A Living Education
Rediscover Wonder
The Charlotte Mason Approach To Christian School Education in West Michigan
Relationship
The idea of relationship is at the very heart of a Charlotte Mason education. Because relationship is central, class sizes are limited, that students may know and be known.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of a learning environment is a vital component to a life-giving, Christian school education. Students learn best in a structured, peaceful atmosphere that is rich in ideas, beauty, vigor, and wonder.
Discipline
Education is a discipline. Preparation for a life well-lived requires training of the heart and of the will; therefore students are trained to develop strong intellectual, moral, and interpersonal habits.
Life
Children need physical, intellectual, and moral nutrition. Life is full of delight and struggle, and these elements are cultivated within the classroom as well.
“Do not let the endless succession of small things crowd great ideals out of sight and out of mind.”
– Charlotte M. Mason
The Only Christian School in West Michigan Offering Charlotte Mason Education
In following the trend of the Industrial Revolution, traditional schools (even some Christian schools) employ a factory-based approach, as if children were products to be created at scale. The system has to be designed to be extremely efficient because it favors higher numbers of students in a classroom.
Charlotte Mason advocated for a philosophy of education that values children as born persons who should be treated as a whole human being with individual personality, gifts, and needs. A child’s personhood should be respected and cherished, while also being challenged toward growth.
Living Books
Selective, original, and well-written books by original thinkers that have not been predigested for students
Minimal screens
Training students to be creators of technology, rather than merely consumers
Small Classes
A class size conducive to the discipleship of each child
A Living Education
Everything we do is on purpose. When the psalmist wrote that each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made”, he hinted at the vast potential for greatness—and loss—in each image-bearer.
The atmosphere in which a child grows, observes, and learns has everything to do with their long-term views of what is valuable, what is worth having, and what is worth pursuing. We view every element of our school day as an opportunity to speak into those values.
As such, our classroom environments, instructional techniques, teacher-student relationships, and approach to the cultivation of life skills have a distinct look and feel that differ from other traditional Christian school programs.
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