Thursday, September 2, 2010
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jamesw on Newsflash: The Episcopal Church sues local congregation: What folks (especially those orthodox who like to assert moral equivalence between TEC’s and the ACNA’s actions) need to understand is that there are two…
Moot on The sad demise of a potential candidate for Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School: I don’t get it.  Letting nature rule itself via natural process (aka Darwinism) is hailed as “good” for the animal kingdom.  Overpopulation within the animal…
BMR+ on UPDATED: +Louisiana Inhibits Priest?: Jane, I believe your bishop is in error.  Canon III.10.2.a.1 would permit any rector or other clergy-in-charge to permit clergy in good standing in a…
MichaelA on Australian Church Tribunal Opinion on Diaconal Administration: An Inconsistent Ruling?: Driver8 wrote, That Sydney has retained the older usage is a sign both that the parish communion and liturgical reform movements had little effect there…
MichaelA on [Bumped For Obvious Reasons] Anglicanism Upside Down Down Under? Understanding Lay Administration: Carl, Why do you want the Anglican church to abandon the doctrinal understanding of Thomas Cranmer, and of continental reformers with whom Cranmer corresponded, notably…
Jane Matt on UPDATED: +Louisiana Inhibits Priest?: I thought I would let everyone at SF know the latest in our parish/diocese.  The bishop came to St. Margaret’s last Sunday for a previously…
B. Hunter on [Entirely Off Topic] What's Wrong With This Shiny New Video on Public Education?: To me, it’s arrogance rearing it’s ugly head.  We want to “save the planet” by recycling.  While it’s a good thing to recycle, I don’t…
Capt. Deacon Warren on Stephen Hawkins: God Was Not Needed To Create The Universe: We are cartesian creatures living on an arrow of time which goes in only one direction.  God is changeless with respect to time and infinite…
B. Hunter on Stephen Hawkins: God Was Not Needed To Create The Universe: Jesus, I pray that Stephen’s heart would soften towards you Lord.  Whatever is blocking him from believing in you, I pray it is stripped away. …
Daniel Muth on Stephen Hawkins: God Was Not Needed To Create The Universe: There are some things Christians need to keep in mind with respect to modern science - actually a combination of the old philosophical disciplines of…
AnglicanXn on [Entirely Off Topic] What's Wrong With This Shiny New Video on Public Education?: I wonder if the producers of this video stopped to think of all the work that went into five minutes of content - and then…
r3ussell on Bishop of San Diego Merrily Permitting SSUs: Would someone please explain how a “Bishop” can promote adultery, fornication, and all other forms of licentiousness, and now publicly bless them without being called…
C. Wingate on Stephen Hawkins: God Was Not Needed To Create The Universe: I think it says something that the local news-radio station is listing this story under “Entertainment” on their website.
Pb on Newsflash: The Episcopal Church sues local congregation: I think TEC may know that many congregations would leave if there were no consequences. Many will stay rather than lose all their property. This…
SpongJohn SquarePantheist on Newsflash: The Episcopal Church sues local congregation: Lamb acknowledged that the Episcopal diocese is only interested in the return of the church’s property — all of it, including the business sites. That…
The Pilgrim on [Entirely Off Topic] What's Wrong With This Shiny New Video on Public Education?: Young women can teach children in one-room schoolhouses, with a few books and paper and pen, maybe a chalkboard how to do those things. A…
carl on Stephen Hawkins: God Was Not Needed To Create The Universe: Materialism is an easy faith to carry because its deity says nothing, does nothing, and so requires nothing of its worshippers.  They may therefore presume…
cennydd13 on Newsflash: The Episcopal Church sues local congregation: Mrs Schori will rage, roar, and sue for five more years; by which time TEC may be nothing more than a small and insignificant cult,…
Zwingli on Stephen Hawkins: God Was Not Needed To Create The Universe: ZZzzz…. Now Hawkings is getting the Dawkins disease - defining God as something He isn’t, and then proving that it doesn’t exist! In Dawkins case…

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Organizing a Classical School

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 • 10:40 am

The core families in this project are primarily from Good Shepherd including Anne and me. Classical schools have been wildly successful at producing highly educated, well read, articulate, courteous, godly and thoroughly equipped young adults. If you are unhappy with your children's educational options you might check around to see if there is a classical school near you.
While she genuinely enjoys home schooling her 9-year-old daughter, Samantha Kubik hopes to send her to school in the fall.

But it wouldn't be a public school or even Ross Corners Christian Academy, which Nori's elder siblings attend. Rather, the Kubiks are among a group of core families that intend to open the Southern Tier's first classical Christian school this fall.

"We desire a classical education for our children," Kubik said.

Classical education, inspired by Dorothy Sayers' essay "The Lost Tools of Learning," gears pedagogy to three learning stages, called the Trivium: grammar, logic and rhetoric.

The grammar stage, which is roughly equivalent to elementary school age, capitalizes on students' aptitude for memorization and has them memorize a wide range of facts -- in math, geography, English, the Bible and Latin.

Young teens, who often like to argue with adults, are trained in formal logic, while older students are taught to communicate persuasively through instruction in rhetoric.

To get the basics down, students need to start the classical system fairly young; after the sixth grade, it's difficult because the grammar stage establishes the foundation for the other stages.

Classical Christian schools are also based on scripture and promote a Biblical worldview. There are only two such schools in the state: one in Manhattan and the other in the Albany area, according to the Association of Classical & Christian Schools.

...more

Comments:

Sounds wonderful Fr. Matt.  FYI, its too late for my g-children who are being home-schooled. However, the group my daughter in VA belongs to has organized “Home School Plus”.  A program where parents with degrees/gifts in math, languages, and other higher education teach what their specialty is.. For instance, my daughter teaches English and Creative Writing, her Master’s major, in return she makes enough (and there is a fee structure) to enroll her 14 year old in German..It works pretty well.

Thank goodness Home Schoolers are finding ways to augment, and relieve some of the tedium and of course a bit of tension.

Your group sounds wonderful, starting early is the key.
Grannie Gloria in SC

[1] Posted by Grandmother on 03-10-2010 at 10:37 AM • top

I’m a big fan of classical Christian schools.

[2] Posted by James Manley on 03-10-2010 at 11:39 AM • top

Probably the best we can do for our children is to adopt the “Core Knowledge Curriculum.” 

http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_live_data/view.php?id=1831

[3] Posted by gkissel on 03-10-2010 at 11:52 AM • top

Here is a statistical comparison chart:
http://www.accsedu.org/Statistics_at_a_Glance.ihtml?id=291192

[4] Posted by Floridian on 03-10-2010 at 12:10 PM • top

Has anyone read Bill Bennett’s The Educated Child: A Parents Guide From Preschool Through Eighth Grade? Eye opening. I feel we have cheated several generations of children.

[5] Posted by Festivus on 03-10-2010 at 01:03 PM • top

I have Festivus. He makes several good points.

Matt - I recommend Sister Joseph’s The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric and Dr Randal Hart’s INCREASING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WITH THE TRIVIUM OF CLASSICAL EDUCATION: Its Historical Development, Decline in the Last Century, and Resurgence in Recent Decades.

Neither is “light” bedtime reading, but both are worth the time.

[6] Posted by Positive Phototaxis on 03-10-2010 at 01:32 PM • top

Charlotte Mason schools are another excellent way to educate children.  Many home schools rely on her principles of education.  There are a few Charlotte Mason schools in the U.S., (amblesideschools.com) and more in Great Britain where she lived and worked in the late 1800’s through early 1900’s.  Home schools can get a ton of useful info from amblesideonline.org. Miss Mason lived in Ambleside in Britain’s Lake District.  The teachers college she established is now part of the University of Lancaster.

[7] Posted by Raised as an Atheist on 03-10-2010 at 02:03 PM • top

We use “Tapestry of Grace” - another classical aproach (though a unit study - unlike CM) that works well for multiple age groups and is often implemented with success in a co-op.

[8] Posted by Positive Phototaxis on 03-10-2010 at 02:15 PM • top

If we were to do it over again we would probably use a Classical approach with our home school.

[9] Posted by Summersnow on 03-10-2010 at 03:04 PM • top

Go for it, Father Matt!!!!  Prayers coming your way from Southern Maryland.  Would love to have a Classical Christian School closer than an hour away to send my youngest to. OK, that was bad grammar.  I loathe the public school curriculum.  It has NO substance.  Yes, I tried to homeshool him.  He is now 10.  Please don’t go there, I have enough guilt already.  Long story.  But I LOVE you starting a school!!!

[10] Posted by Crabby in MD on 03-10-2010 at 04:48 PM • top

My children attend a classical tutorial service two days a week (blackburnstudycenter.org) and yeah, it doesn’t get much better.  All the relational benefits of homeschooling, all the social benefits of a positive peer group, all the academic benefits of classical education.  And they’re Christian too! smile Not perfect, but very good for my kiddos.

[11] Posted by Free Range Anglican on 03-10-2010 at 08:10 PM • top

Anyone interested in Classical Education that goes beyond the tools of classical education (fact memorization, Latin, Logic, and Rhetoric) would do well to check out the CiRCE Institute ”> link </a>.  CiRCE challenges and encourages Classical Christian educators (in schools or homes) to cultivate wisdom and virtue in their students by nourishing their souls on truth, goodness and beauty.

In fact, they are currently offering a set of 7 or 8 free audio downloads from the most recent conference, A Contemplation of Nature, for a donation of any amount.  (Top-notch speakers: Vigen Guorian, Andrew Kern, Ken Myers, Laura Berquist)

[12] Posted by Kerry in NC on 03-10-2010 at 09:13 PM • top

So where does the quadrivium fit into this?

[13] Posted by AndrewA on 03-11-2010 at 07:44 AM • top

Excellent news, Matt+! Glad to hear you are undertaking this venture.  Please keep us posted on how it progresses. 

I think these schools are excellent ideas and mission fields.  We are thinking of sending our son to a Charlotte Mason Christian classical school this fall.  I would love to see a series of these schools planted by Anglican churches across the U.S., with the worship and learning deeply rooted in our tradition.  I might even work towards something like that in the Chicago area.

So, again, love to hear more as the project unfolds!

[14] Posted by Steve Lake on 03-11-2010 at 08:00 AM • top

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