Back to School With Aquinas Learning Journal, Volume I: Issue 1

Volume I, Issue 1 ~ September 2017

Aquinas Learning is nine years old! As we embark on a new year learning together, we are pleased to announce the launch of our very first issue of the "Aquinas Learning Journal!"

Director's Corner

As the Aquinas Learning community has grown over the years, so has the need to share ideas and experiences across U.S. centers and beyond. Now, we have a platform for sharing and recording these wonderful ideas... read the full vision here .

Back to School, Aquinas Learning Style!

Veteran Mom Shares Tips on Wrapping the Year and Starting Strong in September!

Start with an end of year assessment: When the school year ends, my kids and I discuss what we learned, what was most challenging, and what we most enjoyed. Once we have completed the required standardized testing, I take time to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and then set the notes aside, and take my mind off for a break. As I return from the summer respite, I redirect thoughts, bodies, and minds toward new ventures.

Whether I had a nice rejuvenating summer or a hectic one full of activities, I find that I must make time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, time for contemplation, time to plan family and educational goals ( why we homeschool) with my spouse, and time to prepare for the upcoming school year. I purposefully try to drink in truth, goodness, and beauty, so I can continue the homeschool journey.

Preparing with the children: We gather to discuss the upcoming year’s plans. The kids set personal goals, and we discuss virtues to hone, possible challenges, and how to meet them... read more here .

–Tiffany Mathias is mother to five boys and is inspired by C.S. Lewis’s Abolition of Man to form “men with chests,” whose minds and hearts are well-formed to grow in wisdom.

Mentor Spotlight: Doris Dean, Manassas

The AL Centers run on the energy and talent of the mentors. Each issue will feature one of these generous individuals.

Doris Dean has been the quintessential mentor; there from the beginnin g in 200 9, and still teaching nine years later!

Doris “thoroughly enjoys working with the boys and always finds them very creative and entertaining.” ... read more here.

Aquinas students on stage at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Unforgettable Experiences:

Designing a Successful Year of Aquinas Learning Field Trips

When we joined the Aquinas Learning Manassas Center in fall 2017, it was a wholly unexpected and delightful surprise to experience a year of enriching field trips, purposefully and thoughtfully planned. Here are a few “notes from the field” planners Carrie and Jessica have found helpful to follow after learning the “hard way” the year before.

Set a plan, guided by the curriculum and cycle year...

Read more here .

Start your own CoffeeCon!

Email Rebekah Daly at rebekahdaly@gmail.com for an invitation template.

Continuing Classical Education I: “What Is A Classical Education?”

In our first of what will be an ongoing segment exploring Classical Education, we turn to some of the background history of Aquinas Learning, explore how its history connects to the CiRCE Institute, and learn of some helpful tools to better understand classical education. Rosario attended her first CiRCE Institute Summer Conference in North Carolina in 2009 in her search for a classical school model...she came for answers, but, in her words, “only got to contemplate ideas.”

For the full article, go here .

Explore more about the nature of Classical Education on the useful CiRCE info page examining “ what is a classical education? ” CiRCE also offers many inspirational podcasts and reading resources as well.

“Happy Mother’s Day” greeting at closing ceremonies, spring 2017.

A Brief History of Aquinas Learning's Founding

So you attend an Aquinas Learning Center, or you use the materials at home; do you ever wonder how Aquinas Learning began?