Heard at the ACCS Conference this Summer

"Don't Criminalize Boyhood." -Dr. Leonard Sax

To give you a taste of the workshops our faculty attended at the Association of Classical Christian Schools' annual professional development conference, I have picked three quotes that impacted me. The first comes from Dr. Leonard Sax, author of the book, Boys Adrift, as he provided background on how education has shifted towards an unnecessary orientation towards boys' weaknesses, and provided practical examples on how we can support our young men as God has designed them to help them become lovers of learning.

"Every worldview rests on faith, the question only is 'what is the object of your faith?'" -C.S. Lewis

The second quote came from a workshop on C.S. Lewis, and how his love and appreciation for the Medieval concept of the cosmos permeates all of his fictional works, and particularly The Chronicles of Narnia and his Ransom trilogy. Christiana Hale, author of Deeper Heaven,  provided many examples for how understanding the Medieval conception of cosmology re-enchants our imaginations in a way where we can better engage with the true, the good, and the beautiful, and supplied suggestions for ways this can improve our classrooms.

"Children are always being formed. What are they being formed into? The medium is the message."

The final quote comes from Clare Morell, author of The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones. In this powerful and encouraging workshop, Morell didn't simply expound on the dangers of smartphones and social media for our children and teenagers, but also outlines a clear process (From Fasting to Feasting) by which parents can reverse the course of their families from screens playing a central role in the lives of our children and families to a merely ancillary one, as we, "celebrate together by replacing technologies with positive real-life experiences." I purchased her book after attending Morell's workshop and look forward to continuing my own understanding of these topics so we as a school can continue to partner well with parents in this area.

-Christopher Webb, LS/RS Principal

-Christopher Webb, Logic & Rhetoric School Principal