Stuck in Their Heads

Recitation is always an enjoyable experience as we listen to pieces shared by each grade level and see the progression of learning at ACA. As Nate Ahern explained yesterday morning, recitation is a wonderful opportunity to see a snapshot of each level of the trivium, from the Grammar stage where students are memorizing facts to the Rhetoric stage where students are eloquently expressing all that they have learned.

Yesterday when my 1st-graders arrived back in our classroom following recitation, a chorus of little voices exclaimed, “Mrs. Molen, we have the Northern Border States and Capitals song stuck in our heads!”

I smiled. “That's wonderful! That means I’ve done my job!”

The puzzled looks on their faces showed they were not expecting this response, so I explained. 

“Mr. Ahern actually hired me to do just that -- to get things stuck in your heads.”

This responsibility of getting information stuck in my students’ heads excites me. It is such a privilege to have the opportunity daily to see light bulbs come on as my 1st-graders learn new things, and to share in their love of learning. Early in the year, when we were practicing some of our chants, I shared the following story with my students to explain why we continue to review information we have already learned.

“Close your eyes and imagine that we are standing in a huge field with grass taller than you. Now imagine that one of our classmates runs across the field to the other side. Would you be able to see your friend? Would you know how to find him? It would probably be difficult and take a long time to cross the field and find your friend.

Now imagine that one of our classmates runs across the field to the other side followed by all of the kindergarteners, 2nd graders, 3rd graders, 4th graders, 5th graders, 6th graders, and upper-schoolers. Imagine that all of your moms and dads and brothers and sisters also follow him to the other side. Would you know how to find him now? What do you think would happen to that tall grass after all of these people followed the same path to the other side? The grass would be flattened. It would be simple and quick to run across the field to your friend.

When we memorize chants, jingles, and songs and review them over and over, we are doing the same thing. We are creating pathways in our brains which make it simple and quick for us to remember information we have learned.”

Whether we are learning the states and capitals, the characteristics of mammals and birds, the definition of a preposition, a passage from Scripture, the doubles addition math facts, or the silent final E spelling rules, repetition helps us create those pathways in our brains so we can easily and quickly recall information. This becomes the basis for higher-level learning as students build on that information by asking hard questions and making connections later on.

That's my job, and it's a beautiful one. To get knowledge stuck in their heads.

Guidance Now, Independence Later

I'd like to share with you a fragment of forgotten lore I found buried under the hills. Here it is.

Kids are like puppies.

This is true of preschoolers and high-schoolers, and every flavor of child in between. Kids are all like puppies one way or another, some small and cuddly, others large and kind of dumb. What I want to talk about is not that they are puppies and not that we should treat them like puppies, but given that they sure are a lot like puppies, what does that mean for us as parents? In short, it means that sometimes we have to take them by the scruff of their necks.

Example: You've just dropped $1,000 and brought home a puppy from the breeder. It's just about the most darling thing you ever saw. The next day, you begin to train it. You set it out in the front yard, sans leash, and say, "Good boy, now make wise choices. Don't go in the street." 30 seconds later, full of youthful puppiness, it chases the FedEx truck and goes to heaven.

Now that was a bad dog owner. ("Bad dog owner!") What it needed was a leash, a fenced backyard, patience and love, and enforced instructions. Any old dog owner knows that. To get a well-trained dog that makes good choices on its own, you begin by making it do the right thing yourself. Scruff of the neck, and so forth.

Kids are like puppies. We are preparing them for independence, but they are not independent yet. We begin by requiring obedience all the time. We make them do their homework, whether it is fun or not fun. We require them to be respectful and have good personal habits. Then, as time goes on and they approach college, we gradually reduce the decisions we make for them and let them make more of their own. While young, they've been required to buckle down and do hard things, and so now, they're rewarded with well-earned freedoms.

Unfortunately, we sometimes get this backwards. We give children choices when they are far too young with far too little will power, and then when they are older and can do stupid things with cars and girls, we begin barking orders and cracking whips. Then, we wonder why they just squeeze by in college and never call home and visit on the holidays. We are very perplexed.

Kindergarten Is A Grade Level, Too

Too often I hear people describe kindergarten with the misconception that all students do in kindergarten is play and take a nap. In some schools you may find a place where that misconception isn’t too far off. But here at Augustine Classical Academy, that is far from the truth. Kindergarten is the first step in the grammar phase of the Trivium, and it is an important step in laying a solid foundation for success in the Trivium's later stages of logic and rhetoric.

Kindergarten is an important grade and a big step in a young child’s life. Students are not only going to school to learn academics but to also develop social and emotional skills that are just as important as learning to read and write. At the beginning of the year, my job involves a lot -- and I do mean a lot -- of patience! Everything is new to kindergarteners.  They are thrown into this big new school in which they will be expected to advocate for themselves, walk in line, learn numerous routines and procedures, listen and raise their hand, and much more. During the first few weeks of Kindergarten, I spend a lot of time repeating myself and working more on social and emotional development than anything else. These are such key components to their development and overall success throughout the year! Because of this, Kindergarten gives your child a safe place to mature and grow during their natural development as a child, while also being challenged academically. These skills will be developing throughout the entire year, and you will notice a drastic difference between a kindergartener during the first semester versus what a kindergartener is like the second semester. For example, they are maturing, are more independent, and are able to handle their own social and emotional skills at a much higher degree.

I believe ACA stands out as an exemplary school because we do take great pride in the development of our students during the grammar phase. The value of routine, structure, and rigor is what sets our kindergarten program apart from those which believe kindergarten is simply a place where kids go to play. I do want you to know that in saying this, I also know the importance of allowing children to play and be able to use their imaginations freely. That is also very important in their development. After their work is done, I get to spend my afternoons listening to their brilliant creativity in dramatic play scenarios, or seeing their imaginations run wild while exploring with math manipulatives, or through creative art. I believe that because of ACA's rigor and high expectations for them, their imaginations have been given a foundation from which to fuel their own creativity.

I will end by saying that I believe the most beautiful part of being a kindergartener at ACA is that they get to grow and develop while also learning about the love of Christ. It is so beautiful to be able to pray with children, listen to them pray, study God’s word, and play a part in raising them with the standards God sets for our lives. I absolutely would not trade this job for the world! Yes, it takes a lot of patience, repetition, and time, but to be able to influence the lives of such young children, and to be a role model for what Christ is like, is something that I will never take for granted.

Seeing God in Music

With the coming of the New Year, renewed fervor and resolution abound!  This is the year we’re going to read those books, run that marathon, learn that skill, defeat that bad habit.  These are all admirable goals which (with the exception of the marathon), I would love to have on my year-end “Did It” list.  But as I think about all that could be accomplished and what I really want for myself and my students, one main thought keeps coming back to me—to see more of God in the world He has created and in all that we study each week.  This goal seems to fit well within the subjects of Bible, history, and logic.  But how does it apply to teaching the fine arts?  To be specific—how can we be God-centered when studying music?
 
There are many different ways.  First, the glory of God can be seen through the reflection of His character in music.  One of the reasons I love music is because of the order, symmetry, and precision that it innately possesses within its staves.  Like in reading, each note relates directly to the next to form one continuous line or phrase that fits into the larger whole of the piece.  Nuances of color are created by variations in speed (tempo), volume (dynamics), and even how the music is played (articulation). Each of these elements works together to create the masterpiece that was in the mind of the composer when he sat down to pen the notes of his score.  This mirrors our God, who is a God of order and beauty—working all things perfectly together according to His plan and purpose for His people.
 
Second, the spiritual lives of great composers are cause for consideration.  Men like Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel exemplify lives that were lived to the glory of God—with countless scores composed for use in church and worship settings.  Bach was especially noted for his sincere faith, and he frequently initialed his blank manuscripts with the marking “J.J.” (Jesu Juva—“Help me, Jesus”) and “S.D.G.” (Soli Deo Gloria—“To God alone be the glory”) at the end of his manuscripts. But what about men like Ludwig van Beethoven and Frederic Chopin, whose spiritual journeys followed a different and often troubled path? In the midst of brokenness, God gives grace and giftedness, so that even though they did not immediately intend for it to, their music still reflects the character of God.  God works redemptively through broken and hurting people to bring forth beauty in their creative endeavors.
 
Finally, in looking to God within the staves of the music we study, we are reminded that God is the ultimate composer of the symphony of our lives and of the universe.  Sometimes we see His hand at work, providing exactly what we need just when we need it.  At other times, we can’t see His hand as clearly.  Just as there is variance in mood and tone in music, so too our lives are comprised of dissonant and dark tones as well as bright and joyful notes.  All of these are necessary to shape our character and fulfill His eternal plans.  Whatever our circumstances in life, this truth remains—God is on His throne, and He will accomplish His purposes.  Therefore in each day and in whatever we are learning or doing, let us resolve in 2017 to "fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18).

2017-18 Tuition Rates

Good news! For the upcoming 2017-18 academic year, tuition rates for all ACA programs (ACP-12th)will not be raised. 

As a component of our business strategy to provide high-quality teachers, small class sizes, and competitive rates, ACA tuition has historically increased 3-5% each year. However, we’re pleased to provide this year of rest and to thank each of you for the continued honor of educating your children. ACA was founded with a commitment to affordability and wise use of resources, and this decision is an excellent example of that commitment. 

God continues to bless ACA steadily, and as we reflect on this Christmas season and the upcoming academic year, let’s remember the important goals we share for our children via the AugustineCampaign and our current Fall 2016 Matching Grant Challenge. Our vision for education is high, and it takes continued robust funding. Would you consider those friends and family members with shared vision who would be interested in helping us meet our rigorous financial goals? To educate the next generation of children for the glory of God and the good of all people, we need tangible gifts from people just like you. 

Thank you for loving your children and supporting ACA so well. May God bless each of you richly this Christmas season.

Developing Gratitude

From Rob Gove, upper school logic and omnibus instructor:

As we head into our Thanksgiving break, I would like to reflect on cultivating the virtue of gratitude in our students, a virtue not just for this coming Thursday, but for every day of the year.

While we all likely have some definition of gratitude (such as "being thankful for the good things in our lives"), it is not necessarily easy to teach our children to practice this virtue. I would like to suggest a few ways we can do this.

As Aristotle explains in his Nicomachean Ethics (which our Omnibus IV students will be reading soon), all virtues are habits, and we develop virtues by repeatedly doing them until they become habitual and automatic. 

So what acts can our students do repeatedly to develop the virtue of gratitude? I propose three: 1) maintaining a cheerful attitude, 2) understanding for what we should be grateful, and 3) giving frequent prayers of thanks. First, we can encourage our students to be cheerful by having a sunny, positive disposition ourselves, by showing them that we enjoy our work, and by encouraging them to do the same. A simple smile directed at a complaining student can go a long way! Second, we need to remind students they should be grateful to God for everything in our lives: even when it seems like something is simply painful, sad, difficult, or "boring", students should be reminded that God loves us and directs all of this for our good. Finally, students need to pray, and they need to pray in thanks. In my classroom, students lead prayer at the beginning of each class. In addition to asking God for help, they almost always thank Him for each other, for the opportunity to come to school and learn, and for all our blessings. It is truly wonderful to hear.

Let's all be grateful this Thanksgiving, and let's help our children to do the same.

Announcing ACA's End-of-Year Matching Gift Challenge!

We're pleased to share this very good news! Generous donors have offered ACA's community of supporters a matching-gift challenge: If we can raise $25,000 by the end of the calendar year, we will earn $25,000 for our school! These dollars will go to our three-year fundraising initiative, The Augustine Campaign, designed to help fund tuition assistance, drive enrollment, and support classrooms.

Now's the time to share ACA's vision with family members and friends who might want to support a school that helps shape children's hearts, minds, and souls for God's glory and the good of all people.

If you'd like to make a gift, you can do so online or (better yet) by dropping off a check, made out to Augustine Classical Academy, to the front office. ACA is a 501(c)(3), and all gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Thanks for supporting ACA and sharing this opportunity with a broader community of people who love our students and ACA's mission to help them to pursue truth, beauty, and goodness their whole lives.

Grace and Peace, The ACA Board and Administration

Lifelong Learners

One of the primary goals of classical education is to equip our students to become lifelong learners. This is achieved as we teach them tools for learning and as we develop in them a love of learning.

If you walk down the halls of ACA on any given day, you will hear the sounds of students practicing tools for learning. Just outside the door of the first grade classroom you might hear young voices chanting the doubles addition facts.

0 + 0 = 0 (OH!)

1 + 1 = 2 (True!)

2 + 2 = 4 (More!) …

Next you might hear a portion of the Scripture memory verse we are currently memorizing.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted . . . .”

These are the sounds of children in the grammar stage learning basic building blocks and tools for future learning. Our recent recitation was a wonderful opportunity to see students at all grade levels sharing what they have been learning through chants, recitations, and songs.

Sometimes, though, in the midst of the everyday memorizing and drilling and practicing of these tools for learning, I wonder if my students are developing a love of learning. Am I instilling in them a desire to continue to learn? Am I modeling for them a sense of joy as we study all that God has created?

Every Monday afternoon the kindergarten, first, and second graders go on a nature walk to the park. We spend time studying God’s creation and drawing pictures of the beauty around us in our journals. As we walk together on these days, I hear snippets of conversation as these little ones talk about the many things they are interested in; from the bug they just saw crawling along to their favorite new toy or a fun weekend activity.

This past Monday I observed something different. These children were unable to contain their excitement about the songs and chants they had recently been learning. As we walked along, I heard the sounds of sweet voices singing “Sweet Betsy from Pike.”

“. . . .Poor Ike got discouraged and Betsy got mad, The dog wagged his tail and looked awfully sad. O yo-delee, yo-delee, yo-delai-ay!”

Next, I heard the newest grammar jingle we have been memorizing as we are learning about article adjectives.

“We are the article adjectives, Teeny, tiny adjectives: A, AN, THE - A, AN, THE . . . ."

The students skipped along happily with smiles on their faces as they enjoyed these songs and chants. My heart skipped along with them as I saw that they have not only been learning information; they have truly been learning to love learning.

Hunting for Beauty

We are on a hunt for beauty.

Some beauty is easy to find. A blazing orange sunset over the Rockies? Beautiful. Aspens in the fall? Your baby asleep in a crib? Music by Mozart? All beautiful.

Whenever I think of our school’s tagline -- truth, beauty, virtue -- I find myself contemplating the idea of beauty and how it shows up during the school day. Truth and virtue are relatively easy -- God’s Word is truth, and, therefore, we know what is a good and moral standard. Both are are easily integrated into the school day. We study the Bible (truth) and adhere to a moral standard (virtue). But beauty is somewhat nebulous, and trying to define it (or find it between 8:15 AM - 3:30 PM) can feel like trying to nail jello to a wall.

To add to the difficulty of finding beauty at school, throw in teaching medieval literature, history, and theology (Omnibus II) using primary source texts to eighth graders. Mix in the rest of a student’s workload, and we’ve got ourselves a fool-proof recipe for easy beauty. Sunset-easy beauty. Right?

Wrong. What we do have is a recipe for absolute drudgery and students who feel buried by work.

What are we to do?

We have to hunt for beauty.

As a teacher, I want my students to find all that we do at ACA beautiful, and, therefore, to love it. At the beginning of the year, I told my Omnibus students that I didn’t want them to view their work and reading assignments as just another item to be checked off a list. The truth is that we are never really done with our lists and our work. There’s always a new list tomorrow. Instead, I encouraged them to be changed and challenged by what they are reading this year. I gave each student a small commonplace notebook to write down quotes from the books we read that they like or that affect them in some way. Then, promptly on the heels of handing them their commonplace books, I handed them Eusebius’ The Church History (written c. 325 AD) and told them to be looking for quotes to write in their books. (Sometimes, teaching makes teachers just flat nervous, and this was one of those moments. Will they find anything to write? Will this commonplace idea be a total flop? Should I have started it with THIS book? Will the students HATE me?)

At the end of the book, I asked the students to share their commonplace entries for Eusebius.

After an uncomfortable silence, I went first to set the example. I shared that I love when Eusebius writes: “But God became Constantine’s Friend, Protector, and Guardian . . .” Constantine, the Emperor of Rome during Eusebius’ life, had converted to Christianity and subsequently outlawed all Christian persecution. What caught my attention was the use of the words “But God.” When these two words are written together in the Bible, God is usually intervening on behalf of his people and altering history (see Romans 5:8). Eusebius is giving credit to God for the salvation of Constantine, who altered the history of the early church.

Then I asked, “Does anyone else have a quote to share?”

All hands went up. All of my students had found at least one quote from Eusebius to write down. They had found beauty. But it wasn't by accident. It wasn’t obvious beauty like a sunset or a sleeping baby or an art class.

They had to hunt for it. We had to hunt for it. And that's why we found it.

Amanda Rodriguez Writing, Omnibus, & Mathematics

Gospel Reflexes and Sharing Crayons

A special installment from our Preschool Director, Mindy Tipton:

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. That email from their child’s teacher. A polite request.

"CAN WE SCHEDULE A MEETING?"

It’s not even the week of parent-teacher conferences, and the teacher wants to talk about your child’s behavior at school! Even before you know what behavior the teacher wants to discuss, your mind races to justify your child:

Did the long weekend camping make him grumpy at school? What did she eat for breakfast? Could that be the trigger? Did he get enough sleep last night? What about the influence of peers? Maybe this really isn’t her fault.

Your mind races. But when you meet, it turns out that your child’s teacher wants to discuss the same behavior that you’ve noticed, experienced, responded to, trained against, and walked through with your child from the beginning -- basic human sin. But just like Adam and Eve justified their behavior in the garden, our flesh wants to defend our child’s behavior. We rise up to explain the circumstances.

But walk into any early childhood classroom (including ACA), and you hear things like this:

“That’s mine. You can’t have it!" "You can’t play. You aren’t my friend anymore.” “I want it.” (Snatch and run.) Teacher: “It’s time to clean up the toys.” (And each child develops a sudden remarkable talent for creating a diplomatic excuse to avoid labor.)

Children everywhere, as regular sinners in a sinful world, demand their own way, just like everyone else. Every day, they sin against one another when they don’t get their way. They're just like us, fallen under Adam, redeemed under Christ, and learning how to live according to the gospel. And that takes time.

So at ACA, your child’s teachers don’t just want to "talk about" your child’s behavior in the classroom with you.

They want to offer support and encouragement to you. They want to pray with you and for you. They love to pray with your child and for your child. They desire to set an example for your children to love one another. They seek to model forgiveness. They humbly challenge your child to be kind and to anticipate when obedience will be hard.

Repentance and forgiveness. It's challenging work for children and adults.

We pray for our students to have gospel reflexes when they sin, and this includes encouragement to pursue holiness. My prayer for my class is that the children will walk in truth, love Jesus, flee sin, and live for the glory of God and the good of all people.

Today, that means we share the crayons.

Grace and peace, Mindy Tipton Preschool Director