Does your student meltdown in tears or frustration when completing certain subjects at home? How do you properly curtail a pending meltdown without bribes or threats, but yet maintain authority as a parent and teach your child self-control? 

While we absolutely must teach our children that the way they show up at school is just as important as the way they show up at home (more on that in another post), many times, they are losing it at home because they do not have their social and emotional guards up like they do in school. Simply put, they are "safer" with you (which is a good thing) and so their guards come down. So, how can we work and grow through this? 

1. Don't take it personally. Your child is not attacking you personally. They expend so much energy on campus and in other activities holding it together- working out their character, and growing in self-discipline and self-control. This is good. But then sometimes, they get home and meltdown because they are emotionally safer in this environment. While we don't ignore the need to parent and discipline when necessary, we recognize the "growing up" that they are doing and we find grace and compassion for the fact that they are not yet fully formed. Stay the course. Keep your cool. They will get there. 

2. Do not underestimate the power of their body's sensory system. This does NOT only pertain to students with specified sensory disorders or sensitivities. It goes for all students. Find ways to distract their sensory system when approaching a difficult or frustrating task. Some moms of multiples are already panicking thinking, "I don't have time to jump rope and create games. We have to complete our work quicker than that because there are five kids who need my help!" You don't need to! Distract their sensory environment by giving them something to eat, drink, or touch/hold while they are working. 

What does that look like practically?
If you know your child always has meltdowns over the math lesson, simply hand your child one of these Zollipops Clean Teeth Lollipops anti-cavity and with no sugar) and keep moving on with the lesson. This distracts their sensory system and allows their brain to focus on the task, and bonus, if they don't get a lot of candy or treats just handed to them like this, this becomes extra special for them. HOWEVER, what you say surrounding handing them the lollipop will make or break this. Do NOT turn this into a bribe. "Honey, if you don't cry during math today, I'll give you a lollipop." Bad parenting. Really though, that is bad parenting. You do not want to teach your child that they should only compose themselves and do hard things for a reward (which is what a bribe is). You are simply distracting their sensory system so their brain can focus. This is no different than when we as adults sit down to output a bunch of work and find that we do better with a cup of tea, our favorite gum or snack, sitting on the porch, or with music in the background,. You are distracting your senses so your brain can focus.

What are some other ideas? 
Snacks- If you know your child is fully capable of an assignment, meaning, they really can do it with no problem, but it is a longer assignment, why not distract their sensory system with a snack. Microwave popcorn is great for these types of assignments. It's a quick, light snack, and not as unhealthy as giving them potato chips! We eat a lot of popcorn in our house during the school year!

Drinks- Some kids like sipping on special drinks they otherwise don't get to have whenever they want. My kids never have bubbly waters (such as LaCroix, Bubbly, etc) so those are good options for having when doing schoolwork and don't add a bunch of sugar. Some kids love tea! My little girls have found they love tea and it perks up their mood while working, just like it does for many adults. (Just choose no caffeine)!

Candy/Gum- Our kids rarely get access to candy so having it during a school assignment is a plus. Worried about the sugar and their teeth? There are lots of healthier options. If you want smaller amounts of sugar, use dum dum pops. If you want no sugar and anti-cavity try the Zollipops. Gum is an excellent sensory distraction for kids (especially if they aren't really allowed to have it otherwise) and there are a lot of sugar free options available). 

Kinetic Sand/Play-Doh/Stress Balls- Kinetic sand in our house is ONLY used for school. This makes it a little more special. It's in small containers and it's not for getting out toys to use with it, or cookie cutters, etc. It's one little thing to squish around while watching history lessons or reciting memory work. Give them a stress ball to play with in the hand they are not writing with when completing assignments. 

Outside/Different Environment- Sometimes our kids just need to complete work outside of our watchful eye. Obviously, there are some assignments where this is not possible. But when possible, give it a try. "Hey, why don't you go write your spelling words in your bunk bed with a clipboard." Or, "Go do that paper sitting on the porch or the swing and come right back when you're done." Different locations doesn't need to turn into a long distracting thing. Put tight parameters around it. "If you don't finish in ______ amount of time, or don't come back right when you are done then _______." (insert consequence and stick to it). They'll learn quickly that if they don't comply with your standards they will have to sit at the kitchen table right next to you! 

Music- Some adults cringe at the thought and insist that no one can learn or study with music playing. But, give it a try. Some of your kids have sensory overload and it seems crazy that adding more sensory input would help, but sometimes it does! Try classical music (how about the composer for the semester at school) before you try music with words. Have a couple of kids where this would drive them nuts? No problem. Grab a cheap set of earbuds or headphones. Bluetooth headphones work best so you won't have to deal with all the wires.

Smell- some families love essential oils. Putting a diffuser in your student's workspace could be a fun way to distract their senses so their brain can work! 

Do you have tips and tricks you use? We would love to hear them!

Keep in mind, this is not about bribing or threatening, and it's not about letting our kids do whatever they want, however, they want, and whenever they want. It's growing their perseverance and their reserves. It's giving them tools to complete their work while they are continuing to learn how to live out the fruits of the Spirit in all that they do- including home day schoolwork!

​Halloween has long been debated in Christian circles as to whether or not it's right or wrong to participate. Sometimes, culture presents us with things that aren't black and white and require us to do a little bit of homework before we jump to conclusions or make blind assumptions. As we teach our students, we need to be thinking people- people who make decisions based on well-thought out logic paired with the wisdom of God. 

​So what do we do with a culture piece that seems to hold a lot of weight in people's minds? Here's a thinking process we have found helpful when evaluating certain cultural norms. Research-Reject-Receive-Redeem.

1. Research the aspect of culture that you are discussing, in this case, Halloween.
It will take far too long to write the history of Halloween here, and it's not necessarily the point of this post. So in short, the holiday did, in some part, originate from pagan and mythical practices. But calling it "Satanic" can merely end up being a game of semantics. (What about Roman and Greek mythology, etc?) Maybe all these things are "satanic," maybe they aren't. Christians need to exercise thoughtful discernment when coming to conclusions about such matters.

2. Reject, Receive, or Redeem.
Christians have three options when it comes to how they want to approach the culture issue at hand, in this case, Halloween. 

Reject
A Christian named Pat Robertson called Halloween the "festival of the Devils" and said it was wrong for Christians to participate. But to reject it outright without answering this question, would be foolish... "To what extent does something's evolution from pagan roots entail that its present practice is tainted?" Because today, there's been a huge shift in the original practices of Halloween, to kids dressed up in cute costumes for a sugar fest once a year. 

If you are going to outright reject Halloween are you consistent in rejecting other holidays completely as well? There are pagan practices rooted in most holidays as is excess, like too much candy on Halloween. So should we reject Thanksgiving too because some people eat too much and gluttony is a sin? 

Other Christians reject Halloween because they fear the evil will influence their Christian faith. The idea is, 'garbage in, garbage out.' But Jesus says the exact opposite is true in Mark 7:21-23. The fruit of our lives (whether holiness or sin) is always tied to the root of our hearts. Sin absolutely corrupts but the sin is not so much 'out there in the world' as much as it is in the heart of every person. Holding fast to the outright rejection position falsely assumes sin is mostly what we do rather than who we are. 

Receive 
Receiving halloween means one might take it in its full glory, jumping in with both feet and embracing every single aspect of the holiday and its practices without ever thinking through the why and the how. This in and of itself may not be a problem, but the concern may be that we might have too quickly and blindly just accepted something culture had to offer without thinking deeply about it. 

Redeem
If we have an informed understanding of the history of Halloween and realize that as a Christian we have the biblical freedom to redeem cultural practices (1 Corinthians 10:22-23), Christians should follow their conscience in choosing how to approach this holiday.

How one goes about which aspects of Halloween to redeem or receive is still a tricky issue. One suggestion is to distinguish between the cultural aspects of Halloween and the religious aspects of Halloween. "There is a big difference between kids dressing up in cute costumes for candy and Mardi-Gras-like Halloween parties with offensive costumes and uninhibited excess."

"It's naive to make a blanket judgment to reject or receive Halloween as a whole. There should be no pressure to participate, but for those Christians whose conscience permits, we should view it as an opportunity to engage wisely with our culture and to choose how we can redeem this aspect of culture. Many Christian use this culture piece of Halloween as a way to get out into their neighborhoods and hang out with those around them, build relationships, and be together with people they live near which they otherwise might not get to do as often. And, let's be honest, mom and dad really enjoy raiding the Halloween buckets once all the kids are sleeping (just don't forget to garboflage the evidence)!

Whenever I share about my work or the school, nine times out of ten I hear the question, "What is classical education anyway?" For many people. they have visions of dark, cold, stone buildings with sullen children in pleated stuffy uniforms chanting things in Latin. Some of that might be true- our students do wear uniforms (but we think they look adorable) and they do chant their Latin vocabulary, declensions and conjugations. But their education is far from dark, stone-like, or sullen. 

How is a classical school different than a public school, traditional Christian school, or non-classical charter or private school? 

In a nutshell:
Classical educational teaches students HOW to learn.
Traditional education teaches students WHAT to learn.

At first thought, skeptics might think this distinction is not a big deal, or maybe it just seems like a lofty thought, but in practical terms there's nothing different about classical vs. traditional education. However, all of those with an understanding of classical education will tell you it is a very big deal and a very different kind of a big deal. 

Traditional Education Teaches Students WHAT to Learn
Traditional schools focus on teaching students WHAT they supposedly need to know and then testing them to see if they measure up. Some examples of this are high-stakes testing, state testing, state standards, "What Your 1st Grader Needs to Know by the end of 1st Grade" type of lists, and the cram, test, forget cycle of the K-12 years.

In traditional education, there is very little cross over or connections between subject areas and much of the information spent cramming down their throats for spit back ends up obsolete before they even get to their career job. Traditional education can also be marked by track programs, where the math kids, or the English/writing kids are given classes mostly within their wheelhouse of gifting or comfort and a huge part of educating them as a human, not just as a worker, is missed. 

"Best practices" for the curriculum, methodology, and the classroom in traditional schools are all centered around mass production of an "educational product," i.e. test scores, all of which to accomplish, at best, means very few teachers are passionate about their content, and the content must be taught to the low-average of the middle. There is little time for instilling a love for learning and growth when there are so many benchmarks to meet and so many children to try and force to meet them.

So, what about classical education? 

Classical Education Teaches Students HOW to Learn
Did you know that there is a time-tested process in which people learn? Did you know that "learning how to learn" is actually a skill? Classical schools focus on teaching students HOW to think. Classical education seeks to produce students who possess a lifelong passion for learning, who are effective thought leaders, who communicate well, and with confidence, and are able to express themselves logically and persuasively. 

It's not about teaching to the test or teaching to the career. Yes, our students go through science, math, writing, language requirements but they do so through a classical education "how to learn" grid, Teaching students HOW to learn the material in front of them is priceless. This means they will possess the ability to learn almost anything placed in  front of them. This is very different than telling students, "THIS exact material is what you need to KNOW."

Our process starts in the Kindergarten year teaching students the process of how to learn anything, how to make connections across all disciplines (as well as in life), and how to communicate those connections. This process happens over and over again all the way through 12th grade. Innovation and entrepreneurial advancement happen within the connections between knowledge, not in the "What Your Student Needs to Know" about each subject area. 

So, what does it look like? What does it look like, practically, to teach students how to learn? 
First of all, our classrooms operate much like any other school classroom. There are desks or student tables and chairs, coat racks, school calendars, name tags and line leaders, recess, lunch rooms, lockers, and after school electives. If you didn't walk in during something like recitation hour and had no prior understanding of classical education, you would assume this was any old classroom. 

But if you stopped in and stayed for a few days, weeks, and months you would see something very different. You would see students engaging in the three specific and distinct practices of "learning how to learn" as they work through their class material.  In classical school we call this "how to learn process" the Trivium. 

Here is a practical example of what this might look like:
Let's take the topic of the War of 1812.
At the grammar stage, students would be learning all about the War of 1812. They would read the stories surrounding it, memorize the names, dates, and places that pertained to the War of 1812, and basically be able to give all the foundational facts about the War of 1812. 

At the logic stage, students would circle back to all that information they already learned, memorized, and absorbed about the War of 1812 and they will begin to ask how and why questions. "Why did the War of 1812 start?" "How did the war end and why?" along with all kinds of other questions that will bring clarity and understanding to the facts learned about the War of 1812. 

At the rhetoric stage, students would begin to integrate that grammar and logic, seeing where else in history or life we see similar patterns or outcomes, and what those might mean for our present every day life? This learning is often displayed in persuasive speaking or writing. This is where students pursue wisdom, not just understanding. For what good is knowledge and understanding, if you don't know how to use it to positively affect your life and the lives of those around you. 

All three of these phases- grammar, logic, and rhetoric are used to teach students how to learn. They can be applied almost anywhere. It seems simple, but in all the noise of every "next new thing" in education trends, we have lost the ability to think for ourselves, to reason logically and persuasively, to maintain a love of learning, and to graduate compelling thought leaders who possess the gifts and abilities needed to shape culture and bring new innovative work to mankind. 

So if you really sat in our classes for any extended amount of time and watched our students interact with their teachers, peers, and learning material, you would see them in and out of this "how to learn" process all day long. When you grow up learning this way, you think nothing of it when your boss plops down a new program (or an entirely new position in a completely different field) in front of you and tells you learn it, learn it quick, be effective, and make sure you can teach it to the next guy that comes behind you. Oh, and don't forget to add innovation to it by thinking of how to make it better and more efficient. And the classically educated student has all the tools necessary to accomplish that and more. After all, he was taught how to approach new information, how to ask the right questions and answer them with logic and sound reasoning, and he was taught how to apply and integrate what he learned. He's been doing that since he was five years old! No big deal.

Any company, innovator, or world changing organization wants an adult who can  learn anything put in front of them, who can think and reason logically and persuasively, and who possess the skills to effectively bring about change and growth. ​

So the next time someone asks you, "what is classical education anyway?" You can tell them, in a nutshell, classical education teaches students HOW to learn, not WHAT to learn.

​We live in a day where our children don't have many rites of passage, at least not many positive ones. Historically, cultures all over the world initiate their young people into maturity, placing them directly and purposefully into a rite of passage at a designated point in time. Our society has little, if any of this "call to action" of our children. Unless intentionally done by parents, our children don't get to experience many "Rites of Passage" that signify a deliberate change in their journey, a call to greater responsibility and elevated purpose. Here at the Academy we would argue that young people are desperate for these charges given to them by those who love and shepherd them. 

We started off the 2021-2022 school year with our annual Blazer Ceremony on the first day of school, launching our 9th grade students into leadership at The Classical Academy. Students were inducted in front of their 180 student body community, 24 staff members, school board members, and parents and family members. They were given their Academy blazers- a sign of leadership, as well a liturgy and a charge for the years ahead as leaders of the school.

Some may say leadership is earned, not automatically given, and in many ways, it is. But like with our academics, we place challenging material in front of our students that forces them to grow, change, think critically, and then impact the world around them. Why would we do anything different with how we teach them character and leadership? When you place students into leadership as a rite of passage, you tell them, "You are worthy. You are capable, and you will be held to a higher standard." And guess what, they most often rise to the occasion. 

The Head of School read a Liturgy for Students and gave each student leader an individual charge while their parents put the blazer on them. 
​
As you wear your blazer we pray you will behold maturity and compassionate leadership, and be a shining example of the love of learning and the pursuit of excellence.​

Be mindful not only of your studies, a joyful attitude, and a love of learning, but be also mindful of the needs of your peers, the student body, and even your teachers.

Respond with mercy to the failings of others.
Be a bearer of love and light and reconciliation;
Have patience to listen to others, and in humility learn from them.
Show compassion by considering their needs as your own.
​
Wear grace well in this place, remembering that you arrive here each day as an emissary of God’s Kingdom.
May the Kingdom of God be between you and every person here at The Classical Academy.

Spring weather is finally peaking its head out and with that, comes preparing for the celebration of Easter. Christmas is the birth of Jesus, when God sent the Redeemer to mankind. But, Easter is the pinnacle of the Christian faith when Jesus died and rose again! Why then does it seem like we do so much at Christmas, but seem to drop the ball at Easter? After all, if the baby King born in a manger didn't die, and rise again, what kind of god are we following?

Easter should be the highlight, the pinnacle of the Christian church, and sadly often times, it is not. In theory and in discussion, yes. But in practice? Usually not. Christmas, the birth of Jesus, outshines Easter by far, but, what is Christmas without Easter? 

Many times Christians associate Easter with dressy, uncomfortable outfits, an array of the pastel colors purple, pink, yellow, blue, and green, the "secular" celebrations of baskets and easter bunnies, all culminating with an extra special visit to church on Easter Sunday where the pastor tries to make the "same old story" about Jesus' death and resurrection somehow new and exciting. That is what used to come to mind when I thought of the Christian church and Easter. But, over the last many years, we've watched our family celebrations change and watched many Christians and churches begin to celebrate, to really celebrate, and it has been fantastic to see. Jesus is nothing close to being a "same old story." 

I heard a writer say it like this, "It seems like Easter should be a military celebration, a Roman Triumph, a victory parade. Torches burning, bands blaring, pigs roasting on a spit. The God-Man has destroyed our last enemy, death, and has utterly triumphed over every foe. I don’t know quite what this should look like, but I do like what Robert Louis Wilken wrote in First Things:
​
If Christ is culture, let the sidewalks be lit with fire on Easter Eve, let traffic stop for a column of Christians waving palm branches on a spring morning, let streets be blocked off as the faithful gather for a Corpus Christi procession. Then will others know that there is another city in their midst, another commonwealth, one that has its face, like the face of angels, turned toward the face of God.
​

If we want our children to see, know, and understand Easter for what it is... a glorious, triumphant celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, then we must change how we approach it. It's not just a fancy Sunday that happens once a year, with an after church Easter egg hunt with the grandparents. If we want to present our children with a God they long to follow, a God that captivates their hearts and minds, a God that they see and know as being as awe-inspiring as He truly is, then we can't just give them culture's idea of Easter. ​

So what does this mean? What does this even look like? Well, that's up to you! It doesn't mean you have to go all out, create all kinds of crafts, and activities. The way you cultivate an Easter celebration in your family will not look exactly like someone else's. It means choosing a few things that you want to draw your family's attention to and putting in the time and effort to get it done. Will it be perfect? Not even close. Will it turn out exactly how you planned for in your head? Definitely not. But, if we aim for nothing, we hit nothing. 

​Maybe it's intentionally reading through the events of Easter with your kids during Holy Week, while another family sets up an Easter tree, does resurrection eggs, and crafts. Maybe you spend Maundy Thursday doing a family service project in your community while sharing the good news that Jesus is alive and active! Maybe it's taking a quiet, reflective hike with your family on Good Friday, talking and discussing with your kids what it would be like if Jesus never came and rose again?

​So, here are some of the ways our family is prepping for our Easter celebration. Maybe you'll find an idea or two here. Or, even ask your kids what their thoughts are on how to celebrate! 
​
1. Easter Advent- for our family. this is a tradition that is really important to us. As we journey towards Easter we are called to remember. Jesus instructs at the Last Supper to “do this in remembrance of me.” He is actually telling us to experience His presence, not read about it, but to actively walk through an experience in order that we may remember. 

For us, walking through an experience to remember is our Easter advent. It is here, through Scripture, readings, and stories leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus, where we call ourselves and our children to engage in the ache and the beauty as we are led down the road to Calvary.

​In years past, we've kept our Advent to the week before Easter with the schedule and readings posted at the end of this post. Last year was our first  year doing 25 of the 40 days of Lent before Easter. We found at the ages of our kids, the full 40 days was a little too long to hold the meaning and intensity we were looking for. We use the cradle to the cross wreath, lighting a candle each night as we read and reflect. 

​3. CELEBRATE- How can you really celebrate? Make memories with your kids about the JOY and celebration of Jesus' victory over sin, death, and the evil one.

Here are a few ideas: Sidewalk chalk your street! Buy balloons, hang streamers, buy a confetti gun or a pinata! JESUS IS ALIVE!! Sometimes Christians get accused of being too somber, not showing real joy. I'd have to agree that sometimes their accusations are correct. 

I purchase these confetti wands for our kids on Amazon and stick them in their Easter baskets. The confetti is biodegradable so no need to clean up (if used outside, haha). They had a blast in years prior with confetti poppers, but these are a lot easier for my little kids than the poppers that were hard to pull the string  out of and that made loud noises. I also included a few of these confetti eggs (also biodegradable) for their Easter baskets. Think water balloon fight outside, but with confetti eggs! Or, how about an Easter pinata? 
​
Side note: If you share the pictures of your confetti filled "Jesus is Alive" people will absolutely assume you are making ANOTHER baby reveal 😂😂😂

​How are you preparing and celebrating this year?!?! 
Easter Advent Reading Plans 
Here's an Easter Advent that our family has worked through during Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday) every year. Please feel free to use it or adapt for your family. 

Each day has a reading from a story Bible, an Easter egg to open with a trinket that goes along with the story, and a picture ornament that also goes along with the story. Both the trinket and picture will be hung on the Easter tree, much like a Christmas advent Jesse Tree that hangs ornaments from the Bible stories leading up to the birth of Jesus. You can right click the Easter pics below and "save image as" and then print. We hole punched the top and made ornaments. Our Easter tree is simply branches from outside stuck in a heavy vase. 

Resources Used
The following items are used in the Easter Holy Week Advent that I've prepared, but they can easily be read using other sources by matching up the Biblical stories. We use multiple resources because some story Bibles don't include all the events of Holy Week, or one might explain an event better than another. You can always read the events straight from the Bible as well. 

Resurrection Eggs- We adapted these to fit the Holy Week readings we chose. Use however you'd like.
The Jesus Storybook Bible
​The Gospel Story Bible
​Any Bible
The Ology by Marty Machoswki

The initial plan below is geared more towards the young child. The adaptations we use with our older kids is also listed.
Day 1- The Triumphant Entry 

•  Read The Gospel Story Bible pg. 216-217
  • Older students- read Matthew 21:1-11
•  Egg- dark blue- little donkey hang on Easter tree
• Picture of triumphant entry- hang on Easter tree

​Halloween has long been debated in Christian circles as to whether or not it's right or wrong to participate. Sometimes, culture presents us with things that aren't black and white and require us to do a little bit of homework before we jump to conclusions or make blind assumptions. As we teach our students, we need to be thinking people- people who make decisions based on well-thought out logic paired with the wisdom of God. 

​So what do we do with a culture piece that seems to hold a lot of weight in people's minds? Here's a thinking process we have found helpful when evaluating certain cultural norms. Research-Reject-Receive-Redeem .

1. Research the aspect of culture that you are discussing, in this case, Halloween.
It will take far too long to write the history of Halloween here, and it's not necessarily the point of this post. So in short, the holiday did, in some part, originate from pagan and mythical practices. But calling it "Satanic" can merely end up being a game of semantics. (What about Roman and Greek mythology, etc?) Maybe all these things are "satanic," maybe they aren't. Christians need to exercise thoughtful discernment when coming to conclusions about such matters.

2. Reject, Receive, or Redeem.
Christians have three options when it comes to how they want to approach the culture issue at hand, in this case, Halloween. 

Reject
A Christian named Pat Robertson called Halloween the "festival of the Devils" and said it was wrong for Christians to participate. But to reject it outright without answering this question, would be foolish... "To what extent does something's evolution from pagan roots entail that its present practice is tainted?" Because today, there's been a huge shift in the original practices of Halloween, to kids dressed up in cute costumes for a sugar fest once a year. 

If you are going to outright reject Halloween are you consistent in rejecting other holidays completely as well? There are pagan practices rooted in most holidays as is excess, like too much candy on Halloween. So should we reject Thanksgiving too because some people eat too much and gluttony is a sin? 

Other Christians reject Halloween because they fear the evil will influence their Christian faith. The idea is, 'garbage in, garbage out.' But Jesus says the exact opposite is true in Mark 7:21-23. The fruit of our lives (whether holiness or sin) is always tied to the root of our hearts. Sin absolutely corrupts but the sin is not so much 'out there in the world' as much as it is in the heart of every person. Holding fast to the outright rejection position falsely assumes sin is mostly what we do rather than who we are. 

Receive 
Receiving halloween means one might take it in its full glory, jumping in with both feet and embracing every single aspect of the holiday and its practices without ever thinking through the why and the how. This in and of itself may not be a problem, but the concern may be that we might have too quickly and blindly just accepted something culture had to offer without thinking deeply about it. 

Redeem
If we have an informed understanding of the history of Halloween and realize that as a Christian we have the biblical freedom to redeem cultural practices (1 Corinthians 10:22-23), Christians should follow their conscience in choosing how to approach this holiday.

How one goes about which aspects of Halloween to redeem or receive is still a tricky issue. One suggestion is to distinguish between the cultural aspects of Halloween and the religious aspects of Halloween. "There is a big difference between kids dressing up in cute costumes for candy and Mardi-Gras-like Halloween parties with offensive costumes and uninhibited excess."

"It's naive to make a blanket judgment to reject or receive Halloween as a whole. There should be no pressure to participate, but for those Christians whose conscience permits, we should view it as an opportunity to engage wisely with our culture and to choose how we can redeem this aspect of culture. Many Christian use this culture piece of Halloween as a way to get out into their neighborhoods and hang out with those around them, build relationships, and be together with people they live near when they otherwise might not get to do as often. And, let's be honest, mom and dad really enjoy raiding the Halloween buckets once all the kids are sleeping (just don't forget to garboflage the evidence)!

As someone who is both Head of School and a parent of students at our school, I often get an added front row seat on the fruit of our labors as we commit to the time tested process of classical, Christian education. As with all parenting and career pathways, most of us at some point or another have asked ourselves, "Is this worth it? Are we seeing fruit? Do these things really matter?" The answer is yes. Yes, it's worth it. Yes, there is fruit (even on the hard days), and yes, it absolutely matters.

On the drive to school this morning, my kids were talking about a school friend whose family recently had to put their dog down. My daughter asked in a very concerned voice, "Do they do that to people too?" Suddenly, I found myself in the throws of a very deep and weighty discussion at 6:45am before my coffee even kicked in, about ethics, the image of God, our eternality, our position as human beings, and a God who is sovereign over life, death, and everything in between. What struck me, however, was the way in which my 6th grade son joined the conversation.

He kept asking all of the "why" questions surrounding this issue. At first, I attributed it to his developmental age. But suddenly, as he continued talking, I realized I was engaging with the fruit of our labors as a classical Christian school. In classical Christian schools we start everything with: "God created us and everything else for one singular purpose- His glory." All of a sudden, out of the backseat, I began to see the tiny sprout emerging from my son's early logic school education. Here sat a very beginning logic student, on his own, wrestling with the logic of the topic at hand- All truth is God's truth, and God created us and all things for his glory...So, what if this proposition is true?  What follows? How should we live, given this purpose? I was completely awe-struck at his ability to detect the errors in an argument about whether or not we should be able to euthanize humans. He was even able to bring the conversation outside of the Christian worldview... "What would be the argument against euthanizing humans if a person does not believe in God or see Him as the ultimate authority. What would follow that? How then, should people live?"

As we drove on to school, I thought to myself that this was a perfect example of the difference between Bible classes and chapel versus Biblical integration that is the spine of classical, Christian education. 
I had a meeting earlier this week with another Headmaster and we spent significant time discussing the difference between a traditional Christian school and a classical, Christian school. This obviously doesn't pertain to every non-classical Christian school, but by and large, there are differences in how we approach our faith and its role in the education process. 

For me personally, what we drove me to not just start a Christian school, but a classical Christian school was the deep disconnect I discovered in my faith and real life as I became an adult. Educated in public and traditional Christian education systems, I developed a solid knowledge of Scripture, but I absolutely lacked the experience to apply it in historical or existential ways. This greatly limited my Christian worldview application outside very black and white situations. When I began to find myself face to face with the challenges of modern ideologies, I reacted as I had learned, by compartmentalizing my faith in relation to other fields of knowledge. I wholly viewed the Bible and spirituality as a basis for my life and my beliefs, but most other things outside the obvious spiritual realm I saw as neutral, or disconnected. 

Once I began to understand the schools of logic and rhetoric as an adult, I realized where I wanted my own children, and any school community I lead, to go... I wanted them to not only be taught the logic: What if this proposition is true- that God created us and everything else for one singular purpose, His glory? What follows? How should we live, given this purpose? But I also wanted them to go further with it. I didn't want it just end with a spiritual box at the end of the lesson that says what does this application look like.

Instead, I saw the immense value of the classical Christian approach that goes further than the spiritual box at the end of a seemingly secular context... As David Goodwin says, "After given the logic, they are then taught to read and discuss great ideas from great thinkers, in great historical cultures, written in great texts. Students practice emulating the best arguments of these great texts, because there's nothing like emulating a master to learn an art. And the art of logic and rhetoric teaches us that good arguments, after all, connect bedrock axioms with practical daily truth. Through this process, students learn to think well, to view our universe as one big system that fits together, and to understand this system as it reflects "God's Glory alone." This is practiced, not just taught. Over time and through this practice, the student's loves, virtues, and passions are shaped within the order of God's world."

And this dear friends, is where the rubber meets the road...where the early logic student is seeing that every inch of thought, history, and natural creation is an extension of the work of Jesus Christ. This practice equips students to wisely navigate life’s ethical and spiritual challenges that they will inevitably face. Students learn to, as Paul wrote in Corinthians, “to take every thought captive to Christ,” meaning that they recognize the permanent and beautiful truth of redemption, in spite of what political propaganda, enticing opportunities, and cultural rhetoric they may encounter.

Our current culture is buzzing with information all about habits- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Better than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits, The Miracle Morning, and Desiring the Kingdom are just a few. Browse any self-help book section (Christian or secular) and you will find an enormous amount of information on habit building and habit maintaining. Habits matter! 

Habits are both conscious and subconscious. Take a moment and think of some conscious and subconscious habits you do on a daily basis. Subconsciously, what do you do the moment you walk in your front door? Where do you put your keys? Your shoes? When you wake up in the morning, what do you automatically move towards or start doing? Consciously, do you have dinner with your family most nights? Do you read aloud? Do you take time to go for a walk as a family or do another activity together? 

"If I consider my life honestly, I see that it is governed by a certain very small number of patterns and events which I take part in overt and over again... when I see how very few of them there are, I begin to understand what huge effect these few patterns have on my life, on my capacity to live. If these few patterns are good for me, I can live well. If they are bad for me, I can't." (Christopher Alexander, The Timeless Way of Building)

Scientific studies continue to confirm that neural pathways are created, strengthened, or lost depending on our daily habits. The more we do something (or don't do something) the more automatic it becomes, the easier it becomes, the quicker and faster we are able to travel down certain pathways. 

We accept this forming and building when it comes to physical activities such as training for a sport, learning complicated music, playing an instrument, competing in a triathlon. We fully accept that this takes time, effort, and consistent training. We don't begin the first cross country practice with the hardest, most difficult workout. We build up our stamina, we remain consistent, and we don't give up if we don't see results by leaps and bounds after week one. Just as the tortoise in the Tortoise and the Hare states, "slow and steady wins the race." 

So while we are accepting of this in the physical realm, we often neglect it in the mental realm.  We expect that training these other parts of ourselves (growing spiritually, emotionally, academically and as a person) should come easily, or at best, with one hard attempt. 

Parenting, academics, family life, spiritual life, and more... it all has a very long arch. It's so easy as parents and teachers to get caught up in the here and now. We see all the good things, the best things, and we panic to try and include them. We set ourselves up for failure because we find ALL the things we want to do and be, the things we want our families to do and be, the things we want our students to learn and apply. We get all trapped and often end up doing nothing when we try to make everything the best. 

Stormy Goodwin suggest these four principles for parents:
1. When considering how to structure your days, keep this in mind: habits built now can affect what your child loves for a lifetime. Work things like reading stories, family worship and prayer, dinner together, and listening to good music into your daily life. Make your own list depending on what is important to you. If you don't have time, then cut other activities. You are sending a clear message to your kids through both what you plan and what you allow. 

2. When considering standards of behavior, remove the tendency to be purely practical. What you allow your kids to wear to a funeral matters. How you train them to greet people matters. And what you do for Sabbath rest matters. 

3. When encountering habitual sinful thought in yourself and your children, address them intentionally. First, find replacement thoughts centered on truth, gratitude, and faith to insert immediately. Then, intentionally do so, and reminder your kids to do the same. Over time, wrong habits will become fulfilling thoughts. This can be life-changing. 

4. And finally, get into the habit of continually repeating the true, good, and beautiful.

At the Academy, we are ordering habits and nurturing affections. We structure our campus days for students to always be exposed to the best pieces of art, music, and stories, and we hold a high caliber of expectations. We being our days centering ourselves on Jesus through our Scripture memory, catechism, and worship. We teach our students that people matter more than anything- we teach them to properly greet others, to include others, to stand up for each other, and to show up for those around them. We are continually repeating the true, the good, and the beautiful. 

​

At The Classical Academy we aim to produce much more than superior academics and a nurturing school environment. By the grace of God, we seek to cultivate students who love truth, goodness, and beauty, and recognize Jesus Christ as the source. We seek to lead students to embody wisdom and virtue, and possess a lifelong passion for learning. We seek to nurture students to become thought leaders who shape the culture with the truth of the Gospel, who evaluate all human knowledge and experience in light of Scripture, and who use their education to further God's kingdom.

We are learning in this journey of education that these things do not just happen. They must be cultivated, nurture, visited again and again, and in this case at the start of the school year intentionally placed on their shoulders. 

We live in a day where our children don't have many rites of passage, at least not many positive ones. Historically, cultures all over the world initiate their young people into maturity, placing them directly and purposefully into a rite of passage at a designated point in time. Our society has little, if any of this "call to action" of our children. Unless intentionally done by parents, our children don't get to experience many "Rites of Passage" that signify a deliberate change in their journey, a call to greater responsibility and elevated purpose. Here at the Academy we would argue that young people are desperate for these charges given to them by those who love and shepherd them. 

We started off the 2020-2021 school year with our Blazer Ceremony on the first day of school, launching our oldest students into leadership at The Classical Academy. Students were inducted in front of their 150 student body, 21 staff members, parents and family members. They were given their Academy blazers- a sign of leadership, as well a liturgy and a charge for the years ahead as leaders of the school.

Some may say leadership is earned, not automatically given, and in many ways, it is. But like with our academics, we place challenging material in front of our students that forces them to grow, change, think critically, and then impact the world around them. Why would we do anything different with how we teach them character and leadership? When you place students into leadership as a rite of passage, you tell them, "You are worthy. You are capable, and you will be held to a higher standard." And guess what, they most often rise to the occasion. 

The Head of School read a Liturgy for Students and gave each student leader an individual charge while their parents put the blazer on them. 

It has been 4 weeks of school so far and we are watching our student leaders rise to the occasion. We saw one of our high school gentlemen stand in front of the school community at dismissal, take appropriate control of the noise level, and express to the younger students the expectation of the dismissal process, and watched as over 100 younger students followed his leadership. We watch our student leaders stand and address adults and visitors who come into the classroom and watch the younger school community follow suit. We watch our student leaders open doors, look for ways to serve, and joyfully engage their teachers and peers. This is what it's about. You teach the younger generation how to approach life and the joy of learning by modeling and expecting. 

It is a very different approach to tell your older students they must earn the spot of leader than it is to tell them, "You are the leader." When we place our students here as a Rite of Passage, we can more easily guide, nurture, and instruct what it is a leader does. It leaves their dignity intact as they learn to lead and as we teach them, rather than stripping their dignity by saying, "You can't have this position until you are good enough." More often than not, the students rise to the occasion in ways that surprise and encourage us. 

A Liturgy for Students
(adapted from Every Moment Holy)
May you learn to love learning,
For the world is yours,
And all things in it speak
---each in their way--- of our Savior:
            of His mind,
            His designs,
            His artistry,
            His power,
            His unfolding purpose.
 
All knowledge is God’s knowledge.
All wisdom is God’s wisdom.
 
Therefore, as you apply yourselves to learning,
Be mindful that all created things
Are God’s creative expression, that all stories
Are held within His greater story,
And that all disciplines of order and design
Are a chasing after His thoughts--
So that greater mastery of these subjects
Will yield ever greater knowledge of the
Symmetry and wonder of His ways.
 
Along this journey, you have been blessed with teachers who are passionate
About the subjects they teach,
And with mentors who take joy
In awakening in you a fierce love for those
Parts of God’s creation and His story that they have already learned to love well.
 
If you apply yourself to those subjects
That you might at first find tedious,
Your efforts will be rewarded with new insights,
Fresh inspiration, small epiphanies,
And with the firm conviction that God
Is at work in your heart in all circumstances,
Not only broadening your knowledge,
But also shaping your heart by patience,
Endurance, and discipline
That you might mature to more fitly and humbly
Serve the purposes of God’s great kingdom.
 
As these students enter into leadership at The Classical Academy, we pray for a deepening knowledge of truth and finer discernment of the ideas they encounter in their studies.
 
Jesus, guard their minds always against error, and guard also their hearts against
The temptation to compare their own performance to the work of their peers,
And so to fall into either of the twin traps of shame or pride.
 
Grant them instead, that they might happily steward
What scholarly gifts you have apportioned them,
And that they might do so as means of preparing
Themselves for service to you and to others,
Grant them strength to live their identity drawn from your love and forgiveness, and not from their grades
Or accolades here.
 
Grant them discernment and wisdom,
Knowledge and understanding.
Lead them to truth and bless the labors of this new season.
Shape them for your service, Lord Jesus.
May they wear grace well in this place,
​remembering that they arrive here each day as an emissary of your Kingdom. 

We are in the middle of week 3 of quarantine due to covid-19 and experiencing all kinds of things we never have before. Most of us are homeschooling our kids full-time, with little to no warning, and parents are having to work from home. Social distancing is in full swing- there are no playdates, date nights, church services, sports, activities, and dinner with friends. Even going to the grocery store can be anxiety producing and stressful. 

And amidst it all, the most important celebration in the Christian faith is just a week and a half away. The celebration of our risen Savior, Jesus! We keep hearing about time to slow down and how our families have more time now that we are restricted to home. But, I'm well aware this may not actually be the reality for many families. While yes, our activities and outings are cancelled, depending on your specific scenario, you might find yourself totally strapped for time trying to manage kids home full-time, as well as working from home under a completely new system. 

But given the circumstances our entire nation, and world, finds itself in, I would argue it's even more important to forcibly slow down our thoughts and prepare our hearts for Easter. 

There are so many emotions these days as we seek a new normal, trying to find our way through what feels like an endless tunnel of "what if." We might feel fear, anxiety, hope, grief, awareness, and even joy and comfort at seeing the ways humanity is showing up in these uncertain times.

And still, it feels almost strange to seek a daily, quiet reprieve during this time leading up to Easter. In many ways, it feels oddly fitting that all of this is hitting at the same time as the celebration of Jesus' victory over death.

It will be so easy to throw Easter off this year-- we can't really shop, who bought Easter clothes before the quarantine, we can't get together as families, and we can't even get together with other Christians for the most prominent Sunday of the Christian calendar. We'll be tempted to just kind of throw it out the window, watch the church service on TV, and call it a Sunday. After all, we have every reason in the book to do so, right?

But, might I encourage you to step out, to prepare, and to CELEBRATE. Will it be different this year? Yes. Absolutely. Will it look and feel like it usually does? Probably not. Will we feel all kinds of emotions celebrating Easter without our traditions, missing family and church family? Yes, most definitely. But, now, more than ever, our world needs the story of the risen Jesus. 

Obviously, our preparing and celebrating will look very different this year. And, that's okay. Once we make peace with that, it frees us up to make the best of these crazy circumstances we find ourselves in and find ways to make this Easter one our children really remember. 

Does this mean adding mom guilt about ALL.THE.THINGS and depressing yourself with Pinterest searches for the best and most creative crafts and decorating ideas? No, it doesn't mean that at all. It means choosing a few things that you want to draw your family's attention to and putting in the time and effort to get it done. Will it be perfect? Not even close. Will it turn out exactly how you planned for in your head? Definitely not. But, if we aim for nothing, we hit nothing. 

So, here are some of the ways our family is prepping for our Easter celebration. Maybe you'll find an idea or two here. Or, even ask your kids what their thoughts are on how to celebrate! 

1. Easter Advent- for our family. this is a tradition that is really important to us. As we journey towards Easter we are called to remember. Jesus instructs at the Last Supper to “do this in remembrance of me.” He is actually telling us to experience His presence, not read about it, but to actively walk through an experience in order that we may remember. For us, walking through an experience to remember is our Easter advent. It is here, through Scripture, readings, and stories leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus, where we call ourselves and our children to engage in the ache and the beauty as we are led down the road to Calvary.

​In years past, we've kept our Advent to the week before Easter with the schedule and readings posted at the end of this post. This year is our first  year doing 25 of the 40 days of Lent before Easter. We found at the ages of our kids, the full 40 days was a little too long to hold the meaning and intensity we were looking for. We use the cradle to the cross wreath, lighting a candle each night as we read and reflect. 

2. Easter Baskets- while we don't do anything regarding the Easter Bunny, we do participate in this cultural activity and it's been a fun activity for the kids. We do try to place some kind of meaning into what goes inside their baskets. This year, we are honing in on "old to new" from "death to life," and each of our kids' baskets will have some kind of craft/project representing going from old to new, from death to life, from broken to restored. After all, this is what Easter really is about. This is a new tradition for us and one we didn't get to settle on before the quarantine. It took some creative planning- seeing what we already had in our house, what neighbors might have that we could use, etc. 
Examples: Put a container of broken crayons and a silicone mold in their Easter basket. Melt the crayons to make new crayons in the molds. A collection of old, mismatched costume jewelry in the Easter basket with a blank canvas. Take apart all the jewelry and hot glue into a new creation on the blank canvas. 

Tip: get on Amazon, or your favorite place to shop and your order any Easter basket essentials now. Otherwise, you won't get it in time. Shipping times (including prime) are not as fast as usual given all that is going on. ​

3. Decorate- If you normally put up spring/Easter decorations don't neglect doing so because everything feels different and you're gloomy and tired of being inside. Go ahead and decorate! If you don't normally decorate, you'd be surprised what you have around your house that you could turn into a spring decoration. 

3. CELEBRATE- I heard a writer say it like this, "It seems like Easter should be a military celebration, a Roman Triumph, a victory parade. Torches burning, bands blaring, pigs roasting on a spit. The God-Man has destroyed our last enemy, death, and has utterly triumphed over every foe. I don’t know quite what this should look like, but I do like what Robert Louis Wilken wrote in First Things:
​
If Christ is culture, let the sidewalks be lit with fire on Easter Eve, let traffic stop for a column of Christians waving palm branches on a spring morning, let streets be blocked off as the faithful gather for a Corpus Christi procession. Then will others know that there is another city in their midst, another commonwealth, one that has its face, like the face of angels, turned toward the face of God.

Obviously, we know that gatherings, parades, and the like are not able to happen this year. But how can you improvise in true celebration? Sidewalk chalk your street? Buy balloons on Amazon, hang streamers, buy a confetti gun or a pinata? JESUS IS ALIVE!! Sometimes Christians get accused of being too somber, not showing pure joy. Well, now is the time to celebrate true victory over the grave!    

I purchased these confetti wands for the kids on the Amazon this week and will stick them in their Easter baskets. The confetti is biodegradable so no need to clean up (if used outside, haha). They had a blast last year with confetti poppers, but these will be a lot easier for my little kids than the poppers that were hard to pull the string  out of and that made loud noises. 

4. Plan Y0ur Meal! Don't wait until a few days before! Start now. Normally, we can do this relatively last minute, but this year you're going to need to start trying to track down your special ingredients because they might not all be found in one trip anymore. Check online, ask neighbors, all within safe social distancing of course! And if you can't make your meal special in its food items, don't stress- it's the importance of coming around the table together, in joyful celebration that we serve a RISEN Savior. 

How are you preparing and celebrating this year?!?! 

Easter Advent Reading Plans 
Here's an Easter Advent that our family has worked through during Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday) every year. Please feel free to use it or adapt for your family. 

Each day has a reading from a story Bible, an Easter egg to open with a trinket that goes along with the story, and a picture ornament that also goes along with the story. Both the trinket and picture will be hung on the Easter tree, much like a Christmas advent Jesse Tree that hangs ornaments from the Bible stories leading up to the birth of Jesus. You can right click the Easter pics below and "save image as" and then print. We hole punched the top and made ornaments. Our Easter tree is simply branches from outside stuck in a heavy vase. ​