Mirus Academy

For most, the phrase "Back to School" means nothing more than a return to a building they had vacated for a few months. For some, it carries dread and thoughts of long days of anguish. For others, it carries some hope that perhaps this year will be a new start, a new chance.

For classical students, the phrase "Back to School" carries a different weight. C.S. Lewis famously said in Mere Christianity, “Going back is the quickest way on.” Lewis did not mean returning to the same school building after a summer break. He meant retracing the path of human history in order to understand how we ended up on the path we are currently on. Joshua Gibbs, in Love What Lasts, puts it another way,

"For millennia, Western man believed that the past was in front of him and the future was behind him…The past does not move. It sits patiently still for us so we can examine it, and in doing so we come to know how and why things usually happen."

Students at Mirus Academy are not simply going Back to School on August 26, they are turning their backs to the future and facing the past. They are going back in time in order to understand humanity and the beauty of Christ more fully. A classical Christian education seeks wisdom from those that came before us with a humility that properly orients us to the past and to one another.

This summer, the juniors and seniors had an opportunity to travel back to the birthplace of the Western world (Greece and Italy) on an 18 day trip called The Grand Tour. If you helped support this trip or you are interested in their experiences, mark your calendars for Saturday, September 26 at 5 p.m. They will be sharing during our Taste of Maine event, which is a fundraising event for the next Grand Tour. (More to come soon).

If you are interested in reading a bit from the headmaster about the trip, you can read it here. https://hansonaaron.substack.com/p/carousel?r=nw3gq&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer

Our hiking crew arrived back at Mirus late last night after our 2nd annual trip up Katahdin.

The Dialectic & Rhetoric students and chaperones successfully completed Helon Taylor ➡️ Knife Edge ➡️ Saddle ➡️ Chimney Pond.

It was a demanding route that required resilience and fortitude. You can get a glimpse into the hike below. Like last year, we were blessed with another beautiful day.

We are grateful to the Pangburn/Dyer family for their generosity in allowing us to make their camp our home base for the trip. We awoke Thursday morning to an incredible view of the mountain that awaited us! Thank you!

Trips like this one build perseverance and determination outside of the classroom while also developing a love for the place we are in and people we are with.

Until next time, Katahdin! ⛰️🌲

Where is our faculty during the summer?!

Thursday marked the end of our faculty retreat at the Olearcek family property on Islesford. While many classical schools send a few staff members off to conferences in the southern half of the country, in an effort to promote depth, community, and Beauty, we journeyed to an island with Joshua Gibbs as our lecturer.

Days were spent reading and discussing The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and learning how to further hone our craft. Topics of conversation spanned from Beauty to unsafe spaces, and we dined on lobster bisque, homemade sourdough treats, and blueberry pie.

What a blessing it is to have a culture and community such as this one. Thank you, Olearcek family, for your generosity.

Please enjoy a glimpse into the week.

We are officially on summer break here at Mirus. On Friday, we celebrated the school year with our annual Mirus Olympics. All of the students showcased their perseverance and tenacity throughout all of the events, but the Greeks won the day! Thank you to Mrs. Bradshaw and Mr. Linde for all the dedication and organization that made Friday possible.

Stay tuned for more photos and videos.

Festivities for our graduates commenced last week with our Baccalaureate dinner. Parents and upper school faculty gave toasts in celebration of Mia and William. We are very proud of who they are and all they have accomplished at Mirus.

Enjoy this glimpse into the evening. Stay tuned for graduation photos!

Our Spring Concert and Awards Night was a success! Our students performed pieces from “Plant Kindness and Gather Love” and from “Les Miserables.”

It was a night of encouragement and a celebration of growth! Congratulations to all the students for your efforts. Thank you, Mrs. Edmondson and to all the volunteers for your work in creating a wonderful event.

Mirus students presented their Wonder Projects for the school and their parents last week. In the pictures below, you can see the looks of wonder in the faces of students and faculty.

Beginning in Kindergarten, students receive one topic (sand, voice, yellow, etc.) to wonder about during the entirety of their time at Mirus Academy. Each year, they answer a new question about this topic and these become deeper as they learn and contemplate more each year. To research and consider a topic so thoroughly is yet another opportunity that Mirus Academy gives students for learning to love the Good, True, and Beautiful in all of God’s creation.

Last night, faculty and parents feasted together with the Mirus students who are moving on from the Dialectic stage into the Rhetoric. Toasts were given in celebration of each student’s diligence and maturity. It was a lovely and encouraging evening for all. Thank you to the Adams family for their gracious hospitality. We have a wonderful community.

Congratulations, James, Rein, and Summer!