Grammar School
Within every child is an innate desire to learn. God created each of us to wonder, discover, reason, and know.
Curriculum
Drawing inspiration from the profound biblical truth, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’ (John 1:1), Valor’s Grammar School underscores the significance of language as a reflection of our Creator’s communicative essence. Central to our educational approach is the practice of narration, where students articulate, in their own words, comprehensive stories from history, Scripture, nature, and various living books.
Reflecting Charlotte Mason’s guiding principle that ‘the intellectual and spiritual lives of children are interconnected, with the Divine Spirit serving as a constant guide in all aspects of life,’ Valor’s Grammar School Education is centered on the dual quest for divine knowledge and a nuanced understanding of human nature. Each academic day commences with acts of worship, including hymn singing, reading and recounting stories from The Child’s Story Bible, and prayer.
Echoing Plato’s ancient wisdom that ‘Mathematics represents the pinnacle of pure thought,’ Valor is dedicated to achieving a dual objective in mathematical education. We aim for mastery of fundamental skills while also fostering a sense of awe at the limitless connections that numbers can reveal. From exploring natural patterns to engaging in problem-solving exercises and interactive math games, we offer a comprehensive approach to mathematics.
Inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s words, ‘The Earth is filled with divine presence, and even the most ordinary elements radiate God’s glory; it is up to the observer to recognize and revere this,’ we acknowledge the innate curiosity children possess. They are captivated by the flutter of a butterfly, intrigued by the slow movement of a caterpillar, and fascinated by the unique structure of a mushroom. Recognizing this, Victorian educator Charlotte Mason advised that children should be exposed to ‘things worth observing.’
Parent Partnership
Class Trips
Kindergarten
Fall – Pumpkin Patch/Visit from Waco Fire Dept.
Spring – World Hunger Relief Farm
First Grade
Fall – Pumpkin Patch/Visit from the Waco Fire Dept.
Spring – Homestead Heritage
Second Grade
Fall – Tour of the Town
Spring – Lake Waco Wetlands
Third Grade
Fall – Western Belle Farm
Spring – Medieval Times
Fourth Grade
Fall – Innerspace Caverns
Spring – Bullock Texas State History Museum
Fifth Grade
Fall – Lake Meridian State Park
Spring – Challenger Learning Center
Reading List
- 1st Quarter: A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond (RA)
- 2nd Quarter: My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (RA)
- 3rd Quarter: A Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (RA)
- 4th Quarter: Homer Price by Robert McCloskey (RA)
- 1st Quarter: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (RA)
- 2nd Quarter: Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates (RA)
- 3rd Quarter: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (RA)
- 4th Quarter: On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder (RA)
- 1st Quarter: Missionary Biography: Samuel Morris/David Livingstone (RA)
- 2nd Quarter: Treasures in the Snow (Abridged) by Patricia St. John (RA)
- 3rd Quarter: D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire (RA)
- 4th Quarter: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (RA)
- 1st Semester: YWAM Missionary Biography: Gladys Aylward (RA)
- 2nd Semester: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (RA)
- Fall 1: Sarah, Plain, and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
- Fall 2: The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
- Spring 1: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
- Spring 2: The Queen’s Smuggler by by Neta Jackson
- 1st Semester: YWAM Missionary Biography: Cameron Townsend (RA)
- 2nd Semester: Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (RA)
- Fall 1: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
- Fall 2: Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
- Spring 1: Toliver’s Secret by Elizabeth Yates
- Spring 2: Freedom Crossing by Margaret Clark
- Spring 3: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
- 1st Semester: YWAM Missionary Biography: George Mueller (RA)
- 2nd Semester: Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (RA)
- Fall 1: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- Fall 2: Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
- Spring 2: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
- Spring 3: Sergeant York and the Great War by Tom Skeyhill
- Spring 3: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry