Our Mission

We aim at discovering the unique character and capacity of each child and seek to help and guide him to become all that he can be. We seek to raise up great and famous individuals who are competent to handle life and able to contribute to a free society. We would train students to think rationally and make healthy choices that will benefit themselves and society. We would equip students with the basics necessary for a lifetime of learning and a lifetime of enjoying learning.

Our Methods

Roadside Academy follows the pattern set forth by Hillsdale Academy of Hillsdale, Michigan. We use the classroom approach with personal instruction from dedicated teachers. The cluster system, combining two grades to a classroom (first and second, third and fourth, etc.), promotes interaction between older and younger students and will permit children at different levels of proficiency greater flexibility in mastering each subject, adapting to both the faster and slower learners. It also enables older ones to tutor the younger ones, thus ensuring their own mastery of the subject matter.

Our Mascot and Motto

  "Roadside Runners Speed to Achieve"


Our History
Roadside Academy opened its doors in September, 1995. Steve Thorpe, a native of Philadelphia, PA and a graduate of Wesleyan University, had nurtured the dream of starting a school for some twenty-five years. When Hillsdale Academy published its Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide in March, 1995 and a suitable building was also available, Steve and his wife Dale Thorpe launched the school with the help of close friends who had also helped to nurture the vision.

The school's original location was 151 Broad Street in Middletown, CT, one block away from Main Street. The school was housed in a cozy, charming old Victorian building built in 1840, the former home of a judge named Joseph F. Tobey. The building contributed to the homelike, nurturing environment that is a continuing trademark of the school. The school enjoyed close proximity to the Russell Library, the YMCA and Wesleyan University.

During the summer of 2010, Roadside Academy moved to a spacious new location at the intersection of Saybrook and Brooks Road in Middletown. The new location is 10 minutes away from downtown and conveniently located just off of Route 9 at Exit 11. While new to Roadside, the facility has functioned as a school for over 30 years. It houses bright classrooms, a spacious assembly room, a library, 2 kitchen areas, several offices and large outdoor spaces for recreation. Located on a hilltop, it offers spectacular views of the surrounding area.