Vision and Philosophy
Vision
The foundational vision of Cottonwood Scholé is to support, encourage, and work together with homeschooling parents as they guide their children's education. We do this through offering a three day per week program to students in first through twelfth grade.
Our academic program focuses on reading, writing, Latin, and arithmetic enrichment as well as nature study for the younger grades and lab science for Middle and High School students. In addition to academics we focus on community building through preparing and serving food, folk dance, multi-age sports, and various outdoor enrichment opportunities.
Additionally our vision is to bring students and great teachers and learning opportunities together. This means that our program changes from year to year and semester to semester based on the resources and teachers available to us. If we have a parent or teacher available to our students who is accomplished, skilled, or has a passion for a particular art or field of study we will build that into our class schedule.
Christ is the foundation upon which the course of study, daily practices, and approach to students, studies, and materials is built. We choose to build on the foundation of the ultimate truth, the Logos, Jesus Christ. We plant and we water and we trust and believe God will bring the increase. (I Cor. 3:6-23)
Philosophy
We recognize the God of the Bible as the sovereign of our universe, our world, and our homeschools. We trust that, through God, all things are ours and as such we approach teaching and learning from a state of rest. Our goal is not to finish a process but to begin the lifelong process of learning and growing as human beings.
We recognize that there is objective truth that is beyond and above human ideas. We believe this truth can be perceived and recognized and, therefore, our goal is to teach in such a way that our students have the opportunity to perceive truth.
We acknowledge that children are bearers of the divine image. As such they deserve the very best instruction, models, and encouragement that we are able to provide for them. With this in mind, we will not settle for a superficial and frivolous education no matter how attractive that might be to the teachers and students. We will strive to cultivate a taste for those disciplines and ideas that are less palatable at first but have the potential to build strong and resilient minds and spirits.