“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”.
I definitely agree with William Butler Yeats in this quote as far as it concerns the broadest goals of education and what we want for our children. However, we must not forget about the “pail” altogether.
In order to thrive, a student needs a strong mental engine (“pail”) as well as a fiery passion for their calling. Passion alone can lead to poor decisions and misguided efforts, but passion with a well-trained purpose can change the world and be a force for positive good.
Veritas Academy aims to equip students with both the necessary academic tools AND with a passionate joy for learning. The goal is not to tell students everything they ought to do and how to do it, but rather to prepare them with the necessary tools to tackle a myriad of yet-unknown challenges as they arise. In today’s world of rapid change and fluidity, it is now more important than ever for kids to be well-prepared to face unexpected challenges. We know that many of the issues, obstacles, and needs our children will face in their future do not even exist today, but they will in 20 years!
Classical Christian Education is a wonderful way to prepare our children for such an unpredictable future. This liberal arts model educates the whole child and gives them the tools of learning - tools which can be applied to virtually any challenge, career field, relationship, or life situation. Part of this process of exposing our children to a broad array of disciplines and opportunities is giving them a foundation in technology, which fuels the rapidly changing world in which we live.
While we certainly do not want to overemphasize specific software, hardware, or programming languages that will likely be obsolete by the time our kids reach adulthood, we do want to give our kids the foundation they need in order to assimilate and master new technology as it develops throughout their lifetime.
For some students, technology will be a tool to achieve other ends. For others, it will be the focus of their career. Whatever role technology plays in our students lives, we want them to be prepared to know how to handle it and use it to achieve their goals in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.
To this end, we are excited to introduce you to several opportunities (new in 2020) our students at Veritas have to learn and grow in their tech skills!
Extracurricular Grammar School Robotics Clubs
We offer after school Robotics Clubs for our Grammar School students (grades 1-6). Utilizing the Wonder Workshop program, Lego BOOST, and Lego Mindstorms materials, these clubs offer children a blend of introductory computer programming, robotics concepts, computer skills, and engineering.
Middle and High School Robotics Electives
Our high schoolers have been working on basic concepts of coding and robotics through hands on activities, troubleshooting, design and construction of robots using Lego Mindstorms, FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Drivetrains, and VEX robotics. As this program grows, we will continue exploring an array of concepts to help our high schoolers gain exposure to this field and give them a platform upon which they can go further in college and beyond.
Classical Christian Education, while ancient in its time-tested model, does not mean a necessary sacrifice of modern skills. Consider what Veritas alum Matthew Sailer, an Officer in the U.S. Navy who specializes in cosmology and astrophysics and has published fascinating research on interplanetary travel, has said about the benefits he experienced in Classical education:
"I realized going through college, and even more so after graduating that Veritas' curriculum was invaluable to my success in college. Building an early foundation with logic, rhetoric, Omnibus, and junior/senior thesis classes ingrained in me the essential art of reasoning, which seems to be rare in today's world."
As we train students to love learning, think critically, and communicate effectively, we continue in providing them the opportunity to apply that Trivium foundation of knowledge and skills to today's technology. In so doing, we prepare students to thrive in whatever climate or career they find themselves as they go into the world engaging and shaping our future and culture.
Looking for a school that uniquely prepares your child to engage a modern, changing world with truth, beauty, and goodness? Come experience the depth, joy, and rigor of a liberal arts Classical Christian Education at Veritas Academy, a premier private school in Lancaster County, PA.
