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Thursday

Special Opportunity

Special Fine Arts Show/Tour

Classics One Act Play

Grammar SchooL

Jessica Gombert

Reclaiming Childhood

Athena Oden

Embodied Cognition

Brooke Ramsey

– PRACTICUM –

Charlotte Mason, Geography Lessons, and Christ in Every Culture

Laura Werezak

Gabriela Remache

Stephanie Popa

– PRACTICUM –

Building Community through Modern Languages

Logic & Rhetoric

Kate Friederichs

– PRACTICUM –

Reading Humanely: Utilizing Student’s Love of Story

Mandi Gerth

– PRACTICUM –

Classical Pedagogy 101

Tim Goodwin

Peter Lee

– GROUP –

Practical Mathematics: The Art of Play

Sandy Schinetsky

Martha Shaunessy

– GROUP –

Utilizing “Dialogue” as a Form of Assessment

School Programs

Deborah Allen

Beauty and Calling: College & Career Conversations

Wes Boyd

In Christ We Play: “Discipleship First” Athletics

Adam Roate

Kevin Thames

All Opportunities are Tests

Academic Leadership

Neil Anderson

Who Can Become A Head of School?

Craig Doerksen

Learning in the Image of the Maker

Advancement

Allison Buras

Partnering with Private School Parents

Elizabeth Perkins

Perpetual Enrollment: Together Until Graduation!

Board & Head of School

Travis Koch

Crisis in Slow Motion: Managing Difficult Situations

Philosophy & Culture (Redeem the Time)

David Bailey

Reconciling Community

Justin Bailey

Sowing Hope

Keith McCurdy

Digital Mania – The Impact of Social Media

Christopher Schlect

The Liberal Arts and Play

Growing as an Educator

Alicia Brummeler

– PRACTICUM –

The Embodied Classroom: Educating the Whole Person

Leslie Collins

All Things New

Allison Jackson

– PRACTICUM –

Refreshing Your Classical Toolkit: Engaging through Instruction

Keith McCurdy

Raising Sturdy Kids in 2023

FULL LIST
FRIDAY
SATURDAY

Classics One Act play festival

Exclusive session & Fine arts show/tour

Thursday at 3:00pm, during Breakout Session II

Travel Provided - 100 Spots Available

Session Description

In the spring of 2023, the first Classics One-Act Play Festival occurred in Dallas, and the competing schools were tasked with bringing great literary works to the stage. These middle school students were tasked with setting up, performing, and striking a play with minimal involvement from their teacher, and the top schools from the contest will be performing for interested conference attendees. Come see Dallas Christian School perform I Never Saw a Butterfly and the Covenant School (Dallas, TX) perform The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Question and answer to follow the performance, and attendees may take a tour of the Covenant School’s campus.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alicia Brummeler

English Faculty - The Stony Brook School

Session: The Embodied Classroom: Educating the Whole Person

Topic: Classroom Culture, "Growing as an Educator"

Session Abstract

Humans are embodied beings. What does this embodiment mean and how does it relate to Christian classical education? How does recognizing human embodiment—in both students and educators—impact the way we teach? This session provides a theological framework for understanding embodiment and identifies some of the mistaken assumptions we hold. The bulk of the session will include ideas and suggestions on embodied practices and rhythms that teachers can implement to create a flourishing classroom environment.

Biography

Alicia Brummeler is an author, speaker, and  teacher of middle school English at the Stony Brook School on Long Island, NY. She holds a MA in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership from Friends University. Her book Everywhere God: Exploring the Ordinary Places offers readers ideas and encouragement as they seek to discover God’s abiding presence in the ordinary. She is an avid reader and life-long learner who loves exploring the world and gathering people for food and connection. Alicia and her husband have two adult children as well as a flock of backyard chickens.

Leslie Collins

Head of School - Covenant Academy

Session: All Things New

Topic: Student Support, Inclusion

Session Abstract

God is making all things new, including classical and Christian education. CCE has experienced a refreshing Kingdom vision for the flourishing of all learners. Let’s explore ways that schools flourish when they have a student support program.

Biography

Leslie and her husband, Dave have been working in classical and Christian education since 1995. Leslie was the founding headmistress of Rockbridge Academy in Millersville, Maryland and was privileged to briefly serve in Kailua, Hawaii as Trinity Christian School transitioned to a classical model. She is currently the Head of School at Covenant Academy in northwest Houston. Leslie holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling from the Master’s University, Bachelor of Science in Special Education from the University of Maryland and is in the best cohort of the Gordon College Leadership program. She is a very proud grandmother and would love to show you pictures of her grandbabies.

Allison Jackson

Dean, Logic School Teacher - Regents School of Austin

Session: Academic Rigor Need Not Lead to Rigor Mortis! Refreshing Your Classical Toolkit: Engaging Your Students Through a Variety of Instructional Strategies

Topic: Classroom Practices

Session Abstract

Join veteran classical Christian teacher Allison Jackson for a practical workshop that will equip you with creative and classical tools to take back to your classroom. Can we agree that classical education need not be stodgy or strictly lecture-based? Children (and adults!) benefit from a variety of instructional strategies and learning methods. Students can think deeply and stay engaged when they have the opportunity to play with ideas, to move to learn, and to articulate their understanding along the way. Experienced teachers: Join us to share your ideas and refresh your own toolkit. New to classical education or new to teaching? Jump in with us to equip yourself with ideas you can implement on day one1 and beyond!

Biography

For over 20 years, Allison Jackson has been investing in the lives of students of all ages. As a pre-med major, she earned a biology degree from the University of North Texas and worked in research and industrial labs. Since then, she has taught public high school, nature study camps for little ones, and all the ages and stages between. Highlights include weekly classes for classical Christian homeschoolers, establishing a school garden, founding a classical, Christian school with several other families, and leading professional development workshops at SCL, ACCS, and the Regents Institute for Classical Education in Austin, Texas.

You can find Ms. Jackson in her happy place at Regents School of Austin teaching Logic level science and serving as the Seventh Grade Dean. She is ever so grateful for the discipleship-centered approach of classical, Christian education where she can lead her students to weave together a tapestry of integrated subjects with faith at the center.

Justin Bailey

Author & Professor - Dordt University

Session: Sowing in Hope: Generative and Generational Education

Session Abstract

The temptation in a world gone mad is to stand on the sidelines and point out the problems with everyone and everything. But there is an alternative to this: to criticize by creating, cultivating beautiful and generative spaces that do the work of generational faithfulness. Whatever we cultivate will always be imperfect, but it can imperfectly point to the kingdom of God, to “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

“Theology must grow and be sown into the soils of culture, be fed by the spring rains of love to be cultivated in multiple generations.” (Makoto Fujimura)

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.

David Bailey

Founder & Chief Vision Officer - Arrabon

Session: The 5 Challenges to Being a Reconciling Community

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.

Joseph Pearce

Best-Selling Author

Session: Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder: Life Lessons from G.K. Chesterton

Session Abstract

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly whereas the devil takes himself far too seriously, falling by the force of his own gravity. So says G. K. Chesterton, the self-described “jolly journalist” who is worth taking seriously because he took himself so lightly. With wit, wisdom and eyes wide open with wonder, Chesterton shows us the way to paradise by way of paradox. Joseph Pearce, author of Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G. K. Chesterton, gives a guided tour of Chesterton’s life, work, wit, wisdom and legacy.

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.

Kelly Kapic

Author & Professor - Covenant College

Session: Learning to Value Process: God Likes to Take His Time

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.
 

SANDRA McCRACKEN

GUEST MUSICIAN

Performances

Sandra McCracken will be leading worship from the main stage in the morning and afternoon of Friday, June 16, followed by her highly-anticipated concert at 6:00pm. See the conference schedule for further information!

Biography

Sandra McCracken is a singer-songwriter and hymn writer from Nashville, Tennessee. A prolific recording artist, McCracken has produced 14 solo albums over two decades. Her best selling release, Psalms (2015) received critical acclaim, followed by God’s Highway (2017) which made the top 50 on Billboard Heatseekers chart without a major label. She has had songs featured in TV, including ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and has over 15 million streams. Blending the old and new, Sandra has also shown a unique ability to recast sacred scripture texts into theologically rich yet accessible songs. Her thoughtful lyrics and gospel melodies in songs like “We Will Feast In The House Of Zion,” “Steadfast” and “Thy Mercy My God” have become staple anthems in churches across the U.S. As a published writer, she contributes a regular column in Christianity Today and released her first book “Send Out Your Light” in September 2021.

Pano Kanelos

President - University of Austin

Session: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

COMING SOON!

Biography

Panayiotis (Pano) Kanelos is the founding president of the University of Austin.
 
From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Kanelos served as the 24th President of St. John’s College, Annapolis. After earning degrees from Northwestern University (B.A.), Boston University (M.A.), and the University of Chicago (Ph.D.), he taught at Stanford University, the University of San Diego, and Loyola University Chicago.
 

He served most recently as dean of Christ College, the Honors College of Valparaiso University. An outspoken advocate for liberal education, he oversaw the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts, comprising a network of more than 100 colleges and universities. Among the earliest participants in the Teach for America program, President Kanelos is as passionate about teaching as he is about writing and scholarship. He founded the Cropper Center for Creative Writing at the University of San Diego and is a noted Shakespeare scholar, having served as the resident Shakespearean in the Old Globe MFA Program and the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Shakespeare Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago.

Beck A. Taylor

President - Samford University

Session: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

COMING SOON!

Biography

Beck A. Taylor comes to Samford University after serving as the 18th president of Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, since 2010. Prior to this appointment, Taylor served as dean and professor of economics for Samford’s Brock School of Business (2005-2010), and associate dean for research and faculty development for Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business (1997-2005).

Taylor’s tenure at Whitworth was highlighted by a renewed emphasis on community involvement; efforts to enhance academic programs and quality; the building of new campus infrastructure to facilitate the university’s academic, athletic, and student life programs; the creation of newly endowed faculty positions and centers; leading Whitworth’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign; and an emphasis on overall institutional effectiveness.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Baylor with majors in economics and finance, Taylor was employed as an analyst for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in Houston, Texas. He went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University. After returning to the Baylor faculty, Taylor was named the first holder of the W.H. Smith Professorship in Economics. In 2002, he was appointed as a visiting scholar by Harvard University where he spent one year in residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As dean of Samford’s Brock School of Business, Taylor led the rapid transformation of the business school, including its renaming to honor Harry B. Brock, Jr., founder of Compass Bank. Taylor led the Brock School of Business to establish eight new academic programs, as well as the school’s new honors program. The school’s entrepreneurship program was recognized in 2010 as the nation’s top emerging program by the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. In an effort to build bridges between students and the Birmingham business community, Taylor established the Samford Business Network, as well as a 45-member advisory board of the region’s top business leaders.

As a scholar, Taylor has published dozens of studies in economics journals such as Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Human Resources and Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking. Illustrating his diverse research interests and his connections to the social sciences, Taylor has also published groundbreaking research in public health and child developmental psychology. His research has been cited in testimony given before the U.S. Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and the California State Assembly, and also has been referenced in publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Christian Science Monitor.

Taylor is a member of numerous professional and academic organizations, and he has served as a strategic business consultant for dozens of organizations. Taylor and his wife of 28 years, Julie, have three children: Zachary, 25, a Nashville-based music recording artist, Lauren, 22, a recent Whitworth graduate, and Chloe, 14.

Savannah Kimberlin

Associate VP of Church Engagement - Barna Group

Session: Faith & Culture

Session Abstract

Barna Group has researched faith trends in the United States and around the world for more than 40 years, specializing in the study of generations and the intersection of faith and culture. Together, let’s explore a handful of key cultural shifts and their impact on and implications for our organizations.

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.