Spotlight on Science and Mathematics

From the earliest years, Regents students practice the habits that make strong scientists and mathematicians: careful observation, accurate description, logical classification, and honest measurement. In Kindergarten and First Grade, science begins with immersive unit studies such as planets and mammals. Our young students learn the grammar of the sciences - the building blocks that make the world intelligible such as how the animal kingdom is classified. They also learn to ask good questions and to notice and delight in the details of God’s handiwork. One student who came to Regents in second grade remarked to his mom, “I just wish I came to Regents last year because my friends know so much more about mammals than I do!” 

As students mature, the curriculum expands in both depth and rigor. The Grammar School lays a base of knowledge, vocabulary and curiosity; the Logic School builds on this foundation with formal Life Science and Physical Science curriculum and laboratories for the first time. Students practice writing lab reports, converting units and measuring accurately. Students learn to test ideas, weigh evidence, and connect causes with effects. By the time students enter the Rhetoric School, they are ready to study the full progression through Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Advanced Biology, which equips students with a scientific foundation for college and beyond. "Regents prepared me for advanced college science courses by reinforcing logic and critical thinking in all domains of learning," shared Danielle Dellisanti, a Class of 2024 graduate currently studying Nursing. "My ability to digest and apply material to real life scenarios has given me a huge advantage over my peers in lecture and lab."

On the math side of STEM, one of the distinctives about the Regents program is the ability for students to go up or down a grade (or more) as necessary. Not all students are ready for the same content at the same time, especially students who join the school later. For this reason, math is held at the same time for every Grammar School class so students can shift between grades depending on readiness. This flexibility continues in the Logic and Rhetoric School with seventh grade students typically placing into either pre-Algebra or Algebra. As our Rhetoric School continues to grow, we will be adding two math classes over the next two years: Statistics and Calculus II.

Science and math at Regents prepare students for whatever career they wish to undertake in college and beyond. These disciplines form students who can marvel at the heavens, analyze the structure of a cell, and solve complex problems—always with the conviction that truth is unified.