Giving Tuesday – Great Hearts Anthem

Our family first heard of classical education in 2002 when one of our family members happened to get a job at a small, classical charter school in Southern California. Confronted with the grim realization that public schools were dramatically politically motivated and uninterested in the actual development of children, we decided to put our family into this classical school that seemed to value education rather than indoctrination. We attended this school for eight years until unfortunately, the new administration of the school began embracing a “public school ideology” and thereby moving further and further away from the classical model we so admired. As this transformation became increasingly apparent, in 2014 our two eldest daughters were offered an opportunity to attend Hillsdale Academy on the campus of Hillsdale College. Within the span of a few weeks, we decided to uproot from California and move to Michigan for this school. The authentic and steadfast dedication to classical education at this school was remarkable. The school’s emphasis on cultivating the whole person through the tradition of the Western canon so that our children would be prepared for a life of faith, freedom, character, and learning became the backdrop of our daily lives.

While living in Hillsdale we read an article that featured Hillsdale graduates working at Great Hearts Schools as great exemplars of classical education for families. Already planning on moving back to the West Coast after our two daughters graduated, we decided to move to Anthem so that our third daughter could attend Great Hearts Anthem. Great Hearts, as well as Hillsdale, are concerned with educating virtuous students, life-long learners, whose souls venture into the world with a profound sense of wonder and responsibility. We are deeply grateful to Great Hearts for providing an education that is alert and responsive to the good, true, and beautiful amidst a culture that grows increasingly hostile to such authenticity.

Kara Rijke, TA for 2^nd grade: “My experience as a Great Hearts 2nd-grade teacher’s assistant has been rewarding. Each day is filled with challenges and successes. I am learning alongside the students, and I get to work with wonderful people.”

Cosette Rijke, 8^th Medieval History teacher: “I think one of the most admirable qualities of Great Hearts is its intentional emphasis on treating students as embodied creatures; we are not brains living a bodiless existence. The curriculum here draws us deeper into our humanity by building up men and women whose affections are rightly ordered. 8^th grade is a unique challenge because these students are very honest (even when you would rather not hear the truth) but they are also eager and yearn to be inspired. It is a privilege to know these students and hopefully foster a love for learning within them.”

Clementine Rijke, 10^th grade student: “As a Great Hearts Anthem Prep student I am happy to be able to play sports, sing in the choir, make strong friendships and read and discuss great books.”