Latin carry over into other areas as well. For example, Latin helps familiarize and train the student in the essentials of scientific method: observation, comparison, and generalization. The study of Latin grammar requires a great deal of precision, and thus the student learns to be precise. This precision leads to clarity of thought and communication, a benefit that is at the very heart of classical education.
Does Valor offer a hot lunch program?
At this time, Valor students will bring lunch from home. In the future we will explore adding a hot lunch program.
Does Valor offer extracurriculars?
From time to time, we may offer after-school club options, as volunteer availability and student interest allows. We anticipate these offerings will grow as the school grows.
Does Valor offer transportation to or from school?
We do not currently offer transportation services. Our hope is that a strong school community will create opportunities for carpooling amongst school families.
How can I learn more?
If you’re interested in learning more, please contact the school here.