What’s in a Name?

Potomac Classical Conservatory was established in 2017 in Alexandria, Virginia. From its inception, we have operated as a classical and Christ-centered education platform supporting local Christian families that desire to be greatly engaged in the process of personally educating their children.

A “conservatory” is traditionally and most commonly defined as a botanical greenhouse. According to Psalm 36:9, we can only be truly enlightened by God’s light. In many ways, we view this schooling model as a greenhouse conservatory for students. Just as tropical vegetation cannot grow in scorching desert conditions, so we also cannot expect success in cultivating virtuous, principled students apart from the Fountain of Truth and by the constantly nourishing Rays of His Light. God has established that parents raise children in the admonishment of the Lord and we appreciate that this education model allows the student to spend 4 out of 7 days of the week (255 days a year!) in the home with their primary educators. As the students grow in knowledge and stature, we will continue to encourage character development, challenge their ability to reason and think, and endeavor to shape students’ affections for high quality friendships, fellowship and a lifelong love for learning.

Our classical, Christian “greenhouse” offers, by God’s grace:

• a stable and nurturing environment with regulated conditions

• a framework of transparency for ease of clarity and communication between parents and educators which fosters the direct and healthy transmission of ideas between all involved

• the light of Scripture flooding down from above to saturate all instruction and curriculum

• prayerful expectation of academic, intellectual, moral, and spiritual fruit

Secondly and very literally, the definition of conservatory is: a place of preserving. In addition to adhering to a biblical worldview, we aim to preserve the ancient, classical model of education and it’s tenets. 

Finally, specific to Potomac Classical’s unique model of education, we enjoy the numerous benefits of mixed-aged classrooms. We support this current classroom paradigm because it cultivates a love and respect for one another that transcends age specificity; a trait that is not only Biblical in it’s edifying nature but is useful on a professional, performance-based level as it hones individual leadership skills and mutual respect for peers.