Veritas Preparatory Academy

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Veritas Preparatory Academy is a charter school in Phoenix, Arizona and a member of the Great Hearts Academies charter network.

Its students outscored peers in every country in the recent Programme for International Student Assessment, which the BBC called the "world cup of school standards" and "the world's most important exam." Veritas was also named one of the top three high schools in all of Arizona by the Arizona Board of Regents, as nearly 20 percent of the student body is recognized as National Merit commended, semifinalists, or finalists, a percentage higher than any other school in the state, and 98% of its graduates attend four-year universities.

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School philosophy

As a charter school Veritas Prep offers a Great Books education centering on fundamental texts in the Western canon. Veritas Prep's philosophy includes small class sizes and education using the Socratic method.

Teachers ask questions, awakening a sense of wonder in the students and prompting them to think deeply about the subject matter. A key idea or assignment might require that the teacher present material to the class, but the forward progress of the class is driven by the questions that the teacher asks of the students, the answers that they give, and the further questions that those answers inspire. This process also occurs in public schools.

Curriculum overview

All students seeking graduation from Veritas Preparatory Academy must take at least one course in Latin. While high school students have the opportunity to choose between Spanish, French, and Latin / Ancient Greek, all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students take Latin.

High school students are required to take two years of honors physics, including kinetics, dynamics, electricity, magnetism, mechanical waves, light, and sound. Students also take a year of honors chemistry, honors biology, as well as natural, life, and earth science. These courses are taken alongside two years of honors calculus, honors Euclidean Geometry, and honors algebra II/trig.

Throughout middle and high school, students take five years of music, three years of studio art, and two years of honors economics, drama, and poetry.

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Admission

As a charter school in Arizona, Veritas Preparatory Academy has no entrance requirements but limited enrollment. Interested families must apply for the school's annual admissions lottery, which takes place in the spring of each school year.

However, if a family has one child enrolled, any other children automatically receive a spot. Software designed by alumnus Joseph Irvine is used to perform these lotteries randomly. An addition in the 2010-2011 school year was one class of sixth grade.

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Facilities

Academic Facilities

• The central location of the campus is housed on the Quayle Campus, named after the son of former United States Vice President Dan Quayle, a donor and Great Hearts Academies board member.
• Lund Center for Performing Arts, houses the school's seasonal choir concerts, drama performances, and speeches from visiting guests. Speakers have included Governor Doug Ducey, the Arizona House of Representatives, Russian-American Conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn, and author Rod Dreher
• John X. Evans Library, houses the Veritas Preparatory Academy Library stacks, as well as serves as a hub for social and academic life at the school.

Athletic Facilities

• Van Brunt Gymnasium, dedicated to a founding member of Veritas Preparatory Academy, is home to the Falcon basketball and State Champion volleyball teams.
• Full football and soccer fields, south of academic facilities

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Athletics

For high school sports, Veritas Prep competes in the Arizona Interscholastic Association and is a member of its 1A Conference. Great Hearts operates its own sports league for its junior high students. Veritas is home to over 15 competing varsity athletic teams and nearly 15 junior varsity and middle school teams.

The Falcons have won 5 State Championships in Volleyball and 2 State Championships in Swimming.

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References

Source of the article : Wikipedia