Below you will find guidance and resources for our At Home Learning plan for RMCA families. Parents, know that we are here to support you as you cultivate with your own children, in your own homes, the “atmosphere, discipline, and life” of education that will continue to prepare them for a flourishing, joyful life.
We realize that educating your children at home will be new for many of you. We have designed the work to require more of the older students, less of the younger ones. We recommend starting in the morning if at all possible while the family’s energy is relatively high and to save the afternoon for other activities. Even more important is the need to set a structure and routine for your family. Just as students need teacher support in the classroom, your student will need support at home from you. We anticipate that there will be stresses and demands on your time and attention, and that it will be a daily challenge to maintain focus. I encourage you to take a deep breath--I encourage others to do this as well--and just do the next thing. Also, this is the perfect time to grow as a ‘rare’ leader in your home, for your children’s sake. Ask questions. Don’t stress the small stuff. Look for joy even in the hardness of wearing an extra hat and instead of focusing on the challenges, look for ways to be grateful. Our children will respond accordingly.
I want to remind us of two key phrases captured in our school’s mission statement that describe the opportunities that we have:
“where education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life”
“inspiring students to a lifelong passionate pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty.”
Consider with me the truthfulness of these two goals within the following two paragraphs.
Charlotte Mason said, “All education is self-education.” Everyday at RMCA we seek to cultivate within students a greater responsibility and ownership for their own learning and growth, while always providing strength and support. That will not stop with At Home Learning. This is an opportunity for all of us to grow -- students, teachers, and parents, so let’s embrace the challenge. As Mason’s greatest work was done during World War I and the 1918 influenza epidemic, we now also have the opportunity to use these days to dig deeper into what it means to be a student, a citizen, a follower of Christ, within the relationships that matter most to a child’s growth -- with their studies, their family, and their God.
As a Christ-centered school, we are followers of Jesus, and we can stand in a place of confidence that God has already won the battle. While our culture experiences inconvenience, illness, and widespread fear, we can rely on the character of God to give us everything we need. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14: 1, 27) It is a time to live out what it looks like to be lovers of goodness, truth, and beauty. It is a time to model as parents what it means to cultivate an atmosphere, discipline, and life devoted to living out the good life as God intended.
As we face the coming weeks and make adjustments where they are needed, let’s remember that not one of us is alone. We have each other, a community of fellow travelers, and we have a God who longs to be compassionate and gracious to us.
Peace of Christ,
Brandon Byrd
Join Mr. Byrd for Read Aloud on our Facebook page each evening
Join Mr. Byrd for morning assembly on our Facebook page each morning
