Discover Cornerstone

Cornerstone Academy is a classical Christian school serving families from a wide variety of Christian churches and is not run by any particular denomination.

We looked for innovative solutions to meet the academic needs of today's families. We explored the natural connection between church, school, and home, and discovered a way to weave these ancient pillars of community together. We took the best of home study and classroom study, and created an educational model that allowed parents to customize an academic program. Thus, each child's individual needs are met, and parents enjoy a high level of support and accountability in the process. We are called Cornerstone Academy, located at beautiful Heritage Park in Gainesville, FL. We offer a full academic program in a combination schedule of classroom study and home study for Pre-K through 12th grade. Classroom study takes place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, while parents oversee home study with teacher-directed lesson plans on Monday and Thursday.

A Community of Christian Friends

The first priority among our families is the unity we share as Christian believers. We represent many different churches and denominations, but we agree on the essentials of the historic Christian faith and the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead; that the Bible is the inspired Word of God; that every person is a sinner who falls short of the glory of God; the forgiveness of sins, the promise of eternal life, and the empowering by the Holy Spirit are available to those who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior; and that Jesus Christ will one day return to earth to reign forever.Although there may be doctrinal differences among us on issues secondary to these basic tenets, our unity in the Spirit is a fundamental building block of community that we truly cherish. It is this unity of Spirit that gives us a basis for clear communication, and allows us to see through our differences to reach consensus.

A Community of Strong Families

Each of the families represented at Cornerstone Academy has made a commitment to building and preserving a strong family unit. We encourage each other toward a strong sense of family identity and share common convictions on standards and methods of moral training for our children. We understand and appreciate the vital role that community plays in the deepening and grounding of that moral training in our children's hearts. We agree to do the hard work of day to day training in our homes, knowing that the school experience should maintain and reinforce the primary training accomplished at home, not vice versa.Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

A Community of Skilled Teachers

One of the most exciting aspects of our school is the weaving together of classroom study and home study. This unique combination offers the benefits of positive peer interaction, coupled with having other adult Christians speaking into the life of your child. Home study helps build parent- child relationships with quantity of time and quality of activity. Parents have the benefit of teacher-directed lesson plans, yet enjoy the flexibility of home study two days per week. Parents also enjoy the support, guidance, and accountability of the school setting. Children love the social aspect of group learning in their classes. Home study helps them stay grounded in the dynamics of their own family identity. Variety with continuity is a hallmark of this innovative model. Let my teaching fall like rain on tender plants. Deuteronomy 32:2

Classical and Christian

What does it mean to be a Classical Christian School? Visit Discover Christian Schools.

Classical Christian education is the time tested approach to education which produced such great thinkers as our Founding Fathers. This approach stands in sharp contrast to many of the more "modern" methods employed in schools today. Below are some resources to help you become more familiar with the distinctive pattern being followed at Cornerstone Academy with regard to educational philosophy and pedagogy.

From The Classical Teacher, a magazine published by Memoria Press

From Classis, a magazine published by the Association of Classical & Christian Schools

Books

  • Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning by Robert Littlejohn and Charles T. Evans; Crossway Books; ISBN: 1581345526.

Audio (MP3)

  • Education, Wisdom, and Eloquence from Mars Hill Audio (12MB file). An interview with Robert Littlejohn, co-author of the book Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning, on how education should encourage wisdom and eloquence in students, and why these are Christian virtues. (Posted with permission from Mars Hill Audio)