Etiquette and Protocol

One of the unique aspects of Arise Classical Academy is our Etiquette and Protocol Course.

We aim to cultivate wisdom and virtue in our students through training in the principles of etiquette and protocol. A variety of topics will be taught including making introductions, meal etiquette, conversational skills, concert etiquette, and formal event etiquette. The lessons will culminate with an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned at a special event.

Students will learn the skills of carriage, deportment, and spatial awareness in a variety of contexts, as well as the etiquette necessary to make introductions and be introduced to others.  Students will also learn museum etiquette, email etiquette and how to write a thank you note. 

Embodied virtues: Discernment, honor, respect, courage, gratitude

Course topics: 

  • Good posture and body language
  • Making introductions, including language and the principles of seniority, rank and gender
  • Email etiquette (sending an email to a teacher)
  • Etiquette to those around us who serve us 
  • Appropriate behavior/etiquette one should use when visiting a museum
  • How to write a thank you note
  • Difference between manners, etiquette and protocol
  • How do we show respect in our culture? 
  • What does the way in which we carry ourselves communicate to others?
  • Performance etiquette
  • Audience etiquette
  • Performance attire
  • Expressing yourself after a performance
  • Outdoor performance etiquette
  • Types of performance

How it’s learned: Various topics will be addressed throughout the year, and our RESPECT Discipleship Program will support the teaching of our protocol and etiquette.
Special Event: Formal dinner and a trip to the symphony or orchestra

Building upon the skills of basic table etiquette learned the previous year, students will learn formal dinner and restaurant etiquette in the context of a group, as well as the skills of making conversation and toasts in this setting.  In addition, students will learn the principles of technology etiquette, specifically pertaining to cell phones and cameras.
Embodied virtues: Discernment, orderliness, others-centeredness, honor, stewardship
Course Topics:

  • Why manners are important
  • The dinner table as a communal place     
  • Restaurant etiquette – including seating, interacting with restaurant staff, notifying the server of a problem, and tipping
  • Making polite conversation, asking thoughtful questions, and topics to avoid at the table
  • How to make a toast
  • How to respond to an invitation
  • Cell phone and camera etiquette
  • Details of how to set a table whether it be a formal or casual place setting and correct use of specific utensils
  • How to write a thank you note

How it’s learned: Various topics will be addressed throughout the year, and our RESPECT Discipleship Program will support the teaching of our protocol and etiquette.
Special Event:  Formal dinner and a trip to the art museum

11th – 12th grade protocol is a culmination of the students’ previous protocol classes where they have learned the foundations of etiquette.  Students dive into more formal lessons by learning classic ballroom and group dance steps, responding to an invitation, navigating a receiving line, and filling out dance cards. We want them to understand how all the skills they’ve learned apply to their social lives in the present, as well as in the future, preparing them for college and job interviews, and formal events.
Embodied virtues: An appreciation for those things that are good, true, and beautiful
Course Topics:

  • Dinner table conversation
  • Making polite conversation, asking thoughtful questions, and topics to avoid at the table
  • How to make a toast
  • Responding to different types of invitations
  • Interview techniques
  • Navigating a receiving line
  • Ballroom and group dance steps
  • How to fill out a dance card
  • Correct use of specific utensils at a formal dinner
  • Details of escorting a date to a social function
  • How to write a thank you note

How it’s learned: Various topics will be addressed throughout the year, and our RESPECT Discipleship Program will support the teaching of our protocol and etiquette.

Special Event: A formal Protocol Ball 

Circe Institute- For the Love of God, We Need More Dancing
The Classical Difference- Gold Standards: Protocol