In this episode, Kelsey Peterson walks us through some exciting curricular updates to composition at Clapham School. We also dig into the value of writing in the age of AI, and learn more about the exciting projects that Clapham students will get to engage in as we continue to honor our tradition of Charlotte Mason narration at school. Don't miss this episode!

For those who are interested, here's a link to Paul Kingsnorth's Writers Against AI campaign.

See Kelsey's essay Writing is for Humans at the Front Porch Republic and one of her creative writing pieces here.

Join Clapham EII (Kindergarten) faculty Sara Jones and Rebecca Kim as they discuss the distinctive aspects of Clapham's approach to Kindergarten. At Clapham, our Explorers program is characterized by wonder, curiosity, and joyful discovery, all founded on the firm conviction that, as Charlotte Mason insisted, children are persons. Learn how we provide children with a feast of living ideas and inspire wonder through everything from nature study to handiwork to manipulatives in math. Most importantly, we take every opportunity to point to the Creator through intentional discipleship throughout the school day.

Excited to learn more, including about our full-day Discovery option? Click here!

Listen in to last Friday night's banquet as House Deans Dr. LeMahieu [Olivet], Mrs. Becker [Emmaus], Mrs. Peterson [Athens], and Mrs. Bramsen [Alexandria] address their respective houses with encouragement and affirmations for specific students. Our House system exists to support student life at Clapham, allowing every student to be known and loved throughout our Secondary School. Houses foster belonging and fun, as well as the context for some friendly and energetic competition throughout the year. Curious to know more? Check out https://www.claphamschool.org/houses/ to learn more!

Clapham's Upper School seniors join us for an episode discussing their recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic with GO Ministries!

Want civilization to crash? Lock up the Great Books. Head of School Kolby Atchison and Class 8 faculty member Isabella Vander Woude discuss the definition of the Great Books and why these texts are key to preserving a flourishing society and cultivating thoughtful, wholehearted, lifelong learners.

Further reading: Breaking Bread With the Dead by Alan Jacobs

Passing the Torch by Louis Markos

Check out Clapham's Secondary and Upper School here.

At Clapham School, every single middle school student is guaranteed to have a significant experience with Shakespeare through spending each spring semester studying and performing a Shakespeare play. As a classical school, Shakespeare is naturally part of our curriculum, but why? How does the Great Books canon serve our students, and in what way do they support and engage with a biblical worldview? How can parents serve their students as they approach the formidable task of memorizing and performing lines in front of a live audience? Leah Becker and Hannah Bramsen discuss all this and more in our most recent episode.

At Clapham, teaching is a vocation and a craft. Since our teachers are the key to what makes Clapham so unique, our administrative team is highly selective in the people they hire to fill the crucial faculty roles in our school. So, what goes into that process? Join Head of School Mr. Atchison and Academic Dean Dr. Egan as they discuss the characteristics, content, and competencies that comprise the unique role of a Clapham faculty member, as well as the culture and atmosphere that exists among and for these individuals. Find out how teachers are equipped and trained to serve our students with an education that endures.

Curious if there are any openings at Clapham? Job postings can be found here: https://www.claphamschool.org/employment/

Teach Like a Champion resources can be found here: https://teachlikeachampion.org/

Resources on Charlotte Mason's unique approach to pedagogy can be found here: https://amblesideschools.org/the-ambleside-difference/

What is the purpose of homework, or as we call it at Clapham, life's work? How does our unique philosophical approach toward learning inform the kind of work we bring home at night, and what are some practical tips to make sure that life's work is truly serving our students?

For Lower School students, the most fruitful, effective way to approach life's work involves parents coming alongside their students in meaningful time together. As students mature into Secondary and Upper School, they become responsible for finishing life's work independently. In every stage, there are strategic ways for parents to support their students by helping them cultivate valuable habits in terms of time management, study space, and addressing distractions. Dr. Egan offers some practical tips for engaging our children about the big ideas they are encountering at school, and Mrs. Phillip gives specific suggestions for reinforcing foundational concepts from math to reading in Lower School.