Mt. Parnassus and Mt. Sinai

I neglected to post this last month, when school started at Highlands Latin School. It is Headmistress Opening School exhortation, available here:

Welcome parents, teachers and students to the 2014-2015 academic year.  It is a privilege to address you today at the beginning of this our fifteenth school year.  We thank God for our many blessings, for this misty fall morning, for Highlands Latin School, for our beautiful new athletic field at Spring Meadows, for a new school year, for the gift of life, the gift of children, and the gift of grandchildren.  Last year my grand-daughter who was in Kindergarten, greeted me after the Opening School Ceremony with this comment, “Nana, your speech was OK, but it was too long.”  Kindergartners, please bear with me.

In partnership with parents, and guided by the gospel, we are committed to helping students develop their intellectual gifts to the highest standards of the classical tradition.  We are committed to character and faith formation.  We are committed to helping students grow in knowledge, wisdom, and in the love of Our Lord, so that they may wisely use their gifts in the service of others and for the glory of Christ and his Church.

A Highlands Latin education is built on a strong and lasting foundation: a foundation of three universal languages, Latin, mathematics, and music; a foundation of reading the classics to develop wisdom and virtue, and the foundation of a living faith.

In the ancient world there are two mountains that symbolize classical Christian education:  Mt. Parnassus and Mt. Sinai.  In Greek mythology, Mt. Parnassus was the abode of Apollo, the great god of reason.  Climbing Parnassus came to be the metaphor for classical education, that glorious and sometimes painful journey of learning Latin and Greek.

Climbing Parnassus is an ascent up a steep and formidable mountain, where reason itself is enshrined on its snowy peaks.  It is not reaching the peak, however, but the climb itself, that molds character and develops virtue.  It is the climb itself that forms the mind and heart of the student and leaves him with a permanent imprint.  By aiming for a lofty summit, the student learns to fix his eyes upward and to always strive for excellence, for arête.

Enshrined on Mt. Sinai, on the other hand, is not human reason, but God himself.  Here is a mountain we cannot climb, a summit we cannot reach by our own efforts.  And so it was that from Mt. Sinai, God came down to us with his self-revelation, first in the Law and then in the Gospel.  It is through faith in this Revelation that we ascend the mountain of God.  Two mountains, one of ascent and the other of descent, one of human striving and the other of God’s grace.

Climbing a mountain, students, is not a race. There are no winners or losers.  It is not how far up the mountain you climb or who is first or last.  You can extend a hand down to someone who is struggling below you, and you can reach a hand up to someone who is above for help.  It is equality of effort that is the goal, not equality of results, so that each of you achieves as much as your ability and circumstances allow. As you climb your mountain this year, keep your eyes firmly fixed on these two lofty peaks, these two visions of greatness, Mt. Parnassus and Mt. Sinai.  Hold them both together as they support and defend each other, in your classical Christian education.

Students in a few moments you will be sitting in your first class of the year. Remember always to honor your parents, respect and obey your teachers, and extend a helping hand and a word of encouragement to your classmates, everyday.  Have a great year and work hard.  Strive for excellence, strive for arête.

"A Day at the Capitol": Mr. Cothran's annual government seminar next Monday

I will be conducting my annual one-day government seminar at the Kentucky State Capitol next Monday, February 9, from 9:30 to 5:00. Below is a schedule, information, directions, and an application. My e-mail is below.

Schedule:

8:30	Departure	Crescent Hill Baptist Church (for HLS students only)
9:30	Arrive at Capitol	Capitol Parking Lot
10:00-10:30	Get situated/Introduction	Capitol Annex, Room 111
10:30-11:15	Tour of Capitol Building	Capitol Building Lobby
11:15-12:00	An introduction to the legislative process (Mr. Cothran)	Capitol Annex, Room 111
12:00-12:45	LUNCH	Capitol Annex Cafeteria
1:00-1:15	The “Private Tour” of the Capitol (Mr. Cothran)	Various interesting places
1:15-2:00	Student Research Project	Various interesting places
2:00-2:30	“A Lobbyist’s View of the Legislature” (Tony Scholar, The Rotunda Group)	Capitol Annex, Room 111
2:30-3:00	“A Journalist’s View of the Legislature” (Roger Alford, Associated Press)	Capitol Annex, Room 111
3:00-4:00	“A Legislator’s View of the Legislature” (State Rep. Tim Moore)	Capitol Annex, Room 111
4:00-4:30	Introduction on the House Floor (Tim Moore)	Senate Chambers
4:15-4:45	A View from the Gallery	Senate Gallery
4:45-5:00	Presentation of Certificates	Capitol Rotunda
5:00	Departure	Capitol Parking Lot

Martin Cothran, a Highlands Latin School instructor and senior policy analyst with The Family Foundation, will be holding a one-day State Government Seminar at the State Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky to familiarize students with the workings of state government with an emphasis on the legislative process.

Mr. Cothran has been a registered “legislative agent” (which is just shorthand for a lobbyist) at the State Capitol for 17 years, and his experience and access will provide your student with a unique opportunity to see not only how the process works from the outside, but from the inside.

College admissions departments and scholarship committees like to see activities like this on your student’s record. This excellent opportunity to be exposed to government in action (they will be in session when we are there and your kids will get to see them) will provide them with a certificate of completion for your records.

ACTIVITIES: Students will be expected to attend the full day of activities which will include a tour of the State Capitol and State Annex buildings, meetings with legislators and legislative leaders, presentations by legislators, lobbyists, and representatives of the media on how the Kentucky General Assembly works, and taken on a call to a legislator’s office to see the process of lobbying a legislator first hand. Students will be familiarized and shown the offices of all three branches of government, including the State House and Senate, and the Kentucky Supreme Court. Students will also be presented before the House or Senate during a formal session and be formally introduced and recognized before the body.

STUDENT PROJECT: Each student will be responsible for submitting a report on a particular piece of legislation, and writing a short report, due on February 22. Students will receive specific instructions on how to do this, and will be given an opportunity during the day in Frankfort to find information and to complete this report.

TRANSPORTATION: We will need several parent volunteers to transport students to the Capitol and back. Any parent transporting students would be able to participate in all the same activities as the students. This would be ideal for parents who are themselves interested in government! We are anticipating the need for 3 parents to carpool.

COST: The participation fee is $50, and students should also be provided with a $10 meal stipend for the day. Students will also be taken to the Capitol gift shop from which they are free to purchase items at their own expense. Checks should be made out to Martin Cothran.

CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions in regard to the seminar or would like to volunteer to drive, please contact Mr. Cothran at 859-329-1919.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: Applications need to be submitted by Saturday. If this is not possible, just give Mr. Cothran a call.

What to Bring:

• Notepad and pen or pencil
• $10 for lunch and snack
• Comfortable shoes (the marble floors are murder on your feet)
• A snack for the afternoon (e.g., granola bar, candy bar, etc. This can also be purchased there)

Attire:

• Boys should wear coat, tie, dress slacks and dress shoes
• Girls should wear a skirt or nice slacks
• Attire equivalent to what one would wear to church

Directions:

View Larger Map

Specific Driving Directions can be obtained here.

Note that when you arrive at the Capitol, you should park on the south side of the Capitol Annex building. There are two buildings in the Capitol Complex: the Capitol Building itself (that's the pretty one with the dome) and the Capitol Annex which is right across the way. We are meeting in the Capitol Annex Building. As you look at the Capitol Annex from the Capitol side of the building, you will want to go in the most left-hand entrance. There will be a guard station there with a metal detector. Once you are through the detector, the guard will have you sign in. The room we are meeting in is 111, which is just straight down the hall and to your left. We will have a sign on the door. You can also ask the guard for directions if you need to.

You may also call my cell phone at 859-329-1919 at any time if you get lost.

If you have any questions or need an application, call Martin Cothran at 859-329-1919. E-mail: martin@memoriapress.com

Highlands Latin School mentioned in C-J article today

HLS was mentioned in passing in a C-J article today on Prospect Latin School. The article is interesting anyway because it gives more information on what Prospect Latin School is (apparently, just a pre-school). HLS was mentioned as another school that teaches Latin in Jefferson County. It was also the only other school that was mentioned.

Here's the link to the online article: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/NEWS0102/609290334/1008/NEWS01