Ahhhh, the waning days of the school year. Warmer temperatures, sunny days...and restless kids, right?

Everyone is itching to leap with abandon into summer, like a euphoric child barreling full force toward the pool's edge and flinging himself into the waters in an all-out cannonball into. This time of year is notorious for being hopelessly unproductive and chaotic in schools around the country.

At Veritas, the sunset of the school year brings with it something a little different. Ancient traditions. Elegant costumes of bygone eras. Delectable delicacies from foreign lands. Yes, springtime is decidedly the season of "Feasts" here at Veritas Academy: the Egyptian Feast, Rivendell Feast, Narnia Feast, Medieval Feast...along with some non-feasting festivities like the Swiss Family Robinson Pirate Invasion and the Barbarian Invasion.

Someone perusing our Facebook page or checking out our recent coverage in LNP's  Schools section might think that a sizeable percentage of our school hours is spent playing dress up. But, you see, it goes far beyond child's play - although, any student (and teacher) will readily admit that our feasts days are great fun!

The Classical model of Christian education seamlessly integrates the major subjects like literature, history, art, logic, and even math and science, resulting in a holistic learning experience that engages the student and helps develop a deeper appreciation for all the disciplines. As our fourth graders spend their year examining the middle ages, they read the prominent books of that time period throughout the year as well, and culminate their study with a grand Medieval feast in May.

Why all this pomp? It's far more than petty playtime. As ninth grade Veritas teacher Rhonda Forbes observes, "feasts and celebrations bring the written word to life." She notes that one thing these events do is help reinforce the themes of books, conveying ideas from the pages without lecturing. In re-creating the novel and time period's environment, and depositing the class into right that setting, the kids are able to "internalize themes without even consciously realizing it."

And why is that such a beautiful thing? Because, Mrs. Forbes muses: "When words come to life, we have taken the first step to true learning."

The same principles can be applied in so many situations as we seek to guide our children in truth. We learn so much more readily when we've had the opportunity to engage ourselves and our senses in the process. Whether it be through painful mistakes or euphoric beauty, an experience sticks with us far longer than a simple story.

Here are some things we can learn from the effectiveness of the feast and celebrations concept:

 

Engaging the senses elevates retention

Mrs. Forbes notes that "feasts employ all of the senses to make the information memorable. We all know that students retain information better when we employ multiple senses in that process. In the classroom, we write notes so they see the information and learn visually, talk with them so they hear the information and learn auditorily, and try to have them involved in discussion or movements of some sort to help the kinetic learners among us. Feasts and celebrations give us a unique opportunity to involve all of these learning methods along with the senses of smell and taste"

• Sight: By creating a ‘world’ for the event using decorations, the students begin to ‘see’ their own imagination (while reading) come to life,
• Sound: Music and speeches help students to hear the sounds associated with the event,
• Touch: Tactile decorations and activities involve the whole body and help them to be actively participating and experience the event using touch,
• Taste and Smell: Food is a fantastic way to employ both smells and tastes that anchor the event in the memory.

"It is truly amazing how God has created our memory," remarks Mrs. Forbes, observing how "all of the details which assail our senses help us to mentally engage with the material and remember events in a more substantial way than we will through simple reading of information."

Equating it with action makes it personal

Our grandparents would assert that the School of Hard Knocks was always the most effective, and it's true that we are much less likely to repeat a mistake once we've experienced the painful consequences. The same goes for positive experiences - we can hear a thousand stories about the vastness and beauty of the ocean, but until we've stood at the shore and gazed out at the horizon, cool water lapping at our toes and the salty breeze filling our nostrils, we haven't fully grasped its magnitude. We can hear tales of the immense impact a small act of kindness can have on a broken life, but until we've gotten our hands and knees dirty on the pavement of the slums beside a struggling soul to offer hope and help, it's hard to internalize the depth of need that we are called to help meet.

If you want to truly impart life-giving wisdom that will stick long after your words have faded, incorporate your child's senses into the lesson. Get active, get engaged...and get learning!

Fun has a purpose beyond itself

Classical Christian education - with our adherence to uniforms, traditions, manners, and respect - can lead some onlookers to think that these schools might be full of dry, humorless stuffed-shirts. It couldn't be further from the truth. We at Veritas know how to have fun, and our many feasts capitalize on it in spades!

We value this fun because we recognize that the joy of learning should be cultivated throughout a person's lifetime, and when the subjects are truly fun to learn, the kids will have an honest hunger for them.

Mrs. Forbes, in pondering the purpose of holding our feasts, says: "Events, with all of the associated pomp and circumstance and eager anticipation, help students associate the learning experience with fun. If our desire is to do more than fill our students' minds with lots of information but to, instead, create life-long learners, then we must inject this learning process with enthusiasm and fun feelings."

Perhaps this is why so many Veritas graduates remark that a love of learning was one of the greatest benefits they received from this school.

So, parents, don't think that the play dates, vacations, day trips, silly game nights, and other belly-laughing frivolities your family does are a lost cause beyond their surface value. After all, Proverbs 17:22 tell us "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Seek out fun times with your family. Those memories harbor valuable learning experiences, so find the teachable moments in the laughter, and use them to foster both joy and wisdom in your children.