Beautiful Things Are Hard
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] I love food. I am not talking about a casserole or a fast food hamburger. I am talking about beautiful food. I mean an artfully crafted feast. I delight in a table loaded with baskets of bread, and too many cheeses to pronounce. Give me a landscape of bowls, stemware, and utensils of every […]
Classical Christian Education: Standing the Test of Time
I found myself in a class entitled simply “Aristotle” in my first year of graduate school. I didn’t want to be there; I had looked for ANY other class that might tie into my master’s program. But, I was studying rhetoric – the art of persuasion, and Aristotle had literally written the book “On […]
Renewed Beginnings: Drawn Back to the Joy of Learning
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Welcome to the new year! As I began writing this article, I considered the traditional “new year” themes, and I realized they may not fit within the school year context. I recognize this is simply a point in time, but the new year is often a time of reflection and a setting of new goals […]
The Profound Simplicity of Helping – When the Body of Christ Shows Up
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The month of November was perhaps the most difficult time we have experienced since Covid began ruling our lives back in March 2020. We, in the weekday Children’s programs, had been relatively sheltered from the many positive test results and
Profound Simplicity: Lessons from Logic
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I am privileged to teach our 7th grade logic class. These students are entering a new developmental stage where their brains can process information more conceptually. They are learning to take what they know and apply it. These seventh graders are itching to discuss their ideas and opinions. (The last time I was in a […]
Poetry in Kindergarten
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you stop by the kindergarten room after lunch, you will hear a poem read to the students and a discussion about that poem. Currently we are working our way through an anthology called “Sing A Song of Popcorn.” Later in the year we will go through the book “Animals, Animals,” a collection of poems […]
Cultivating a Purposeful Perspective
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]November is National Gratitude Month – an invitation to be more intentional in dwelling on that which we are grateful for in our lives. Does your family practice any gratitude traditions, either during the month of November or year-round? Perhaps it’s sharing highs and lows of the day over dinner. Or, having a gratitude jar […]
I Can’t Get That Song Out of My Head!
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Do you know what an earworm is? Before I answer that, I have another test. I am going to write a phrase and see if you can finish it: “The best part of waking up is _____________” “Like a good neighbor, _________________.” “Give me a break, give me a break. Break me off a piece […]
The Foundational Promise of The Hope Coalition
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Few things are more tragic than untapped potential in children. Preschool is one foundational component to help children reach their potential in every stage of life. The preschool experience is a major influence throughout a child’s life. Numerous national and regional studies confirm children who attend preschool as a 3 or 4-year-old have better grades […]
What’s In A Name?
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In three-year-old preschool, some students go the entire year without knowing their classmates’ names: “That boy has the truck I wanted!” or “She is my friend.” In a recent small group activity at one of our tables, a girl called a little boy by his name. I noticed immediately because it really is quite rare, […]
