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The Pulse

The Heart of Ohio Classical Academy Weekly Newsletter

November 8th

Headmaster Highlights

Whilst there are many aspects of Classical Education that distinguish it from other pedagogical philosophies, I have had the opportunity to focus on a particular facet this week whilst conducting Professional Development observations.


A ‘traditional’ classroom teacher might plan a lesson according to a list of learning objectives in a linear fashion, with each objective dependent on the acquisition of the previous one. While the scaffolding of these steps is appropriate, the drawbacks of this approach are quite significant. Firstly, no matter the proficiency of the teacher’s expertise in delivering the material, those students who do not comprehend a step in the chain may be lost for the remainder of the lesson, and then naturally disengage. Secondly, students who more readily grasp the objective, or already know it, will also disengage from the lesson and find some other way to occupy their time; usually resulting in a teacher’s constant reproof of, “Let’s focus on the lesson, ok?” 


Enter Classical pedagogy. Instead of a one-size fits all approach (commonly referred to in the industry as ‘teaching to the middle of the class’) teachers create lesson plans by developing ‘Leading Questions’ around the desired learning objective. These open-ended, structured questions invite student exploration through discussion, and guide the trajectory of class towards the learning goal. Note that the depth of the learning goal stays the same in its integrity; only the method in how it is explored differs. 


And what a difference! Students, regardless of skill level, still participate and remain engaged in the lesson. Consider a science lesson with the learning objective of “I will be able to name and identify defining characteristics of four types of clouds.” A trajectory of three well-planned Leading Questions would first ask students to remark on differences between shown images of cirrus or cumulus clouds, which would lead to a discussion of cloud characteristics. An uninitiated student may answer that both are white, whilst a more advanced student might comment on the different temperatures present in their formation. Both students are correct, and both are engaged in the discussion! Through conversation, less-advanced students benefit from the more-advanced students’ observations, and the more-advanced students gain perspectives from each other or all on that they may not have noticed. The teacher’s role then, would not be transmitting a lesson's worth of information to an audience, but to facilitate the discussion, record observations, and fill in knowledge gaps as per necessary.This methodology holds true with most every age group and school subject, and it is one we champion at our school.


As a parent, I recognize my greatest successes in educating my children occur when I converse with them on their respective levels of understanding (not always possible; see last week’s newsletter about late-night bananas). I urge you to try implementing the same approach with your little ones; their level of cognizance never ceases to amaze.


Wishing you a conversational weekend,


Sam Weisbrod

Headmaster

Important Announcements

Our first 2025-2026 School Information Evening for Prospective Parents will be on Tuesday, November 19 at 6:30 PM in the school auditorium. If you have family or friends that would be interested in joining our school community, this would be a tremendous opportunity for them to learn more about our program! Registration is required; click the following link to do so.

Light refreshments will be served.

How time flies! Our first quarter ends on November 14th, and we are exceptionally proud of the growth our students have achieved. Please be on the lookout in both your (i) Infinite Campus portal and (ii) your child(ren)’s backpacks for their 1st Quarter Report Card to be released on Monday, November 18. Be sure to sign the accompanying form that indicates that you have indeed received the report, and kindly return it to school with your child. Classroom Teachers will collect the forms on Tuesday and Wednesday of the week.

Registration for the 2025-2026 academic year is now open! Details on how to register can be found on our website. Please note:

  • Registration for returning students is required through a separate portal, also found on the Registration Page on our website.
  • Registration for the academic 2024-2025 year still remains open through a separate portal, also found on the Registration Page on the website.

Please ensure that you register through the appropriate portal! Questions? Email frose@ohioclassical.org, or call the school at (614) 380-7464.

REGISTER TODAY

Congratulations to the students of Ms. Bartman’s Kindergarten Class on being awarded the Cleanest Cafeteria Table of the Week award!

Upcoming Events

Parent Info Night

Date: Tuesday, November 19

Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Location: 4650 Lakehurst Ct, Dublin, OH 43016

REGISTER NOW

Next Week's Lunches

Monday: Chicken Nuggets, Green Beans, Apple Slices

Tuesday: Soft Tacos, Beef or Chicken, Rice, Nacho Chips, Toppings

Wednesday: Burger Bar, Fries, Mandarin Oranges, Toppings

Thursday: Cinnamon Swirl French Toast, Breakfast Potatoes, Fresh Fruit

Friday: Pizza Day! Pepperoni OR Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries, Pineapple Tidbits

LUNCH CALENDAR

PTO Updates

It's not too late to register for the 2024/2025 school year!

Content-Rich Curriculum

Emphasis on Character Formation

Teacher-Led Classrooms

REGISTER TODAY

Have Questions?

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further information. We look forward to hearing from you!

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