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Breakout Sessions

SCL23 Breakout Speakers

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This year’s SCL Conference features over 80 workshops (62 live-streamed!) designed to offer classical Christian educators inspirational and practical takeways in both teaching and leading. Our guest speakers are experienced practitioners offering insight from a wide variety of positions and schools around the country.

We divided workshops into 9 categories to help you sort the topics most relevant to you: Grammar School, Logic & Rhetoric School, School Programs, Academic Leadership, Heads & Boards, Advancement, School Culture, Philosophy, and Growing as a Teacher (all ages & stages). We also tagged workshops more specifically (ex: math, science, marketing), creating a way to refine search options once inside our event platform, Whova.

We also launched a new style of discussion-centric workshop this year featuring the most practical topics, something guests ask for every year. These PRACTICUM workshops will be set up classroom style or with round tables, cultivating an interactive atmosphere. We invite you to explore your interests and discover ways to grow as you meet new like-minded educators this summer

Practicum sessions are not conducive to live-streaming and therefore are designed for our in-person audience only.

THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY

Academic Leadership

Neil Anderson

Who Can Become A Head of School?

David Diener

The Importance of Intellectual Leadership

Craig Doerksen

Learning in the Image of the Maker

Dennis Doty

Is your lack of EQ affecting your leadership?

Andrew Elizalde

Building a Faculty Culture of Lifelong Learners

Starrla Fowler

Emergent Leaders: Building Leadership Teams

Ron Hoch

 Onboarding 101: Setting Up New Hires for Success

Logic & Rhetoric School

Janet Andreasen

– PRACTICUM –

“Toddler Mathing”? Strategies for math engagement

Robbie Andreasen

– PRACTICUM –

Using Catechisms & Recitations to Frame Science Classes

Kate Friederichs

– PRACTICUM –

Reading Humanely: Utilizing Student’s Love of Story

Mandi Gerth

– PRACTICUM –

Classical Pedagogy 101

Tag Green

– PRACTICUM –

Life-Giving Writing Instruction

Joelle Hodge

Women in the Tradition

Will Killmer

– PRACTICUM –

Prīmī Gradūs: Getting Started with Active Latin Teaching

Paul Laywell

Seeing the Divine in Scientific Laws

Alex Markos

– PRACTICUM –

The Art of Crafting a New Class

Louis Markos

The Early Church from Christ to Constantine (Part I)

Louis Markos

The Early Church from Christ to Constantine (Part II)

Joshua McCroskey

Eud-AI-monia: Generative AI and CCE

Salome Palmer

Teach Them How to Live: Learning as Liturgy

Monica Perumal

Engaging the Culture in the Science Classroom

Adam Stevenson

Christian and Classical: Teaching the Bible

Andrew Zwerneman

History: Seeing the Whole

Tim Goodwin

Peter Lee

– GROUP –

Practical Mathematics: The Art of Play

Sandy Schinetsky

Martha Shaunessy

– GROUP –

Utilizing “Dialogue” as a Form of Assessment

Karen Moore

Marcus Foster

– GROUP –

The Virtue of Vitruvius: Interdisciplinary Study

Christi Williams

Patti Hinze

– PRACTICUM –

Remembrance of Words Past: Using the Commonplace Book

Grammar SchooL

Laura AhMow

Teaching Latin for Everyone

Stephanie Boss

– PRACTICUM –

Surrender to the Stories: Storytelling Power and Pedagogy

Carey Bustard

Picture Books vs. Identity Politics: Gospel Book Choices

Adrienne Freas

– PRACTICUM –

Narration for PreK-6th Grade

Jessica Gombert

Reclaiming Childhood

Christine Norvell

– PRACTICUM –

Teaching Expression: Learning to Read Aloud

Athena Oden

Embodied Cognition

Daniel Payne

Imaginative Learning with C.S. Lewis

Brooke Ramsey

– PRACTICUM –

Charlotte Mason, Geography Lessons, and Christ in Every Culture

Brynn Sowder

– PRACTICUM –

Pointing to Beauty Through Nature Study

Lauren Stoner

Mission-Minded Disciplinary Procedures

Christine Wasnesky

– PRACTICUM –

Grammar Classroom Beauty: Penmanship, Spelling, and Reading

Mo Gaffney

Lisa Ann Dillon

– GROUP –

Coast to Coast, Singapore Math is the Best

Laura Werezak

Gabriela Remache

Stephanie Popa

– PRACTICUM –

Building Community through Modern Languages

School Programs

Deborah Allen

Beauty and Calling: College & Career Conversations

Wes Boyd

In Christ We Play: “Discipleship First” Athletics

Derek Brooks

Visio Divina: Forming Young Souls through Art

Tami Peterson

Focus on Flourishing: Vocational Discipleship

Gail Smith

Spiritual Applications for Drawing and Painting

Titus Szymanowski

Narrow Path Athletics: Encountering Christ through Competition

Adam Roate

Kevin Thames

All Opportunities are Tests

Advancement

Allison Buras

Partnering with Private School Parents

Robyn Burlew

Robust Parent Education: Crucial for Mission Strength

Elizabeth Perkins

Perpetual Enrollment: Together Until Graduation!

Clay Vaughan

Building a Strong School Brand

Brad Layland

John Ranheim

– GROUP –

Raising Capital Needed for God’s Purposes for Your School

Board & Head of School

Peter Baur

Security in Schools: A Facilitated Discussion

Eric Cook

How to Keep Your Head

Travis Koch

Crisis in Slow Motion: Managing Difficult Situations

Robert Littlejohn

Building Dynamic Leadership Teams

Leslie Moeller

Measuring the Maturity of your Board

Keith Nix

The Head and the Board Chair

Brian Polk

SCL’s Thriving Schools Survey

Sherri Huston

Ralph Rodriguez

– GROUP –

Navigating the Changing Culture and How to Protect Your Ministry

Philosophy & Culture (Redeem the Time)

David Bailey

Reconciling Community

Justin Bailey

Sowing Hope

Gregory Jeffers

Recovering Classical Philosophy for the Classroom

Kelly Kapic

Process or Final Product

Savannah Kimberlin

Understanding Gen Z

Keith McCurdy

Digital Mania – The Impact of Social Media

Joseph Pearce

Delving Deeper into Chesterton

Christopher Schlect

The Liberal Arts and Play

Peter VandeBrake

Color-Blessed: Diversity in a Christian Classical School

Albert Cheng

Carrie Eben

Christine Norvell

Mallorey Thompson

– PANEL –

Redeeming Social Science for Classical Education

Growing as an Educator

Alicia Brummeler

– PRACTICUM –

The Embodied Classroom: Educating the Whole Person

Nathan Carr

The Festive School

Kristen Clarkson

– PRACTICUM –

Cultivating Virtue Through Oral Assessments

Leslie Collins

All Things New

Angie Copetillo

Image Bearers First

Patrick Egan

Creating Culture: The Ultimate Habit Training Tool

Cate Gilbert

Educating for Joy: Why Classical Schools Must be the Happiest Schools

Buck Holler

– PRACTICUM –

Remembering to Breathe: Advice for the Teacher

Allison Jackson

– PRACTICUM –

Refreshing Your Classical Toolkit: Engaging through Instruction

Jason Merritt

Teaching As Faithful Craftsmanship Rather Than Creative Artistry

Keith McCurdy

Raising Sturdy Kids in 2023

Jeff Pratt

– PRACTICUM –

Developing organizational health using the “Working Genius Map”

Christopher Stevens

– PRACTICUM –

Student Motivation and Management in the Classroom

Jonathon Basurto

Judi Poblano

– GROUP –

God is Building an Escuela

Special Opportunity!

Special Fine Arts Show/Tour

Classics One Act Play

Neil Anderson

Head of School - Trinity Classical School

Session: Who Can Become A Head of School?

Tags: Leadership, Head of School, Administration

Session Abstract

Taking a head of school position should cause hesitation as the requisite gift-set seems daunting. As more classical schools launch across the country and more head of school vacancies are posted at established schools, the need for head of school candidates is high. For those considering the role, it is only natural to ask the question, “am I cut out for this?” Also for those who have accepted the role in the last few years and are experiencing its complexity, you also may be asking, “am I cut out for this?” This workshop is an attempt to help you answer that question. For most of you, the answer is probably, “yes.” You may just need some perspective, encouragement, and coaching. And for some, of course, it is possible you have taken on a role you weren’t designed for. In this workshop, I will describe my journey from teacher, to administrator, to head of school. I will work through lessons learned and essential deficits that had to be addressed to survive. I will describe the essentials needed for a thriving head of school work-flow and we will take an inventory together at the end. This workshop is really designed for any head of school or any considering the role.

Biography

Neil Anderson is the founding head of school for Trinity Classical School (TCS) in Houston and a board member for the Society for Classical Learning. After a few years of church planting and teaching at classical schools, Neil has been heading TCS for the last 13 years. He studied literature and theology at Wheaton College and then did his graduate work in the Liberal Arts at Houston Christian University. Neil’s wife, Marian, is the Dean of Campus at Harbor Christian Academy (an urban classical school in the center of Houston) and his four children are beginning to graduate from TCS (two of four so far) after being educated there from PreK-12. Classical education has been a family affair and a way of life. Neil has recently become more involved in leadership development and helping to coach and launch collaborative schools (hybrid) across the U.S. He is also passionate about poetry, 20th century art and literature, music, hiking, running, and birding.

David Diener

Assistant Professor of Education - Hillsdale College

Session: The Important of Intellectual Leadership

Topic: Leadership, Heads of School

Session Abstract

School leaders today are responsible for an incredible variety of administrative duties. As schools have grown in organizational complexity, so have the number of areas over which headmasters must provide administrative leadership. Etymologically, however, the “headmaster” of a school is simply the “head teacher.” Despite the increased complexity of the headmaster’s role, in an important sense every school leader still is and must be the intellectual leader of the school. In this seminar, we will examine the importance of a headmaster’s intellectual leadership and also consider practical suggestions for how headmasters and school administrators can provide such leadership whether or not they have formal academic training themselves.

Biography

Dr. David Diener works at Hillsdale College where he is an Assistant Professor of Education. Previous experience includes fifteen years in K-12 private education, eleven of those in administration and eight as headmaster of classical Christian schools. He also is a Fellow on the Alcuin Fellowship National Council and Director of the Alcuin Fellowship Midwest Chapter, serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Classical Learning and the Board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test, is a member of the National Council of Classical Educators, and offers consulting services through Classical Academic Press. He is the author of Plato: The Great Philosopher-Educator and has published articles on Plato, Kierkegaard, and various topics in philosophy of education. He also serves as the series editor for Classical Academic Press’ series Giants in the History of Education and is an associate editor for the journal Principia: a Journal of Classical Education. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Ancient Languages from Wheaton College as well as an MA in Philosophy, an MS in History and Philosophy of Education, and a dual PhD in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education from Indiana University.

Craig Doerksen

Director - Waterloo School

Session: Learning in the Image of the Maker: Forming Value-Makers, not just Test-Takers

Topic: Spiritual Formation, Assessment

Session Abstract

It is common in the pursuit of deep, rigorous academics, for our classroom practices to tend to form unevenly developed students-students who can “show what they know” through conventional tests, essays, and speeches, but who are unpracticed in using what they know to create things for others. Humans are embodied image-bearers of the Creator, and are called to bear fruit-to create, make, and produce in right relationship with God, creation, and our neighbor. Can our pedagogies form makers? Come explore how the ways we teach and assess can develop this God-given capacity.

Biography

Craig Doerksen is an educator living in Austin, Texas. He is currently the founder and director of Waterloo School, an innovative teacher-designed high school in downtown Austin. He also serves on the board of Gutenberg College, a Great Books college in Eugene, Oregon. He has over twenty years of classical Christian education in Oregon, North Carolina and Texas, at the collegiate, high school, and middle school levels, as both administrator and teacher. He also loves the wilderness.

Dennis Doty

Head of Grammar School - Covenant Classical School Fort Worth

Session: Is your lack of EQ affecting your leadership?

Topic: Leadership, Administration, Formation

Session Abstract

Reflecting on my time starting and leading a classical school, I quickly grew in technical skills but less in emotional skills necessary for the role. An important problem for the classical Christian school movement is understanding how academic leaders can grow emotionally in order to perform their roles. This session will cover the ways in which academic leaders of classical Christian schools demonstrate growth in emotional intelligence over the course of their careers.

Biography

Dennis Doty is the Head of Grammar School at Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, TX. Prior to this position, he served as Head of School of Westminster Classical Christian Academy in Toronto, ON. He has a M.A. in Leadership from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He will graduate with an Ed.S. in Classical Education Leadership from Gordon College in May.

Andrew Elizalde

Academic Dean - Covenant Classical School

Session Title: Building a Faculty Culture of Lifelong Learners

Tags: Culture, Professional Development

Session Abstract

We believe that the affections of our students are being ordered and transformed as they contemplate all that is true, good, and beautiful in our curriculum. If our own affections are still in need of the same kind of continued transformation then why would we not also submit ourselves to be transformed by the works and ideas of our own liberal arts tradition? In this session, I will share principles and practical steps for building a faculty culture committed to lifelong learning wherein the most transformative professional development happens on your campus, amongst your colleagues, led by your own people, scheduled throughout the weeks of your academic year, oriented around the works and ideas of your own mission and vision.

Biography

Andrew Elizalde holds a B.A. from Depauw University, teaching credential from California State University Long Beach, and Master of Arts in Leadership in Classical Education from Gordon College. His more than twenty years of teaching experience includes work in both public and private schools in subjects ranging from 5th grade mathematics to advanced calculus and physics. He has served as both a mathematics department chair and science department chair through critical seasons of textbook adoption and curriculum reform. Since 2011, Andrew has served as a Dean of Academics at two different flagship schools in the classical renewal movement including his current tenure at Covenant Classical School, a K-12 classical Christian school in Fort Worth, Texas. His work most notably includes leading various curriculum reform projects, building systems for student support, and transforming faculty culture through meaningful professional development.

Starrla Fowler

Logic School Head, Academic Chair, Board Member, Co-Founder - Veritas Academy

Session: Emergent Leaders: Band of Brothers or Siloed Supporters? Building Unified & Useful Leadership Teams

Topic: Leadership, Heads of School, Administration

Session Abstract

Is your head of school (HOS) supported by a unified “band of brothers”…or a cast of siloed supporters? Christian schools/ministries tend to be only as strong as their top leaders and vulnerable to their weakest moments. For too many schools, the burden of leadership falls disproportionately—and sometimes all but exclusively—on the HOS. That Lone Ranger model is a recipe for failure and a poor stewarding of future leaders.

Within the surging classical Christian education (CCE) movement, dedicated and passionate faculty and staff are emerging into notoriously narrow leadership ranks. What if CCE schools were able to harness the enthusiasm and promise of these rising leaders to create unified leadership teams galvanized around a shared vision and mission and enabled to bear increasing amounts of weight and responsibility for their school’s top leader in accomplishing the institution’s purpose?

This session will use the narrative of Nehemiah to illustrate a handful of leadership skills and introduce components of a one- to two-year, biblically-based leadership development program for key and emerging leaders within a classical Christian school.

The program encompasses instruction in relational leadership, as well as school operations and governance, utilizing a mentoring approach to develop more confident, secure, experienced and united leaders. Most, or all, of this program can be delivered on site to your leadership team or cohort, increasing their exposure to, and within, the organization while building a shared commitment to the school’s unique vision and cultivating trust among those responsible for creating a reality of that vision.

Biography

Starrla Fowler has served at Veritas Academy since its inception in 2004. She and her husband, Jef, were co-founders of this school of nearly 700 students now residing on its 97-acre campus in the hills of southwest Austin. For the past 19 years, Starrla has served in various capacities as the Academic Dean, Academic Team Chair, Grammar School Head, and current School of Logic Head, in addition to her continued service on the School Board and its Governance and Nominations committee.

While at Veritas, Starrla has developed curriculum and academic programs, trained hundreds of teachers, served on accreditation teams for similar schools, and helped many classical, collaborative schools launch and grow. She is passionate about kingdom building through the expansion of classical, Christian schools and after receiving her Masters in Leadership through Gordon College, shifted her focus to developing programs for training future Christian school leaders. Starrla and her husband, Jef (the longtime Veritas HOS), live in the Texas Hill Country and are the parents of three adult children, all graduates of Veritas Academy.

Ron Hoch

Head of School - Redeemer Classical School

Session: Onboarding 101: Setting Up New Hires for Success

Topic: Heads of School, Human Resources

Session Abstract

We put a lot of time and effort into making sure we hire the right people, and for good reason. But often we don’t spend the same energy on making sure new hires have a smooth transition and are prepared for their role. In this workshop, we will look at practical ways to enhance your onboarding process so that it is meaningful for faculty and staff, and beneficial for the school.

Biography

Ron is entering his sixth year as Head of School at Redeemer Classical School in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He holds degrees from Cairn University, Reformed Theological Seminary, and the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Julianna, have four children, three of whom are school aged. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar, golfing, and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams.

Janet Andreasen

Mathematics Specialist - The Geneva School

Session: Are your students "Toddler Mathing"? Strategies for Engagement in Mathematics Classrooms

Topics: Math, Collaborative Learning, Upper School, Grammar School

Session Abstract

Do your students work collaboratively in mathematics? Do they actually work together? Or do they “toddler math”? Come explore what I mean by “toddler math” and examine strategies which I have found helpful in engaging students in collaborative experiences in the classroom

Biography

Janet Andreasen is a mathematics specialist at Geneva. She teaches AP Calculus, eometry, and financial literacy and provides mathematics coaching for teachers and students. Prior to coming to Geneva, she was a senior lecturer of mathematics education at the University of Central Florida (UCF) where she was the coordinator of secondary education and worked with prospective and practicing mathematics teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Dr. Andreasen has published books, book chapters, and articles in state and national publications as well as conducted professional presentations throughout the United States. Dr. Andreasen received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Miami (FL) and both a master’s degree in mathematics education and a PhD in Education, Mathematics Education from the University of Central Florida.

Robbie Andreasen

Science Instructor - The Geneva School

Session: Using Catechism and Recitations to Frame Science Classes

Tags: Science, Recitation, Memory Work

Session Abstract

One of the dangers of modern science education is leaving the impression that everything is just stuff in motion or that all truth can be determined by the methods of science. By opening classes with a catechism or recitation in order to frame the science lesson, we can help minimize giving these impressions. During this workshop I will present the catechism my team created on the theology of creation along with all of the recitations that I go through with my students during the year. We will discuss why I chose them, and attendees should leave with tools and ideas to help them implement this practice within their classrooms. If you already do recitations in your science classroom, please bring them so that your wisdom can be shared with others.

Biography

Robbie Andreasen joined the Geneva faculty in 2007 and teaches biology (ninth grade) and anatomy & physiology (twelfth grade). Robbie has a contagious passion to study the intersection of faith and science, and his students have come to expect a challenging, active classroom characterized by their teacher’s love and enthusiasm for learning. This is also true when he teaches Sunday School or gives a children’s homily at his church.

Robbie received a BS in Marine Science and Biology from the University of Miami and an MA in Bioethics from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He was the upper school recipient of the 2013 Paideia Award for Teaching, an award that recognizes excellence in teaching.

Robbie and his wife Janet (math specialist at Geneva) have two children–one TGS grad and one in the upper school. In his spare time, he enjoys challenging himself through activities such as Spartan races.

Kate Friederichs

Upper School Humanities Chair - Covenant Classical School

Session: Reading Humanely: Utilizing the Student's Natural Love of Story

Topic: Literature, Reading

Session Abstract

We and our students have been inculcated by a culture that prizes utility and usefulness. We as educators are not immune to utility-driven curriculum or the parental expectation of usefulness. We often meet these expectations by blazing through an onslaught of books. Our students are products of the culture also, having lost their natural ability to read well, and preferring instead the visual and the quick. How, then, do we incorporate the promiscuous, immersive reading of fiction back into their lives? A kind of reading, in fact, that leads to freedom of thought, growth in virtue, and a generous and empathetic disposition toward others. How do we help cultivate a life-long love of literature in the student who is forced to read a book they are prejudiced against? There are planning practices that can keep us focused on the big questions that naturally appeal to our students as human beings. There are classroom practices that can lead to deep and meaningful interactions that turn the reticent reader into one open to the lessons great authors will teach the willing.

Biography

Kate’s introduction to classical education began as a parent researching schooling options for her upcoming Kindergartener. She fell in love with the classical approach of learning, believing that what and how we learn shapes who we become. She now works as the Humanities Chair at Covenant Classical School, teaching history and literature with a focus on the Classical era. A modern-day magician, she turns fourteen-year-olds into lovers of Homer.

Mandi Gerth

Upper School Literature Teacher - Coram Deo Academy

Session: Classical Pedagogy 101: What to do with What You Teach

Topic: Classroom Practic

Session Abstract

What does it mean to teach classically? Is it more than just choosing the right books? In a word, yes. But, at the end of the day, the classical teacher, like the modern one, still needs to get students to sit still and pass back papers. Yet, your job is also to inculcate habits, order loves, and promote virtue.

In this workshop, we will look at a number of very specific pedagogical practices that have their roots in the classical tradition: questioning, narration, discussion, and composition. We will then break down those practices with ideas for practical implementation. Balancing theory and practice, this workshop aims to help classical teachers grow in their understanding of how to teach classical curriculum classically.

Biography

Mandi Gerth serves alongside a dedicated team of classical educators at Coram Deo Academy in Dallas, Texas, where she currently teaches upper school literature. Her work has appeared on the CiRCE Institute and Theopolis blogs and in the Classical Difference magazine. She and her husband have labored for over twenty years to build a family culture for their five children that values books, baseball, museums, home-cooked meals, and conversation about ideas.

Tag Green

Head of Middle School - Providence Christian School of Texas

Session: Life-Giving Writing Instruction

Topic: Writing, Upper School, Assessment

Session Abstract

Giving helpful feedback for student writing can be both difficult and time-consuming, and it becomes frustrating when the student does not heed—or even pay attention to—the teacher’s input. By implementing in-person writing conferences, teachers can provide life-giving feedback for students while also minimizing the amount of time they must spend grading essays at home.

Biography

A teacher passionate about student learning, Tag has served in the classroom for 21 years, having taught all grades from 6th through 12th. He taught Advanced Placement Literature and Composition for seven of those years, and served as a Reader for the AP Literature and Composition exam for six years. Moving to the middle school classroom eleven years ago, he taught Class Six English and history, followed by Class Eight English and history, at Providence Christian School of Texas in Dallas. He now serves as the Head of Middle School at Providence, where he hopes to serve and equip teachers so that they can see God transform lives as they live out their calling to teach.

Joelle Hodge

VP Operations, Sales & Marketing - Classical Academic Press

Session: Women in the Tradition: Why Re-membering the Tradition is so Vital in Redeeming the Time

Topic: Liberal Arts, Women

Session Abstract

Whether we realize it or not, we have suffered a loss of collective memory, and there are consequences to any society that allows itself to forget (individually or collectively) essential parts of its rich heritage and the inheritance of its past. It has been said that the opposite of remembering is not forgetting rather it is dismembering. That’s what has happened to our story. However, when we remember the women of the liberal arts tradition, we are essentially re-membering our history with the people and stories that create for us a more complete account of who we have been. We must consider how recovering is kingdom work.

In this session, we will walk with St. Augustine and his Confessions. We will explore Robert Wilken and passages from his book, Remembering the Christian Past. We will listen to the words of N.T. Wright in his book, For All God’s Worth, and consider how remembering is one of the central acts of worship. And we will meet some new voices, like Peter Dronke, Sharon L. James, Laurie Finke, and others.

The etymological and linguistic link between textiles and texts comes from Latin (textus from texo, to weave). The weaving, mending, and repairing of textiles has long been associated with the work of women. By gathering the threads of our rich history, provided by these historians, theologians, and philosophers, we will consider the metaphor of tapestry as it relates to the contributory works we seek to recover from within the tradition.

Biography

Joelle Hodge holds a BA in History/Political Science and has received her Master of Arts in Teaching at Eastern University’s Templeton Honors College. She began her career as a staffer to United States Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) before finding her professional home in the world of classical education in 1999. She has twenty years of classical education teaching experience. She has co-authored two logic books, The Art of Argument: An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies and The Discovery of Deduction: An Introduction to Formal Logic, both published by Classical Academic Press (CAP). Her primary focus is on supporting the growth and development of Classical Academic Press in her role as the Vice President of Operations, Sales and Marketing.

As a consultant, she engages with educators across the country, tailoring workshops for classical schools and co-ops that seek to train their teachers in the fundamentals of dialectic-and rhetoric-stage pedagogy.

Will Killmer

Director of Classical Language Instruction - Veritas School

Session: Prīmī Gradūs: Getting Started with Active Latin Teaching

Topic: Languages, Latin

Session Abstract

For the past several centuries, the teaching of Latin has been dominated by the so-called “grammar-translation” method, which stipulates that competence in Latin arises from the explicit knowledge of the language’s grammatical structures such that a student can identify them in a Latin text, translate them into a corresponding English phrase, and occasionally translate English into Latin. However, over the past ten years or so, there has been an increased interest in teaching Latin through active and communicative means that involve speaking and reading copious amounts of Latin. Since many teachers of ancient languages were taught from a grammar-translation methodology and lack ample experience in speaking Latin, it can be difficult to know where to begin, or to feel sufficiently confident in speaking Latin with students. This workshop will first offer teachers a classical definition of active Latin instruction, a short apologia for its methodology, and then explain and model several communicative practices for introducing new vocabulary, reading through a text, and consolidating students’ understanding of a text.

Biography

A Virginia native, Will has taught a wide range of Latin students, from 3rd graders just beginning their Latin journey, to high-school seniors in AP Latin. He holds a B. A. in Classics from the University of Virginia, during which time he spent a semester abroad in Rome, as well as two M.A.’s from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. After seminary, Will taught Latin in Peabody, MA and since 2017 has been teaching at the Veritas School in Richmond. In the classroom, Will likes to use active and communicative methods of Latin instruction that utilize the best practices from the rich 2000-year tradition of Latin teaching and learning, as well as insights from the fields of second language acquisition and cognitive science. In particular he enjoys connecting with his students in, through, and about all things Latin and ancient Rome. He and his wife enjoy raising their three daughters (Amelia, 7, Lucy, 6, and Rosemary, 2), reading, cooking, and playing games.

Paul Laywell

Teacher & Science Department Head - Covenant Christian Academy

Seeing the Divine in Scientific Laws

Tags: Science

Session Abstract

In an attempt to develop scientific literacy, science education traditionally begins with the dissemination of facts, concepts, theories and laws relevant to a specific field of study. However, the terms theory and law- terms ubiquitous in science- are seldom explained properly and are often taught within an erroneous developmental sequence suggesting that, with increasing empirical evidence, hypotheses will become theories and theories will, in turn, become laws.

Such an approach is not only detrimental to the development of scientific literacy, but also prevents seeing the divine in the scientific laws that describe our world.

Biography

Paul Laywell has four decades of teaching experience and has taught everything from seventh-grade Earth Science to Advanced Placement Biology and Chemistry.

After teaching in the public schools for sixteen years, he transitioned to Christian classical schools and he is currently the science department head at Covenant Christian Academy in Colleyville, TX where he also teaches physics and Advanced Placement Chemistry.

Upon his entry into Christian classical education, Paul discovered a shortage of published science curricula that combined robust science content while also integrating the history, philosophy and theology befitting a classical curriculum. In response, he began writing science curricula that incorporated meaningful integration and it’s a project that continues to this day.

In addition to his secondary teaching positions, Paul has also taught in an adjunct capacity at both Tarrant County College and Dallas Baptist University.

Alex Markos

Humanities Teacher - Geneva School of Boerne

An Experiment in Virtue: The Art of Crafting a New Class

Tags: Classroom Practices, Virtue, Spiritual Formation, Humanities

Session Abstract

Last spring, my headmaster asked if I would put together and teach a new class on virtue for our ninth grade students. The fruit of that conversation and a summer of planning was a course titled The Good Life: On the Road to Virtue and Spiritual Formation. In this talk, I will discuss the process I went through to create this new class and some of the lessons I learned along the way. I will focus on the reader I assembled with excerpts from Platonic, Stoic, and Christian thinkers, the catechisms I composed to reinforce the key questions of the course, and the assignments I developed to help students integrate virtues into their own lives. I will also discuss the challenges I faced, the successes I had, and the surprises I encountered.

This presentation is for those who are facing the prospect of teaching a new class or are seeking to develop or restructure an existing class, particularly in the humanities. Listeners will come away with practical tips on how to incorporate Scripture and the virtues into a class and be inspired to try new ideas in their own classrooms.

Biography

Alex Markos is part of the Humanities faculty at the Geneva School of Boerne, TX, where he teaches history for the juniors and a class on virtue for the freshmen. He previously taught 3rd-5th grade Latin for six years at Geneva. He holds a B.A. in History and Classics from Hope College and an M.A. in Apologetics from Houston Baptist University (now Houston Christian University). For his Apologetics capstone project, he developed a curriculum for teaching virtue through Scripture and Greek mythology. He has a passion for classical Christian education and aims to inspire his students to love learning and to grow in virtue.

Louis Markos

Professor of English & Scholar in Residence - Houston Baptist University

The Early Church from Christ to Constantine (Part I)

Tags: Church History

Session Abstract

This two-part lecture series will set the groundwork for Athanasius’ defense of orthodoxy by surveying the first three centuries of the church. The first lecture will focus on the Book of Acts, the early growth of the gospel, the ten persecutions of the Roman Empire, and the martyrs who died for the church. The second lecture will focus on the theologians who helped define church doctrine, the heretics who sought to deconstruct it, and the historical forces that led to the ascension of Constantine and the Council of Nicaea. Though these two talks are best heard in sequence, they can each stand alone.

Biography

Louis Markos is a Professor of English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Baptist University, where he teaches courses on British Romantic and Victorian Poetry, the Greek and Roman Classics, and C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. He speaks widely for classical Christian schools and conferences and has authored 25 books, including From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics, On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis, The Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes, From Plato to Christ: How Platonic Thought Shaped the Christian Faith, and Ancient Voices: An Insider’s Look at the Early Church. He is committed to the concept of the Professor as Public Educator and believes that knowledge must not be walled up in the Academy but must be disseminated to all who have ears to hear. His son Alex teaches history at the Geneva School in Boerne, TX and his daughter Anastasia teaches music at Founders Classical Academy in Lewisville, TX.

Louis Markos

Professor of English & Scholar in Residence - Houston Baptist University

The Early Church from Christ to Constantine (Part II)

Tags: Church History

Session Abstract

This two-part lecture series will set the groundwork for Athanasius’ defense of orthodoxy by surveying the first three centuries of the church. The first lecture will focus on the Book of Acts, the early growth of the gospel, the ten persecutions of the Roman Empire, and the martyrs who died for the church. The second lecture will focus on the theologians who helped define church doctrine, the heretics who sought to deconstruct it, and the historical forces that led to the ascension of Constantine and the Council of Nicaea. Though these two talks are best heard in sequence, they can each stand alone.

Biography

Louis Markos is a Professor of English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Baptist University, where he teaches courses on British Romantic and Victorian Poetry, the Greek and Roman Classics, and C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. He speaks widely for classical Christian schools and conferences and has authored 25 books, including From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics, On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis, The Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology through Christian Eyes, From Plato to Christ: How Platonic Thought Shaped the Christian Faith, and Ancient Voices: An Insider’s Look at the Early Church. He is committed to the concept of the Professor as Public Educator and believes that knowledge must not be walled up in the Academy but must be disseminated to all who have ears to hear. His son Alex teaches history at the Geneva School in Boerne, TX and his daughter Anastasia teaches music at Founders Classical Academy in Lewisville, TX.

Joshua McCroskey

Head of School - Ad Fontes Academy

Eud-AI-monia: Generative AI and CCE

Tags: Writing, Ethics

Session Abstract

This workshop delves into the moral and ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in classical Christian education. Join us as we explore the transformative possibilities of AI-generated tools and resources for supporting and delivering the missions of our CCE schools. Through insightful discussions and practical applications, we will examine how to harness the power of generative AI to further human flourishing through the pursuit of Wisdom and Virtue.

Biography

Joshua McCroskey is the Head of School at Ad Fontes Academy in Centreville, VA. Prior to joining AFA, he served as the 4-12 grade principal at Trinity Christian School in Kailua, HI, where he also taught humanities, science, and mathematics.

Salome Palmer

Program Coordinator for Classical School Initiatives - Gordon College

Session: Teach Them How to Live: Learning as Liturgy

Topic: Liturgy, Teachers

Session Abstract

The classical renewal movement offers hope for human flourishing, not because the tradition presumes to hold an answer to every question, but because it creates space to encounter the true, good, and beautiful and, in return, create more of it. St. Augustine, CS Lewis, and recently authors such as James K.A. Smith, draw our attention to this idea that educational formation is ultimately a reordering of our love and desire. We embody desire through repeated words, prayers and practices, commonly called liturgies. This cultivates and creates culture. If our educational mission is to raise children to love what is true, good and beautiful, the task of educators is liturgical – to lead the child to repeatedly encounter the true, good and the beautiful. Drawing on the design and success of The Heritage Program, this workshop will highlight tangible methods to integrate the liturgical arts in school culture and curriculum.

Biography

In her current position at Gordon College, Salome serves as the strategic coordinator for classical school initiatives which includes her work with Gordon’s graduate leadership program. She also directs Heritage, a summer program for high schoolers, which she founded in the summer of 2021. Since its initial launch, the Heritage Program continues to expand, drawing students from all over the country. Salome is passionate about developing programs and building relationships that enhance and grow the classical movement.

Salome experienced a classical education firsthand through attending Mars Hill Academy in Mason, OH during middle and high school. She matriculated at Gordon College as a part of the inaugural Global Honors Cohort and triple-majored in Music, Comparative Literature, and Biblical Studies. Having grown up in a bicultural family, Salome is passionate about international travel and community development. She has served as a teacher in Rwanda, Kenya, Nepal, and Greece. Most recently, she volunteers with a ministry foundation in Northern Haiti, working with the team to launch a classical trade school. She is currently completing her MA in Leadership through Gordon College and attends an Anglican church in Amesbury, MA where she contributes to the liturgical life of the body through songwriting, poetry and discipleship.

Monica Perumal

director of Mathematical Sciences - Donum Dei Classical Academy

Session: Engaging the Culture in the Science Classroom

Tags: Science

Session Abstract

“Guess what? Men can get pregnant,” these were the words of a second grader at our school. San Francisco is ground zero for culture wars surrounding sexuality, technology, and postmodernism. We don’t have the option of waiting to discuss difficult topics, so we go straight to them. 

To engage our culture, we need three things: accurate facts, a biblical view of humanity, and Christlike love. Many of the hottest topics in culture are based in biology – abortion, stem cell therapy, gender, mRNA vaccines, race, cloning. We taught our biology class to find the facts, consider the ethics, and engage with love and respect. 

What’s in San Francisco today will be on your doorstep soon. Let’s learn together how to help our students walk in truth and love.

Biography

Monica Perumal is the Director of Mathematical Sciences at Donum Dei Classical Academy in San Francisco. She taught math for 8 years at the Cambridge School in San Diego, and homeschooled her children for 15 years. While at the Cambridge School, she started a refugee tutoring program with a local public school. Monica earned a B.S. in Biology from UC Irvine.

Adam Stevenson

Lead Upper School Teacher - Seattle Classical Christian School

Session: Christian and Classical: A Holistic Approach to Teaching the Bible

Tags: Scripture, Teachers, Formation

Session Abstract

St. Jerome famously said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Not wanting our students to be ignorant of Christ, our schools rightly teach the Bible, but there are two extremes we often face in our attempt to be biblical. We may be tempted either to teach the Bible like an inspirational Sunday School class or like a college course. Neither extreme gives our students what they need – exegetical skill alongside formational reading. So this workshop will have three concrete goals. First, we will show how our doctrine of Scripture must be connected to our hermeneutics. Believing in inerrancy, for example, does not make our interpretations inerrant, so we need to define some key terms like inerrancy and establish some essential principles for interpretation. What we say about Scripture must align with what Scripture says. We will use Kevin Vanhoozer and Dei Verbum from Vatican II to guide our thinking here. Second, we need to take a fresh look at the purpose of interpretation. St. John and St. Augustine will be our primary guides here as we remember that right interpretations without right living is a contradiction. Incorporating the intellectual virtues can help us maintain a view of moral formation without becoming legalistic. And lastly, we will suggest classroom practices to make sure that our Bible classes are Christian and classical that is, they should help our students know Christ and they should equip them to rightly handle the Scriptures.

Biography

Adam Stevenson has been in Christian classical education for 13 years both as a teacher and as an administrator. Starting this fall, he is the new Dean of Students at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Bremerton, Washington after previously serving at Christian classical schools in the Chicago suburbs and in Seattle. He studied biblical languages at Moody Bible Institute before getting MA’s in Biblical Exegesis and Historical & Systematic Theology from Wheaton College Graduate School. He and his wife have four children, and in his spare time, Adam roasts (and drinks) coffee, reads a variety of books, and listens to vinyl.

Andrew Zwerneman

President - Cana Academy

Session: History - Seeing the Whole

Tags: Upper School, Humanities

Session Abstract

This workshop is an introduction to the major features of history as a field of inquiry, a habit of mind, and a way of interpreting our existence. We will cover the following topics: History as narrative; the elements that historians work up in their historical narratives; the eruptive events that occupy the heart of our public memory; history as the study of change; history as human drama; history as a concept of unity; and the person as the agent of history.

Biography

Andrew J. Zwerneman is co-founder and president of Cana Academy. He blogs weekly at www.canaacademy.org and is the author of History Forgotten and Remembered (2020) and The Life We Have Together: A Case for Humane Studies, A Vision for Renewal (2022). Twice a month, Andrew leads the Great Seminar Webinar Series.

Tim Goodwin

Director of Operations - The Geneva School of Manhattan

Session: Practical Mathematics: The Art of Play

Topic: Math, Classroom Practice

Session Abstract

A successful mathematics teacher must have many tools within their tool belt to create approachable and engaging lessons for all learning types. Come join Mr. Tim Goodwin and Mr. Peter Lee as they join forces to talk through how you can make the most of your mathematics curriculum through the art of play. We will equip you with tactics that will help you engage the curriculum so that your students can thrive, provide processes to help develop creative projects for all grade levels, and share best uses of manipulatives.

Biography

Tim Goodwin has been serving as an educator at the Geneva School of Manhattan since 2015. He received his B.S. in History and Christian Ministry from Dallas Baptist University and his M.Div from Southeastern Theological Seminary. Mr. Goodwin spent many years as a third grade teacher before entering into administration. Mr. Goodwin is an ordained minister, currently serving as the lead pastor of a church in Manhattan. His wife, Sydney is a photographer and they welcomed their baby girl in 2022. When Mr. Goodwin isn’t at Geneva School, he enjoys playing soccer, reading great books, and spending time with family and friends.

Peter Lee

Chair of Math & Science - Geneva School of Manhattan

Practical Mathematics: The Art of Play

Tags: Math, Classroom Practice

Session Abstract

A successful mathematics teacher must have many tools within their tool belt to create approachable and engaging lessons for all learning types. Come join Mr. Tim Goodwin and Mr. Peter Lee as they join forces to talk through how you can make the most of your mathematics curriculum through the art of play. We will equip you with tactics that will engage the curriculum so that your students can thrive, provide processes to help develop creative projects for all grade levels, and share best uses of manipulatives.

Biography

Peter Lee has been teaching at the Geneva School of Manhattan in New York City since 2018. He is currently the Math and Science Department Chair and teaches a variety of math and science classes at both the middle and high school levels. He received his B.S. in Chemistry Education from New York University and his M.A. in Science Education from Brooklyn College. Before his time at the Geneva School of Manhattan, he taught high school in both the New York City and Cranford, New Jersey public school systems. In addition to his experience as a teacher, he has helped a myriad of students navigate through the college admissions process. He lives with his wife in New Jersey and enjoys baking, sports, and traveling.

Sandy Schinetsky

Mathematics Teacher - Regents School of Austin

Session: Utilizing "Dialogue" as a Form of Assessment

Tags: Assessment

Session Abstract

How can we determine if students truly “understand” the ideas they are taught? Have you ever asked a student why something is true, and the student replies with “Because you told us so”? This workshop will discuss the method of “Dialogue” as a way to counteract those types of responses. In a Dialogue, students are required to teach the class certain topics, and in their preparation to teach, students learn to think about the “whys” of topics. This method will work for all classes, and most especially math classes.

In a Dialogue, more than simply memorizing material, students are required to delve deeply into the content and be prepared to answer questions while teaching. This causes students to become more invested in daily lessons because they realize they must really know the material later. Similarly, students are more concerned with teaching each other during daily lessons so they can practice before the actual day of the Dialogue. This creates a caring and rigorous class culture in which students are more concerned with understanding material rather than achieving high grades.

This session will expose participants to the specific details of not only the benefits of incorporating Dialogues in their classroom but also to the ways to effectively implement them into their classroom.

Biography

I am in my 6th year teaching at Regents School of Austin, having previously taught junior high mathematics in the Louisiana public school system for seven years and earning the title Teacher of the Year in 2011. I am currently pursuing my doctoral degree in Mathematics Education from Texas State University, having earned both my master of education and bachelor degrees from Louisiana State University. At Regents, I have taught Algebra I, Geometry, and Precalculus. Since 2019, I have attended both the SCL and ACCS National Conferences each summer. In 2020, I had the honor of presenting at both the SCL and ACCS National Conferences regarding mathematics harknesses, and in 2021 I was the Facilitator of Math and Science for the SCL National Conference.

Martha Shaunessy

Geometry Teacher - Regents School of Austin

Session: Those Who Teach, Know: A Method of Utilizing “Dialogue” as a Form of Assessment

Tags: Assessement

Session Abstract

How can we determine if students truly “understand” the ideas they are taught? Have you ever asked a student why something is true, and the student replies with “Because you told us so”? This workshop will discuss the method of “Dialogue” as a way to counteract those types of responses. In a Dialogue, students are required to teach the class certain topics, and in their preparation to teach, students learn to think about the “whys” of topics. This method will work for all classes, and most especially math classes.

Biography

Martha Shaunessy has been teaching geometry for 3 years at Regents School of Austin. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. After graduating from Texas A&M University, Martha realized that she wanted to teach at a school that focused more on the student as a whole. Martha’s first introduction to classical Christian education was at Regents. While teaching at Regents, Martha realized that the classical model helps to engage and grow the student’s character and academically.

Karen Moore

Classics Chair - Grace Classical Academy | Houston Christian University

Session: The Virtue of Vitruvius: A Guide for an Interdisciplinary Study (with Marcus Foster)

Tags: Subject Integration, Languages, Classics

Session Abstract

This workshop will feature one of the most influential authors whom you may have never heard of . During the Augustan age, Vitruvius wrote the first extant book on classical architecture. Vitruvius’ work continued to be a source of great influence in the Renaissance period among the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Leon Battista Alberti, who wrote the next comprehensive work on architecture in 1452. Each endeavored to incorporate in their own work the Vitruvian Virtues of “stability, usefulness, and beauty”.

Vitruvius’ work, perhaps more so than any other, is one that was meant to be taken beyond the theoretical realm and implemented into the practical world. This seminar will first present an overview of Vitruvius and his work, including Latin texts on Roman housing suitable for the classroom. The seminar will then offer a model for an interdisciplinary lesson plan adaptable to various ages, stages, and types of study. The lesson will allow Vitruvius’ Latin text to guide students through a study of his work that incorporates literature, history, art and even science in a manner that truly brings the Latin language to life and embraces the classical tradition. For those traveling abroad to Italy, this lesson has the added feature of a study in classical archaeology that will prepare travelers for sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia. Furthermore, such lessons invite students to contemplate the significance of the Vitruvian Virtues as they design their own works of art or view that of others.

Biography

Karen T. Moore is the author of multiple Latin books, including Libellus de Historia, the Latin Alive! series and the Latin for Teachers course, all published by Classical Academic Press, and Hancus ille Vaccanis, published by Logos Press. Karen has served as the Classics Chair at Grace Academy in Georgetown, Texas, since 2002, where she built the 3rd-12th grade classical language program. She is also an adjunct professor of Classics at Houston Christian University and a board member for the ACCS Institute of Classical Languages. Karen holds a B.A. in Classics from the University of Texas at Austin and an MSc in Classical Art & Archaeology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she spent time researching the relationship between written texts and material evidence. Karen and her husband Bryan are the proud parents of three Grace Academy alumni.

Marcus Foster

Language Department Chair - Covenant Classical School Fort Worth

Session: The Virtue of Vitruvius: A Guide for an Interdisciplinary Study

Topic: Subject Integration, Languages, Classics

Session Abstract

This workshop will feature one of the most influential authors whom you may have never heard of. During the Augustan age, Vitruvius wrote the first extant book on classical architecture. Vitruvius’ work continued to be a source of great influence in the Renaissance period among the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Leon Battista Alberti, who wrote the next comprehensive work on architecture in 1452. Each endeavored to incorporate in their own work the Vitruvian Virtues of “stability, usefulness, and beauty”.

Vitruvius’ work, perhaps more so than any other, is one that was meant to be taken beyond the theoretical realm and implemented into the practical world. This seminar will first present an overview of Vitruvius and his work, including Latin texts on Roman housing suitable for the classroom. The seminar will then offer a model for an interdisciplinary lesson plan adaptable to various ages, stages, and types of study. The lesson will allow Vitruvius’ Latin text to guide students through a study of his work that incorporates literature, history, art and even science in a manner that truly brings the Latin language to life and embraces the classical tradition. For those traveling abroad to Italy, this lesson has the added feature of a study in classical archaeology that will prepare travelers for sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia. Furthermore, such lessons invite students to contemplate the significance of the Vitruvian Virtues as they design their own works of art or view that of others.

Biography

Marcus Foster has taught Latin for 16 years (among other subjects) at Covenant Classical School (Fort Worth, TX) and currently chairs the languages department. He graduated from Baylor University with a B.A. in Classics in 2000, then worked with youth in Berlin, Germany while studying at Humboldt Universität. He completed a M.Hum. in Classics/Theology from the University in Dallas in 2011. He has served on the board of the Institute for Classical Languages since 2020. He and his wife are blessed with three beautiful daughters and one strapping son. All enjoy playing board games and musical instruments of various shapes and sizes.

Christi Williams

Rhetoric Humanities Teacher - Trinity Classical School

Session: Remembrance of Words Past: Using the Commonplace Book in Your Logic and Rhetoric Classrooms (with Patti Hinze)

Tags: Habits, Literature, Classroom Practice, Upper School

Session Abstract

As humanities teachers, we long to nurture a life-long love of literature in our students. A key to love is remembering. In this workshop, we will detail how the practice of keeping a Commonplace Book, or personal reading journal, enriches how our students interact with and remember the literature we read. As Seneca wrote, “We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application–not far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and figures of speech–and learn them so well that words become works.” The Commonplace Book is a record of quotes, illustrations, personal thoughts, song lyrics–it becomes a creative repository that helps students remember what was shaping their souls as they read their way through the great books. We have seen this habit take hold in our students and will give examples and practical ideas on how to start and nurture the practice in the classroom and beyond.

Biography

Dr. Christi Williams is a Rhetoric teacher in literature and philosophy at Trinity Classical School. She has a masters and PhD. in Philosophy from Baylor University and previously taught philosophy at Houston Christian University. She has been teaching in classical education for 11 years. She also teaches Latin and Art and enjoys mentoring students and hosting film nights.

Patti Hinze

Co-teacher - trinity classical school

Session: Remembrance of Words Past: The Commonplace Book

Topic: Habits, Literature, Classroom Practice, Upper School

Session Abstract

As logic and rhetoric humanities teachers, we long to nurture a life-long love of literature in our students. A key to love is remembering. In this practicum, we will detail how the practice of keeping a Commonplace Book, or personal reading journal, enriches how our students interact with and remember the literature we read. As Seneca wrote, “We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application–not far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and figures of speech–and learn them so well that words become works.” The Commonplace Book is a written record of quotes, illustrations, personal thoughts, song lyrics–it becomes a creative repository that helps students remember what was shaping their souls as they read their way through the great books. We have seen this habit take hold in our students and will give examples and practical ideas on how to start and nurture the practice in the classroom and beyond.

Biography

Patti Hinze has been a co-teacher to her three children for ten years as a part of Trinity Classical School, a Christian, classical, and collaborative school in Houston, Texas. She has kept a personal Commonplace Book for many years, and has been delighted to see the practice beginning to flourish in her own children, as well as in her 7th grade Humanities classroom. Patti holds a B.A. in English along with Secondary Teacher Certification from Texas A&M University. In addition to 7th grade Humanities, she has taught high school English, English as a Foreign Language at a seminary in Szigetszentmiklos, Hungary, and special education at two different children’s hospitals. She and her husband Jodey currently serve on the board of Trinity Classical School, and in her free time she enjoys birdwatching, taking long, very slow jogs along the Houston bayou, hiking with her family in Colorado, and eating cake.

Laura AhMOw

Grammar Latin Teacher & Director of Student Support - Covenant Academy

Session: Teaching Latin for Everyone: Creating an Inclusive Classroom

Tags: Languages, Grammar School, Inclusion

Session Abstract

A successful classical and Christian education teaches students what to love. This begs the question, do your students love Latin? I mean LOVE it? Do they look forward to each class and excitedly find Latin connections at home and in their other school subjects? Do you work as a team with the classroom teacher to incorporate what they are learning in history, grammar, science, and math into Latin class? While CCE grows in diversity, how do we make sure every student sees themself as part of the classical tradition? Are we teaching the history of the world and the Kingdom of God that includes every tribe, tongue, and nation or a few cultures we are familiar with? Is CCE merely Western or is it an educational model that embraces what is true, good, and beautiful in every culture, and tongue? Likewise, is your Latin classroom a place where differentiated instruction takes place or should neurodivergent learners just opt out? How do we intentionally make instructional choices that include students of all abilities? How do we teach Latin in a way that fosters creativity, curiosity, and wonder? Can we really tackle all of this in one workshop? You’ll have to see for yourself.

Biography

 Laura is a product of the first generation of classical Christian schools and the daughter of classical educators and trailblazers. At fourteen, an injury caused her to lose the ability to walk and severe pain made attending school impossible. Her mom continued her education in the car on the way to physical therapy, in waiting rooms, and with the support of her community. During those critical months of re-learning how to walk and years of enduring chronic pain, she also learned the principles and practices of educational support. She has been teaching for sixteen years, the last six as a Grammar Latin teacher. In addition, she serves as the Director of Student Support at Covenant Academy in Cypress, Texas. Her desire is for every student to look in wonder at the world God has created and to see the value of learning a foundational language that is in every corner of our modern world. Her last name reflects God’s humorous plan: she met her husband while both were working in a classical school and their last name, AhMow is pronounced just like the Latin word amō. They have a joy-filled toddler who looks forward to joining her mama at school. 

Stephanie Boss

5th Grade Lead Teacher - Covenant Classical School

Session: Surrender to the Stories: The Power and Pedagogy of Storytelling

Topic: Literature, Grammar School, Subject Integration

Session Abstract

For a classroom, a new nation, or even a rock band, good origins matter. Laying early proper foundations is vitally important for human flourishing. Storytelling is a powerful pedagogical tool that communicates truth and ideas. Stories stay with us, connect us, shape us, and unite us. Weaving stories throughout your teaching can help root concepts in the minds of your students. In this workshop, participants will learn the importance of telling stories, ways to weave stories into their lessons, how to listen to each other tell stories, and discover the latent storyteller within us all. To quote Bono, “A story line is everything.” Let’s become better at telling more stories!

Biography

Stephanie Boss teaches 5th grade at Covenant Classical School in Fort Worth, Texas. She has taught 5th grade for 18 years, 16 of which have been in classical Christian education. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Louisiana Tech University and a master’s degree in religious education with a childhood education emphasis from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has a strong love of literature and enjoys sharing this love with her students. Stephanie and her husband, Rob, have two grown daughters, both of whom have graduated from Covenant.

Carey Bustard

4th Grade Teacher - THe Geneva School of Manhattan

Session: Picture Books vs. Identity Politics: How the Gospel Can Inform How We Choose Books and How Those Choices Can Change the Conversation

Topic: Literature, Grammar School, Early Childhood

Session Abstract

Identity politics is a hot topic in our culture today. As we are tasked with the formation of the next generation, how can we enter into the conversation with a gospel perspective. In classical education we are committed to Great Books for the formation of young minds. How can we best help our students see themselves in the image of God through good stories rather than through the lens of identity politics? This workshop will focus on choosing the best books to celebrate the image of God throughout the world and how to point students to the Good, the True, and the Beautiful in both the classics and contemporary literature.

Biography

Carey Bustard is passionate about diversity in classical education and celebrating the image of God in every child. She has been living that vision at the Geneva School of Manhattan, teaching junior kindergarten for six years and fourth grade for one year. Carey was both homeschooled classically and attended Veritas Academy in Leola, PA. She earned a degree in Media, Culture, and the Arts with a theology minor from the King’s College, NYC. Her deep loves include children’s literature, Spotify playlists, and traveling with friends. She is originally from Lancaster, PA, but has called New York City home for the last decade. You can find more of her thoughts on children’s literature in her book Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children.

Adrienne Freas

Owner - Beautiful Teaching, LLC | Classical Curriculum Specialist - Coram Deo Academies

Session: Narration for PreK-6th Grade

Topic: Grammar School, Habits

Session Abstract

Narration is a classical art within the trivium. It begins naturally with young children and develops into a formal art of thinking, speaking, and writing as children grow into narrating well. Experience how narration is a grammatical and rhetorical art that lays the foundations for the 5 canons of rhetoric. Adrienne will immerse you in this exercise through a few grade appropriate texts and also discuss why narration is a foundation for acquiring moral and intellectual habits.

Biography

Adrienne is a Curriculum and Pedagogy Specialist at Coram Deo Academy as well as the owner of Beautiful Teaching, LLC which produces the Classical Education Podcast. She was previously the Classical Education Advisor for the K-12 Classical Curriculum and Professional Development program at the University of Dallas, Adrienne brings twenty years of experience specializing in the Charlotte Mason pedagogy to the program. She has developed and led professional development for teachers in various forms of classical philosophies and methodologies, and is active in several classical communities of educators. Adrienne’s passion is to help both teachers and parents understand classical philosophy and how to implement classical pedagogy. She does this primarily through her work at Coram Deo in DFW as well as her podcast called Classical Education.

Jessica Gombert

Grammar School Headmaster - Geneva School of Boerne

Session: Reclaiming Childhood: Restoring and Rethinking Early Childhood Education

Topic: Early Childhood, Teachers, Leadership

Session Abstract

To prepare our youngest students for a classical Christian education, schools must help parents reclaim childhood. Classical educators must also deepen their knowledge and understanding of early childhood development if they are to equip students to flourish in a classical Christian Education.

Our portraits of our future graduates can only be realized if we first build a firm foundation of developmental achievement. There is no vibrant Socratic discussion of deeply understood literature, well ordered persuasive writing, or logical and winsome speaking without mastery of phonics leading to reading fluidity and comprehension or physical play and development leading to fine motor skills, writing, and ordered thoughts. A student with weak reading skills and technology eroded attention is unlikely to persevere through The Odyssey, let alone delight in the learning process. SCL’s recently adopted definition of classical Christian education: “…ordered exploration…the True, the Good, and the Beautiful…affections and habits of lifelong learning” are all things that children should form early in life. Yet many children spend more time on screens than building language, physical ability, or knowledge of the world around them. Classical Christian education must understand the critical impact of the earliest childhood stages on the probability of long-term success. In this session, we will explore child development in order to equip teachers and administrators to prepare young students for the beauty of a classical education. We will also discuss how to implement a Kindergarten preparatory program that will strengthen the development and knowledge of young learners and help them fully participate in the rich education your school strives to provide.

Biography

Jessica Gombert has been the Grammar School headmaster at the Geneva School of Boerne for 17 years. She holds an MA in Education and has been involved in many aspects of education for over 30 years. Teaching experiences include special education, kindergarten, adult classes for Region 20 Alternative Certification program and university student teacher supervision. She has a passion for teaching students to become lifelong learners, encouraging and leading teachers and for Christian and classical education. Jessica has led the SCL Grammar School Heads cohort for three years and has presented at several conferences. She enjoys writing children’s readers to supplement the phonics curriculum. She also has a passion for serving and teaching children in Africa.

Christine Norvell

Upper School Dean - Sager Classical Academy

Session: Teaching Expression: Learning to Read Aloud

Tags: Reading, Literature, Classroom Practices

Session Abstract

Reading aloud well can bring beauty to the reader and their audience. Spoken words can bring life to the written word on a page. Because words reach our classes through our voice and our students’ voices, a disciplined voice and ear are vital to good reading in every subject. Using cues from what we read, this interactive workshop will review pitch, inflection, monotone, word color, quality, and timbre. We will practice techniques of vocal and physical projection using stanzas from popular poems, providing concrete training for teachers looking to improve their own reading voices and their students’.

Biography

Christine Norvell has taught in classical, homeschool, and public education for over twenty years. She serves as the Upper School Dean and as a high school humanities teacher for Sager Classical Academy in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. With an MA in Humanities from Faulkner University’s Great Books program and a BS in English Education, she has also taught at Regent Preparatory and with Kepler Education. Christine is a senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative and has written for Circe, University Bookman, VoegelinView, Mere Orthodoxy, StoryWarren, and others. She is the author of Till We Have Faces: A Reading Companion (2020).

Athena Oden

Owner & Author - Ready Bodies, Learning Minds

Session: Embodied Cognition is More than We Think it is: Bridging Neuroscience to Effective Teaching

Tags: Teaching

Session Abstract

Embodied cognition, embodied learning and embodied education are terms that are becoming more common. But what do they really mean? In the past 20 years, what is being called embodied cognition has been researched and validated, but the transfer of that information to the classroom is just being developed. Much more than “brain-based” learning, it works hand-in-hand with what we know as poetic knowledge, material practices, and liturgies. As J.K.A. Smith draws us into the cathedral known as the local mall in his book Desiring the Kingdom, we recognize that information is not all we humans need. He states, “…it fails to accord a central role to embodiment and practice.” Practices that train the body and brain are formational. Because knowledge is scaffolded onto a material and physical world, instructional methods for our embodied students should recognize and capitalize on this foundational concept. In our classical Christian schools, the translation of this idea to the classroom may feel unsettling, but we have the tools we need to realize its full potential. Discussion will include key findings in current embodied research leading to classroom ideas for PreK-12. From finger counting to abstract mathematical concepts and STEM, from vocabulary and gestures to comprehension and imagination, embodied learning can make large gains in memory, understanding and conceptualization.

Biography

Athena Oden is the owner of Ready Bodies, Learning Minds and consults with public and private schools and non-profit organizations for children. She has presented at the local, state, national, and international level on topics dealing with the neurological and physiological development of the child in the classroom. As author of the book/curriculum Ready Bodies, Learning Minds: Cultivating the Whole Child (3rd edition, 2016) she hopes to help children and schools perform at their peak. She earned her degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch and has spent the past 40 years in pediatrics. She and her husband David classically trained their three children, were founding members of Gloria Deo Academy (GDA) in Texas, and Athena currently serves on the GDA board. She has a passion for classical education, old musty books, and a good cup of tea.

Daniel Payne

Lower School Faculty - Veritas School

Session: Medieval Innovations in a Restless Age: What C.S. Lewis Teaches us about Imaginative Learning

Tags: Imagination

Session Abstract

The works of the Inklings, and similar authors, have long captured the imaginations of students in classical classrooms. Whether they are traveling to Narnia or Middle-earth, classical educators know the power that imaginative literature has on young minds. It’s through these God-given imaginations that many students first encounter the good, the true, and the beautiful. Despite this truth, it is sometimes difficult to engage a student’s imagination outside the works of fantasy. How do we teach math or science imaginatively? How do we encourage imagination while still pointing students to objective truth? How can we retain imagination in students as they grow older? In this workshop, we will look to one of the greatest imaginative writers, C.S. Lewis, to help us answer these questions.

Biography

Daniel Payne is an experienced educator with a passion for leadership and imagination in classical schools. He is currently a Lower School faculty member at Veritas School in Virginia. Daniel previously served as an administrator and middle school teacher, where he helped create a classical Humanities curriculum. He recenlty received a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Richmond. Outside of the classroom, Daniel hosts and produces “The Lamp-post Listener,” a podcast discussing the imaginative works of C.S. Lewis. Over the last few years, he has been able to interview and learn alongside many wonderful Lewis scholars including Dr. Louis Markos, Dr. Crystal Hurd, and Douglas Gresham, Lewis’s own stepson. Daniel lives in Richmond with his wife and son, all of whom are eager to welcome a baby girl this summer.

Brooke Ramsey

Head of Grammar School - Valor Preparatory School

Session: 10,000 Places: Charlotte Mason, Geography Lessons, and the Play of Christ in Every Culture

Tags: Charlotte Mason, Geography, Cross-Cultural, Narration

Session Abstract

As Christian classical education is expanding its global reach, are our students also extending theirs? How does the gospel inform our perspective of the world and bring a more humane approach to other cultures? How can a non-Christian be virtuous–sometimes even more so than those who profess Christ? Charlotte Mason wrote her philosophy of education based on natural law, in part, to answer the gripping questions of her time. Her PNEU schools, reaching the remotest corners of the British Empire, curated a schedule and curriculum which both trained students in the habit of attention and satisfied their innate desires to know and relate. In addition to learning local languages and regional fairy tales or myths, students engage in once-a-week geography lessons to spark the imagination about every part of the Earth’s natural and cultural beauty. Come explore why this global component is essential to any classical Christian education and how you might inspire students toward genuine love and wonder for places and persons beyond the Western tradition.

Biography

 Brooke Ramsey began teaching at Valor Preparatory Academy in Waco, TX in 2017 and became the Head of the Grammar School in 2020. She graduated as a University Scholar from Baylor University and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society. A graduate of the MAT in Classical Education at Templeton Honors College, she is currently enrolled in the University of St. Thomas’s MFA in Creative Writing. Before coming to Valor, she lived with her growing family in India and Pakistan for 17 years. Now, she has five children spanning from college-aged to a second-grader at Valor. She loves leading teachers, inspiring families, writing fiction, and homeschooling her own two youngest on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Charlotte Mason method of education.

Brynn Sowder

Lower School Nature Studies & Librarian - Faith Christian School

Session: Pointing to Beauty Through Nature Study

Tags: Beauty, Nature

Session Abstract

“We point out the beauty we see, we walk the borderlands and we see beauty and we call out to the fellow travelers to share the beauty we see.” These words from Andrew Peterson shifted the way I lead my classroom this year. What if we can train our students not only to find beauty but to point it out to others as well? What if nature study can sharpen their observation skills and hone their discernment? As our students experience God’s beautiful creation they can’t help but share the beauty they see with others. Nature is a common ground for people; it can also serve as a bridge to share the good, true and beautiful. Join this workshop as I share the ways our nature study program has shaped the affections of our students and the ways they’ve shared the beauty they see.

Biography

Brynn is the nature study teacher at Faith Christian School in Roanoke, Virginia. She has led the nature study program for the past three school years with the JK – 5th grade students. Brynn’s classroom is a walk-in cabinet of curiosities including a bobcat, a wood duck and a white-tailed deer. She is determined for all of her students to see the fingerprints of God in all of his creation. 

Brynn earned her M.A.T. in Elementary Education from Mary Baldwin University and is a Virginia Master Naturalist Trainee. After school, she can be found walking the Roanoke River Greenway searching for her favorite great blue heron. Although overcast skies and 60 degrees is her ideal climate, she’s a firm believer that there’s no such thing as bad weather.

Lauren Stoner

4th Grade Teacher - Geneva School of Boerne

Session: Mission-Minded Disciplinary Procedures

Tags: Grammar School, Classroom Management, Formation, Habits

Session Abstract

Aristotle says, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Holding students to a high standard based on Biblical definitions of right and wrong is counter-cultural, but essential to our mission. We strive to graduate disciples of Jesus Christ who exhibit excellence, passion, and integrity as they lead for Christ’s cause in the world. We believe that students must be trained to reach this end through a thoughtfully structured partnership between teachers, administration, and parents that is consistent throughout the school.

Biography

Lauren Stoner teaches Fourth Grade Math and Science at Geneva School of Boerne. Lauren attended a classical Christian school for the majority of her childhood and has been teaching at Geneva since she graduated with her Bachelors in Elementary Education from Wheaton College. She recently earned her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction through Covenant College.

Christine Wasnesky

1st Grade Teacher - Lighthouse Christian Academy

Session: Beauty in the Grammar Classroom: Penmanship, Spelling, and Reading, Oh My!

Tags: Teachers, Grammar School

Session Abstract

Unhappy with illegible penmanship? Frustrated with invented spelling and guessing while reading? Tired of persuading students to “just write something”? Join first-grade teacher, Christine Wasnesky, as she shares some practical methods for improving beauty in penmanship, spelling, oral reading, and fluent writing.

Biography

Mrs. Chrisitne Wasnesky earned her Bachelor of Science in Music with a concentration in Education and a minor in French at Grove City College. She has over 15 years of teaching experience in public, private, and classical Christian schools. Christine has been teaching at Lighthouse Christian Academy since 2015. She loves its unapologetic Christian worldview, the Classical methodology, and its desire to partner with families to raise godly students joyfully. Christine lives in Maryland with her husband, two almost adult children, and dog.

Mo Gaffney

Senior Educational Consultant - K12 Coalition

Session: Coast to Coast Singapore Math is the Best! (with Lisa Ann Dillon)

Topic: Math, Grammar School

Session Abstract

Looking for a better way to teach math? Singapore Math has emerged as one of the leading elementary math programs in the world according to international studies, (TIMSS). With this approach, students will not only know how to solve problems, but they will also develop a deep understanding of how math works. This interactive and engaging presentation is ideal for newly hired teachers who will be teaching math using Singapore Strategies, for any math teacher who wants to further expand their teaching repertoire, and for educational leaders currently implementing Singapore math or those considering adopting the program. Lisa Ann Dillon joins Dr. Mo Gaffney who will share their successful stories of how they implemented this world renown program and the importance of developing teachers throughout the school year to maintain a high level of instruction.

Biography

Dr. Mo Gaffney is an accomplished leader and educator with over twenty years of experience. She earned a B.A. in Early Childhood Education, an M.Ed. in Elementary Education, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, all from the University of Virginia. She has taught at the elementary level in both public and private schools and has been an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia teaching courses in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She served as Head of the Covenant Lower School in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she successfully implemented a Christian Liberal Arts and Sciences philosophy and curriculum. Her work in Christian education most notably includes reforming mathematics with the implementation of Singapore Math strategies in grades K-5. She serves as a consultant, leads professional development workshops at both classical and independent schools, and presents at national conferences, including SCL. Dr. Gaffney’s presentations include topics such as Singapore Mathematics, teacher evaluations, reading & writing connections, homework, and leadership. She is known as a transformational, creative leader and a strategic thinker with humility and a sense of humor.

Lisa Ann Dillon

Classical Elementary Educator

Session: Coast to Coast, Singapore Math is the Best (with Mo Gaffney)

Topic: Math, Grammar School

Session Abstract

Looking for a better way to teach math? Singapore Math has emerged as one of the leading elementary math programs in the world according to international studies, (TIMSS). With this approach, students will not only know how to solve problems, but they will also develop a deep understanding of how math works. This interactive and engaging presentation is ideal for newly hired teachers who will be teaching math using Singapore Strategies, for any math teacher who wants to further expand their teaching repertoire, and for educational leaders currently implementing Singapore math or those considering adopting the program. Lisa Ann Dillon joins Dr. Mo Gaffney who will share their successful stories of how they implemented this world renown program and the importance of developing teachers throughout the school year to maintain a high level of instruction.

Biography

Lisa Ann Dillon is a leader and classical elementary educator with over 25 years experience in the classroom. Over the years, she was a sought after teacher who taught kindergarten through fourth grade. In addition, her own children were homeschooled part-time so she has experience teaching all the way through highschool. At San Luis Obispo Classical Academy, she successfully took on the role of Math Lead while still in the classroom. Because of her natural leadership skills and experience with training teachers, she transitioned to director of her school. With her behind-the-scenes knowledge, she has unique insight to what teachers need to succeed. It was through her leadership that her school adopted Singapore Math and she has dedicated herself to her own growth as well as that of training her staff. Originally earning a B.F A. in Theater from Webster University, Lisa Ann brings a dynamism to her presentations. Pacific Oaks College, where she earned her multi-subject credential, prepared her for the challenges of teaching in today’s world. For several years, she presented with SDE providing professional development in hands-on-math instruction. Currently, she is a contributor to the Wisdom Wonder Singapore Math Video series. Through her videos, parents and teachers are learning to teach Singapore Math and students are thriving. Training and equipping teachers and families is her passion. In Lisa Ann’s presentations, you can count on being drawn in by her engaging style and relevant coaching.

Laura Werezak

Teacher - The Geneva School of Manhattan

Session: Building Community through Modern Languages (with Stephanie Popa & Laura Werezak)​

Tags: Languages

Session Abstract

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra wrote, “Él que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho.” That is, “The one who reads much and walks much, sees much and knows much.” If classical schools teach Latin and Greek as a foundation, modern languages like Spanish and French build on that foundation through opportunities to read about and travel through the world, to see through our neighbors’ eyes and gain wisdom through their perspectives. This panel workshop will pool the expertise of three Modern language teachers at the Geneva School of Manhattan at different career stages who teach Spanish and French. We’ll explain Geneva School’s approach to Modern languages and how we redeem the time, teaching language to build community at different ages, then we’ll share practical activities, strategies, and fun for the Modern language classroom.

Biography

Laura Davis Werezak is a teacher, writer, and mother. Laura has nine years of experience teaching, including five years in Spanish 1. She has a BA in Spanish from Cedarville University and an MA in Spanish Education from Lehman College, CUNY. She is also a spiritual writer and Bible Study coordinator and trainer. She lives in Harlem with her husband Clint–an Anglican priest and youth basketball minister–their two bookworm daughters ages 9 and 11, and their cat Hazel Minerva.

Gabriela Remache

junior kindergarten Assistant - the geneva school of manhattan

Session: Building Community through Modern Languages (with Stephanie Popa & Laura Werezak)

Tags: Languages

Session Abstract

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra wrote, “Él que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho.” That is, “The one who reads much and walks much, sees much and knows much.” If cClassical schools teach Latin and Greek as a foundation, modern languages like Spanish and French build on that foundation through opportunities to read about and travel through the world, to see through our neighbors’ eyes and gain wisdom through their perspectives. This panel workshop will pool the expertise of three Modern language teachers at tThe Geneva School of Manhattan at different career stages who teach Spanish and French. We’ll explain Geneva School’s approach to Modern languages and how we redeem the time, teaching language to build community at different ages, then we’ll share practical activities, strategies, and fun for the Modern language classroom.

Biography

Coming Soon

stephanie Popa

Founding Faculty - Geneva School

Session: Building Community through Modern Languages (with & Laura Werezak & Gabriela Remache)

Tags: Languages

Session Abstract

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra wrote, “Él que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho.” That is, “The one who reads much and walks much, sees much and knows much.” If classical schools teach Latin and Greek as a foundation, modern languages like Spanish and French build on that foundation through opportunities to read about and travel through the world, to see through our neighbors’ eyes and gain wisdom through their perspectives. This panel workshop will pool the expertise of three Modern language teachers at the Geneva School of Manhattan at different career stages who teach Spanish and French. We’ll explain Geneva School’s approach to Modern languages and how we redeem the time, teaching language to build community at different ages, then we’ll share practical activities, strategies, and fun for the Modern language classroom.

Biography

Stéphanie Popa was born and raised in France and moved to the United States in 1987 to improve her English. She was one of the founding faculty at Geneva School and has remained in their French faculty for the last 27 years. She is currently teaching French to preschool up to third grade levels. Stephanie Popa also taught French at the French Institute Alliance Française in New York City. Mme. Popa is married to Albert Popa, a classical painter, and has three children, all of whom have graduated from Geneva School. Stephanie Popa has a French Baccalaureate in Computer Programming.

Deborah Allen

Principal - Athena College & Vocational Coaching

Session: Beauty and Calling: A Vision and Practice for Guiding Students through Liminal Stages

Tags: College Advisors, Upper School

Session Abstract

This session will explore the connections between calling and beauty in the life of students. How do college counselors and school leaders cultivate a vision that frees students to be the best version of themselves and grow in light of that vision? How is this vision integrated into college and career conversations? What does it mean to occupy the liminal space? Using the metaphor of a garden, we will ponder the ways beauty and calling converge and offer something much more significant than a college checklist. We will also discuss how equipping students to  walk in beauty and follow their  calling might help them navigate the liminal space with peace and hope.

Biography

Deborah Allen has been in classical Christian education as a parent and professional for over twenty years. She is the founder and principal of Athena College and Vocational Coaching, serving both individual students and schools.

She is a certified Highlands Ability Battery consultant who holds a BA in Communications from the University of Florida, an MA in Humanities from California State, a Professional Certification in Human Resource Development from the University of Georgia, and has completed post-graduate work at the University of Dallas. Deborah is a HECA, IECA, NACAC, and NACCAP member.

She is a life-long learner who has a broad range of experience in a variety of environments including, starting two successful college advising departments (private and public), community college instructor, humanities teacher, senior thesis advisor, university academic and career counselor, and scholarship reader for multiple organizations.

Deborah believes that college and career counseling is a sacred journey, an unfolding adventure, not merely a perfunctory checklist to push through in order to win a coveted seat from a college “named on a list.” 

Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, the pillars of classical Christian education, should be manifest in the vocational discernment process where the goal is to help students discover their calling (Vocare) and walk in fullness and flourishing (Eudaimonia). Deborah is committed to help students discover who they are and the good in the world that they’re called to do.

Wes Boyd

Director of Athletics - Providence Christian School of Texas

Session: In Christ We Play...Developing a "Discipleship First" Athletics Program

Topic: Athletics, Student Discipleship

Session Abstract

Participation in athletics, especially in a classical Christian school, can be a highly impactful platform for discipleship ministry for student athletes if leadership has the intentionality, personnel and tools to implement them. The Apostle Paul writes in Acts 17:28, “In Him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being.” Christians participating in athletics (and any endeavor we pursue) are called to do so with the reality of our faith and union in Christ informing the “why” and “how” we approach our efforts. 

At the Providence Christian School of Texas, we have attempted to commit 5-10 minutes of devotional time during each practice for our Logic School athletics teams using a new curriculum, “In Christ We Play!” Each week, the curriculum provides discussion questions, Scripture and quotes from known athletes, coaches and theologians with regard to the “why” and “how” of participating in athletics grounded in our faith/union in Christ. We have developed a methodology of engaging our student-athletes in contemplation and discussion of specific elements of life in Christ applied to athletics and beyond into everyday life now and into the future.

In a sense, we are covering a systematic theology of athletics that is easy to understand and apply to the lives of teenagers, a critical stage of life when each student begins to form his/her own worldview, beliefs and habits. James K.A. Smith, in his book “Desiring the Kingdom” emphasizes the ways that ordinary activities form and shape us. “What constitutes our ultimate identities—what makes us who we are, the kind of people we are—is what we love… what, at the end of the day, gives us a sense of meaning, purpose, [and] understanding.” Those desires and loves, in turn, are “shaped and molded by the habit-forming practices in which we participate.”

Please join us to explore how to make your athletics program a “Discipleship First” program.

Biography

Director of Athletics, Wes Boyd joined the Providence Christian School of Texas team in June 2021. His extensive experience in leadership, business, sports, and working with young people uniquely equip him for this important role. Raised in Dallas from fifth grade through high school, Wes points to many coaches and teachers, both in school and at church, who played significant roles during his formative years. After high school graduation, Wes studied economics and philosophy at Washington and Lee University where he played basketball and was a standout track and field athlete—a thirteen-time conference champion. After college, he served as a teacher and coach for basketball and track and field at the Darlington School in Georgia. He spent the next 26 years in sales and marketing, earning an MBA from the University of Texas along the way. He continued coaching sports as a father, and later returned to work in education as a basketball coach for the Covenant School of Dallas. Over his career at Covenant, Mr. Boyd worked with middle school boys and developed the school’s varsity girls’ basketball program. Wes’s experience as a church elder and in the business world gives him a seasoned ability to foster culture, disciple, attract and develop talent, and engage the community in Providence’s athletic philosophy.

Derek Brooks

Owner - Benedictus Art

Session: Visio Divina: How Teachers Can Form Young Souls through Art

Topic: Art, Spiritual Formation

Session Abstract

The modern Church has largely ceded the realm of the sensory to disastrous effect. Happy to fill the void, the media-saturated culture bombards our young people with imagery and noise that cripples them psychologically, emotionally, and most disturbing of all, spiritually. As a needed complement to the formation of their intellect, learn how art in your school can be used to guide students into the presence of Him who offers the fullness of joy (Ps. 16:11)

Biography

Derek Brooks is the owner of Benedictus Art, a fine art company that focuses on supplying classical and Catholic schools with museum-quality art. In addition, he has a master’s degree in spiritual direction and formation. He is an active spiritual director and formation group leader.

Tami Peterson

Founder & Creative Engagement Officer - Life Architects

Session: Focus on Flourishing: Vocational Discipleship

Tags: College Advisors, Upper School

Session Abstract

Your community loves the good, the true, and the beautiful and seeks ways to prepare students for a lifetime of serving God in virtuous ways. What happens after graduation? This interactive session will explore ways your school can use current assessment tools, curricula, and personnel to expand imaginations and create engaging conversations with parents, students, and faculty in support of student flourishing in the areas of vocation and occupation.

Biography

Tami is a certified career, life, and leadership coach and she holds a Master of Arts in Leadership, Theology, and Society from Regent College in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She directed a college advising office for twelve years at a classical, Christian school in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and co-founded a college guidance certification program offered through ACSI which is currently beginning its ninth cohort in summer 2023. In 2012, she founded Life Architects Coaching where she designs, directs, and develops programs to support individuals, families, and institutions in their quest for vocational discipleship and human flourishing.

Gail Smith

Session: Spiritual Applications for Drawing and Painting

Tags: Art

Session Abstract

I have taught art for 30 years and have often had teachers share with me how difficult it can be to apply spiritual applications to art. In this workshop I will demonstrate specific devotions teachers can use to teach the process of creating and how it illustrates the character of God as defined in the scriptures. For example: In observing the Hebrew and Greek text, we use the principles of hermeneutics. We will discover that the same principles can be used in the process of drawing and painting as students journey through the discovery of their subjects. In facial drawing, we will discover how God uses numbers in scripture to illustrate how we are made in His image. We will also show how using the same process outlined in Genesis chapter 1 can be used by students to create drawings with incredible success and connect with our God through the creative process

Biography

I have loved drawing and painting since I was a child. In high school, I had the distinct privilege of studying at the San Antonio Art Institute under the master artist, Carl Rice Embrey. I minored in art in college and went on to get my Interior Design License and practice with Architectural Design Associates in San Antonio. When the recession of the early 90’s hit Texas, my firm downsized, and I found myself teaching art at San Antonio Christian High School. I fell in love with teaching and the study of the word of God and have taught high school architecture, drawing, painting and sculpture for the past 30 years. I came to Dallas to be closer to my grandchildren who attended Covenant. My favorite media is encaustic and oil on canvas, and I have focused on portrait commissions and studied under Bob Stuth Wade, Virginia Vaughan, Michael O’keefe, and Bonny Leibowitz.

Titus Szymanowski

Teacher & Coach - Covenant Academy

Session: Narrow Path Athletics: Encountering Christ through Competition

Topic: Athletics

Session Abstract

Are Jesus and competitive sports at odds with each other? Does the physicality and intensity of athletic competition really align with the life and teachings of Christ? As someone who’s been an athlete all my life and a coach for the past decade, I’ve wrestled deeply with questions like these. More often than not, “Christian” athletics boils down to a few religious platitudes sprinkled over a secular narrative, the fruit of which bears a striking resemblance to what we see in the world: the flashy swagger of an athlete, the angry outburst from a coach, the jeering from the spectator–it’s all become quite expected, and in some cases justified, among Christian sports programs.

Is there a way to reclaim the competitive arena as a place of Christ-like formation where our hearts move toward the person of Jesus? What if the primary purpose of competition was to participate in the life of Jesus and become more free and alive in the Kingdom of God? How might that change the way we play and coach?

This workshop addresses these questions and offers a robust and compelling vision for how the life and kingship of Christ lies at the heart of athletic competition.

Biography

Titus Szymanowski grew up in Spokane, Washington where he graduated from the Oaks Classical Christian Academy in 2007. After receiving an undergraduate degree from Gonzaga University, he moved to Houston, TX where he has taught Upper School humanities for the past 12 years at Covenant Academy. He has been the head coach of the Varsity Boys Basketball program for 5 years, leading his team to two TAPPS 1A State Championship appearances (2021/2023) and a State Title in 2021. He is passionate about integrating the person of Jesus into the world of competitive sports and stewarding the athletic arena as a means of formation into Christlikeness. He loves to partner with and equip other coaches and athletic directors with this same vision. When he isn’t teaching or coaching, he’s spending time with his beautiful wife, Melissa, and their three children, Eli, Ezra, and Nora.

Adam Roate

Director of Christian School Partnerships - Classic Learning Test (CLT)

Session: All Opportunities are Tests: Using CLT Assessments as Tools to Support a School's Mission and Vision (with Kevin Thames)

Tags: Assessments

Session Abstract

Classical educators are often skeptical of standardized tests and their value in the educational process. How, after all, can a single test evaluate a student’s current trajectory toward becoming more virtuous? In truth, a realistic understanding of the value of standardized assessments must assert that they, in and of themselves, cannot be the end-all-be-all of student evaluation. However, the data provided by these assessments can and should support the work of the teacher in the classroom. Identifying specific areas of struggle for students that need support, making micro adjustments to your curriculum, or helping to find places where academic refinement is needed are all areas that a standardized test like the CLT suite of assessments can come alongside of teachers and administrators to support their school’s mission and vision.

Biography

After living most of his early life on United States Air Force bases, Adam eventually settled in Montgomery, Alabama where he was taught to love reading and discussing the Great Books in Faulkner University’s undergraduate Honors College and Master of Humanities graduate program. During and following his time at Faulker, Adam taught the Great Books and humanities at a small Christian school for 10 years. He eventually discovered classical education and taught at Covenant Classical School, the Ambrose School, and Westminster School at Oak Mountain over a period of 9 years. He joined CLT in 2022 and currently serves as the Director of Christian School Partnerships. In this role, Adam most looks forward to building relationships with school administrators and teachers as they seek to cultivate wisdom and virtue in the lives of their students. He and his wife Amanda live in Birmingham, Alabama with their beagle, Artemis.

Kevin Thames

Science Teacher/Testing Coordinator - Classical School of Wichita

All Opportunities are Tests: Using CLT Assessments as Tools to Support a School's Mission and Vision (with Adam Roate)

Tags: Assessment, Standardized Tests, Administration, Teachers

Session Abstract

Classical educators are often skeptical of standardized tests and their value in the educational process. How, after all, can a single test evaluate a student’s current trajectory toward becoming more virtuous? In truth, a realistic understanding of the value of standardized assessments must assert that they, in and of themselves, cannot be the end-all-be-all of student evaluation. However, the data provided by these assessments can and should support the work of the teacher in the classroom. Identifying specific areas of struggle for students that need support, making micro adjustments to your curriculum, or helping to find places where academic refinement is needed are all areas that a standardized test like the CLT suite of assessments can come alongside of teachers and administrators to support their school’s mission and vision.

Biography

Kevin Thames teaches 10th grade omnibus, 9th grade biology and geometry at Classical School of Wichita. He also serves as CSW’s testing coordinator. Prior to joining the CSW staff, he worked as a teacher and administrator for four years in Chicago, Illinois and then ten years as an administrator in Houston, Texas.

Mr. Thames received his Bachelor of Science from the Moody Bible Institute and earned his Master of Science in Educational Administration from Pensacola Christian College.

Mr. Thames and his wife, Susan, have three children at CSW — Cameron, Carissa and Chloe.

Allison Buras

Grammar School Dean - Live Oak Classical School

Session: Partnering with Private School Parents

Topic: Parents, Teachers, Administration, School Leadership

Session Abstract

In this workshop, we will look at the hopes and fears that both parents as well as administrators and teachers bring into their partnership in education. We’ll talk about best practices for building trust with parents. We will also talk about how to listen, diffuse, and when needed,  correct parents’ misconceptions or approaches to communication. Using case studies, we’ll discuss together how you might approach a difficult parent conference.

Biography

Allison Buras is a co-founder of Live Oak Classical School (2004) where she has served as Grammar School Dean since 2011. She has worked in education for over 25 years teaching kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and high school English as well as administrative roles. Allison completed a Master’s of Theological Studies at Truett Seminary and is a Visiting Faculty member with the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education in their Catholic Educator Formation and Credentialing Program. She serves as an Alcuin Fellow with the Texas chapter. Two sons have graduated from Live Oak’s program and her youngest is a sophomore there. She is married to Todd Buras, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Baylor University.

Robyn Burlew

Head of Upper School - Veritas School

Session: Robust Parent Education: Crucial for Mission Strength

Topic: Parents, Leadership

Session Abstract

While our schools’ primary mission is the education of students, we cannot do that well without sustained efforts in helping parents better understand classical Christian education. Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia, has developed a number of parent education activities and events under the umbrella of “Veritas for Parents,” all with the aim of increasing parent understanding and buy-in. The workshop will include descriptions of these efforts, along with the benefits that we’ve seen as a result of implementing them.

Biography

Robyn has served as Upper School Head at Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia, since 2014, after fifteen years of teaching and administration at Covenant Christian Academy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She enjoys a variety of outdoor hobbies, piano, and gardening, but most of all, she treasures time with her three grandchildren. Robyn leads an SCL cohort for upper school heads, serves as an Alcuin Fellow, and is a contributor to ClassicalU. She earned a BA in Biology from Houghton College and an MEd in Integrated Curriculum & Instruction from Covenant College.

Elizabeth Perkins

Director of Enrollment & Outreach - Westminster Academy

Session: Perpetual Enrollment: Together Until Graduation!

Tags: Admissions, Enrollment, Budget

Session Abstract

You successfully implemented perpetual enrollment and your families have signed their last contracts! Now what? How do you onboard new families with perpetual enrollment? How do you communicate each year with your returning families that they are, in fact, enrolled?! How can you be sure your numbers are accurate as you set the budget and fill your available class seats? We’ll share lessons learned from Westminster Academy on keeping parents informed and on-board with perpetual enrollment.

Biography

Elizabeth Perkins is in her 9th year as the Director of Admission and Marketing for Westminster Academy in Memphis, TN. Prior to joining Westminster, she served as adjunct faculty in the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis, teaching courses in organizational strategy, communications, and management. In her spare time, Elizabeth serves as the Director for the Memphis Ostrander awards (Memphis’ theater awards for collegiate, community, and professional theater) and as a judge for high school theater. Additionally, she serves on the board of directors at Theatre Memphis. Recently, Elizabeth was named by the Memphis Business Journal as one of the top “40 Under 40” in the Memphis area. In her “previous life” (AKA, before children!), Elizabeth was the Internal Communications Leader for the Capital Aviation Services division of General Electric. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Memphis, an MBA from Union University, and completed the Certification for Admission and Enrollment Professions in 2018. Elizabeth has presented several times on admission topics at previous conferences for SCL, ACCS, ERB, and the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals.

Clay Vaughan

Founder & CEO - Good Agency

Session: Building a Strong School Brand

Tags: Marketing

Session Abstract

In this workshop, classical school leaders looking to improve family retention and increase enrollment will learn how to leverage the StoryBrand 7-part framework to create compelling narratives that resonate with their families. They’ll also discover how to integrate AI and automation into their marketing strategy to simplify their job, maximize their efforts, and attract families who align with their school’s values without hiring additional staff.

Biography

Marketing your school is hard, which is why for the past 15 years Clay Vaughan has successfully served business leaders in marketing their business and sharing their stories. As a certified StoryBrand guide, he has worked with brands big and small, to clarify their message, engage their customers, and grow their businesses. Clay owns multiple businesses, he is the founder of Reverent Wedding Films- a multi-million dollar business, and even has his own podcast called Good Business, where he inspires business leaders to continue their pursuit of success while still maintaining their values. Clay has been a business coach and guide to many entrepreneurs, helping them reach their goals, and he loves serving new school leaders. 

Brad Layland

CEO & Senior Consultant - The FOCUS Group

Raising ALL the Capital Needed to Flourish: Living out God's Purposes for Your School

Tags: Advancement, Fundraising

Session Abstract

In this seminar, you will learn how to begin to position your school to raise major gifts to create the environment for your school to flourish.

Biography

Brad Layland first learned how to raise money as a college student in 1993, while seeking to raise personal support as a part-time staff member for Young Life. Over the course of 20 years at Young Life, he developed his passion for and expertise in relational fundraising, to the point where he was asked to train other area directors around the country, and eventually became the Chief Development Officer for the entire organization.

Brad joined the FOCUS Group in 2009 as a Senior Consultant and became the owner and CEO in 2010. In 2013, he launched the Taking Donors Seriously® e-learning and coaching program to make the firm’s expertise accessible to individuals and smaller nonprofits.

In recent years, he has led capital campaigns for Dallas Theological Seminary ($200 million), Intervarsity Christian Fellowship ($89 million), Union Rescue Mission ($83 million), The Bowery Mission ($27 million), and Veritas Classical School ($5.3 million). Brad has recently completed  a book on fundraising, Turning Donors into Partners, which was published by Intervarsity Press.

Brad received his B.A. in Communications from the University of Florida and his M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Wendy reside in St. Augustine, Florida and have four children. Brad is a founding board member of Veritas Classical School and on the board for the Society of Classical Learning. Brad enjoys running marathons, skiing, investing in real estate, entrepreneurship, and traveling with his family. Over the past 20 years, he has completed 55 marathons and two Ironman Triathlons.

John Ranheim

Senior Consultant - The FOCUS Group

Session: Raising ALL the Capital Needed to Flourish: Living out God's Purposes for Your School (with Brad Layland)

Tags: Advancement, Fundraising

Session Abstract

In this seminar, you will learn how to begin to position your school to raise major gifts to create the environment for your school to flourish.

Biography

John Ranheim, Senior Consultant with the FOCUS Group, has over 20 years of experience working with organizations, leaders, and teams to fulfill their missions through developing effective fundraising strategies. He has successfully developed and led programs for annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving. Most recently, John served as the Chief Development Officer and Vice President of Advancement at Covenant Theological Seminary, where he oversaw the institution’s fundraising, communications, alumni, enrollment teams and the Covenant Seminary Foundation. In this role, John led the school through three successful capital campaigns raising over $130 million in total for student scholarships, operations, and the seminary’s endowment.

John earned a B.A. in Communications from Whitworth University and an M.Div. in Theology from Covenant Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Chesterfield Missouri, have 4 amazing boys, and enjoy skiing, running, and hiking whenever they can. John serves as an elder at Chesterfield Presbyterian Church.

Peter Baur

Head of School - Faith Christian School

Session: Security in Schools: A Facilitated Discussion

Tags: Security, Facilities, Leadership, Administration

Session Abstract

Security is at the forefront of nearly every head of school’s mind, not to mention the minds of parents, board members, grandparents, etc. The response to the unending considerations for what to do feel endless and overwhelming. This session will be facilitated by Peter Baur with the goal of bringing to light the best practices and resources that schools are currently using and or considering. Peter will review Faith Christian’s security journey which a national law enforcement officer identified as being robust and thorough. Many schools have likely done more and are better equipped, and this session will work to bring those to the group attending.

Biography

Peter Baur has been involved in independent education for nearly 40 years and has held roles in several environments, including start-up classical Christian schools and “elite” private schools with over 150 years of history. Peter has served in nearly every capacity, including PR/Marketing, curriculum development, head of school, development/fundraising, special events, college guidance, admission, advisory, teaching and coaching. In addition, Peter has led schools and churches in strategic planning, has presented at Circe, ACCS and SCL, and been a featured speaker at schools around the nation. Peter is known for his ability to articulate Classical Christian education in a simple, practical manner. Peter is the only SCL Fellow elected prior to becoming a head of school.

Eric Cook

President - Society for Classical Learning

Session Title: How to Keep Your Head

Tags: Head of School, Board Members, Governance, Leadership

Session Abstract

The most important leader in any school is the head of school. Yet, the industry averages for head tenure are still shockingly low, even for classical Christian schools. Over the last five months, Eric conducted an extensive research project to assess how the board-head relationship impacts head of school tenure. Data was drawn from independent school studies, focus group interviews, and the Thriving Schools Study, a survey extended to hundreds of classical Christian heads of school. Based on the findings of the research, Eric will recommend very specific practices that every school can implement to extend the longevity of their head and better ensure their school is thriving.

Biography

Coming Soon

Travis Koch

Head of School - St. Stephen's Academy

Session: Crisis in Slow Motion: How to Avoid Making a Big Mess into a Bigger Mess

Topic: Leadership, Heads of School, Administration

Session Abstract

There is a pivotal moment at the beginning of any crisis when leaders must rapidly assess the situation, evaluate possible outcomes, and consider the effects of various responses. What happens in that moment will set the trajectory for your response and can dramatically affect the scope and severity of the situation as it unfolds. Through an examination of different sample scenarios, this session will help you take advantage of those initial moments so you can set a good path forward whether you are facing your first or fiftieth crisis as a leader.

Biography

Travis Koch is headmaster at St. Stephen’s Academy in Beaverton, Oregon, where he has served since 2016. He loves to repair and improve neglected things such as cars, watches, buildings, recipes, curriculum, and school policy manuals. He holds a B.A in History from Stanford and an M.A. from Yale. When he’s not reading or answering school-related questions, you’ll probably find him in the garden or kitchen with his wife, or in the garage fixing something, or in the field chasing bumblebees with one of his five children.

Robert Littlejohn

Head of School - The Covenant School

Building Dynamic Leadership Teams

Tags: Leadership, Administration, Heads of School

Session Abstract

Learn lessons from 30 years of successful team-building across multiple institutions, from start-up to maturing to flourshing. Hear what principles and resources have been most beneficial at each stage of organizational development, how to hire well for specific needs, and how to achieve best fit for internal talent at your school. Learn to identify and address “human obstructions” to building a flourishing school culture, and understand when and how to “clean house” when necessary to optimize quality leadership and cultivate (or restore) trust within your school community.

Biography

Robert Littlejohn has served as Head of School at The Covenant School in Dallas, Texas since April of 2018. Previously he served as Head of School at Trinity Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA, and as a Distance Learning Director for the Minnesota State College and University System. He has authored two College Biology Laboratory texts, has published 26 reports of original research in the fields of Ecology, Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, and Science Educational Theory, and is co-author with Charles T. Evans of Wisdom and Eloquence: a Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning, published by Crossway Books. He was founding Headmaster for New Covenant Schools in Virginia, founding Director and Publisher for the Society for Classical Learning (originally doing business as the Eastern Consortium for Classical Christian Schooling – ECCCS), and a founding board member for the American School of Lyon, France (a classical Christian international school). He is a Certified Facilitator of Appreciative Inquiry™, and serves as a consultant and coach to schools and school leaders.

Leslie Moeller

Board Member - Society for Classical Learning | Classical Consultant

Measuring the Maturity of Your Board

Tags: Boards, Strategic Planning

Session Abstract

It is natural for the board of a start-up school to be involved in the day-to-day management of the school. Most boards recognize that long term sustainability requires the board to shift its focus from current operations to strategic planning. What does a strategic board look like and how do you know if your board has successfully made that shift? What is next for the board that has crafted a strategic plan? And what is the only thing that a board can do to safeguard the school’s mission for the future?

Biography

Leslie Moeller consults with classical Christian school Heads and Boards around the nation; and teaches in the Gordon College Masters in School Administration for classical Christian educators. She has been a member of the board of the Society for Classical Learning for 14 of the past 16 years and chair for nine. She is also a member of the Board of New Covenant Schools in Lynchburg, Virginia and a member of the Board of Academic Advisors for the CLT. She is the former Head of Upper School for the Covenant School in Charlottesville, Virginia; and former teacher, Head of School, board member, and board chair of Geneva School of Boerne. She has three classically educated children aged 27, 25 and 16.

Keith Nix

Head of School - Veritas School

Session: The Head and the Board Chair

Tags: Head of School, Board Chair, Governance, Leadership

Session Abstract

The two most critical leadership roles in a school are the head of school and the board chair – and the health of their relationship is critical to the health of the whole school. This important relationship must be marked by mutual humility, trust, and accountability. This workshop will provide principles, best practices, and plenty of stories, for both heads and board chairs to consider as they work together as a team to lead the school forward.

Biography

Keith Nix is the Head of School at Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia, a position he has held since 2010. Keith also serves in a variety of leadership roles across the classical Christian school movement. He is on the board of Academic Advisors for the Classic Learning Test (CLT) and a member of the President’s Advisory Council for the Society for Classical Learning (SCL). Mr. Nix consults with and coaches classical Christian school boards and leaders across the country. In addition to being an instructor in the Gordon Graduate Leadership program, a master’s program aimed at developing classical school leaders, Nix was recently named as Co-Director of the program. Nix formerly served as Chairman of the Board of SCL, Vice Chairman of the Board of Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS), President of the Board of Academic Advisors at CLT, and is a founding Arete Fellow. Before moving to Veritas in 2010, Keith was a board member and Head of School at the Westminster School in Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to working in classical Christian schools, Keith was President of Nixgroup, a boutique consulting firm serving start-up organizations. Mr. Nix enjoys tennis, golf, travel, and books. He is married to Kim, an accomplished artist. The Nixes have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Brian Polk

Classical Leader | Society for Classical Learning

Session: What Did We Learn from Our Thriving Schools Survey?

Tags: Research, Heads of School, Leadership

Session Abstract

In an attempt to obtain as clear a picture as possible of schools in our movement, we disseminated an extensive survey to 504 school heads in January of 2023. This session will outline the key findings resulting from descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The workshop attendee should walk away with a firm understanding of the movement, insight into how their school fits into the movement, and some strategic areas to focus on as they seek to improve their school.

Biography

Brian Polk has been in classical education for 17 years serving as a science teacher and administrator. In a desire to grow as an educator, he returned to school in 2015 earning a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Vanderbilt University in 2018. This work ignited a passion to study classical Christian schools for the purpose of helping them to improve as they seek to build the Kingdom of God.

Sherri Huston

Membership Director - Alliance Defending Freedom

Session: Navigating the Changing Culture and How to Protect Your Ministry (with Ralph Rodriguez)

Topic: Culture

Session Abstract

As a Christian school, how do you address the changing cultural views on issues such as sexuality, marriage, and gender identity? How can your ministry love and serve everyone while not giving into the shifting morality of the day? This session will explore the recent cultural and legal challenges ministries are facing so you can become equipped to handle these trials in the coming days. At ADF, our mission is to stand with you so that together we can keep the door open for the Gospel.

Biography

Sherri Huston serves as Membership Director, Ministry Alliance, with Alliance Defending Freedom. In this role, Sherri develops relationships with churches & ministries to help them acquire the legal resources needed to defend against religious liberty challenges. In addition, Sherri oversees the direction and growth of the program.

The mission of the Ministry Alliance is to keep the door open for the gospel. The Ministry Alliance is a critical and strategic initiative of Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and God’s design for marriage and family.

Over the past 30 years, Sherri’s career has spanned numerous industries and operational leadership roles. Most of her experience has been in Talent Management and Organizational Development.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. 

Ralph Rodriguez

Regional Alliance Director - Alliance Defending Freedom

Session: Navigating the Changing Culture and How to Protect Your Ministry (with Sherri Huston)

Topic: Culture

Session Abstract

As a Christian school, how do you address the changing cultural views on issues such as sexuality, marriage, and gender identity? How can your ministry love and serve everyone while not giving into the shifting morality of the day? This session will explore the recent cultural and legal challenges ministries are facing so you can become equipped to handle these trials in the coming days. At ADF, our mission is to stand with you so that together we can keep the door open for the Gospel.

Biography

Ralph Rodriguez is a Regional Alliance Director for ADF Church and Ministry Alliance. He works with ministry and denominational leaders across the country on religious liberty issues to ensure that the body of Christ understands the current cultural and legal climate and knows how to respond via the resources available to them through ADF’s membership programs. His heart is to see the Church boldly proclaim the Truth of the Gospel in our day!

Before joining the ADF Church and Ministry Alliance team, Ralph served as legal counsel at the United Nations for ADF International. Before that, Ralph worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, providing administrative and tactical support for investigators in the counterterrorism division. While with the FBI, he earned his J.D. at New York School. He also received a B.A. in International Studies from The City College of New York. He is admitted to the bar in New York.

David Bailey

FOUNDER & CHIEF VISION OFFICER - ARRABON

How to Lead Your Organization to Be a Reconciling Community

Tags: Culture

Session Abstract

People form communities and communities form people. Christian communities ought to be reconciling communities, but unfortunately, too many Christian communities mirror the same practices as secular communities around conflict and division. In this breakout session, we’ll introduce the five practices leaders need to build a reconciling community within their organization.

Biography

David M. Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America’s Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.

Justin Bailey

AUTHOR & PROFESSOR - DORDT UNIVERSITY

Session - Interpreting Your World: Lenses for Engaging Culture

Tags: School Culture

Session Abstract

I once watched a student throw all his “secular” music into a river. I remember feeling conflicted about it. Did following Jesus really mean the replacement of everything he had previously loved? Is that how Christians are meant to relate to culture? This session offers a more nuanced framework for cultural engagement, focused on five lenses: meaning, power, ethics, religion, and aesthetics.

Biography

Justin Ariel Bailey is associate professor of theology at Dordt University. He is the host of the In All Things podcast, and his written work has appeared in publications such as Christianity Today, Christian Scholars Review and the International Journal of Public Theology. He is the author of Reimagining Apologetics (IVP Academic, 2020) and Interpreting Your World (Baker Academic, 2022). He is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church and has served as a pastor in Filipino-American, Korean-American, and Dutch-American settings. He is married to Melissa and they are blessed with two pre-teen children.

Gregory Jeffers

Theology Teacher - The Covenant School of Dallas

Session: Recovering Classical Philosophy for the Classroom

Topic: Philosophy, Upper School

Session Abstract

The classical Christian education movement has been heavy on classics and the humanities–the great books of the western canon–and on approaching teaching all disciplines according to a classical pedagogy focused on the trivium. And this focus on great books and the discursive liberal arts is entirely appropriate, helpful, and good. But there is still much we can do to recover another classical discipline, the primary discipline, the one that allows us to even have a common way of talking about truth across the trivium and quadrivium, and that is philosophy. For the ancients, all inquiry into causation (why there is something rather than nothing) went under the umbrella called philosophy. This included natural philosophy (the study of physical reality; science), mathematics, metaphysics (the study of ultimate reality), epistemology (the study how how we know things), axiology (the study of values, namely ethics and aesthetics), and logic (the study of organized reasoning).​ ​In his Metaphysics, Aristotle said, “For it is owing to their wonder that men both now begin and at first began to philosophize.” Philosophy is that common sense discipline that begins with wonder, with the question why. So, given the virtue of wonder and the beauty of the honest question, let’s teach philosophy to our students. This workshop will help you get started.

Biography

Greg Jeffers serves in the Depa​​rtment of Theology at the Covenant School of Dallas where he primarily teaches high school courses in Ethics and Rhetoric. He holds a B.A. in English & Biblical Theology as well as an M.A. in English, all from Abilene Christian University. He is currently working on an M.A. in Philosophy from Holy Apostles College & Seminary. He is married to Amanda (a nurse) and has three daughters, Ellie (8), Catherine (7), and Charley (5). He is also a member of Restoration Anglican Church in Richardson, TX where he occasionally serves as a lay preacher. He blogs at gcjeffers.com and can be found on Instagram @gcjeffers.

Kelly Kapic

AUTHOR & PROFESSOR - COVENANT COLLEGE

Learning to Value Process: God Likes to Take His Time

Tags: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

We know that God is perfect and complete, but we are not. In our time together we will consider how God loves process. While we often judge only according to finished products, God has always been comfortable with process, and learning to appreciate this truth about God can free us to more fully embrace the process of growth and learning. The implications of this for Christian education are enormous, as we see our work not merely in terms of a ‘final product,’ but in terms of the value of formation and growth.

Biography

Kelly M. Kapic (PhD, King’s College, University of London) is a professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught for twenty years. He is an award-winning author or editor of more than fifteen books, including You’re Only Human and Embodied Hope, which each won a Christianity Today Book Award. Kapic, a popular speaker, has been featured in Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition, has worked on research teams funded by the John Templeton Foundation, and contributes to the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and various other journals.

Savannah Kimberlin

ASSOCIATE VP OF CHURCH ENGAGEMENT - BARNA GROUP

Understanding Gen Z

Tags: Faith & Culture

Session Abstract

Barna research suggests that the members of the Gen Z generation (teenagers through 23-year-olds) are extraordinarily unique in their needs, perspectives and opinions. Join Savannah from Barna Group as she leads us through conversations about some of the most important and defining markers of this generation, focusing primarily on their experiences with Christianity.

Biography

Savannah serves as the Associate Vice President of Church Engagement at Barna. Savannah loves facilitating Barna’s mission to provide the Church with knowledge to navigate a changing world through consulting services, CoLab learning cohorts and research efforts. She is passionate about taking Barna’s research and synthesizing it into helpful, actionable insights for Christian leaders.
 
As a certified data miner and predictive modeler, Savannah specializes in advanced analytics. Prior to her time at Barna, she worked in the big data and software development spaces.
 
She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Samford University and her M.S. in Decision Analytics from the University of Alabama. Savannah currently lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Josh and her daughter Zoe.

Keith McCurdy

Session Title: Social Media Mania

Tags: Culture

Session Abstract

Current research estimates that over 97% of our teens are on at least one social media platform and average 9 hours of screen time a day. It seems everywhere we turn we are urged to get connected and build a social media presence. Instead of asking whether or not our children know how to use tech ethically, or if they practice responsible online behavior…. Shouldn’t we be asking if it is even healthy?
 
In this session we will discuss the effects of social media and technology use on the development of our children. Does it enhance or interfere with development and learning and how can we navigate such a pro-tech culture in a healthy manner? In spite of decades of research in the realm of addiction, we seem to be taking an opposite approach to one of the most highly addictive elements of our time.
 

Biography

Keith McCurdy is a licensed counselor and therapist who specializes in family and parenting education and consulting. He has over 30 years of experience in mental health and works with various clients across the country. He also offers retreats, counseling, and teletherapy services through his own businesses.

He holds advanced degrees from James Madison University and is the founder and president of Live Sturdy, LLC, and Total Life Counseling, Inc. Keith McCurdy is a sought-after speaker and consultant for schools, churches, and businesses on topics such as parenting, marriage, leadership, and stress management. He has also been involved in classical education as a board member and a podcast contributor.

His main goal is to help others see how a therapeutic worldview and psychology can harm morality, family functioning, and child development. He advocates for a different paradigm that allows children to struggle and grow into sturdy adults. Keith McCurdy is passionate about helping parents raise sturdy kids in a challenging world.

Joseph Pearce

Best-Selling Author

Session: Further Up & Further In - Delving Deeper into Chesterton

Tags: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

Joseph Pearce takes us back to 1908 to look at two of Chesterton’s greatest books, Orthodoxy and The Man Who was Thursday, both of which were published in that annus mirabilis, showing how the one needs to be read in the light of the other. In addition, he will tell the story of Chesterton’s writing of The Everlasting Man, a book which would prove a major milestone on C. S. Lewis’s path to conversion.

Biography

A native of England, Joseph Pearce is the internationally acclaimed author of many books, which include bestsellers such as The Quest for Shakespeare, Tolkien: Man and Myth, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis and The Catholic Church, Literary Converts, Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton, Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile and Old Thunder: A Life of Hilaire Belloc. His books have been published and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Croatian and Polish.
 
He has hosted two 13-part television series about Shakespeare on EWTN, and has also written and presented documentaries on EWTN on the Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. His verse drama, Death Comes for the War Poets, was performed off-Broadway to critical acclaim. He has participated and lectured at a wide variety of international and literary
events at major colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Europe, Africa and South America.
 
He is editor of the St. Austin Review (https://staustinreview.org/), series editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions (www.ignatiuscriticaleditions.com), senior instructor with Homeschool Connections (www.homeschoolconnectionsonline.com), and senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative and Crisis Magazine. In 2022, he was awarded the St. John Henry
Newman Visiting Chair of Catholic Studies at Thomas More College (Merrimack, NH). His personal website is http://www.jpearce.co.

Christopher Schlect

Head of Humanities - New Saint Andrews College

Session: The Liberal Arts and Play

Tags: Liberal Arts, School Culture, Play

Session Abstract

Play is a hallmark of the liberal arts. The Greeks and Romans promoted liberal arts instruction, which is an education uniquely tailored to a free people. Free people are those who know how to play, and to play well. And playful people invariably prove to be the most useful people.

Biography

Christopher Schlect, PhD, has worked in classical and Christian education for over 30 years. At his home institution, New Saint Andrews College, he serves as Head of Humanities and Director of the college’s graduate program in classical and Christian studies. He regularly teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in history and historiography, education, and classical rhetoric, among other subjects. He has also taught history at Washington State University and presently serves on the faculty of Gordon College’s Classical Graduate Leadership program. In addition to his work at the collegiate level, Schlect has many years of teaching experience in high-school. He serves classical and Christian schools around the country through his consulting and teacher training activities. He and his wife, Brenda, have five grown children—all products of a classical and Christian education, as are their children’s spouses—and the number of their grandchildren continues to grow.

Peter VandeBrake

Dean of Students - The Geneva School

Session: Color-Blessed: A Biblical and Theological Look at the Concept of Diversity and Why It Works to Our Advantage in a Christian Classical School

Tags: School Culture

Session Abstract

The mere word “diversity” is enough to cause people to start taking sides in our politically charged society. In this workshop, we want to take a step back from this political fracas and look at this idea from a biblical and theological perspective. The way that we view and understand the concept of diversity is important. The notion of diversity is intricately bound to the Christian story. It is an inextricable part of God’s self-disclosure, Creation, the Imago Dei, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Great Commission, the doctrine of reconciliation, and the picture we are given of the New Jerusalem in Revelation. The educational experience of our students is made stronger and richer by a greater level of diversity in our educational communities. This workshop will illustrate the distinct advantages that students have in a diverse and inclusive educational setting. These advantages are both personal and practical. Students who are educated in a diverse environment will be able to navigate cultural differences in personal relationships and in a workplace that continues to become more heterogeneous. We will also explain why the CCE movement has the right tools to make this happen.

Biography

Peter Vande Brake attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, where he majored in Philosophy and was a decathlete. He went to seminary at Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and then did his doctoral work at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids obtaining a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology in 2000. He was ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in 2001. He completed the Van Lunen Fellows Program for Executive Leadership in July of 2009. He taught, coached, and served as an administrator at North Hills Classical Academy from 1996-2010, serving as Head of School from 1998-2010. He has been a Leadership Consultant for the CiRCE Institute since 2011, and taught the Atrium class on Norms and Nobility for 7 years. He served as Curriculum Director at the Potter’s House, an urban Christ-centered school in Grand Rapids, MI, from 2011-2015, and as their High School Principal from 2015-2019. He was Director of the Upper School at the Geneva School in Orlando from 2019-2021, and is currently serving as their Dean of Students. He has served on both the SCL and CiRCE boards for several years. He has been married to his wife, Susan, for 35 years and has two daughters and one son-in-law.

Albert Cheng

Professor - University of Arkansas | Classical Education Research Lab

Session: Redeeming Social Science for Classical Education: How Empirical Research Matters for Pedagogical Excellence and Advocacy

Topic: Research, Panel Discussion

Session Abstract

Classical educators and leaders will learn about how empirical research of classical education can generate new knowledge that enables them to teach, lead, and make the case for classical education more effectively. Participants will be introduced to a research-and-practice partnership between the Classical Education Research Lab at the University of Arkansas and Sager Classical Academy in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. They will learn about several empirical studies conducted by the Lab in collaboration with Sager that validate the benefits of classical pedagogy, including the impacts of reading poetry and fiction on students’ moral imagination and sense of wonder. Participants will then interact with panelists Christine Norvell (humanities teacher and Upper School Dean at Sager), Mallorey Thompson (Lower School Dean at Sager), and Carrie Eben (board member at Sager) in a roundtable discussion about the practical implications and significance of this research for classical education. Dr. Albert Cheng (Director of the Classical Education Research Lab) will moderate the discussion.

Biography

Albert Cheng is a professor of education policy at the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. He also directs the Classical Education Research Lab, an initiative that conducts empirical research about the effectiveness of classical education and provides resources for classical educators. Dr. Cheng teaches courses in education policy and philosophy. He is a board member of Anthem Classical Academy located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and a Senior Fellow at Cardus.