January came in snowy and cold – colder than the parts of the country that are typically subzero at this time of year! But what a delight it was to welcome our scholars back to campus and begin the third quarter of our school year. A couple reminders about routines and expectations and off we went diving back into bar modeling, science experiments, great books, writing, and languages – English, French, and Latin – oh my.
The rigor of our days is met with the joy of the struggle – mental and physical muscles are worked and built up – there is valor in the effort and glory when the scholars overcome, push through, and come out on the other side of a concept knowledgeable.
Balancing that rigor is play, especially for the Lower School. The frigid January temperatures may have kept us inside, but that did not stop us from playing at recess. We let the scholars run off their energy as well as had organized exciting races and games that enriched the scholars but also gave them the downtime that they need even though we were inside. The Upper School scholars need downtime, too. They have generous passing periods, lunchtime, and leisure built into their weekly schedule – with the opportunity to go outside, weather permitting.
February will be cold, too (and hopefully a little snowy). We will need to bundle up to get outside every chance we get and continue to have rosy noses and cheeks after coming in from play. The balance of the day makes for ready minds, happy hearts, and tired bodies. The payoff is worth the effort. CCA scholars continue to impress me with their Morning Assembly recitations, the conversations we have in the lunchroom, and their joyful smiles and hardy laughs. I am equally impressed with the effort the scholars put into this work and the partnerships with parents that augment all that we do at CCA to implement Hillsdale’s American Classical Education.
Winter can seem long and tedious, but it is this time of year, when the natural world around us is dormant, that we see the most growth in our scholars – in third quarter, we have hit our stride, confidence grows and after the long winter, when the buds come on the trees and the grass brightens up, we will have scholars ready for the next grade level.
