A well-known educational philosopher, Charlotte Mason, believed that as much as 1/3 of education is atmosphere. Life is dependent on atmosphere. Atmosphere is essential to life’s existence. A gardener understands this quite well as he knows that his plants, vegetables, fruits, and flowers’ survival depends on the perfect atmosphere for thriving growth. A doctor or surgeon understands the importance of a sanitary and clean atmosphere for his patients’ well being. Mankind depends on the perfect atmosphere of oxygen and temperature to survive. Atmosphere has the power to bring life or death.
An education that nourishes a child’s whole being, not just his mind, or his test scores, hinges on his atmosphere. A truly vital question in the discussion of a child’s education is, “Is my child’s atmosphere conducive to life and growth, cultivating truth, goodness, and beauty?” The two most important factors of a child’s educational atmosphere are the home and the classroom.
The life supporting gift of time is offered by the university-schedule, giving families and students the time and ability to focuses on developing a child’s whole person. The gift of time gives them ability to play, to create, and to nurture personal interests and hobbies. The university-schedule and the natural, gradual movement towards self-motivated, independent learning cannot be overlooked. The gift of time is one of the key elements of a child’s education.
The reality is that in our day, in this place, at this time, more is required from an academic standpoint than it was hundreds of years ago. However, I fear that in recognition of that reality, we’ve outsourced everything, loaded our students up with hours and hours of “school,” and took out one of the key elements of our child’s educational atmosphere… the family, the community, and the gift of time.
The reality of a five-day a week, full-day school means that our children spend a very large portion of their waking hours in an educational atmosphere that is contrived, draining, and personally stifling. These set-ups steal so much unnecessary time from our children that there is little left to pursue personal talents, hobbies, abilities, or entrepreneurial desires. Families find themselves at the end of the traditional school week race, drained, and with little resolve.
Just as the life-supporting atmosphere of the family and community cannot be overlooked as one of the key elements of a child’s education, the atmosphere of the classroom and its educational provisions shouldn’t be overlooked either. There absolutely is value in the classroom. There’s value in other mature, and character worthy adults speaking into the lives of our children. There’s value in children being around others different from themselves and their family unit. There’s value in our children sitting in a class of peers discussing the arts, rich literature, and the great men and women of history. There’s value in our teenagers taking their learned skills of persuasion, speech, and writing and constructing credible and strong arguments among their peers. There’s value of having educators who have become masters in their specified fields breathe wisdom and clarity into subjects they are passionate about. There’s incredible value in skilled educators bringing their sphere of expertise to the process of a child’s education.
There is tremendous value in both. When the question arose, “so how do we get the best of both worlds?” The Classical Academy was born.
Through enrollment at The Classical Academy students receive a FULL, private, classical, Christian education, within our unique, innovative design. Our full curriculum and educational plan is created and implemented by our professional staff. TCA is a place where students will receive the benefits of a quality, private school education among a genuine community of students and teachers growing and learning side by side.
Partnering through enrollment at TCA gives your child the gift of time, along with a rich atmosphere conducive to life and growth, cultivating truth, goodness, and beauty.
