Spending time in great stories creates appreciation and hunger for things outside our world, expanding it. Stories make our world bigger.
Faith in education is more than instruction—it’s about shaping desire, intellect, and habits to form hearts that seek what is true, good, and beautiful.
Ambleside Schools International believes there is a more effective approach to the evaluation of students’ growth and knowledge than letter or number grades can achieve.
Maryellen St. Cyr shares her journey of discovering Charlotte Mason education, founding Ambleside Schools, and 25 years of faithfulness in education.
When Maryellen St. Cyr first dreamed of Ambleside School, what was it that she sought to bring to life? With 25 years of our life’s work behind us, I want to bring us back to the foundation of our movement.
Charlotte Mason was an intensely private person, and some aspects of her life have only come to light over the last ten years. Here are some lesser-known facts about Charlotte.
Thania described a Charlotte Mason education as rich, inspiring, and life-changing. Not only did it change the way she viewed learning as a homeschool mother, but it truly instilled a joy of learning and the desire to become lifelong learners in herself and in her children.
Before Ambleside, I attended traditional Christian schools. In third grade, I was depressed, acting out, behind in math, trailing in reading, and I hated school. I was deeply convinced that I was stupid. My parents were fearful for my future, questioning if I would even graduate high school.
In 1903 it had been suggested by a home-schoolroom pupil, Eric Bishop, that the P.U.S. should have a badge. He wrote to Charlotte Mason to ask if this could be arranged and sent her a design of a lark soaring towards heaven, encircled by a wreath of daisies.
I think schools often focus on information as the outcome of what they’re trying to do. Test results. What makes a “living education” is that we focus on the work of formation. It’s not just passing the test. We’re trying to form the child for every aspect of their future life.
