Virtuous Manhood for Middle Grades

Virtuous Manhood provides young men with a structured time and place to pause and think seriously about who they are becoming. Rooted in Catholic moral teaching and philosophy, students will learn what virtue is, and why choosing what is good ultimately leads to greater freedom and human flourishing, even when that choice carries a cost. Through readings and candid discussion, students will learn to reason beyond the immediate consequences of a decision and follow choices toward their logical conclusions. They will ask whether a choice leads toward virtue and genuine freedom, settles for a lesser good, or ultimately causes harm. Topics will draw from the cardinal and theological virtues and the circumstances young men encounter in their relationships with themselves, their families, their communities, and God. Weekly assignments will consist of short readings and reflections that prepare students for deeper conversation and help them give names to the thoughts, ideas, and principles of Natural Law they already encounter in everyday life. Students will also be encouraged to follow their natural curiosity when a question or idea catches their attention.

Required Materials:
Books and supplies are not included in the purchase of the course. These resources are listed to help inform your decision-making as you make course selections and build your course schedule. Please reach out to the instructor if you have any questions about materials.

Holy Grit: A Saintly Guide to Becoming a Man of Virtue
- by Paul George
Boys to Men: The Transforming Power of Virtue
- by Tim Gray and Curtis Martin

Mr. Chet Collins

[email protected]

Chet Collins is a husband, father of four, and management consultant. He and his wife, Alison, a physician, homeschool their children together; she leads curriculum planning while Chet handles much of the day-to-day teaching. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he studied the enduring questions of truth, human nature, virtue, and how we ought to live. For more than a decade, he has continued exploring those questions through his blog, Catholic Husband, writing about faith, marriage, fatherhood, and vocation. As a consultant, Chet spends his professional life helping organizations think clearly, work through difficult questions, and solve practical problems. He brings that same practical approach to the classroom, encouraging students to think deeply, reason carefully, and apply what they learn. Chet is a licensed pilot with ratings in gliders and light-sport airplanes and is often looking up to spot whatever is flying overhead.

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:

Visit zoom.us/download.
Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
Open and run the installer on your computer.
In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.

Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.

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First, read the available course descriptions, noting prerequisites, target grades, and course objectives. If you think your student is prepared for the course, go ahead and register. After registration, a placement assessment may be provided to students, depending on the course and the student's previous enrollment with Scholé Academy. Registration is finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.

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Read the Student-Parent Handbook.

Please take careful note of our teaching philosophy, our technology requirements, our school policies, the parent agreement, and the distinctions between our grade levels.

Double-check the course section dates and times.

Make sure they don't conflict with other activities in your schedule or other courses you are purchasing. Our system will not catch double-bookings!

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Our Assistant to the Principal will be in touch with you after your enrollment to help you with next steps, including any placement evaluations that may be required for your course selections.

This registration will be finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.