Mission & History | Live Oak Classical School | Christian Private School in Waco, Texas

Our Mission

Live Oak Classical School strives to equip students to love God with all their hearts, souls, and minds. We draw on the classical tools of learning to prepare students to reason clearly, communicate effectively, and act responsibly in the world – all for the Glory of God.

At A Glance

Since opening our doors in 2004, Live Oak Classical has grown from 35 to almost 500 students in grades Junior Kindergarten (pre-kindergarten) through 12th grade. Our campus is located in the heart of downtown Waco, Texas and has become recognized for providing families with an exemplary education in a Christ-centered, enriching community.

Our Motto

Fides quarens intellectum, meaning faith seeking understanding. Attributed to St. Anselm of the 11th century, who saw faith as the guiding force behind understanding and as the way to appreciate the world God created.

Core Values

Classical Approach

We embrace the liberal arts tradition and are committed to developing students through the instruction of grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

Love of Learning

Through the influence of Charlotte Mason, we seek to bring life and love to learning through “living” books and ideas. We uncover delight, wonder, and beauty in all we study, and we view children as gifts to be cherished rather than students to be kept busy in mindless drudgery.

Christian Worldview

We teach from the premise that God is Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. All that is good, beautiful, and true has its origin in God. As we study the world, we learn more about the character of God and seek to acknowledge God in all areas of learning.

Intentionally Ecumenical

We seek to respect and understand the variety of Christian ideals, convictions, various denominations, and traditions passed on throughout Christian history and held by our families and teachers.

Virtue

We challenge our students to think and act rightly, and we ultimately prepare our students to engage in a world that is increasingly untethered from Christian faith and virtue.

Citizenship

We encourage character formation, leadership, and community involvement through service. We provide clear expectations and rules for disciplined behavior.

Stewardship

We strive to cultivate and utilize our resources wisely so that Live Oak Classical is affordable for our families.

Our Verse

They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3b

Our Crest

The Wreath

The crest for Live Oak Classical School is a beautifully designed wreath of leaves harkening back to the Greek and Roman sign of honor.

The Acorn

The oak tree’s seed, an acorn, is located in the center of the wreath just as children are central to Live Oak’s mission to develop students academically, spiritually, and socially.

The Cross

The acorn is emblazoned with a cross on the front to symbolize that it is Christ’s work which will produce growth.

Rays of Glory

Behind the acorn, one can see rays of glory splaying in all directions to represent that the work Christ has done will not be hidden within the student or the school but will shine out to the community to show forth the glory of God.

Our Motto

On the wreath is our Latin motto “Fides quaerens intellectum”, which means “faith seeking understanding”. This quote is from St. Anslem of the 11th Century, who recognized the relationship between faith and understanding.

The History of Live Oak Classical School

From A Tiny Seed

Live Oak Classical School began in 2004, thanks to the hospitality of First Baptist Church and the faithful families of 35 students in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade.

Branching Out

Quickly, enrollment multiplied to 200 students as Live Oak matured to a comprehensive Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade school. In 2011, we expanded beyond First Baptist Church to open our Logic and Rhetoric School Building for middle and high school students.

Putting Down Roots

Just a few years later, Live Oak continued to grow to 375 students, and our elementary students celebrated their own home with the opening of our Grammar School Building in 2016.

Firmly Planted

Today, almost 500 students learn and grow each day throughout our 74,000 square foot campus in beautiful downtown Waco.