By MSA Parent Teacher Partnership

Where can you find merry storytelling, a hospitable home, and truth-seeking moms and dads? At the MSA Parent Book Group! Morning Star has a very active Parent Teacher Partnership (PTP), and our new book group for parents just launched in January. Our goal is to discover together why Morning Star is committed to classical Christian education and what the model looks like in practice. We hope this blog post will give you a taste of this.

At our gathering, we shared our stories of how we first encountered classical Christian education and how our families came to Morning Star. Some parents knew about the classical Christian model from their experiences homeschooling or living in other cities. Others learned more about it after enrolling their students at Morning Star.

That second story is common: Many parents aren’t sure what classical Christian education is exactly, but they want their children to be in a Biblically-based Christian school. We have a wonderful “tour guide” in Brenda Porter, one of Morning Star’s faculty and an avid reader. She noted how seriously MSA parents take their responsibility for their students’ education—and how the love of Christ is the foundation for how we answer that call.

Mrs. Porter prompted us to consider how who we decide to “think with” is important—whether it’s a particular author, a good friend, or a faculty colleague. Ideas bear fruit in community. Discussion brings out varying perspectives, stories delight, and challenging topics can be addressed honestly with those whom we trust.

Participants had a short assigned reading for the gathering, and we pulled out a few highlights from Dorothy Sayers’ essay, “The Lost Tools of Learning.” One highlight was Sayers’ analogy about music:

“Is it not the great defect of our education to-day … that although we often succeed in teaching our pupils ‘subjects,’ we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think? They learn everything, except the art of learning. It is as though we had taught a child mechanically and by rule of thumb, to play ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith’ upon the piano, but had never taught him the scale or how to read music; so that, having memorised ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith,’ he still had not the faintest notion how to proceed from that to tackle ‘The Last Rose of Summer.’”

One mom said this example really helped her grasp the aim of the classical model: teaching students how to think and how to learn, not just to memorize something or absorb facts. Morning Star students learn “the scale” of a given subject—for example, phonics—and come away ready to keep learning their entire life.

Another mom noted the “rich heritage” we have in classical education, with primary sources and voices from the past. Faculty member Greg Bradford replied, “I’d go further. I’d call it a refining fire.” Mr. Bradford added that he loves teaching at Morning Star because our classical education is distinctly Christian. Ancient thinkers asked questions about the good life and man’s purpose. At Morning Star, we know there is an answer to every ancient question: Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

All parents and faculty are invited to join us next time! Details will be posted on the Parent Teacher Partnership webpage and in the MSA newsletter.

Oh come Desire of nations bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Joel Rohde

Christmas is coming … yet Advent is still upon us. We are still in a time of waiting, hoping, quiet prophets, darkness, and longing for someone to rescue us from our despair. It’s easy to miss it. We are told all the time that we shouldn’t need to wait. We can find gratification now for the low, low price of the Best Buy Black Friday deal or the Amazon Cyber Monday special. New movies on Netflix promise to place you in a world where waiting isn’t necessary, a world where there’s a human answer to darkness, danger, and despair — and you can find it after just two hours in front of a screen.

It is too easy to get Advent all wrong. If we aren’t willing to wait for God’s Christmas answer, we won’t be willing to wait for each other. We’ll find that we grow further apart. We’ll see division everywhere we look. Our hurried posture will lead us away from a relationship with Jesus and closer to dependence on ourselves. 

The verse above from “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” reminds us that Jesus came not to divide but to bind the hearts of all mankind. He comes to bring peace. He is the answer we’ve been waiting for. In Him is the ability to reconcile humanity to self, humanity to humanity, humanity to creation, and — most of all — humanity to God. In Jesus everything is rightly ordered, justice is brought, wrongs are righted, and brokenness is restored.

As we move closer to Jesus we too move deeper into humility, recognizing our great need for His peace. We start to realize how sad and miniscule the things that divide us are and how deep and great and mighty is His love for us. He calls us to love, to repent, to forgive, to reconcile, and to give abundant grace even to our enemies.

Habakkuk 2:3 says: “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

This is what we wait for. We wait for Jesus. While we wait, let us be like Him. Let us humble ourselves and bring unity, peace, love, and joy. Come Lord Jesus.

Editor’s note: This post is the fifth in a series on how we teach the Trivium at Morning Star Academy. The Trivium forms the structure of classical education. It includes three stages: Grammar (grades K-5), Logic (6-8) and Rhetoric (9-12).

Susan Hixenbaugh

Comparisons are my favorite thing. In my literature classes, one might hear students arguing the validity of the comparison between Achilles and King David, or Milton’s Satan and Anakin Skywalker. Mr. Baker’s modern history students compare contemporary leaders to the vision of the ideal prince laid out by Machiavelli. In Ms. Cox’s geometry class, students discuss how a mathematically themed science fiction novel parodies the culture of Victorian England. These comparisons do not simply spark vigorous discussion—they stick with the students. And like any good analogy, comparisons require them to think about what characteristics really matter. For that, they look to God’s Word as Truth.

In all classes, students are encouraged to exercise judgment and evaluation, comparing primary texts and artifacts to the Bible. Specifically, in comparative religion and apologetics classes, students analyze tenets of competing worldviews, comparing them to those of Christianity. Students bring their practical, theoretical, and theological tools from the logic school to the rhetoric school and employ them in the humanities, in the sciences, and—as we teachers and parents all hope—in their lives outside the classroom.

But the ability to think carefully is not our final goal. Students must learn to display this intellectually rigorous thinking with the God-given gift of language. At Morning Star Academy, students are taught that reason is a reflection of God’s character, and that if they are to reflect God’s character, reason should guide their voice and their actions. Students learn how to distinguish between good and bad reasoning and how to employ the former when proving their claims. For reason to be evident when they express their ideas, students need to learn to express their ideas clearly and concisely, with vigor and grace. This is one of the goals of the rhetoric course that students take in their freshman year, and they reach it through their student-led discussions, written compositions, and oral presentations.

Students build on the foundation of rhetoric class in their upper-level classes when they deliver speeches and present projects. For final exams in history and literature, students deliver a speech synthesizing a theme from each discipline into a single thesis statement and supporting it. By their senior year, students have practiced these skills in all of their classes—from ancient history to calculus—and they immerse themselves in an eight-month long endeavor of writing, delivering, and defending a senior thesis.

As they complete the final stage of their classical Christian journey, students understand that as creations of God, they are a reflection of His character. They must be bold. They must be reasoned. They must be gracious. They must embrace the responsibility to express His Truth in all they do.

Editor’s note: This post is the fourth in a series on how we teach the Trivium at Morning Star Academy. The Trivium forms the structure of classical education. It includes three stages: Grammar (grades K-5), Logic (6-8) and Rhetoric (9-12).

Brenda Porter

Logic school is the three-year period between the Grammar and Rhetoric schools at Morning Star Academy. In this stage, students are invited to become more independent in their thinking, to go beyond mastering facts, and to make connections between the things they’re learning. They consider big ideas and “why” questions. In science classes, for example, Mrs. Spykstra helps students to “break down the difference between the changing nature of scientific knowledge and the unchanging nature of Truth.” Across the hall in the history room, Mr. Bradford encourages students to seek answers about the purpose and value of studying history. In Mrs. Hixenbaugh’s logic class, they learn the principles that will help them to distinguish truth from fallacy. 

While keeping the focus on the big questions, teachers also plan for experiential learning, the kinds of memorable activities that shape hearts and imaginations. Students read, act, give speeches; they draw, sing, conduct experiments; they research, recite, solve problems; they write, recite, memorize scripture. They taste knowledge, grasp meaning, make connections. A story in literature has roots in an ancient historical and biblical setting; a science equation works like a math problem! 

If that sounds like a lot, it is! Logic school days are busy. To assist students in meeting the growing demands on their time, their teachers also give them practical instruction in the development of good student habits like note-taking and annotating their reading. They teach them to observe and value the MSA Code of Conduct and to make wise decisions about behavior and relationships in light of their identity as children of God. 

In all these experiences, students are taught to see the world through the lens of Christianity. A two-year sequence of Bible—Old Testament in seventh grade and New Testament in eighth grade—is the framework that informs all other content. Teachers encourage their students to observe and appreciate God’s beautiful and orderly world. They help them to realize that they are people created in God’s image, young men and women who can exercise their creativity in music, art, and writing. 

As they finish eighth grade, they’ll take with them new understandings of the created world, and new tools—practical, theoretical, theological—for the final stage of the classical Christian journey, the Rhetoric school.

Editor’s note: This post is the third in a series on how we teach the Trivium at Morning Star Academy, and it’s our first student perspective! The Trivium forms the structure of classical education. It includes three stages: Grammar (grades K-5), Logic (6-8) and Rhetoric (9-12).

Sadie V.

Proverbs 15:4 says, “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” This verse is a great example of how powerful and beautiful words are. Their beauty and strength are what caused me to fall in love with words, and consequently with writing as well.

I fell in love with words at a very young age. When I was a toddler I used to snatch a picture book from our bookshelf at home, find a little corner and start “reading” to myself—making up a story from the pictures provided. I also pestered others to read to me. When I reached the end of second grade, I began to explore my own personal reading options. Then my mom took me to the library. I was in heaven! A whole world of books at my very fingertips! 

Slowly my love of reading extended to writing as well. I would chop two little pieces of cardboard off of a box, cut some paper the same size as the cardboard, zip-tie them all together, and create my own little makeshift book. That was the beginning of my writing career. 

In third grade, my parents decided to send me to Morning Star Academy. When I got there, I discovered that Mrs. Bohonek gave the class stories to write at least once every day. I was thrilled! I took to those assignments like a fish to water. In later years, my teachers expanded my writing skills as they asked for essays and book reports. From the annual Academic Night essays that I wrote in fifth and sixth grade to the short journal entries Mrs. Porter had us write in seventh grade, my teachers have and continue to give me every opportunity to sharpen my writing skills. 

Building on all those years of writing practice, I am now working on novels and short stories. I could never have come as far as I have in my writing if I didn’t have the amazing teachers that I’ve had and still have at Morning Star. To those teachers I say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.  

Editor’s note: This post is the second in a series on how we teach the Trivium at Morning Star Academy. The Trivium forms the structure of classical education. It includes three stages: Grammar (grades K-5), Logic (6-8) and Rhetoric (9-12). Keep reading for a parent perspective on the Grammar stage!

Kat Carter

As a parent with three children in the Morning Star Grammar school, and one who’s recently advanced to the Logic school, I thought I’d share a few glimpses into our journey at Morning Star and why we’re excited to continue.

Fun

While it’s great fun to be a child, and I’m certain children are having fun at schools all throughout the Quad Cities, Morning Star offers a deep sense of delight. Maybe the word I’m looking for is closer to marvel or wonder. Reading great books triggers wonder and a love of learning. In Kindergarten, during Mrs. Norton’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe unit, my children would stare out of the van in the evenings, watching carefully for the entrance to Narnia at neighborhood lampposts.

The way in which the Grammar students learn—using songs and hand motions—is also great fun. One of my best memories of Mrs. Spykstra’s second grade class was watching my middle son dance (!) and sing (!) in front of an audience (!) as he recited all the countries of Africa. Singing is not only a method of learning at Morning Star; it also develops a love for music in my children, cultivates selflessness in their ability to overcome shyness, and builds an appreciation for lyric verse. 

Friends

I am thankful my children are growing up alongside children who, along with their parents, love Jesus and honor and obey God’s Word. My kids are not just making lifetime friends—I’m certain they are building friendships for all eternity. This extends to their teachers and parents whom we are privileged to know more and more each passing year. All four of our children were adopted from foster care in Iowa. As they continue through adolescence, they are going to have big questions about why God allows sad and bad things to happen and also wonder about His plan for their lives. We’re counting on like-minded friends to keep pointing our children to Jesus.

Faith

There are several Christian schools to choose from in the Quad Cities. One of the reasons we chose Morning Star is for its holistic approach to learning. Its classical model includes curriculum and teaching methods that reflect how God made our children. Little kids love to sing and move and memorize facts (Grammar). Tweens, I’m discovering, like to argue (Logic), and teenagers like to express what they know (Rhetoric). But Morning Star isn’t just a rigorous academic school with a Bible class. Every subject is taught as though it were under the Lordship of Christ, because in fact it is (Colossians 1:16-17).  

Science and mathematics point to the universe’s created order and reliability. God is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33). He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). Neat penmanship, cursive, and spelling point to the beauty of the written word and the importance of not adding to or taking away from God’s Word (Deuteronomy 12:32). Mrs. Bohonek, the third grade teacher, once left a note in one of my son’s science notebook, saying “Being neat and orderly is a reflection of who God is. Be sure to always work your best at that!” This was such a great exhortation. We strive for godliness not to earn God’s pleasure but to reflect His excellence!

The Great Given

At Morning Star, our family appreciates the fun and wonder of learning, friendships that encourage and sustain us now and into eternity, and the faith-filled education our children are receiving under the “Great Given”: that all things were created by Him and for Him, He is before all things and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1 again!).

As our children’s academic journey continues in light of this reality, we pray that they will be less likely to disassociate their education from their faith as they reach adulthood. As all their learning, questioning, debating, and wrestling occurs under this Great Given, we pray they will be more likely to trust God when they doubt and struggle later in life. We are thankful for Morning Star’s holistic approach to educating our children and pray it will result in whole-hearted devotion to The Morning Star—Jesus.

Editor’s note: This post is the first in a series on how we teach the Trivium at Morning Star Academy. The Trivium forms the structure of classical education. It includes three stages: Grammar (grades K-5), Logic (6-8) and Rhetoric (9-12).

“For the sole true end of education is simply this: to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain.” 

Dorothy Sayers

Missy Bohonek

What I love about this quote by Sayers is how it aligns with what we are doing at Morning Star Academy. We want to develop thinkers. We want students who know how to think, not merely what to think. What does this endeavor look like day-to-day? I want to invite you into my third grade classroom to get a glimpse into a classical Christian education.

I must say, I love grammar school students. It doesn’t take long to see their excitement for new and interesting facts. They often explain in detail what they have learned, and they will most likely relate what they have learned to their own experiences. Their ability to memorize still blows me away every year. They enjoy collecting and organizing items, and being able to grasp a new language is another one of their strengths.

Knowing these traits and building a curriculum around them is what makes classical education beautiful. Walking into the third grade you most likely will hear us singing. Whether we are singing the Bible verses that accompany our catechism questions, singing our history song or reciting the 52 prepositions for our grammar lessons, singing is often happening in our classroom. 

Another staple of classical education is helping students become comfortable in front of their classmates. When we read as a class, students stand while it is their turn to read. Along with this, students develop the skill of narration, which is being able to retell the main points of what they just read to the class. Narration provides a smooth transition to project presentations, like Trojan Horses and Greek mythology, and gives them confidence when they recite poetry. By the end of the year, they are memorizing lines to Aesop’s Fables and performing plays in front of a room full of people. This is one of my favorite days! 

Let’s not forget how easily grammar students can learn a new language. Learning Latin, which is a catapult to other languages, helps students to reason and think critically. They not only gain helpful vocabulary, they see that language has structure. And we also want to develop good writers. One of my favorite lessons is teaching my third graders how to write a persuasive paper. I think many parents were buying puppies after last year!

Lastly, we teach and learn all our subjects through the lens of Scripture. As a parent, I want my kids to have a solid biblical worldview that thoroughly equips them to faithfully test their choices and decisions by the Word of God. I am thankful for Morning Star Academy and parents who are like-minded and value a classical Christian education. We are in this together!