About Classical School of the Medes
A Classical Education Excellence
CSM
Background
The Classical School of the Medes is an international, English-based network of Christian schools in Iraq and Kurdistan. There are currently three schools in operation, one in Sulaymaniyah (2001), one in Duhok (2002), and one in Erbil (2003). There are over 2,500. students currently attending the CSM school. CSM college preparatory curriculum that is offered for K to G12 allows students to graduate with all necessary credits and AP/SAT preparation to attend universities, private and public in Kurdistan, or universities abroad, according to their acceptance criteria.
A team of educators based in America works with the local administration here in Kurdistan to design and compile the program’s curriculum. The Classical School of the Medes (CSM) operates under the full permission and authority of the Ministry of Education in Kurdistan and receives professional support from Franklin Classical School (FCS) located in the United States of America. CSM is a private, Christian school that seeks to provide quality education based on the Christian Classical model of education with a strong emphasis on moral development within the context of a Christian worldview. CSM does not discriminate based on religion, race, color, gender, economic status, or national or ethnic origin.
The Classical School of the Medes schools draw from the classical educational model and use an English-based curriculum for all subjects except for Kurdish, Arabic language classes, Komalayatiyakan and Maffi Mrov classes. A classical education depends on a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn reasoning skill, or how to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves, integrating what they have learned into effective communication. However, a classical education is more than simply a pattern of learning. Classical education is language-focused; learning is accomplished through words, written, and spoken, rather than through images (pictures, videos, and television). A classical education, then, has two important aspects. It is language-focused, and it follows a specific three-part pattern: the mind must be first supplied with facts and images, then given the logical tools for organization of facts, and finally equipped to express conclusions. The Classical School of the Medes seeks to equip students using this method with age-appropriate skills, knowledge, and virtues.
CSM
PHILOSOPHY
CSM seeks to provide a quality education with a strong emphasis on moral development. Teaching methods are designed to fit learners’ developmental stages of learning. Young learners are taught basic skills and facts, while older learners develop critical thinking, writing, and speaking skills.
In all its teaching methods and programs, CSM’s goals and objectives are to:
- Guide learners into the joy and art of lifetime learning, thinking, and self-expression.
- Guide learners to love and serve God, their family, and their nation.
- Provide an exceptional educational opportunity and a safe learning environment.
- Instill in learners a sense of respect for their heritage.
- Cultivate in learners a sense of responsibility for their present behaviors and attitudes.
- Inspire learners with a sense of destiny and purpose for their lives and nation.
- Encourage learners to explore their environment.
- Train learners to become independent and productive individuals in their community.
- Foster Parent Partnership in helping learners achieve our goals.
CSM
MISSION
CSM seeks to transform students through academically excellent and ethics-based education to enable them to transform their nation, through practical and personal values founded on Christian worldview.
CSM
VISION
The Vision of CSM is to fully engage each child in a rigorous curriculum that builds his or her mind for deep, creative, and critical thinking within all subject areas. Students will work together, with their teachers, and with other experts to develop fundamental skills and complex understandings of the world around them, as they strive for high academic achievement. A strong sense of community will be built by focusing on shared traditions, fostering a welcoming environment, and emphasizing an emphasis on social skill development. Parents, teachers, and school leaders will show their commitment to CSM through their individual and collaborative involvement in continuously improving their school. Learning will take place throughout each CSM school, in the classroom, the grounds, and the gardens, as well as beyond the school complex expanding into our diverse, resourceful local community. The school environment will provide a beautiful and joyful place that fosters learning for all the children and adults and will be a source of pride in the community. Our vision is for a better country through ethical and Godly loving leaders that can and will make a difference in a country that has little windows for a change.