When children can soak up facts like a sponge, the classical education model gives them those facts (this is called the grammar stage). When children begin asking “Why?” about the world around them, the model guides them in seeking answers (the logic stage). And when children want to express their thoughts and ideas, the model teaches them through rhetoric. Most importantly, the classical model teaches students how to learn and guides them in loving to learn so they will be lifelong students, not just to pass their tests, get good grades and eventually land jobs.
This model has recently grown in popularity, as parents and teachers recognize how beneficial it is as an alternative to the methods currently employed in most U.S. schools.
“Because of this, classical schools are popping up around the country, including here in Brandon. And I am excited to announce that the beginning of this school year brought with it the first kindergarten class for a new classical school: Brandon Classical Christian [School], located at Westminster Presbyterian Church, which is also the home of Westminster Academy Preschool — a school which has served the families of Brandon and the surrounding area for 30 years,” said Jeremy Fuller, headmaster of Brandon Classical Christian School. “Along with that, I am also excited as we look ahead to next year and are planning to add a first grade.”
Fuller added, “We are also planning on offering the step-up scholarship in the fall.”
This is all done not only with the recognition that Jesus Christ is the most important subject matter the school can teach but also with recognition of who the most important spiritual teachers are in children’s lives: their parents.
Parents spend the most time instructing, nurturing and influencing their children and will teach them some of the most impactful lessons they will learn, whether they intend it or not. And because parents are their children’s most influential teachers, it’s essential that they approach this role intentionally in both formal instruction and the way they live their own lives before their children’s eyes, as even their actions make statements that are oftentimes weightier than what their mouths say. Therefore, parents will and should be in regular communication with their teachers in the classical Christian model for education, including what was learned in class, how this can be reinforced at home, etc.
Brandon Classical Christian School is located at 402 E. Lumsden Rd. in Brandon. To learn more about the school, visit www.wpcbrandon.org/bccs or call the Westminster Presbyterian Church office at 813-689-6541.
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