Ambleside Ocala

"Every child should leave school with at least a couple hundred pictures by great masters hanging permanently in the halls of his imagination." ~ Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education

Picture Study at Ambleside is the practice of bringing students into direct contact with great works of art so that they come to know the minds of great artists. The aim is not simply to enjoy a pleasant image, but to lead students toward a deeper appreciation of what is truly beautiful. Over time, their eyes and minds are opened as they move from a surface response to a more thoughtful recognition and love of beauty in its fullest sense.

Each year, students study the work of great masters and begin to form what might be called an “internal art gallery,” a store of images held in memory. This happens gradually through repeated, attentive looking. Students are given time to sit quietly with a painting, noticing what the artist is doing and engaging it without interruption. Rather than being told what to see, they are trained to attend, to observe, and to respond. In doing so, their understanding deepens, their vocabulary grows, and their appreciation for great art matures. Just as importantly, their sense of beauty is cultivated by being regularly placed in the presence of what is worthy of admiration.

This work is intentionally simple but deeply formative. Students look carefully, narrate what they have seen, and revisit the painting to notice more. They consider the meaning conveyed, the beauty of its expression, and the character of the artist revealed in the work. At times, they also reproduce a piece of the artwork, training both eye and hand. Through this steady practice, students learn to recognize and delight in beauty, truth, and goodness as they are expressed in art. Picture Study becomes more than a lesson. It shapes the way students see the world.

Beyond Strict or Permissive: The Third Way of Parenting - An Ambleside Blog

"I used to think I was a strict parent, and that strict was good.

Looking back now, I realize my strictness was often based on my own convenience. If I wasn't tired, I'd be okay with my kids staying up later to play a game, especially if their dad was on a business trip.

But if I was exhausted? Then they really needed to go to bed at 7:30 sharp. . .

Many of us feel trapped between two extremes when it comes to parenting. We don't want to be dictators, but we fear that if we relax our grip, chaos will take over. We assume the only alternative to being strict is being permissive, and neither option feels quite right. But there's actually a third way."

Read the blog: https://amblesideschools.org/beyond-strict-or-permissive-the-third-way-of-parenting/.

We asked Ambleside Principals, How have you seen lives changed at Ambleside?

Here is a reflection from Jennifer Carlson, Principal of RiverTree School:

"When we walk alongside students in the work of discipleship, we see radical transformation in their lives and the lives of their families. Sometimes we witness these positive changes in small, simple places; some changes, however, are deeply profound.

Students who have previously looked at the ground when talking to others start to make eye contact. Students who used to rush through their work discover the joy of slow and careful progress. Classes that have struggled with kindness start to soften and come towards each other in compassion. Students who have struggled with respect toward teachers grow to accept correction and enjoy doing as they ought.

We also see changes in families. Parents help in the work of habit training at home and discover their mornings before school are more orderly. Families have chosen to reduce or eliminate video games or screens in their home after good conversations about the impact these elements are having on their children."

We asked Ambleside Principals, "Discipleship is about positive change. How have you seen lives changed at Ambleside?"

Here is a reflection from Melinda Boshears, Principal of Ambleside School of Boerne:

"True discipleship is about seeing others through the eyes of Christ. We walk beside others and assist with struggles, rather than view them as problems to remedy or solve.

We have a student who started in Pre-K and it was noticeable her first year that she struggled overall with academics; however, she lit up a room with an internal light that can only come from Jesus. Everybody gravitated to her, and she knew every student and parent by name in no time at all, along with details about each one.

Both the parents and grandparents are very active in her life and sought answers in order to help her. It turns out she has a chromosomal difference. Not long after the diagnosis, her grandmother came in to visit with me. She posed the difficult question of how long will Ambleside continue to accept this child?

The Holy Spirit’s words flowed through me easily. I told her, 'I don’t put a timeline on relationships, and what (this child) brings to Ambleside is far greater than anything we could ever teach her.' This chromosomal difference did not diminish who she was — a child of God made in His image, nor did it diminish her purpose on Earth or at Ambleside."

“A child gets moral notions from the fairy-tales he delights in, as do his elders from tale and verse.” – Charlotte M. Mason, Ourselves

When a child delights in a fairy tale, he is not just enjoying it. He is quietly taking in what courage looks like, what selfishness feels like, what sacrifice costs, and what goodness requires. He learns these things not as definitions, but as lived realities. A faithful character, a cowardly choice, a costly act of love, these leave impressions long before a child can articulate them.

This is why Mason gives such attention to the stories children live in and return to. In the fairy tale, evil is not disguised or softened. It is clear. Goodness is not abstract. It is embodied. The child sees that truth holds, that virtue matters, and that choices carry weight. Over time, these impressions settle into what Mason calls “moral notions”, a kind of inner recognition of right and wrong that becomes part of the child’s thinking.

For an Ambleside classroom or home, this has a clear implication. The question is never just what a child is reading, but what kind of world they are being invited into. Are they living, through story, among courage, humility, and truth? Or among cynicism, triviality, and confusion?

Curiosity is a buzzword in Charlotte Mason education.

It’s not that we teach curiosity to our students – Charlotte Mason believed that curiosity is an innate desire for knowledge that every child possesses from birth. The responsibility that we as teachers and parents carry is that of developing a child’s curiosity. It is not something we can impart to them; it is a desire they already possess that we can and should direct.

Like all hunger, it can be satiated with either a heavy portion of sweets, or with a balanced, nutritious meal. Healthy curiosity must be cultivated, or else the hunger for knowledge will eventually die off altogether and reject the hard work of real thinking.

Read the blog: https://amblesideschools.org/cultivating-curiosity-the-hallmark-of-a-lifelong-learner/