Great Hearts recently announced the expansion of its school network to include Great Hearts Christos, private Christian Classical Academies that will open in Arizona in the Fall of 2023. Christos Academies are a separate, faith-based, non-profit, private school arm of the Great Hearts organization committed to creating and offering the best ecumenical Christian classical academies in the country. Because they are private schools, the Christos Academies’ programs can, and do, integrate Christ-centered faith formation along with the proven classical model that has made Great Hearts academies the national leader in classical education.
We are pleased to introduce Dr. Toyin Atolagbe as the Executive Director of the new branch of private academies. In her new role, she will oversee the Christos program and the leadership team at each academy. Dr. Atolagbe comes to this role from her most recent position as Headmaster of Archway Lincoln, a Great Hearts Academy serving K-5 scholars in Chandler. Under Dr. Atolagbe’s leadership, Archway Lincoln received statewide recognition as the top K-8 school in Arizona based on state testing. The Great Hearts academy was #1 out of 1,343 elementary schools in Arizona and given the letter grade A according to the school report card released by the Arizona Department of Education.
Dr. Atolagbe has served at Great Hearts for 12 years and is highly respected in the network. She is eager to take on her new role and get to know prospective families for the new schools. “I am excited about this new opportunity and ready to jump in and work. My goal is to ensure that this school is a place where children can grow intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. I am committed to working with the teachers and staff to provide our students with a nurturing and stimulating environment.”
Dr. Atolagbe has a deep passion for, and experience in, Christian classical education. “I believe that every child is a precious gift from God, and my professional motto has always been that ‘every child is a sacred trust.’ It was the school motto for the first Christian school I taught at, and I have adopted it as my educational motto since then,” said Atolagbe. “Because all children are a sacred trust in my eyes, I embrace every opportunity I get to invest in them with all my heart.”
Key additions to the classical curriculum include the addition of age-appropriate Scripture instruction and morning prayer, with the middle school history program placing a greater focus on Ancient Israel and the Early Church. Families are not required to be Christian for their children to attend though children will be instructed from a Christian perspective while actively participating in faith formation practices. The mission of Christos aims to glorify God by cultivating students who are intellectually, morally, and spiritually free with the belief that a Christian Classical education uniquely integrates faith and reason to know reality.
“We exist to serve families by providing ever-improving educational opportunities for their children, and we will continue to fulfill that mission in any way we are able,” said Academies Officer and Co-founder of Great Hearts Academies, Dan Scoggin.
Christos will serve grades K-5 at schools connected to local church campuses that will be announced soon. The Great Hearts Christos application portal will open on Monday, March 6th. Also, please contact our Director of Operations, Lisa Horak, at Lisa.Horak@greatheartschristos.org as questions arise regarding the admissions process or regarding tuition and financial aid. Or if you have general questions regarding the Christos program, please contact our office assistant Tiffany Scoggin at Tiffany.Scoggin@greatheartschristos.org.
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