Ambleside Christian Academy

“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Ambleside has provided so much love, joy, and happiness to so many children and families over the years.

It’s been a place that has stoked the fire of curiosity, where learning has been fun and where children and adults alike have made friendships that run deep.

But, we know that even good things must sometimes come to an end and that is where we find ourselves now.

Ambleside Christian Academy will be closing this week with no plans for the coming year/future.

We are spending our last days grateful for the beauty that has been created here and pray it changes and grows with us as we move on to the next chapters of our lives.

Thank you all for coming alongside us on this journey. Please join us as we collectively wish our Executive Director, Jacqui the best, as none of us would have met without her and her heart these kids.

Personal Initiative in Work. ✨

In their work, too, we are too apt to interfere with children. We all know the delight with which any scope for personal initiative is hailed, the pleasure children take in doing anything which they may do their own way; anything, in fact, which allows room for skill of hand, play of fancy, or development of thought. With our present theories of education it seems that we cannot give much scope for personal initiative. There is so much task-work to be done, so many things that must be, not learned, but learned about, that it is only now and then a child gets the chance to produce himself in his work. But let us use such opportunities as come in our way.

VOL. 3, P. 37

“Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking - the strain would be too great - but, all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest.”

-Charlotte Mason

Here our Form 1A girls have found an interest in the shells found at forest school two weeks ago.

We love having the opportunity to support your family on your homeschooling journey!

We offer cottage school on Mondays and Forest school on Wednesdays so that your children can fully experience the feast and spend ample amounts of time outside.

We’re here to be your village.

Charlotte Mason used food as a metaphor for knowledge throughout her volumes, encouraging parents to spread a “feast” before the child and let him digest what is appropriate for him at that time.

“We spread an abundant and delicate feast in the programs and each small guest assimilates what he can” -Charlotte Mason

We cherish the ability to provide a feast for each of your children and pray that your families are strengthened and supported as a result.

If you have researched Charlotte Mason and her method of education you may have heard “Mother Culture” mentioned a time or two.

While there are sure to be many interpretations and applications of this across the world, we are going to attempt to break it down for you so it’s more readily digestible for the success of you and your household.

Mother Culture according to Mason, is a commitment to keep growing as a person.

While many topics or areas of study are useful, and it is good to learn about anything which lifts us to a higher level, the four listed below are really indispensable for any mother who wishes to be thoroughly equipped for her work.

🌻 Divinity. “To help mothers to give their children such teaching as should confirm them in the Christian religion.”

🌻Physiology and Health. “To give the knowledge necessary for the care and development of children in sickness and health.”

🌻Mental and Moral Science and Education. “To show the principles of education, and methods based on these principles.

🌻Nature Lore and the Elements of Science. “To enable mothers to awaken their children’s interest in Nature, and to give them their first ideas.”

We strive to grow in all of these areas ourselves and make it a priority within our community by making monthly mother culture nights available to all the mothers in our Ambleside community.

It’s been quite a year at cottage school and forest school!

Looking back at all these of wonderful memories has us excited to start our next term with your kids in 2023!

Here’s to much success and happiness in your homeschool in the new year.

We would like to leave you with a CM quote to sit with as you make your plans for 2023.

“Do not let the endless succession of small things crowd great ideals out of sight and out of mind.” -Charlotte Mason

We rejoice together on this day.

Merry Christmas to all of our Ambleside family and friends!

May your homes be filled with love and gratitude for the King of Kings.

We may be out for winter break but that doesn’t mean we aren’t thinking about you and your families this holiday season.

Our hope for you is that you can take some time to pause, and appreciate something from the season you and your family are in right now.

Encourage your children to do the same.

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” — James Baldwin

“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today we ended our last day of forest school with songs, scriptures and s’mores.

Thank you for a wonderful term spent together outside in Mother Nature. We look forward to continuing to explore, inquire, and care with you in 2023!

Today was our last day of cottage school for the first term so we welcomed parents into the classroom at the end of the day so that their children could show them what they have been learning and working on so far.

The eyes of our students lit up as they proudly shared their cottage school world with the people they love most.

Their excitement and joy reminded us how lucky we are to have an educational program that allows us to partner with parents to provide such a feast for our students.

While we will miss everyone over the winter break, we pray that your families are blessed by the time spent together at home and we look forward to coming back together in the new year!

We love weaving outdoor activities into our day that students can take with them into adulthood.

Archery is one of those activities, and while the students enjoy setting personal goals and the feeling of accomplishment when they achieve those goals, we also enjoy watching them develop stamina, core strength, and balance.

Archery is one way they are improving their focus, patience and self-confidence and having fun at the same time and that’s a win win in our book!