The Romans were renowned for their roads, constructed for the effective conveyance of military might. Paved with smooth, flat stones that afforded the soldiers an efficient marching pace along straight paths, these roads became a symbol of the strength and reach of the Empire. Roman law mandated the maintenance of roads, so Roman engineers developed a method for road construction that resulted in durable roads that could be used for nearly a century before repaving was necessary. The foundational construction of these roads was so strong that several are still in use today.
The soldiers began by digging into the soil and tamping it down to form a compacted trench. In the trench they placed rocks, then filled in the spaces between the rocks with gravel and sand to create a firm foundation. Atop this foundation they laid smooth, flat paving stones to finish off the road. The Romans were strategic, systematic, and efficient in their approach to the world, which is reflected in their language as well as in their engineering practices.
In Latin, a trivium is a crossroads, literally the place where “three roads” meet. In classical education, the trivium is comprised of the three liberal arts pertaining to the mind: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. Like a Roman road, each stage of the trivium contains building blocks that, when laid carefully, provide for the effective conveyance of ideas. In order for Latin to be learned and used well, the knowledge of Latin must be built systematically, beginning with the grammar of the subject, progressing to the logical components of the language, and finally paved with the persuasive eloquence of rhetoric.
According to Sister Miriam Joseph in The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric, grammar is the art of inventing and combining symbols and is concerned with the thing as it is symbolized. In Latin, these symbols are primarily the forms of words and inflections. Therefore, during the grammar stage of a student’s Latin education, he ought to be learning primarily vocabulary and endings, and some of how these endings apply to the vocabulary he has learned. This grammar education is best done during the elementary years, which Dorothy Sayers terms the “poll-parrot” stage. At this point in a child’s development, he is generally pleasantly disposed to the chanting of rhymes and the memorization of endings. Learning vocabulary is relatively easy for the young student who is still in the process of language acquisition in his native tongue.
(Read part two of this two-part series on Latin at Petra Academy here.)
As the Gallatin Valley’s only K4-12th grade classical Christian school, Petra Academy began its 21st year in Bozeman last week with a record 211-student enrollment and some exciting news: as reported by the ACT National Office, Petra Academy students scored 38% higher than the Montana state-wide average, with the class of 2016 earning an average composite score of 28.0 as compared to the State of Montana average composite score of 20.3.
Petra’s curriculum and teachers are the two main reasons for student success. Over the past 20 years, Petra has developed a deep K4-12th grade curriculum built on the greatest books and ideas from the greatest minds Western Civilization has produced. In the hands and hearts of teachers who embrace their role as exemplars, these ideas take shape and come to life in our students in a variety of ways, with good ACT scores being just one of those.
The ACT measures college-readiness among high school students, with 64% of students of the graduating class of 2016 taking the exam. College-readiness is measured in four areas – English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. 78% of Petra students exceeded college readiness benchmark scores as compared to 22% of students across Montana. The score report, state-by-state comparisons and other statistical analysis are available here.
I am excited to be at Petra and in a community like Bozeman, where parents seem to really value education. For families in search of small classes and a vibrant liberal arts education at the primary, elementary, and secondary levels, we’re thankful to be able to meet students’ needs in ways other schools may not. Most importantly (and as our mission states), we’re committed to do so for the flourishing of humanity and the renown of Jesus the Christ.
All Bozeman schools are now in session, but not all are the same. Things not working out for your student(s)? We still have room in most classes and are glad to help parents looking for the right fit. Join us each and every Thursday morning from 9-10 or 10-11 a.m. for our Open House Thursday. We’ll brew the coffee; you bring your questions. No RSVP required; just come!
In case you haven’t figured it out (or in case you are struggling to accept it), today is the first day of our 2016-2017 school year. Like most schools, we make a big deal about the first day of school, and I want to spend a few minutes this morning thinking about why first days are important.
There was a first day in Portugal in the late 1400s when a young sailor named Ferdinand Magellan – the first man we know of to circumnavigate the globe – saw the ocean for the very first time.
There was a first day in my home state of Illinois in the early part of the 19th century when a young Abraham Lincoln – our 16th President – learned about how our American government is made up of three branches.
There was a first day in England in the mid-to-late 1500s when a little boy named William Shakespeare first learned to pick up a pen and write.
There was a first day in Italy around that same time when a young Galileo Galileli first looked up and noticed the stars.
There was a first day in Africa in the mid-to-late 300s when a boy named Augustine first thought about God.
These were all first days. And these first days turned into other first days – when Magellan actually set sail; when Lincoln decided to run for President; when Shakespeare began to write his plays; when Galileo began to wonder if the Earth might be round instead of flat; when Augustine began to write down his thoughts about God. But these are just five first days in history; there are more.
There was a first day when Catherine the Great, in the mid 1700s, first met one of the poorest of her fellow Russian citizens and wondered how to improve the life that that person lived.
There was a first day when Sacajawea, in the early 1800s, began to learn the trails on which she would later safely guide Lewis and Clark as they explored the western half of the United States.
There was a first day when Marie Curie, in the early 1900s, first became interested in science, which she would later win two Nobel prizes in Physics and Chemistry and become the first woman professor at the University of Paris.
There was a first day in the 1920s when Rosa Parks first noticed that there were differences in skin color, but that looking differently didn’t mean people should be treated differently.
And there was a girl named Mary who lived a few thousand years ago and who first learned to pray and listen to God about how she could best serve him.
First days. We take them for granted, but we shouldn’t. What will this first day hold? For some – particularly those who are new to our school for the first time – it may seem as strange as it is new. For others – especially those who have been at our school before – it may seem familiar or even boring. But think with me: what could happen today, what could you hear about or learn for the first time today that might stick with you for the entire rest of your life?
I remember my first-ever first day of school. Imagine little Mr. Dunham in Kindergarten, wearing his backpack and bow tie, getting ready to get on the bus to make the long six-mile drive to the old red brick building where he would spend the next twelve years of his life learning history and mathematics and literature and science and music and athletics and dramatics and…what makes a good school and what doesn’t. I first became interested in all of that on my first day of school; I was fascinated. What will you become interested in on this first day of school?
Most of us feel a little nervous on our first day of school, and that’s okay. There are people here – your teachers – who have been through plenty of first days of school and they are here to lead you through it. They will be your guides, your shepherds, and your biggest fans…if you learn to trust them and let them, that is. You can learn much from your teachers here at Petra, but no matter how much they love you and want to teach you, they can only do so when you give them the opportunity.
Most importantly, the God of beginnings – of the world, of this day – is here. The Bible says that “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth,” and when he finished doing that, he declared that what he had created was good. You and I are part of that creation, and while the world God made – including you and me – has fallen from its initial perfection, God is still the God of new beginnings, offering us forgiveness each and every day and proving to us with every sunrise that he has not given up on what he has made.
So on this first day of school, I want to encourage us to make the most of it. How do we do that? By enjoying it, by asking questions and learning more about our teachers and fellow students, by admitting that we don’t know much and need and want to grow in what we do know and how we act, and by just thanking God for it, because only he knows how many more first days – or any days – we will ever have.
“In the realm of ideas, everything depends on enthusiasm.
In the real world, all rests on perseverance.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A week or so ago, I met a Petra mom in front of the building to save her a trip in (she was dropping off a tuition check and I happened to be outside checking the mail). As she got out of her vehicle, her young son followed her. “Hello!” I said. “When’s the playground going to be done?” he asked, without missing a beat. Before I could respond, his mother jumped in and gently said to him, “It will be done when it’s done, and it will be great.”
Though the mom was a little embarrassed by her son’s directness, I appreciated her hopeful answer in response to his honest question, particularly in light of the news I need to communicate here: due to materials for the first four elements being delayed in their delivery until September 13, the first phase of our playground will not be installed by the first day of school. I apologize that we communicated – but missed – this expectation.
The good news is, as of ten days ago, we have marked the irrigation lines running beneath the surface of the playground area, and are working with board member (and landscape business owner) Steve Mayville on the excavation plan for the various sites and needed concrete bases for the individual pieces to be ready when they arrive. We hope to have the majority of the site preparation finished in time by the September 13 delivery, after which we will then invite the community to join us in assembling and attaching the individual pieces. If all goes well, the elements would be up no later than the end of September.
Again, my apologies for the bad news, but I was thankful for the words of a Petra dad I spoke with about the playground status last week when he said, “Well, it will be good for the kids to see it being built rather than just falling out of the sky. Good things take work to come into existence and it’s okay for our kids to see that.”
I appreciated the perspectives of both of these Petra parents, and while I wish there was no need for them, I felt it important to let you (and your students) know about the delay before school begins. I welcome any further questions, and would ask that you communicate to your students my apologies and that we will persevere.
Several years ago, Andrew Kern, president of The Circe Institute, a leading provider of resources, training, and information for classical Christian homeschoolers and school teachers, asked me what percentage of families at my former school “got” what we were trying to do. Before I even began to process the question, Andrew took the pressure off: “Let me just say that if it’s more than 20%, I’d be surprised.”
This was not because Andrew knew anything in particular about the families at that classical Christian school; he just knew families at lots of classical Christian schools. Because many parents (like myself) didn’t grow up with the same opportunities we seek to offer our kids at Petra, they often felt less than adequate in explaining their school decision to others, sometimes even lacking the categories for rightly evaluating it themselves.
This is not meant as a knock against parents, but it is meant as a call to equip ourselves to learn and love more the counter-cultural education in which we are participating with our students.
The struggle for like-mindedness between parent and school can be real. Authors Robert Littlejohn and Charles T. Evans write in their book, Wisdom & Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning, that,
The best test of like-mindedness is a parent’s or an older student’s ability to talk about the ways in which the education that your school offers will shape the applicant. If the things that a dad says he hopes your school can do for his child reflect the school’s mission, then you have a like-minded family. If a family’s expectations for the outcome of their children’s education are different from or merely tangential to the school’s mission, look more closely. Doctrinal agreement may be a useful starting point, but it is no guarantee that any family will allow your teachers to influence their students in the ways that the school has said are most important.
As a transdenominational (as opposed to non-denominational) Christian school, Petra Academy enrolls families from 36 different churches across the Gallatin Valley and the theological spectrum, including (by way of our open enrollment policy) families who do not claim particular Christian faith, but are open to it being part of their child’s education.
Whether intentional or open concerning our spiritual faith claims, all parents who have enrolled students at Petra have made an educational claim of faith in our classical content and pedagogy. Thus, for our partnership to be successful, a review and renewal of our mission, methods, and motives is requisite for the long haul; otherwise (and unfortunately), doctrine too often becomes the excuse (mis)used to part ways down the road.
This review and renewal of our mission is the main emphasis of or our annual upcoming Parent Orientation. Whether your family is new or returning, could I ask you to make this evening a priority as you begin/continue your family’s journey with us this year? Sure, you’ll hear from me and members of our staff, but you’ll also meet and hear from other parents about why they’re at Petra and want to walk this path together, which is just as important!
(Note: Upper School and older Grammar students are welcome to attend Parent Orientation, but should do so as participants. Alternative arrangements for younger children should be made so parents may focus without distraction. Thank you for making this sacrifice.)
On Wednesday morning, I was delayed getting to school as I had to replace a dead battery on our van. Having jumped our 2008 Honday Odyssey via our 1990 Volvo and exhausting my handyman abilities (it doesn’t take much), I drove the vehicle to our local AutoZone in search of someone who knew more about basic car maintenance than I did.
I was helped by a delightful gentleman in his late sixties named Frederick. In the midst of a surprisingly enlightening discussion of battery options, Frederick told me that he had been in the Navy before finishing his undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, writing his dissertation on a 15th century French composer in King Louis’ court, teaching as a professor at Denison University, a liberal arts college in Ohio, and singing opera in New York, New Jersey, and across Europe. He then retired to Montana five years ago with his wife (who retires in March from her payroll post at Montana State University) to be with friends, and continues singing with the Intermountain Opera Bozeman whenever he can.
This is the guy who changed my van battery this morning.
This is the guy who gave me an inspiring start to my day.
In April of 2014, The Atlantic published a piece titled, “Why I Teach Plato to Plumbers” by Scott Samuelson, a philosophy professor at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In the article, Samuelson wrote:
Once, when I told a guy on a plane that I taught philosophy at a community college, he responded, “So you teach Plato to plumbers?” Yes, indeed. But I also teach Plato to nurses’ aides, soldiers, ex-cons, preschool music teachers, janitors, Sudanese refugees, prospective wind-turbine technicians, and any number of other students who feel like they need a diploma as an entry ticket to our economic carnival.
So why, according to Samuelson, should plumbers study Plato?
My answer is that we should strive to be a society of free people, not simply one of well-compensated managers and employees. Henry David Thoreau is as relevant as ever when he writes, “We seem to have forgotten that the expression ‘a liberal education’ originally meant among the Romans one worthy of free men; while the learning of trades and professions by which to get your livelihood merely, was considered worthy of slaves only.”
I met a free man today in Frederick – humble, helpful, well-spoken, and not the least bit insecure that, after a career in academia, he is now in the business of getting his hands dirty installing van batteries (and doing a fine job of it, I might add). He retold the major twists and turns of his life’s story with humor, spoke of his joy singing opera, and relished the fact that he and his wife had no regrets leaving their hustle-and-bustle life across the Hudson River from New York City to come be with friends in little Bozeman, Montana.
From everything I gathered in our short time together, Frederick has made for himself a good life, but what does that mean, and is it the same for everyone? Charles Taylor, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at McGill University, writes in A Secular Age:
Every person, and every society, lives with or by some conception(s) of what human flourishing is: What constitutes a fulfilled life? What makes life really worth living? What would we most admire people for?
At Petra Academy, these are the kinds of questions we ask students, because these are the kinds of questions students will spend the rest of their lives trying to answer. Ours is an education not just of information, but of formation; not just of the study of characters, but of character itself; not just of pursuing truth, but of knowing the One Who is and has the Word(s) of Truth (John 1:1; John 6:68-69). Fulfillment, worth, admiration – these all flourish as fruit from this quest.
Next week, I’m due for a haircut from my barber, who makes a good living cutting hair by day while joyfully – strangely – reading obscure European philosophers by night. He takes seriously what he does, runs a good shop, travels a bit with his family, and always has interesting ideas to discuss with those in his chair. It seems a good life, one that rewards him with more than a buck, for he – like Frederick – has gained a freedom afforded by the Humanities, and that is a good and glorious thing.
My family and I just returned from a two-week trip through the Midwest to see family and friends, as well as do a few “vacation-like” things along the way (Mt. Rushmore, The Badlands, The Corn Palace). Two weeks, 10 states, 3,500 miles, and 55 hours in a van together were as fun as they could be (most of the time), and while I’m glad to be back, I’m grateful to have had the time away.
During our trip, we were not immune to the disheartening news of the recent shootings in Minnesota, Louisiana, and Texas. As we listened on the radio and visited with relatives and others, it was not difficult to pick up on the discouragement and dismay from all that has been happening nationally.
While meeting with a good friend in Colorado Springs, he asked a desperate question: “What are you going to do in response to all this?”
I paused, for like most of us, I have felt helpless in thinking about “doing” anything that would elicit real change. Sure, I could post a passionate rant on Facebook or jump in on a protest march somewhere as part of the last of our travel plans, but how far would either of those go – really – toward bringing about a true long-term solution? I can pray – and have – but I confess I struggle in doing even that, as it seems such a small response in the face of such awful evil.
Almost apologetically, I looked at my friend, shook my head, and told him this: “I’m going to try to raise four girls and lead a school of 200 students in Bozeman, Montana, to love God and love their neighbors as themselves. I’m going to do all I can to make sure they read the greatest works of literature so as to learn not to be afraid of evil. And I’m going to teach them about the fallenness of our human condition and plead with them to embrace the hope of the Gospel to deal with it. That’s it. That’s all I got.”
Robert Pogue Harrison, in the preface to his intriguing book, Juvenesence: A Cultural History of Our Age, writes:
“The greatest blessing a society can confer on its young is to turn them into the heirs, rather than the orphans, of history. It is also the greatest blessing a society can confer on itself, for heirs rejuvenate the heritage by creatively renewing its legacies. Orphans, by contrast, relate to the past as an alien, unapproachable continent – if they relate to it at all. Our age seems intent on turning the world as a whole into an orphanage, for reasons that no one – least of all the author of this book – understands.”
Harrison’s hope for humanity is straightforward:
“Youth has several virtues, yet providing for the future is not one of them…It is not thanks to children that our species has survived; it is thanks to their parents, teachers, leaders, and sages.”
In solidarity with Dr. Harrison, I don’t understand our culture’s hell-bent attempts to orphan our children (literally or metaphorically), but as a Christian, as a father, and as a Headmaster of a classical Christian school, I want to raise heirs and adopt orphans as part of God’s redemption of this ugly and broken world. I am called to model and teach love, “which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5), the development of which takes work.
Sure, I’ll post something on Facebook (starting with a link to this post) and gladly march with whomever will march with me to say that lives – black and white – matter. But rather than just protest bad behavior, I want to be at work in “the badlands” of the soul, to somehow help identify and crucify the evil within, for the flourishing of humanity and the renown of Jesus the Christ.
That’s what I’m going to do.
That’s it. That’s all I got.
It’s quiet around here today, this first Monday after the completion of the 2015-16 school year. After working at home this morning, I came in for a few hours to dig out my desk from the past few weeks and get my head around summer.
Our summer office hours (10 a.m.-2 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday) start tomorrow, and while that’s just when the building will be open and available to anyone who needs us, there’s plenty of work that won’t fit within those specific hours and I want to be ready.
After all, we have a playground to build, a curriculum to update, and our second five-year accreditation from the Association of Classical and Christian Schools to begin working to secure! We have new students to recruit, interview, test, and enroll, a few staff positions for which to interview and hire, and a slew of building touch ups and clean ups to make!
But before we can do any of that, there’s plenty to do to wrap up this past year. We have a yearbook to finish (due back to us in mid-to-late July; we’ll keep you posted), we have final grades to post (look for those online later this week), and we still have to raise the remainder of our year-end fundraising goal by June 30 (as of today, we’re almost halfway there)!
And then, there’s email. There’s always email.
Of course, our Petra families have your own lists for summer, most of which I’ll bet are a little more glamorous. Some are planning trips (if you aren’t on them already), many of you have lists of projects already made (if not begun), and several of you appear to have gotten a jump on some thank you note writing (I know, because we’ve received ones that contained the following quotes):
“Both of our kids’ teachers demonstrated the love of God in their teaching as they train train our kids to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind. Thank you!”
“We appreciate all of your hard work and efforts day in and day out. We also appreciate the attention our child receives. This sets Petra apart. Thank you.”
“Thanks for partnering with me as a single parent.”
“Thank you for all you have given and taught our grandchildren.”
“Thank you for sharing the love of Christ with our daughter. You have touched our family in many ways and we are grateful.”
Kind words, all of them, and just a few of the reasons I pause today (or try to) and thank God for this past school year – Petra’s 20th – being so filled with truth, goodness, and beauty. Perhaps the following note from a dad (sent immediately following our closing ceremony at the end of Field Day and picnic lunch on Friday) sums up the sentiment best:
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of you all at Petra. All the glory to God!”
Indeed, all the glory to God.
And now to that desk…
(In case you missed them on Facebook, below are some fun shots from Friday’s Field Day.)
If you’ve had a chance to read last week’s Griffin Gazette, you may have noticed the update in the right-hand column listing our 2016-17 enrollment following our May 15 deadline. In that update, you also may have noticed the asterisks by first, second, and third grades, signifying that we have begun waiting lists for these classes. I’d like to explain those asterisks further and involve you – our Petra community – concerning them.
Our May 15 deadline has come and gone, which means families who have signed and turned in tuition agreements are officially enrolled for next year, with remaining spaces to be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. This has been a new policy – one that helps us make more informed decisions as we plan for next year – and I’m very grateful to the many Petra families who have taken it seriously.
As of today, we have 190 K4-12th grade students whose parents have committed to come to Petra this fall, which includes an amazing 85% return rate (96% in the Upper School, which is unheard of in classical Christian schools). We’re thrilled with how our spring enrollment season has unfolded, but we need to fill as many empty seats (particularly in our Grammar grades) as we can so as to not get into a similar deficit situation as we’ve been in this past year.
Now about those asterisks:
*As of May 15, we only have enough students (14) enrolled to fill one 1st grade class; thus, we’ll take two more until we hit 16, and then begin a wait list and require that list to reach a minimum of six students before we open a second section. At that point, we would then divide the 22 and place 11 in each class (this is still 10 students short of our total 1st grade capacity of 32, but at least we would cover our faculty costs).
*Our 2nd and 3rd grade classes are each only two students above our cap of 16; we need four more in each class to be able to have second sections. As you know, we value our small class sizes, and yet it’s imperative for families to be aware of and understand the realities of what they cost. To add second sections to our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades next year is a $90,000 decision, which we would not be able to cover with two 1st grade classes of seven students each and four 2nd and 3rd grade classes of nine students each. The numbers just don’t work.
I trust you recognize the dilemmas, but I also hope you recognize the potential: with just the addition of 16 students across first, second, and third grades, we can have two sections of each grade with 11 students in each class. In addition, we can avoid a one-section-only class rippling through future grades and delaying the issuance of teacher contracts for that grade that year.
To reiterate, the only decision we have made at this point is to freeze open enrollment for these grades, start the waiting lists, and communicate to you, our parents, our rationale in doing so. Because of our May 15 deadline, the good news is we know our numbers now (rather than in August). Could we see more 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students enroll between now and September? Absolutely, but because word-of-mouth is our best marketing, we need your help.
I wonder who you know and have talked with about potentially making a move to Petra? I wonder if you might pick up the phone and present the option to that friend you’ve been meaning to ask? Is there someone you could call and accompany to one of our Open House Thursdays this summer? When was the last time you posted on social media an endorsement and link to our website? Would you be willing to host an information meeting of friends whose students do not attend Petra in your home so Mr. Christofferson and I could come present information and answer questions about our school?
As an incentive (and to show you we’re serious about asking for your help), we’re offering a $1,000 “finder’s fee.” For every new first, second, or third grade student you recruit to our waiting list and into our additional sections when we’re able to open them, Petra will deduct $500 from your tuition due and $500 from the tuition due from the new family you enlist. We’re not putting a limit on the discount, either: if you get motivated and find, say, 14 new students to sign up and enroll between now and July 31, you could save $7,000 on tuition!
In light of increasing federal government overreach, damaging student-to-student interactions, and real questions about what the Bozeman public schools (particularly the high school) will look like in four years, there are plenty of parents in the Gallatin Valley more open than ever to asking, “Why Petra?” With Christian teachers who strive to awaken love and wonder in their students, a classical curriculum soundly grounded in the Trivium, and a community of people committed to educating their children for the benefit of human flourishing, Petra needs you – our families – to come alongside these folks and ask, “Why not Petra?” For the sake of the Gospel, our kids, and the best that Western civilization has to offer, can I ask you to take that step?
Please contact me if you have any questions. And thanks for praying!
This is the second of two posts by Petra K4 teacher, Joan Kempf, on how our mission applies to the youngest of our Petra Academy students. In her first post, Mrs. Kempf covered the first two phrases of our mission statement – “Recognizing our need for God’s grace, Petra Academy strives to awaken love and wonder in our students…” In this post, she walks through the remainder, focusing on our Trivium education and its ultimate two-fold goal at the K4 level.
Petra talks a lot about something called the Trivium, an ancient pedagogy used to educate students explained as, “…teaching them to observe with humility, think with reason, and articulate with charity.” What does that look like for a four-year-old?
One of the major prerequisites for observing with humility is teaching students to think beyond themselves and their needs. One of the many ways we do this is by incorporating biblical history into monthly themes as appropriate to the school calendar. By teaching K4 students why and how these Christian holidays and celebrations occur draws upon our need for having God first in our lives. These are great opportunities to get the real meaning of Christmas and the Incarnation rather than just a present, as well as experiencing the true power of Easter and the resurrection of Christ instead of just bunnies and candy.
Mathematics is a great opportunity to help students learn to think with reason, for God has created children to be natural mathematicians. Some of the materials the K4 classroom utilizes are puzzles, patterns and shapes, blocks, sensory items, buttons, and a variety of colorful objects for sorting, counting and patterning. Daily counting of the calendar and using math concepts (big, little, empty, full, long, short, same, different) as a part of daily language help to set a strong math foundation. Students also learn to identify numbers, demonstrate 1-1 correspondence to 10, demonstrate number comprehension to 10, count to 20, recognize 6-8 shapes, and become familiar with the clock face. They participate in number songs/chants daily and enjoy working on mazes and visual puzzles, allowing young children to experience math concepts as they experiment with spatial awareness, measurement, and problem solving. All of this teaches the basic truth that there is order to God’s universe.
In terms of articulating with charity, the K4 classroom is dedicated to providing students with the necessary skills to communicate their ideas/needs/desires and demonstrate foundational skills for reading. The main core of the curriculum focuses on introducing a letter a week. During the introduction of a new letter, the students are asked to identify (“show me the letter ‘A'”) and then name that letter (“what letter is this?”). Students also learn the sound(s) that each letter makes and eventually they are able to think of words that contain the letter sound.
Reading stories aloud is very important in the development of reading skills in young children. Students in the classroom are exposed to a variety of books on many different topics. Through this process, students learn that letters create words, words are read from left to right, words rhyme and repeat, and stories contain a beginning, middle and end. Students also make predictions about what will happen next in the story and are asked details about the story they have heard to gain an understanding of their language and comprehension skills.
To reinforce concepts in all areas of development, songs, chants, and finger plays are used in the classroom on a daily basis. Reinforcing pre-reading lessons with songs/chants helps bring familiarity into the learning process and assists students with the ability to recall information more readily. When students learn these basics, they are ready to build on them going forward.
The last part of Petra’s mission communicates a two-fold end, “for the flourishing of humanity and the renown of Jesus the Christ.” Are these ends realistic for a K4 classroom?
Absolutely! We desire to teach students to listen and obey because it glorifies God. We encourage students to do their “best” work instead of their “fastest” work. We aspire to see students understand the value of their efforts and the pleasure it brings to God, others, and themselves when choosing to do their best. Understanding the school routine and developing good work habits are important, not only to create a good student but to foster good citizenship with others with whom they share space. Gentleness and love are extended to each student in hopes that each child will develop a love for learning and for those with whom they are learning. Some of the work habits we guide, foster, and direct are:
-Listening to stories and songs without leaving the group or interrupting
-Staying focused on a task during a lesson
-Trying to solve a problem before asking for help
-Following a 2-3 step direction from the teacher
-Completing an activity by themselves
-Taking turns when talking during a group time
-Raising their hands when they have something they would like to say
-Participating in show and tell by presenting their item, listening to others, and asking a question
Being obedient to Jesus Christ and understanding God’s grace is an important concept in the K4 classroom. Treating others kindly in school allows us to focus on following the example of our Savior. Teaching the attributes of kindness and grace is a daily, hands-on occurrence. In addition to following the loving kindness of Christ, students memorize Bible verses, hear stories from the Bible, pray, participate in fine art activities to learn more about beauty, and sing praises to God. If all this doesn’t contribute to the renown of Jesus the Christ, I’m not sure what does!