Ambleside School Open House - 2/21

The Ambleside School of Fredericksburg invites families to learn more about the advantages of an Ambleside education at the annual Open House on Saturday, February 21st from 10 a.m. to noon at 106 South Edison. Guests will hear from faculty, parents and students about their experiences at Ambleside. There will also be an overview of the unique curriculum, a presentation of student work and a tour of the classrooms. Light refreshments will be served and childcare is provided. Guests needing childcare should call the school at 990-9059.

Since 1999 the nonprofit Christian school has served kindergarten through twelfth grade students. It is based on the educational philosophy of British educator Charlotte Mason. Miss Mason described education as an atmosphere, a discipline and a life. Ambleside School of Fredericksburg also provides on-site training for teachers and parents from all over the world in the philosophy and practice of a Charlotte Mason education at the model school in Fredericksburg. In time there will be an international community of Ambleside schools.

At Ambleside, all children are viewed as persons, created in the image of God with a vast potential. Students are not classified according to strengths or weaknesses, but all participate in a broad, rigorous curriculum. All children calculate, solve, attend, explore, ponder, recite, paint, and sing. All children are held to a high standard in relationship to self, others, ideas, and work. All children are expected to have their ignorance informed and their weakness strengthened.

Ambleside provides a broad curriculum of inspirational and disciplinary subjects: science, mathematics, Bible, geography, Spanish, nature study, handwork as well as classic literature, art and music. In higher grades, swimming and tennis programs are offered and recently a strings program began. Ambleside offers small classes, minimal homework in the elementary school, and noon dismissal for lower primary grades. No standardized tests or letter grades are used. The main teaching method is written and oral narration.