When Julian Malcolm surveyed the local educational scene a decade ago with an eye toward becoming a teacher mid-career, he didn’t find exactly what he was looking for.
So he started his own school.
The result was The Summit Academy, a Spotsylvania County college-preparatory school that has grown from 19 students in 2016 when Malcolm and Co-Founder Patrick Looby founded it to a current enrollment of 125. The independent school was initially just for 9th-12th graders, and it added a middle school during the COVID period.
Malcolm, who serves as the school’s Headmaster and one of its teachers, and his colleagues at “The Summit” attribute the nearly seven-fold growth to the school’s different way of educating young men and women.
Summit stresses the “Socratic Method,” in which students are encouraged to ask questions and make mistakes. (Photos by Bill Freehling)
Summit describes itself as providing “Catholic Classical Liberal Arts Education.” Instead of teaching students to memorize facts and regurgitate them on tests, Summit uses the Socratic method to teach critical thinking. That means students are often at the helm of classroom discussions, while teachers subtly steer the ship.
The curriculum is integrated, teaching students to see connections between disciplines including Math, Science, History, Art, Logic, Philosophy and Literature. Students study Latin and Theology, the Old and New Testaments, and a large volume of primary texts.
A senior thesis is required before graduation, and an emphasis is placed on dual enrollment courses offered through Germanna Community College. Summit also strives to get students outdoors every day, and it offers three sports each athletic season. Students wear uniforms and have a House System, and some 9th- and 10th-grade classes are divided by gender.
Prayer is part of every day. The student-faculty ratio is 9-1, and most of the faculty have advanced degrees. Tuition this year is $8,347 for Middle School, and $10,750 for High School, according to the Summit website (tuition assistance is available).
Summit is not re-inventing the education wheel but rather returning to the classic methods started by the ancient Greeks, said Director of Curriculum and Faculty Evan Williams. Students are encouraged to think, offer insights, take risks and be willing to make mistakes.
“Rather than preach at students or give lectures, we lead students,” Williams said. “All of our teachers are trained in the art of asking good questions.”
One example Williams gave is a math problem all Summit students tackle: “How long would it take to count to 1 million?” Students talk out possible solutions together, each contributing insights on logic and even algebraic equations that could help arrive at a defensible answer.
“The goal of that question is just to get them thinking about the relationship between math and reality,” Williams said.
While most students are Catholic, not all are. Still, Williams said, all incoming families need to understand that Catholic teachings and prayer are an important part of the school, and students need to respect the intellectual traditions of the Catholic Church.
Students and families are interviewed before being admitted to Summit to determine if it’s a good fit, and parents are closely involved with the educational process. Summit is not affiliated with any one parish.
Since its founding, Summit’s campus has been at Zoan Baptist Church at 5888 Plank Road. That space is now nearing capacity.
In October, after a nearly two-year effort, Summit received a special-use permit from Spotsylvania County for a campus of its own on land the school acquired near Ni River Reservoir at Gordon Road and Browns Farm Road. Summit Director of Advancement Nick Marr said the school continues to evaluate options for its future home, which probably won’t be ready for a few years.
Long term, the school hopes to grow its enrollment to 300-350 students. There have been discussions — but no decisions — on the possibility of adding an elementary school.
Summit Academy isn’t the only local independent school evaluating or undertaking expansion projects in the face of growing enrollment. That list also includes Holy Cross Academy, Fredericksburg Christian School, Fredericksburg Academy and Brompton Community School.
Bill Freehling covers local business for the Fredericksburg Free Press. He can be reached at: [email protected].
