New Orthodox K-12 Academy to Open in North Carolina

FLETCHER, NC — A new Orthodox Christian school is preparing to welcome its first students this fall as St. John's Orthodox Academy launches a K-12 educational program centered on academic excellence and the spiritual life of the Orthodox Church.

Located in Fletcher, the academy says its mission is to cultivate servant-leaders of character and competence by integrating traditional Orthodox Christianity into every aspect of the curriculum. Rather than treating religious education as a separate subject, the school teaches language arts, mathematics, science, history, physical education, music, and other disciplines through an Orthodox Christian worldview. Students also participate in daily prayer led by an experienced Orthodox Christian teacher, with both in-person and remote learning options available.

The academy will use a multigrade classroom model, allowing students of different ages to learn together while encouraging individualized instruction, peer mentorship, and social and academic development. Its curriculum is built around the Prologue of Ohrid and the Church's liturgical calendar, with weekly lessons tied to the life of Christ, major feast days, and the saints commemorated throughout the year. Additional coursework includes the school's own K-12 Law of God program, Mystery of History with an emphasis on the Byzantine Empire, Teaching Textbooks for mathematics, Rosetta Stone School Edition for language studies, and science and nature-based learning.

As preparations continue for its inaugural academic year, St. John's Orthodox Academy has launched a fundraising campaign to furnish classrooms and strengthen school operations. The academy says all donations will be directed toward classroom resources, including tablets, curriculum licenses, language-learning software, and gardening and science materials.

The school is located at 5 Park Ridge Drive in Fletcher, and enrollment applications remain open through the academy's website.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese unveiled a new K–12 religious education curriculum.