Aquinas Learning Center--Month 1

Our St Croix Valley Learning Center just celebrated our 1st "luniversary." In the mornings, we start with Chapel Time. My goals for this time are to help the K-6 children connect with the catechism & virtue lessons for the week, and to present an example of a saint whose feast day we celebrate that week who in some way exemplifies those virtues. So far we have talked about St. Andrew Kim Taegon, St. Vincent de Paul, Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, and St. Teresa of Avila.

Following Chapel Time, the children separate into K-3 and 4-6 groups. Both groups practice memory sentences in eight areas: catechism, virtue, history, science, civics, grammar, geography and Latin. The goal is to learn the memory work in a variety of ways, including songs and games.

After the memory work hour, it is snack time and time for oral presentations. Even the kindergarteners spend time preparing presentations! The focus for these presentations is to learn public speaking skills. Presentations are followed by discussions of a work of literature or story.

After discussions, the K-6 students re-group and alternate between music class and science investigations, depending on the week. So far, we have been learning a method of chant, and dissected a chicken leg (as part of our anatomy studies).

Lunch and recess are next.

In the afternoon, we have decided to combine the kindergarteners with the 3 year olds. (We don't have any 4 year olds, but if we did, this would be their place too.) The 5 year olds seem to do much better with a more relaxed afternoon schedule. They have nature walks, art or science, and cook their own afternoon snack. This is followed by group games and then free play till it is time to go back to their moms.

The K-3 group work on copy work, handwriting, spelling, basic composition skills and then have individual learning centers. The 4-6 graders work on composition skills, grammar and then have critical thinking games.

So far, I think the year has gone wonderfully. Everyone seems to really pitch in and help out, despite a high number of young babies! I am eager to see how the Center will grow throughout the year.

"Beauty is Evidence of Truth"

Before I go into that profound idea, a brief explanation for the almost 1 year absence from this blog. Basically, I got too busy with being pregnant, teaching adult education classes, guiding 3 different homeschool clubs, being a business owner, being a wife and mom to say nothing of being (admittedly a mediocre) homemaker that I just didn't take the time to blog. But lots happened last year and we had loads of fun!

So...on to this year! I am opening up an Aquinas Learning Center here in the St. Croix Valley! An Aquinas Learning Center is an educational mentoring program consisting of homeschooling families who meet together once a week to learn together and then spend the rest of the week in their homes (and beyond!) expanding on the ideas introduced on the Aquinas Learning Center Day. The program provides each family with a nearly complete curriculum to use at home throughout the week.

One of the reasons I am so excited about this new project is because of AL's goal of weaving truth, beauty and goodness throughout their curriculum. This is where the quotation above fits in. I am reading Fr. Thomas Dubay's Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer. In the section I read today, Fr. Dubay commented that "beauty is evidence of truth." This statement hit me forcefully. Reflecting on "beauty" reminded me of the great portraits--the beauty we identify in these works of art give witness to the beauty of one of God's masterpieces--the human body. We see in great portraits the truth that each human being is a masterpiece. There is great wisdom in this phrase: "Beauty is Evidence of Truth." I am eager to plunge deeper into beauty, goodness and truth this year with my family and the other brave families who have boldly decided to join us in this new endeavor. May God bless this new center and all who learn together!