Grounded in tradition, reaching for excellence.
The St. Sophia School is Charlotte's first Orthodox elementary school, providing a unique blend of Traditional, Classical, and Montessori styles of education in a warm, Christ-centered community.
Our school is not only for Greek students. We welcome all students in the Greater Charlotte area to apply. Read more about this topic here.
The mission of The St. Sophia School is to educate the whole child - academically, culturally, and spiritually - in a warm, Christ-centered community.
The St. Sophia School's graduates are thoughtful, well-rounded, capable students who value religious and cultural heritage and give back to their communities.
While our values and curriculum focus on Orthodox Christian faith and traditions, we believe that non-Greek Orthodox students can benefit greatly and succeed in our educational setting.
Love of Learning
We are curious about life, the world, other people, and how things work. We see ourselves as lifelong learners.
Integrated Learning
We look for connections across subjects to develop intellectual flexibility and a grasp of how things fit together.
Faith
We follow Greek Orthodox practices and teachings, which have been faithfully passed down over thousands of years, as a time-tested path towards abundant life in Christ.
Cultural Heritage
We value cultural traditions and have a responsibility to pass them down to future generations to maintain a connection to those who came before us.
Hospitality
We follow the tradition of extending a warm and generous welcome to all, looking for ways we can meaningfully connect with each other.
Community
We are responsible not only for our own lives and actions, but also for using our skills and accomplishments to strengthen our community.
Respectful Dialogue
We treat others with dignity and respect, especially when we disagree about something. We can discuss and even disagree on many topics while maintaining an undercurrent of love and understanding.
At each level, we prioritize critical thinking skills within a traditionally defined knowledge base (mathematics, classic literature, handwriting, geography, history, science, logic). Fostering curiosity and developing intellectual flexibility are core goals of our program.
Our full day TK program serves students ages 4-5 who want or need a transitional year between Preschool and Kindergarten. At this age, a priority is placed on play and a significant amount of the day is spent outside. The primary goals of the program are to inspire wonder and love of learning, and to prepare students for Kindergarten.
Socially, we work on coaching positive interactions and communication, learning how to function within a classroom, giving practice with self-regulation and impulse control, and constructively resolving conflicts. Academically we work on building a strong foundation for early math and literacy skills through our Classical-Montessori blend.
Math: Students engage in rich play opportunities to build number fluency and number concepts.
Literacy: Through play, art, and games, students learn their letter names and sounds and know how to properly write their letters and numbers, preparing them to hit the ground running once they get to Kindergarten.
Development: Our program crafts opportunities for students to strengthen their fine and gross motor skills, which is important for all future learning. Almost all of this will look and feel like play to the children but will be accomplished through games, activities, and experiences that have been designed to teach certain skills and knowledge. Prayer and religious education is incorporated throughout the day, and the students attend weekly liturgies with the rest of the school.
Outdoor Focus: Students will spend at least one hour outside daily, and will do a variety of nature studies and outdoor learning throughout the year.
Class Size: There will be a maximum of 8 children in the class for this first year.
TK Sample Daily Schedule
8:30-8:45 - Carpool
8:45-9:00 - Morning Prayer and Exercise
9:00-11:30 - Morning Work Cycle *this is a Montessori-style work block where students cycle through activities and stations at their own pace. Whenever possible, this time will incorporate time outdoors.
11:30-12:30 - Lunch, including preparation and clean up to teach life skills
12:30-2:30 - Afternoon Work Cycle and Outdoor Time
1:00 - Optional early pick up time
2:30 - Clean Up and Read Aloud
3:00 - Afternoon carpool
Our Kindergarten incorporates Montessori methods and materials while leaning into a Classical academic foundation of phonics and arithmetic. At the core of our goals is inspiring wonder and love of learning, while also providing a strong foundation in skills and information for their future study.
All core content is taught in groups of 6 students:1 teacher, so students can be challenged or supported in a way that's right for them.
Math - We use RightStart Math, which uses visualization of quantities, hands-on manipulatives, and games to build number fluency and deep understanding of the concepts behind the computation.
Literacy - We use a combination of Orton-Gillingham, All About Reading, and Spelling You See to give students a strong foundation in early literacy. Our literacy instruction is multi-sensory and uses a combination of traditional phonics and sight words.
Montessori Block - Every afternoon, students engage in Montessori activities that reinforce what they're learning in their morning lessons. During this time, students have freedom of choice within limits, and complete a variety of games and challenges independently or in small groups. The teacher acts as a guide during this block of time. It looks and feels like play, but it's an incredibly impactful tool that supercharges their learning!
Kindergarten Sample Daily Schedule
8:30-8:45 - Carpool
8:45-9:00 - Morning Prayer and Exercise
9:00-9:30 - Morning Meeting and Songs
9:30-10:30 - Math and Literacy Small Groups
10:30-11:00 - Science/Social Studies/Art
11:00-11:30 - K-2 Bible Story Time/Garden time/other
11:30-12:00 - Lunch (K-2)
12:00-12:30 - Recess (K-2)
12:30-1:15 - Montessori Block
1:15-1:45 - Greek
1:45-2:40 - Afternoon meeting/Outdoor time
2:35-2:45 - End of day, pack up, clean up, wrap up.
2:45 - Read-aloud
3:00 - Afternoon carpool
The primary goal of the Lower Elementary program is to inspire curiosity and love of learning. Learning is associated with fun and interest. New material and practice are game-based and active whenever possible.
The primary goal of the Upper Elementary program is to build upon the curiosity and love of learning to form a base of knowledge and skills which will serve as the foundation of critical thinking skills and future learning.
Literacy - In keeping with our primary goal of love of learning and curiosity, it is essential that students gain the skills to enjoy independent reading and the foundational skills needed to produce writing. Our writing program in Lower Elementary focuses primarily on handwriting and writing for communication, while our full writing program begins in 3rd Grade. Students use the Spelling You See curriculum and a blend of phonics and sight words.
Math - We use RightStart Math, which uses visualization of quantities, hands-on manipulatives, and games to build number fluency and deep understanding of the concepts behind the computation.
Interdisciplinary Science, History, and Philosophy is taught in themed units.
2026-2027 will mark the first year of our middle school at The St. Sophia School! Students will build on the foundational skills they have gained in elementary school in an interdisciplinary, inquiry based way. Middle school is often a time of growth and change, and The St. Sophia School offers a warm, small, caring environment to support students through this unique period of their lives.
Math - We continue to use RightStart Math, which uses visualization of quantities, hands-on manipulatives, and games to build number fluency and deep understanding of the concepts behind the computation. In Middle School, the goal is to give students the skills and knowledge they will need to jump into either a standard track, with Algebra 1, or an advanced track, with Geometry or Algebra 2.
Interdisciplinary Humanities Program - Students study science, history, literature, writing, art, music and philosophy in an interdisciplinary way to gain a wholistic, broad-based education.
MORE COMING SOON!
"Play is the highest form of research."
-Albert Einstein
Technology
We integrate technology into the classroom thoughtfully and selectively. Our commitment to a timeless, old-world approach to education ensures that technology serves as an occasional tool, rather than a central feature.
Homework
We maintain a low-homework philosophy to protect valuable family time, while also recognizing the importance of keeping parents involved in their child's learning journey. Students bring home a daily 'Classroom Snapshot' to provide a brief, insightful glimpse into the day's lessons. The goal is a meaningful, 15-minute window into the exciting discoveries happening in our classrooms each day.
How to think critically
Where major countries are on a map
How to write in cursive
History of Western Civilization
Great works from the Classical canon
Bible and Saint stories
History, teachings and prayers of the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek language and root words
Classical Greek Philosophy and Mythology
How to have an intelligent discussion using logic and reason