Impressionist landscape by a current 6th grade student

Dear Parents,

As we near the end of our Silver Jubilee year, I think it’s appropriate to take the time to look back on all we have accomplished this school year.

This is a fun list to share. :)

Kindergarten Enrichment Program

One big achievement is that we launched our Kindergarten enrichment program, which offers families a 5-day option for their students. Our enrichment students have baked treats for the staff and visitors, cleaned walls and windows, taken morning runs, and studied the Psalms. They made seasonal crafts including wrapping paper, scented beeswax candles, and Christmas ornaments. Our young students have thrived in this new program.

New Library

Our new library is maybe my favorite place in the whole school. Through a series of events, we met and contracted with a most amazing woman who gave us all the know-how to get our library up and running. I was so naive to think that we could pull it all together in a month or two. No, it took all of last year to catalog the books, clear out damaged and unwanted titles, and organize the space so it made sense. What a joy it was to open our library up for the first time this fall!

The students thoroughly enjoy visiting our beautiful library each week, and we hope that our work and knowledge can help other small schools open up a library of their dreams as well.

Art to Impress(ionist)

Ha, I couldn’t resist the pun. Have you heard from your son or daughter about what they are doing in Art class? Kassandra Laushkin, art teacher extraordinaire, created brand new projects for several of our classes. Modern self-portraits, still lifes, and impressionist landscapes are a few of the new and stunning projects the students have completed this year.

At Ambleside, students are taught to draw, step by step, and are not expected to figure it out on their own. They leave here with skills of observation and careful work through years of practice. It was hard to pick which pieces to share here, but the drawing below is one I could stare at for a long time.

Special Handwork for Special Occasions

Handwork projects, forged and inspired by classroom work, have spilled out into the community to bless others this year. Sixth graders used their paper cutting skills to create beautiful luminaries that enhanced the stage during our annual Lessons and Carols Christmas program.

In March, when we said goodbye to third grade teacher Kate Meadowcroft, students from across several grades put their crochet skills to work to create a beautiful baby blanket to present to her. Additionally, in honor of our Silver Jubilee, every student, from Kindergarten to eighth grade, put a hand in our mixed-media reproduction of Vincent Van Gogh’s Almond Blossoms, which was auctioned off to the highest bidder (and raised over $2,000 for our school!).

Hands-On Field Studies

Our field studies continue to be outstanding additions to in-class learning, with trips to the US Capital, Jamestown, and Williamsburg. Plus, several new trips were added this year, including Meadowlark Gardens, The Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, and a trip to the Scherms’ chicken farm to see an egg laying operation in full swing. (The kids especially loved that one!)

Publicity & Recruiting

Our strong desire to get the word out about our Christ-centered, Charlotte Mason “living education” was furthered this year as well. We represented our school at two recruiting events—one at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville and the other at Liberty University in Lynchburg. Both events provided us an opportunity to share with aspiring teachers that there is another way to educate children that does not involve manipulating them with the threat of punishment or the promise of rewards.

We also held a One-Day Internship for college students in October, and the groundwork has been laid to host a small team from Liberty’s School of Education in the fall of 2024 to see the Charlotte Mason pedagogy in action.

Athletics Expansion

We saw excellence not only in our classrooms but in physical education as well. Students in grades 3-8 participated in a basketball unit held in the gym each Monday for six weeks. New basketballs were brought in, and students went to town practicing their dribbling, passing, and shooting skills. This ignited a new love of the game, and recess became all about basketball for several of the classes. They enjoyed it so much that a new basketball goal was requested by the students and then ordered shortly thereafter.

Renewing Alumni Connections

One facet of our celebration of 25 years as a school was to reach out to alumni and see what they are up to now. Each month, we have been highlighting a student or two in our Alumni Spotlights. It has been so encouraging to hear from past students about how their Ambleside education has benefited them. If you missed any of those spotlight articles, you can find them on our blog.

Keeping Old Traditions

When reflecting on the year, I would be remiss if I did not mention what I think continues to be our greatest achievement—our weekly Chapel services. Each Friday morning, week after week, we gather together to sing praises to our God and King, delight in a recitation from one of our classes, and hear an encouraging and insightful message from the Word of God.

To conclude those morning sessions, parents and grandparents gather around one of the classes to pray. These weekly Chapel services are a significant glue that holds this community together. It is a highlight of each and every week as we gather together around the One who brings us all together in love and unity.

There is SO MUCH to be grateful for! I am reminded again what a special place that Ambleside truly is, and I am so glad to share this journey with each of you.

May these last weeks be full of joy, full of learning, and full of celebration.

A Year Worth Celebrating | Ambleside School