Classical Education
St. Matthew Christian Academy is part of a nationwide system of Lutheran Schools, which is an integral part of the American educational system. There are over 1,000 Lutheran Elementary Schools with more than 140,000 students. As such, St. Matthew Christian Academy seeks to achieve high standards of academic excellence. Our school offers a strong basic curriculum and prepares its students to meet or exceed the educational standards set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the St. Matthew Christian Academy Board of Christian Education. St. Matthew Christian Academy is dedicated to work cooperatively with our public educational system in fulfilling the responsibility of educating the children of our community. St. Matthew Christian Academy follows a “Classical Education” Curriculum. Classical education is getting back to basics and follows recognized principles of child psychological development as well as time-honored methods of curriculum construction. It emphasizes mastery of subject matter, holding to the idea that content is more important than teaching methods, and capitalizes on the ease with which younger children can memorize facts. These facts, from the alphabet and basic tables in arithmetic onward, are necessary building blocks which must be in place before more advanced concepts can be learned. Students engage in classroom discussions and activities that encourage them to think critically. They benefit from small class sizes and a commitment to individual attention. Christ-centered education recognizes the existence of absolute truth, which in the Christian context originates with God Himself, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. In the Lutheran context, a Christian classical education includes study of the Six Chief Parts of the Christian faith: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and Holy Absolution; which are contained in  Martin Luther's Small Catechism. Other important components of Classical education are the study of basic Latin and fundamentals of music. Latin is the basis of over half of the English language. The whole educational experience is presented in the light of God's Word. All students participate in choral music through a Christmas service and a spring concert; other opportunities for choral singing occur throughout the year in St. Matthew Sunday worship. Curriculum Reading Math English Latin Spelling & Handwriting History Geography Science Christian Faith Studies
 Individual Attention
Each child is a precious gift from God and is His unique creation. Thus, children are special to our ministry so we take extra time to get to know your children as individuals. This helps us determine individual learning goals; identify areas where more concentrated effort or attention are needed and ways that we can possibly tailor the lessons so that they can be understood and applied by each child. We also use standardized testing such as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). The ITBS can be a useful supplement to teacher observations about what students are able to do, and they can provide a starting point for monitoring year-to-year student development. With the results of these tests, coupled with subject area tests and teacher assessments, the students’ level of achievement can be reliably determined. The test results also serve as a tool in assessing curricular strengths and weaknesses. An item analysis will assist the faculty in identifying areas that need to be strengthened. Extracurricular Activities St. Matthew offers a variety of extracurricular activities to give students a well rounded experience. Each year, students participate in the Pittsburgh Area Schools spelling bee. In December, St. Matthew students sing Christmas carols in downtown
 Pittsburgh with other Pittsburgh Area Lutheran Schools. The annual Pittsburgh Area Lutheran Schools track meet is the Friday
 before Memorial Day. The St. Matthew Mileposters ride bicycles, tandems, and triplets from April
 through October on nearby trails.
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