Why Classical Schools Don’t Cancel Home

by Patience Griswold, Blogger and Social Media Specialist

In schools and Zoom classrooms across the U.S., curricula are being shifted away from old books and toward a smaller view of the world. In a recent opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal titled, “Even Homer Gets Mobbed” Meghan Cox Gourdon responds to a Massachusetts school’s decision to ban Homer’s Odyssey, writing,

Their ethos holds that children shouldn’t have to read stories written in anything other than the present-day vernacular… No author is valuable enough to spare… The subtle complexities of literature are being reduced to the crude clanking of “intersectional” power struggles.

Far from giving us a broader view of the world, if we ban authors from the past in order to avoid the discomfort caused by interacting with literature that does not share our modern sensibilities we truncates our understanding of the world around us by taking away the opportunity to see it from outside of our own particular moment in history. Literature offers us the opportunity to travel across time and space, and that travel often does make us uncomfortable. Travel has a tendency to do that. With a crick in our neck and a feeling of receiving a little more information than we can actually process in the moment we are brought into a new experience of the world, one that looks and feels different and forces us to see the idiosynchrosies of our own time and place. Only with reading, our sore neck and out-of-place-tourist feeling comes not from hours on an airplane, but from slipping between the pages of a book into a time and place that is different from our own.

C.S. Lewis once wrote that, “Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books.” Old books force us out of our own culture and era and give us a fresh look at the world. My world is very different from Homer’s, and by entering into a time and place whose customs, values, traditions, and language are different from my own, I am able to see not only a “whole new world” but my own world more clearly. The great books of the classical tradition introduce us to our own culture. Far from reinforcing an echo chamber, they force us out of an echo chamber.

This is not all that old books do for us. By reading old books we learn to see not just the particulars of our experience, but the universals of the human experience. In old books we see different iterations of ideas that are around today, and in literature throughout the ages we see and feel universal elements of the human experience.

Maya Angelou once said that the first time she read Shakespeare’s 29^th Sonnet, she assumed the writer must have been a black girl because of how well the words captured her own feelings as a black girl growing up in the segregated south. “And when Angelou recited them to us, these words sounded indeed like they had sprung forth from her soul,” wrote Karen Swallow Prior. “But Angelou’s message was that there is more in poetry—and, by extension, all art—that unites than divides us.” All good literature captures and puts into words the experiences that make us human—our hurts, our joys, and our need to be part of something greater than ourselves.

When Aeneas says, “Schooled in suffering, now I learn to comfort those who suffer too,” Virgil reminds us of how our grief and pain can prepare us to respond compassionately to others. Gilgamesh’s friendship with Enkidu and his visceral response to his friend’s death captures the universal need for connection and the overwhelming loss in the death of a loved one. In The Iliad, Homer warns us against the abuse of power when he says that, “A mighty king raging against an inferior is too strong.” The list could go on—in Faerie Queene we see a hero battle Despair and struggling in the fight until someone else reminds him of the truth, Augustine’s Confessions help us to remember God’s grace in our own lives by seeing His grace at work in Augustine’s life, Beowulf calls us to consider what makes a king good, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein pushes us to see the difference between what can be done and what should be done.

Classical schools teach great books from across the ages, rather than limiting themselves to books that were written for and by our modern era, because they draw us out of ourselves, challenging our assumptions, teaching us to recognize the ways in which we are all products of our culture, and inviting us into something greater. Through the great books we are reminded of universal human longings and experiences, enabling us to develop a deeper compassion for the people around us and a greater ability to understand and exercise wisdom toward the world around us.

Lewis’ novel Till We Have Faces challenges the reader to ponder the question: “How can [the gods] meet us face to face till we have faces?” It is an invitation to become truly us. As 2020 draws to an end, there is hope that the COVID masks that have brought out the worst in us will soon come off. But figuratively speaking, are we strong enough to live without the protective masks of other people’s ideas of who we ought to be? Till we have faces, our stories will remain untold.

Till We Have Faces

by Susie Brooks, Founder and President

“How can [the gods] meet us face to face till we have faces?”

This line by Psyche’s older sister Orual inspired C.S. Lewis to title his 1956 novel “Till We Have Faces” after his editor rejected his original title “Bareface.” As I look at current events, my thoughts go back to this great novel that has inspired readers to examine themselves and what they believe to be true, not only of themselves, but of God also. What falsehoods do we tell ourselves? Is the love we have for those around us and for God, a selfish sort of love, or genuine love? Do we truly know who we are? And as Lewis asked, what does it look like when we speak with our own voice (not one of our borrowed voices), expressing our actual desires (not what we imagine we desire), being for good or ill itself, not any mask?

In 2020, “bareface” can mean a face without a mask. And Minnesotans and others across the globe long for a time when we will “have faces” again. But did we really have faces before COVID?

As we welcomed new families at Veritas this school year I reflected on the last five years since we opened our doors. As I looked at what had changed over the years, one thing that stood out is our tag line. When the concept of Veritas was born in 2012, we were a relevant classical Christian education in a digital era. We recognized that even though technology is rarely on the front burner in a classical school, our students were born digital, and we needed to show that we understood their brains were impacted by tools that were still slightly foreign to older generation. But by the time our doors actually opened in 2015, we had shifted our focus to moral character and civic virtue, adopting the tag line: moral character and civic virtue in the making. But still, this represented only a fraction of who we are.

Lewis’ novel challenges us to consider what falsehoods we tell ourselves, and while our tag lines spoke of some truth about us as a school, it wasn’t the whole truth. We are not just about technology, and we certainly are not just about morals and our civic responsibility. Shortly before COVID changed the world, our team spent a couple of days asking key questions about our true identity and our mission. We knew that we were not trying to be just another school, and we knew that our success in our mission would never result from speaking through borrowed voices. In fact, by identifying ourselves by what we thought the world was looking for, our true value and identity remained hidden. And so, as we listened to our families describe why they chose Veritas and what their experience was, and as we examined our day to day practices and our strategic goals, we understood that our tag line still needed work. And in February, at the end of a consultant-led process, it became clear that we were cultivating young minds to build strong nations. Even though the manifestation of our vision is still unfolding, we have clarity on our mission and purpose, and we are able to bring into our fold, those who are traveling towards the same destination while wishing others well as they pursue other directions.

Lewis’ novel Till We Have Faces challenges the reader to ponder the question: “How can [the gods] meet us face to face till we have faces?” It is an invitation to become truly us. As 2020 draws to an end, there is hope that the COVID masks that have brought out the worst in us will soon come off. But figuratively speaking, are we strong enough to live without the protective masks of other people’s ideas of who we ought to be? Till we have faces, our stories will remain untold.

A Hurting World

by Susie Brooks, Founder and President

2020 will be remembered as the year when everything that could go wrong went wrong. What started out as a mild concern of a new virus quickly turned into a global pandemic that meant ways of expressing brotherly kindness and love to one’s neighbor through physical contact, may be a thing of the past. As an educator, placing a hand on a student’s shoulder or arm has always been a tool I use to assure the student that all is well. A simple facial expression communicates more than words; it assures the student that he or she is on the right track. My open-door policy allows students, especially the younger ones, to run to me for their daily hugs, sometimes multiple times a day. As we slowly recover from the threat and effects of COVID-19, new health guidelines are threatening to take all that away. But hopefully, the need for masks and social distancing is a temporary measure that will soon become unnecessary.

As if a global pandemic wasn’t bad enough, another enemy, far worse than a deadly virus, has entered the equation. The death of George Floyd, a black man, under the custody of Minneapolis Police officers led to an outrage that resulted in unprecedented conversations about race. Many are discovering for the first time that, underneath a fractured, racially-divided society, is a massive volcano, filled with decades of hurt, anger and frustration, that, as we witnessed recently, can lead to the worst civic eruption that has ever been witnessed in our country. But, could this be the beginning of healing for America? Could it be an opportunity to engage in healthy dialogue? Could any beauty come out of the smoldering ashes that destroyed thousands of commercial properties in Minneapolis and spread through other parts across our nation? America is in distress, and we must find a way to help heal our nation.

The outcry that happened in Minneapolis, before the riots, was to some extent, a release of pent up anger from decades of prejudice and bias against blacks. But there is hope! Through George Floyd’s death, the door has been opened for us to come together and begin to have honest conversations and to learn from one other. In the past, such dialogue has been difficult or non-existent in certain contexts. Recent Barna data (June 4-15, 2020) show that, in light of current events surrounding racial justice and reconciliation, just under two-thirds of Protestant pastors (62%) say their church has made a statement on the recent protests happening across the nation. In addition, a large portion of pastors (65%) feels well-equipped to lead in this moment (18% completely true, 47% mostly true), though one-third expresses doubt or admits they are not well-prepared to lead (24% somewhat true, 8% somewhat untrue, 3% mostly untrue). To read more about this research, visit: https://www.barna.com/research/racial-justice-and-reopening-churches/.

Veritas Academy equips students with tools that will enable them to lead with clarity and virtue, and together, we can build strong nations that celebrate truth, goodness, and beauty. Our world is hurting, but there is hope for healing because we are always willing to work together as a community.

Tell Me a Story: Using Tolkien to Teach Character

by Patience Griswold, US Government and Public Speaking

Around the world from time immemorial, children have been making the request, “tell me a story!” This is hardly surprising. After all, humans are creatures of story—we tell stories to make sense of life, to communicate about ourselves and learn about others, to illustrate values and lessons, and most of all, as a medium for truth. The power of story is the reason I love literature and love sharing literature with the students at Veritas. Story is a powerful medium for communicating important truths about leadership, character, and integrity.

This year the Logic and Rhetoric students are reading a favorite series of mine, The Lord of the Rings. Reading these books with my students has been such a delight and a constant reminder to me of the power of story to teach about character. Stories pair truth with images and emotions, helping students to better understand and take to heart the lessons they are being taught. It’s one thing to tell a student to memorize, “flee temptation.” It’s another thing when he has a story that calls to mind the reality that temptations are often very strong, but there are grave consequences when we choose to be overpowered by them.

Through Tolkien, students learn what courage in the face of fear looks like. It looks like Bilbo’s decision to go on when he stops in the tunnel on the way to Smaug’s lair. In that moment, all of Bilbo’s doubts are creeping up on him, the desire to turn and run is strong, and the realization that he can’t change his mind once he enters the dragon’s sleeping place is overwhelming him. Nevertheless, he decides to put one foot in front of the other and face the adventure that drew him to run out of his comfortable hobbit hole in the first place.

Through the characters in The Lord of the Rings, students also learn what Christ-like leadership looks like. It looks like Aragorn’s patience with a group of frightened hobbits. It looks like Gandalf’s sacrifice on the bridge of Khazad-dum. It looks like Faramir allowing himself to take Denathor’s wrath in order to protect the ring-bearer.

Each of these lessons could be communicated as a succinct propositional statement. Courage is moving forward in the face of fear. Leaders show patience with weak followers. Leaders will sacrifice for those they lead. Leaders will bear their followers’ burdens. These statements are all true, and there is nothing wrong with communicating truth in the form of statement. In fact, it’s very important, for the sake of clarity, that we do present truth in the form of clear, succinct, analyzable statements. However, we should be ready and able to communicate truth in other ways, as well. Good stories bring truth to life in a tangible way.

Imagination is incredibly powerful, and, unchecked and untrained, can wreak havoc. It can create a false narrative around a real event, distorting reality in a way that damages friendships, attacks reputations, and calls good evil and evil good. But imagination does not have to be the enemy. In fact, it can and should be trained for good. Fear is powerful because it captures the imagination; story is powerful in the face of fear because it trains the imagination. It is through story that the imagination is taught what courage looks like.

When a teen faces peer pressure, fear, or discouragement, the struggle going on in her heart and mind is usually far more emotional than intellectual. As such, it is a challenge that must be met with truth that is not only known, but felt. We rarely feel propositional statements. We feel stories.

The power of story to counter lies and foster a love of truth is not limited to the experience of children since the natural human love and desire for stories does not disappear upon arriving at adulthood. We may have less time to feed that desire, but the value of story does not diminish. Children who read become adults who read and adults who not only know truth intellectually, but deeply love and feel truth.

There are so many good reasons to read great books. They give us a grasp of where various ideas have come from and the consequences those ideas have had. Through the reading of great books, students are equipped with cultural literacy and engaged intellectually. Reading authors who have a command of language and are able to communicate with excellence helps students grow as writers. But more so than any of these things, great books have the ability to train a child’s affections, helping him to love the truth that is presented in literature, and helping him to grow in his love for the God of truth.

Taking Ownership

by Tonya Erickson, Student Support Services

Like many schools, Veritas has a set of virtues that guide our education. According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, education encompasses all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit for usefulness in their future stations. Therefore, Veritas believes that a good education must go beyond the academics and must include instruction into the virtues that make us good human beings. One of the virtues we seek to instill in our students is ownership. Taking ownership is vital to student growth physically, spiritually and emotionally.

To take ownership in education, students must see the value in what they are learning. For instance, we believe there is great value in learning about American History. To inspire students to value this subject,  we help them understand that knowing our roots is imperative to understanding our Constitution. But, should we assume that students even care about the Constitution? A lesson in understand how our Founding Fathers cared about the rights of all Americas, including children can help students begin to appreciate the value of the Constitution. And as they understand the historical context of the laws that govern us today, they can develop an appreciation of American history, grow in understanding of how history protects our leaders from repeating the mistakes made by those who have gone before us, and begin to see value in looking back.

Ownership leads to responsibility. We want students to take responsibility for their decisions. When students take ownership of their studies, they can identify the choices set before them. They own a failed grade on a test rather than blaming someone or something else. For example, Mary fails her spelling test because she chose to be on her phone most of the night and she didn’t look at her spelling list more than once. She could own this and take complete ownership, or she could make excuses and blame others. Our desire is that Mary would own her part in that failed grade and not make excuses.

Our overall goal is that students will develop a love for learning. Without this they will view education as something to be endured. As G. K. Chesterton said, education is not a subject, and it does not deal in subjects. It is instead the transfer of a way of life.

Finally, we must trust God to help them. Proverbs 2:1-12a puts this i perspective:

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil…

Beauty in the Grammar Years

by Jodi Johnson, Early Childhood

Our overall mission at Veritas is to establish and equip the next generation to lead with clarity and virtue. Our classical methods and content teach students from kindergarten to 12^th grade to think clearly, cultivate wisdom and understanding, and eventually become mature adults who value truth, acknowledge God’s beauty, and do good. Well known scholar, author and speaker Dr. Christopher Perrin states that classical educators have always emphasized the importance of mastering the masters. Believing that there are real standards of beauty, goodness and truth, they dared to pronounce some books good and some poor; they even went so far (over time) as to conclude some books the very best. In the old sense of the word, they were discriminating. If this is the case, how does one effectively help others to acknowledge God’s standard of beauty? And, can we teach others to be pursuers and creators of that which is highly beautiful?

As a kindergarten teacher, I learn to celebrate beauty in the everyday things. Beauty is coming to school and bringing a beautiful lunch box with beautiful snacks. I marvel at the students choices as they show me carrots and apple juice, sandwiches and cookies. We celebrate the shapes and colors of food while we compare them to geometrical patterns in their math books. As they meet new friends, we learn about the beauty of rules and how they help maintain order and structure that supports community. We discover the world around us and the tiny part our school building plays in educating us about God’s big world.

Beauty is seeing how God created the world, and our art work gives us a sense of appreciation for creating as we experiment with colors, textures and shapes. We make beautiful displays that tell the story of our Creator and how we fit into His beautiful world that He created in the beginning of time as we know it! We bring our baby pictures to school and create timelines that help us understand history.

Beauty is singing and listening, reciting and asking, discovering and watching, and even waiting. We love singing about what we are learning. From mammals, months, seasons, to math, and history! We have learned to recite poems and stories, chants and answers.

Beauty is learning that there are 26 letters, upper case and lower case, 5 vowels and the other consonants, the first 30 phonograms, holding our pencil correctly, learning to blend sounds and starting to read! We may not understand that syntax, structure and vocabulary will eventually lead to the eloquence and beauty of language and that if we use it effectively, we can persuade others towards goodness, but we love the sounds of vowels and love the things we write.

Beauty is playing, imagining, laughing together, and learning. Beauty is seeing math all around us in shapes, patterns, time and money. It’s a beautiful thing when you can count to 100.

As the teacher, I see beauty in their learning when their eyes sparkle, or when they make a new discovery. I celebrate with them when they become more independent and when they see beauty for themselves.

Kindergarten is a wonderful place to prepare children for their learning in the future.