2025-2026 Enrollment Now Open!
Live, Online, Classical Education in the Catholic Tradition
Join us each week to PRAY THE ANGELUS | Tuesdays at 12:15pm ET
Aquinas House of Studies assists families in forming the hearts and minds of students aided by the study of Scripture,
the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Liberal Arts tradition.
Aquinas House Chair
Welcome to the Aquinas House of Studies! Our faithful Catholic instructors offer courses within the Roman Catholic tradition as we strive to partner with families in providing excellent teaching and formation in the virtuous life. Our offerings currently explore topics in Church History, Scripture, Philosophy, Literature and Theology of the Body. The 2025-26 school year will be our fourth full year offering specialized classes for those who share in our Roman Catholic faith, and we are delighted that our community has been growing and flourishing over time. We invite you to explore our courses below and please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or suggestions you may have regarding our offerings.
Meet Instructors in the Aquinas House of Studies
Claudie Thompson
Claudie Thompson is an experienced and awarded teacher of 34 years. With a B.S. in Special Education and endorsements in History and Physical Education, Mr. Thompson has taught World History, United States History, Government and Economics, New Mexico History, and Special Education. Utilizing primary source readings and great books to encourage student thought and growth, Claudie has also integrated a detailed study of Dante into his honors world history curriculum.
Mr. Thompson guided the National History Day class, which qualified students in the top ten at the national competition. He has received several educational awards, including LULAC Educator of the Year, New Mexico Public Education Department Recognition of Excellence, New Mexico School Boards Association Excellence in Student Achievement Award, National Maritime Historical Society Teacher of Distinction Award, Santa Fe Trail Association Educator Award, and National History Day New Mexico Teacher of the Year award twice.
In addition, Mr. Thompson has sponsored many extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, and coached several sports, including basketball, football, and baseball, and is an inductee of the New Mexico High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
As a lifelong learner, Claudie has continued to learn, adapt, implement, and grow. He has three children. His hobbies are reading, fishing, exercising, sports, a lot of family time, and enjoying daily mass. He lives in Southern New Mexico and follows a simple motto: Do Simple Best.
Joseph Lanzilotti
Dr. Joseph Lanzilotti began teaching with Scholé Academy in 2024. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He has reading proficiencies in Latin, Koine Greek, Spanish, French, and German. His dissertation was written on the significance of the biblical heart in the theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI. Dr. Lanzilotti also holds a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Ave Maria University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a second major in Philosophy from DeSales University, and a certification in Health Care Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center.
Dr. Lanzilotti's passion for teaching theology and philosophy grew during his undergraduate years, particularly when he was introduced to the writings of Aristotle, Plato, C.S. Lewis, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Karol Wojtyła/Pope John Paul II. Dr. Lanzilotti has taught at the college, high school, and elementary school levels. He currently teaches high school students at a private classical school in the Catholic tradition.
Dr. Lanzilotti spent his childhood and adolescence in the rural northwest portion of New Jersey. He has a great love for the outdoors and the natural world. He is a beekeeper and a gardener. He enjoys trail running, swimming, and skiing. He is actively involved in his local Melkite Greek Catholic parish where he serves as a reader and chanter. Dr. Lanzilotti and his wife have a two-year-old son and are expecting their second child. They reside in Northern Virginia.
Luke Arredondo
Luke Arredondo, PhD, serves as the Director of Faith Formation for the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization in the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas. He earned a BA in Philosophy at St. Joseph Seminary College, an MA in Theological Studies at Notre Dame Seminary, and a PhD in Comparative Religious Ethics at Florida State University. He has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels, both in person and online and also has volunteered in homeschool cooperatives. Luke has been married for 14 years and has four daughters and one son. He and his wife, Elena, homeschool their children in East Texas and they are diehard New Orleans Saints fans.
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Monika Minehart
Chair of the Aquinas House of Studies [email protected]
Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, a military spouse and mother of five, has been working in Catholic religious education for over 15 years. She has instructed children and adults as a Director of Religious Education, Youth Minister, and Faith Formation Facilitator. She earned her B.A. in English and Early Christian Studies from The University of Michigan and her M.A. in Divinity from The University of Chicago with a focus in Biblical Studies and Koine Greek. In addition to being a homemaker and homeschooling mother, Monika enjoys reading, weightlifting, and listening to a variety of uplifting music especially Danielle Rose, The Vigil Project, and the Hillbilly Thomists.
Tisha Frost
Tisha Frost has been teaching in a variety of settings over the last 20 years after following one of the best pieces of advice she was ever given, “Be who God created you to be and you will set the world on fire” - St. Catherine of Siena. This inspired her to study both history and theology during her undergraduate years. She obtained a B.A. in American Studies, with a minor in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She also holds a Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame, specializing in Middle School and High School Social Studies. Through her experiences of teaching many students, including her own children, she has seen the need for restful education that is focused on the true, good, and beautiful.
Tisha resides in Northern Minnesota with her husband and seven children. When she has a moment to herself, she enjoys children’s literature, British mysteries, good movies, and baking.
Courses in the Roman Catholic Tradition
Lower-School
Class Periods
8:00–9:00 (ET)
9:15–10:15
10:30–11:30
11:45–12:45
1:00–2:00
2:15–3:15
3:30–4:30
4:45–5:45
Middle- / Upper-School Class Periods
8:00–9:15 (ET)
9:30–10:45
11:00–12:15
12:30–1:45
2:00–3:15
3:30–4:45
5:00–6:15
Visit the Great Hall
Catholic Studies
Humanities
About the Aquinas House of Studies
Mission and Vision
Aquinas House of Studies seeks to support the spiritual formation of students into the image of Christ through fostering a strong prayer life fixed firmly in the liturgical traditions of the Church aided by the study of Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Liberal Arts tradition. Loyal to the Magisterium and under the Blessed Virgin Mary’s mantle of protection, the Aquinas House of Studies seeks to guide students in diligent work, prayer, and praise so that along with our patron, St Thomas Aquinas, we may earnestly pray, non nisi te, Domine (Lord, nothing except you.) We offer classes under Scholé Academy for grades 4-12.
Chair of the Aquinas House of Studies
Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, a military spouse and mother of four, has been working in Catholic Religious Education for over 15 years. She has instructed children and adults as a Director of Religious Education, Youth Minister, and Faith Formation Facilitator. She earned her B.A. in English and Early Christian Studies from The University of Michigan and her M.A. in Divinity from The University of Chicago with a focus in Biblical Studies and Koine Greek. In addition to being a homemaker and homeschooling mother, Monika enjoys reading, weightlifting, and listening to a variety of uplifting music especially Danielle Rose, The Vigil Project, and the Hillbilly Thomists. [email protected]