Friday Night Folktime (Kaiti Shannon) We will explore the history of folk tunes and then dance the night away with fun and easy group dances. No dancing experience required!
Morning Meditation Micah Pettes
Saturday Breakout Sessions *placement subject to change
Morning Options: Atomic Habits (Brad Pettes) “Every day, every hour, you are either passively or actively forming those habits upon which, more than upon anything else, future character and conduct depend.” ~Charlotte Mason
The book Atomic Habits by James Clear has become the gold standard in habit formation literature. James discovered the power of making tiny (atomic) improvements in his daily life after a tragic accident on the baseball field. In this session, we will discuss his story and the principles in his book in hopes of inspiring deeper determination to make habit formation become your new habit.
The Art of Battle (Lee Family) Boys and girls must have time to invent episodes, carry on adventures, live heroic lives, lay sieges and carry forts, even if the fortress be an old armchair; and in these affairs the elders must neither meddle nor make. Charlotte Mason, Vol 3, p. 37
We know that with good books come big imaginations. Are we allowing our children and teens the time, space, and resources to act out the stories that captivate their minds? In an age where so many children spend their free time in front of a screen, our family took on the challenge to offer an alternative to get kids outside, create their own weapons, invent their own games, and practice good citizenship. Kids ages 6-18 gather at our house monthly for Boffer Club where they battle with home-made foam weapons. If you have no idea what boffer means, this may be the session for you. We will have a gallery of boffer weapons on display and advice on how to make your own.
A Mother's First Duty (Heather Ray) "A mother's first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time." ~Charlotte Mason, (Vol. 1, p. 42)
This may seem a lofty and mighty calling but Miss Mason provides suggestions for helping us cultivate wonder through truth, beauty, and goodness during this quiet growing time. We can find in her writing practical methods to help provide what is "absolutely best for the children". In this session we will discuss what it looks like practically in our homes to cultivate wonder using Miss Mason’s advice. We will explore how to secure a quiet growing time for our children under the age of six, while still educating our school age children. This session will also include a special time for question and discussion regarding use of Charlotte Mason's methods during the early years.
Afternoon Options: A Grand Conversation with Psalm 8 (Ryan Lee) “Education is the science of relations – A child should be brought up to have relations of force with earth and water, should run and ride, swim and skate, lift and carry; should know texture, and work in material, should know by name, and where and how they live at any rate, the things of the earth about him, its birds and beasts and creeping things, its herbs and trees; should be in touch with the literature, art and thought of the past and the present.” ~Charlotte Mason (Vol. 3, p. 161)
Genesis 1:27 tells us that man is created “in the image of God” and gives us the unique task to “replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Ellen Davis in her book Scripture, Culture and Agriculture better translates “dominion” as “exercising skilled mastery” emphasizing, appropriately so, the verb’s original connection to the traveling shepherd with his flock. The vision of holiness through skilled mastery includes the “land and the covenanted community of creatures who prosper along with people living in accordance with the design of creation or alternatively, who suffer when the intended pattern is violated”. So, for a short time, we’ll come together as a community to read and discuss Psalm 8. The objective of this session is to practice dwelling on a Captain Idea and to participate in the great conversation of “man in the image of God”. If you’d like to prepare ahead of time, read Psalm 8 and bring your favorite ideas from other sources to share.
Lichens & Mosses & Mushrooms, Oh My! (Stephanie Lee) “Learning to see mosses mingles with my first memory of a snowflake. Just at the limits of ordinary perception lies another level in the hierarchy of beauty, of leaves as tiny and perfectly ordered as a snowflake, of unseen lives complex and beautiful. All it takes is attention and knowing how to look. I’ve found mosses to be a vehicle for intimacy with the landscape, like a secret knowledge of the forest.” ~Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gathering Moss
We value Charlotte Mason’s encouragement to be out-of-doors, but are we seeing all the beauty that Nature has to offer? Come practice careful observation as we seek out and study the often-overlooked wonders that are scattered along the forest floor. Bring your nature journal and watercolors, a few supplies will be available if you don’t have your own. We will step outside for a few moments, so bring your coat.
Pouring from a Full Cup (Kelsi Rea, Heritage Christian Academy) As parents, we are called on to play many roles, so how are we to fulfill the Great Commandment - to love God first and then others - when the “endless succession of small things” leaves us feeling dry and we find ourselves pouring from an empty cup? Miss Mason continually admonished parents to take hold of that “Great Recognition”; we are partners with the Holy Spirit in the education of our children. We will spend this session exploring Miss Mason’s teaching on the Holy Spirit, her analogy of the Tabernacle and how these principles will guide our educational endeavors; whether in a school setting, a co-op or at home with our own children. We will be diving into Miss Mason’s first and second volumes so that as parents, we can learn what it truly means to partner with the Holy Spirit so that we can truly find the Source of all Knowledge and pour from a full cup.
Free-time Hike "Never be within doors when you can rightly be without." ~ Charlotte Mason Meet Stephanie at the Welcome Center Lodge entry to enjoy a guided hike around the grounds of Highland Lakes. We will observe nature along the way and consider ways to engage both children and adults in the great outdoors. Dress for the weather and be prepared for stairs and hilly terrain, but nothing too rugged.
Handicraft Station There will be a make & take craft in the lodge for you to create at any point during the weekend.