Private K-12 School in Naples, FL

Rhodora J. Donahue Academy of Ave Maria:
The Donahue Academy of Ave Maria is a Private K-12 Classical School in the Catholic Tradition serving Ave Maria and the greater Naples areas of South Florida. At the Donahue Academy we strive to Provide a Classical Education which is structured and integrated, not only the transmission of knowledge but also the integration and synthesis of information. Our curriculum focuses on the acquisition of knowledge through reading by focusing whenever possible on original texts and classics.

K-12 Classical Education which is broken down into 3 stages:

The progression of students is often broken down into a pattern called the Trivium. As the name implies, it flows in three general stages:

The Grammar Stage (Grades K-4):
The Grammar Stage (Grades K-4) which focuses on presenting information, the broad acquisition of facts and laying the foundation of knowledge. This is the critical stage when students are learning "how to go to school", how school and learning works, and what expectations of behavior, conduct, and intellectual involvement are appropriate. The students explore in simple and concrete ways the basic elements of reading, math, art, language and science.

The Logic Stage (Grades 5-8):
The Logic Stage (Grades 5-8) which focuses on organizing information gathered in the Grammar Stage, making connections and learning to evaluate evidence. Here the vast array of data experienced at the grammar stage is categorized and organized with some level of integration. How basic parts and skills relate to each other, basic cause and effect relationships, and how different disciplines build upon and relate to each other is the focus at this stage.

The Rhetoric Stage (Grades 9-12):
The Rhetoric Stage (Grades 9-12) which focuses on synthesizing and learning to express increasingly complex insights with eloquence and precision. The student engages in depth reasoning as he looks at facts and data now accumulated over a twelve year career with us. Critical evaluation and graceful self-expression is the fruit of this final stage. Advanced mathematical, scientific, and language skills are complimented by a rich appreciation of literature and poetry. In possession of "the tools of learning" and broadly cognizant of the human experience as reflected in the various disciplines of the liberal arts, the student is able to take responsibility of his own learning as he continues to advance through his college career, and beyond.