Scholé Retreat 2019

How do we balance the daily needs of our families with the pursuit of scholé? How do we speak to the concerns that swirl in our heads about the sufficiency of our educational efforts and the preparation for life that we are giving our children? How do we counteract the influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil in our lives and in those of our children?

Classical literature has much to say of the Sirens, monsters that entice travelers with their captivating but deceitful song. Alas, those who turn aside to listen quickly find that their destruction is the the Sirens’ true aim. As scholé seekers, siren songs abound, clamoring for our time and attention, and aiming to lure us off course. The siren songs of distraction and busyness are formidable foes. Far more menacing are those spiritual forces which seek our destruction, and that of our children.

The stories of the Sirens reveal much to us about the nature of these hindrances to scholé in our own lives. But the stories also tell of how the heroes of old resisted the Sirens, providing us with examples of how we also can resist those siren songs that seek to distract us from our pursuit of scholé, and how the pursuit of scholé actually helps us to overcome the siren song! Our retreat sessions will examine three encounters with the Sirens: Odysseus & the Sirens, Orpheus & the Sirens, and Dante & the Sirens.

We cordially invite all Scholé Groups directors and members, as well as any other scholé-seeking home-educating parent, co-op teacher, or classroom teacher to join us for a time of refreshment and the practice of scholé. Registrants will receive a packet with some brief readings that may be completed before the retreat as time permits.

Where:
Classical Academic Press/Liberti Church
515 S. 32nd Street
Camp Hill, PA 17011

Cost:
$64.95
Includes lunch for both days

Space is limited—register today!

Scholé Retreat Speakers

Brooke Diener has been classically homeschooling her own children and teaching in co-ops for over a decade, and has served other homeschooling families through her writing and speaking at conferences. She holds a BA in Christian education and psychology from Wheaton College and a Montessori teaching certification from the United Montessori Association. She and her husband—headmaster, consultant, and author Dr. David Diener—live in Hillsdale, Michigan, with their four energetic and eclectic children and are committed to furthering the mission and impact of classical Christian education through their lives and work. In her leisure time, Brooke loves to read the classics and discuss them with friends, and to take long hikes in the woods with her family.

Jennifer Dow is a classical teacher, writer, and speaker. She completed the CiRCE Apprenticeship program as a CiRCE–certified classical teacher and has taught humanities, logic, rhetoric, and the fine arts since 2009. Jennifer researches, writes, and speaks about classical teaching; serves as the founder and director of learning and development at Paideia Fellowship  in Charlotte, North Carolina; teaches humanities locally and online; and is the co-host of The Classical Homeschool Podcast. She also works with Classical Academic Press on the Scholé Groups team. Jennifer’s published works can be seen around the web at Paideia Fellowship, the CiRCE Institute, Scholé Groups, and Afterthoughts. She has been featured on the Your Morning Basketpodcast with Pam Barnhill and has spoken to moms and educators around the country on how to teach classically and create thriving classical communities. She is currently working on her first book, a memoir chronicling her journey of becoming a classical teacher.

Kathy Weitz is the Scholé Groups administrator for Classical Academic Press. For more than a quarter-century, she educated her six children at home and also pursued a classical education for herself. Though her youngest child graduated in 2018, she is continuing to pursue her own “life well-read” as she works toward a master’s degree in Christian and classical studies. In addition to her own children, she has taught a number of other students, both online and in the classroom. Kathy continues to be involved in her local home education community as the director of curriculum at Providence Prep, a Scholé community in Purcellville, Virginia. In addition, she is spearheading an effort to open a collegiate-model classical high school in her local community. Kathy blogs about Morning Time, commonplace books, self-education, scholé, and more at The Reading Mother.