For many months now Willow Tree has existed only in the imagination. Now we have a building, and having a physical space definitely brings an air of reality. And today we received our first real piece of mail. Also, my dining room is full of actual books that are organized by grade level that will be actually read by actual children. The classroom teacher in me is itching to start going through them and planning for the students, but right now administrative duties are more urgent. I spent today creating forms: an enrollment checklist, a student/medical information card, an interview questionnaire, a media release form, an enrollment agreement form, a request for records form, a supply list, and a book list. Now I need to work on a line-by-line list of needed start-up supplies and their estimated costs so that a budget can be created. It is enough to make your head spin, but then I remember what Oswald Chambers said about rest:
"'...and I will give you rest,' i.e., I will stay you. Not--I will put you to bed and hold your hand and sing you to sleep; but--I will get you out of bed, out of the languor and exhaustion, out of the state of being half dead while you are alive; I will imbue you with the spirit of life, and you will be stayed by the perfection of vital activity." (From My Utmost for His Highest)
And this work is vital activity by either definition.
We picked up another student today whose parents' decision was based largely upon the mom's participation in an immersion group during the Mason conference last week. She said it really helped her understand the paradigm shift and the distinctives of a Mason education. I'm going to go think about how I can include this idea in the parent information meeting to be held next Monday. I think that living a day as a student is going to be critical.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Post-Conference Update
Last week was the 7th Annual Charlotte Mason Conference at Gardner-Webb. I was so touched by the outpouring of support for this little school.
Some comments:
"I am so proud of you!"
"I am so excited about your little school!"
"This is like birthing a grandchild!"
"Can I send my grandson to live with you so he can go to this school?"
"What do I have to do to teach here?"
"An hour is not such a long commute--maybe I should consider sending my son."
And best of all--"What do you need? What can I do to help?"
On Saturday, a few of us went over to the church building where Willow Tree will be housed to pray. When we finished, we looked up and there was another wave of people coming. So we prayed again. And again, when we finished there were still more people coming. So we prayed a third time and took some pictures to chronicle the event as part of the school's history.
I would like to thank Kerry for gathering books from the curriculum at library sales and selling them to me CHEAP! I would also like to thank my mom for donating books. I spent most of yesterday going through about 18 boxes of books (many were from my classroom collection and my personal library) looking for books that are in the curriculum and sorting them into boxes by grade levels. I'm also boxing up some books that just are not going to make the cut into the school library to be used in community service projects this year. (Thank you to the "bees" who sat in my dining room helping a few nights ago who gave me that idea!)
Please continue to pray for Willow Tree. We will host a parent information session on the 20th, and there should be an article coming out in the local newspaper in the next couple of days. Everything is in place to open an excellent school on August 26. Now we just need a few more students.
Thank you for your support!
Some comments:
"I am so proud of you!"
"I am so excited about your little school!"
"This is like birthing a grandchild!"
"Can I send my grandson to live with you so he can go to this school?"
"What do I have to do to teach here?"
"An hour is not such a long commute--maybe I should consider sending my son."
And best of all--"What do you need? What can I do to help?"
On Saturday, a few of us went over to the church building where Willow Tree will be housed to pray. When we finished, we looked up and there was another wave of people coming. So we prayed again. And again, when we finished there were still more people coming. So we prayed a third time and took some pictures to chronicle the event as part of the school's history.
I would like to thank Kerry for gathering books from the curriculum at library sales and selling them to me CHEAP! I would also like to thank my mom for donating books. I spent most of yesterday going through about 18 boxes of books (many were from my classroom collection and my personal library) looking for books that are in the curriculum and sorting them into boxes by grade levels. I'm also boxing up some books that just are not going to make the cut into the school library to be used in community service projects this year. (Thank you to the "bees" who sat in my dining room helping a few nights ago who gave me that idea!)
Please continue to pray for Willow Tree. We will host a parent information session on the 20th, and there should be an article coming out in the local newspaper in the next couple of days. Everything is in place to open an excellent school on August 26. Now we just need a few more students.
Thank you for your support!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Beginning
I have spent the last thirteen years doing what I know: teaching children. Now I am stepping into what I do not know: founding a school. I want to bring you all along with me to share the successes and the failures, the trials and the triumphs. Some of you are friends who will want to keep up with what is happening at the Willow Tree Community School. Others may be Charlotte Mason enthusiasts who want to watch the philosophy play out in the school setting. Some might even be contemplating opening their own schools and hoping to learn from my experiences. Whoever you are, I welcome you as you take this journey with me. Here we go...
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