A glimpse inside Hillsdale College's network of classical schools across the country.
How we spent the first two days of school. The first days of school have been so smooth, and it’s wonderful to see our students back on campus. Working in a school without any students in it is a strange thing, and after a productive summer I have loved welcoming our new Kindergarteners and seeing… Continue reading Welcome back, Archers!
Each year a member of the faculty who is particularly special to the senior class is invited to give an address at graduation and introduce the Salutatorian and Valedictorian. The Class of 2017's faculty speaker was Mr. Berndt, and this year Mr. Peterson was invited to speak to the Class of 2018.
While I was visiting classrooms a couple of weeks ago, I got to see our second graders learning cursive handwriting with Mrs. Horton and Ms. Sowell. They were working on capital letters and sentences from their literature and history studies. Handwriting practice is an essential part of our students' elementary education in K-2, and after… Continue reading Learning Cursive in 2nd Grade
The Seminar Discussion by Mr. Peterson, Literature and Philosophy Teacher This is an abridged version of a lecture given at Hillsdale College on June 29, 2017 as part of the Barney Charter School Initiative's summer teacher training. The original (available upon request) includes details about seminar setup procedures, grading, how the other components of a literature class… Continue reading Seminar Discussion in 9th-12th Grade, by Mr. Peterson
Since the first days of our school, the Barney Charter School Initiative has played an instrumental role in the formation of our students and teachers. An outreach program of Hillsdale College, the BCSI helps schools like ours educate young men and women for lives of citizenship and independence. Every summer our teachers attend training in… Continue reading Introduction to the Barney Charter School Initiative
At Founders Classical Academy, students begin studying Latin and Greek root words in 3rd grade, and when they get to 6th grade they begin Wheelock's Latin. Over the course of 6th and 7th grade, students complete Latin I and are ready to go on to more advanced Latin in 8th grade and high school. Learning… Continue reading Introduction to Latin in 6th Grade
At the end of our third year, Founders Classical Academy of Leander was honored with the Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching. The award came with a $25,000 prize, and earlier this year some of those funds went toward the purchase of a telescope and an air track for the science department. Several weeks ago… Continue reading Testing our New Air Track in 11th Grade Physics
This afternoon, our 8th graders practiced transitions between ukelele chords in Mr. Stiglich’s Music class. In the upper school, fine arts education includes theory and appreciation, but also practice. A student who completes the Core Knowledge music curriculum can read music, compose his or her own songs, sing, and play the recorder and ukulele.
October 2017 In PE, Coach White and Coach Jones are teaching ballroom dancing to our students. A couple of weeks ago I watched from the bleachers as each of our our 5th grade boys confidently and politely asked a girl to dance, then led her on to the floor. Our girls learned how to accept… Continue reading Ballroom Dancing in Grammar School PE
Dear parents, Students and parents new to classical education are often led astray by the misconception that a classical school emphasizes the humanities over the sciences. At Founders we believe that a true classical school must provide a well-rounded education, and that in teaching students to pursue knowledge the pursuit of knowledge and mathematical knowledge… Continue reading On the Sciences in Classical Education
The Classical Classroom 