October 2022
Dear Friend of Golden View Classical Academy,
Being a classical student means that you crawl through the mud in Kyrgyzstan. Not only that, but you love it. Seriously.
At least so says one of our alumna, Janae Middleton (class of 2021), currently on a full ride ROTC scholarship at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. It has been great to connect with our alumni over the past few years, to hear these stories, and see how being classical with us translates into flourishing lives later on.
Closer to home, “classical” sometimes means you properly decline your Latin nouns, recite poetry, even conduct experiments. More than that, it means striving to understand classic languages and books, modeling your own writing in the poetry you’ve memorized, and thinking scientifically when presented with something you don’t yet fully understand. It means having a gracious but also firm habit of thought, and a willingness to entertain different points of view without sacrificing your beliefs. It means, as my grandmother used to say, having an open mind but not so open that it falls out. It means desiring order, but not too much, and desiring beauty - both in things and actions, but not so much that you’re blinded to what is necessary, or just, or even ugly but worthy of your care. It means being physically fit and thus able to act when called to act, rather than simply having ideas about how you ought to act if you could.
Being classical does not mean being perfect, and each of us, in our own ways, falls short of these qualities. We would even add to this list, or disagree with parts. But it sure is nice to have living examples of what we hope a classical education can do, especially when classical education doesn’t only happen at school, but is a way of life that school and family share.
Yes to all of this. And yes, too, to crawling through the mud in the far regions of the globe. It means doing the hard work, and doing enough of it when you’re young that when you’re older, like Janae, you love it.
Here’s to the Golden View alumni, past and future, classical students all (even our youngest new kindergarteners), but especially to those seniors who are now in the midst of thinking about life after high school - may you find your mud, and your love.
Sincerely,
Dr. Garrow
Principal, Golden View Classical Academy