We recently celebrated the end of another school year, the close of our second homeschool year and an exciting year of learning and growing. And now we have a 7th grader, a 4th grader and a kindergartener.
Mason recited 1 Corinthians 13 and an excerpt from C.S. Lewis's "The Last Battle." He's been memorizing entire chapters of Scripture for the past two years, but this was his first time memorizing a literature excerpt. I continue to be amazed as how quickly he memorizes these passages. It comes so easy for him. His class also sang a states and capitals song. He now knows the capital city in every single state. When I was in 4th grade, my class performed Fifty Nifty United States as part of a school program, and I can still recite all 50 states. In alphabetical order. (I can also recite all of the Presidents in order from Washington until now . . . to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy.) Just another little nugget of history that's stuck with me since 4th grade. Yes. Be impressed.
Hannah Kate recited Psalm 19 and The Stargazer.
Celebratio has become one of my favorite nights of the year and something I always look forward to. Celebratio is Latin for "celebration" . . . a large assembly for the purpose of praise, honor, respect and commendation. And that's what we did that night. For me, it's a celebration of my children and their learning. It's a celebration of educating "for the purpose of teaching children to affirm the true, pursue the good and enjoy the beautiful to the glory of Jesus Christ, by whom and for whom all things were created." That's the mission statement of Sequitur Classical Academy, and that's become my passion in the education of my children.
Sequitur is an educational non-profit organization with a Board of Directors and Headmaster. As an academy, it partners with parents in the education of their children who are registered homeschoolers. Sequitur's curriculum is distinctly Christian and classical. Sequitur is taught and led by professional educators and scholars equipped in their specific academic subjects. It meets two or four mornings each week depending on the child's enrollment. Sequitur began in 2012 with 32 students and two teachers. We now have an enrollment of 160 students with 17 teachers.
Sequitur's mission was shaped by the following, which was part of Harvard University's original mission statement at its founding in 1646: Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.
I count Sequitur Classical Academy as one of the biggest gifts to my children and my family. This homeschool thing continues to be quite a daunting calling to me, but our partnership with Sequitur has made all the difference in the world for us, and the spiritual, emotional and educational impact on my children has been invaluable! I am forever grateful, especially as I aim to "lay Christ in the bottom" of my children's lives!