A BIRD'S EYE VIEW
Our Mission: Charlotte Mason Hearthside Academy provides Christ-centered homeschool education for students in grades 7–12 through two distinct yet complementary learning models. Our flagship Liberal Arts program offers a three-day-per-week, in-person microschool experience where students learn within a cohesive cohort while engaging in grade-level studies. Instruction is rooted in Socratic dialogue and characterized by thoughtful discussion, open-ended inquiry, and the cultivation of critical thinking.
In addition to our in-person program, we offer families online tutorials in Charlotte Mason Living Studies through an Apprenticeship Model that supports parents and students in faithful, intentional learning at home. Both programs utilize the Charlotte Mason Institute’s award-winning Alveary curriculum, fully customized to meet the unique academic needs and developmental stages of each student.
Our mission is to cultivate deeply enriching, community-centered learning experiences grounded in Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy—forming students who think clearly, love what is good, and pursue truth in the light of Christ.
Our Vision: We believe children are made in the image of God and are therefore worthy of an education that honors both their humanity and the Holy Spirit’s divine indwelling. Education, rightly ordered, is an extension of God’s creative work—offering a generous feast of living ideas that nourish the heart, mind, and soul in Christ.
True learning moves beyond the accumulation of information to the formation of understanding, as knowledge is discovered and placed in right relationship—to oneself, to others, to the world, and ultimately to God. Within this rich feast of subjects, students labor with their own minds, digesting ideas through attention, reflection, and self-discovery, much as the body labors to digest wholesome food.
As learners grow in wisdom and discernment, we trust the Holy Spirit to guide, illuminate, and inspire, leading students toward the wisdom from above that shapes both character and vocation.
ALVEARY+ SYLLABIRD
Solus Christus is now the Charlotte Mason Hearthside Academy!
Why Our Name Has Changed . . .
After a season of reflection and growth, Solus Christus Classical Academy has become Charlotte Mason Hearthside Academy.
Our former name reflected a broadly classical approach to education, drawing from time-tested curricula and pedagogical traditions. As our community has matured, however, it has become clear that our daily practice, teacher formation, and understanding of children are more faithfully aligned with Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy than with a generalized classical model.
The name Charlotte Mason Hearthside Academy more accurately expresses who we are and how we teach: an education shaped by living ideas, attention, habit, and a deep respect for children as persons. “Hearthside” reflects our commitment to education as an atmosphere—warm, ordered, spiritual, and relational—where intellectual and moral formation unfold naturally within a life-giving community.
While our name has changed, our commitment to academic seriousness, Christian formation, and the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty remains steadfast. This change simply brings our public identity into clearer alignment with the child-first, living education principles that have come to define our work.
Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Funding
Hearthside Academy (formerly Solus Christus Classical Academy) is an approved vendor for the Arizona Department of Education’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA). Empowerment Scholarships expand educational opportunities for eligible students outside of the public school system, provides funding that can be used for a wide variety of educational expenses, and pays for private school tuition, educational therapies, tutoring, and more. Families interested in this funding are encouraged to apply directly at the Arizona Department of Education ESA homepage.
