Friday, August 14, 2020

As we prepare for the school year, I am able to take time to appreciate and share what makes our community and our school so unique. We have exceptional teachers, staff, students, and families, as well as an exceptional location for our school home. Our campus sits in one of the most scenic areas in the world, and under the current circumstances, the space we have to teach our students fits perfectly with what we need to do in order to keep our students, staff, and families safely engaged in learning together. An essential part of what makes our school so unique is our focus on educating our students as whole persons. Our teachers are indeed exceptional, and our curriculum is rich with knowledge and depth, but what solidifies our education, brings it to life, develops lifelong curiosity and a love of learning is the formation of student habits. This combination of academic excellence and character formation is what allows us the opportunity to fully educate our students.

 

This type of education is what made me want to not only work at our school, but also have my own family be a part of our school community. My daughter will be entering the 1^st grade this year, and a large part of my excitement for her is the fact that she will be educating her heart as well as her mind. A vital part of her educational success and the educational success of all of our students is our focus on academics in conjunction with habit formation. Our goal at school is to not only provide excellent academic content, but also cultivate wisdom and virtue in our students. The basis for much of our philosophy regarding the importance of habit formation comes from Charlotte Mason who states that “The formation of habits is education and education is the formation of habits.” Without equal focus on both academics and character we are unable to fully educate our students. I think Aristotle says it best when he said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” We view our students as whole persons who are ready to learn any and all content that we present to them, but in order for us to accomplish this we must help our students shape their character through the formation of good habits.

 

Our faculty, staff, and administration are committed to partnering with you and modeling the virtues we expect of our students. As we educate students, our desire is to see each one recognize and fulfill their God-given potential.  To meet the expectations we have for ourselves and our students, we will provide clearly defined academic and behavioral expectations. We will support and strengthen student habits in areas where they are weak, and we will encourage continued growth in areas where they excel. As the first day of school rapidly approaches, I look forward to being on campus with our tremendous faculty, staff, and students. There is not a day that goes by that I am not constantly reminded of how amazing it is to have an opportunity to live and work in this community. I cannot think of a better place in which to educate my own children alongside yours.