This Academy Article was authored by Eagle Ridge Academy of Brooklyn Center Principal Sutton Rehwaldt.

Everything that is built to last shares a commonality: a strong foundation. Great architecture begins hidden underground. Even long-lost cities are rediscovered when archeologists dig down and find parts of a building’s foundation lost centuries ago. The foundation is the most important part of a building’s structure. Likewise, a child’s future is built on the careful work done in the early years of school.

However, before work on the foundation begins, meticulous planning is done for the entire building. The construction operates from a blueprint. It is critical that the foundation be built to support the beauty and splendor of the whole structure. Since parents seek an education that prepares children for life, what is the blueprint of an adult ready for life? Classical education develops two parts: character and intellect. A person of great character directs their heart toward benefiting themselves, their family, their community, and so on. The ripple effect of strong character can echo far beyond what a single person can see. A person of great intellect can respond strategically and effectively to new situations.

Alone, strong character or strong intellect are not enough. Intellect without character is destructive. Character without intellect is limited. Bound together, intellect and character produce a readiness to face life’s practical and moral challenges. Classical educators describe this readiness as facilitas. Facilitas leads toward eudaimonia, or human flourishing—the aim of education.

So, what does it look like to build this foundation in our children? How do we carefully ensure our children can reach their highest potential? This foundation of education is known as the grammar stage. Human beings are mimetic creatures; we often learn best by imitating someone who has already mastered something, especially in our early stage of development. In the grammar stage, teachers explicitly teach and model all key content and actions, helping every child reach excellence. Students learn the right and beautiful way to do everything from letter formation, to lining up, cleaning up after lunch, and using complete sentences in speech and writing.

The strong demand from families for “something different” has produced a resurgence of Classical schools. This is a testament to the need for a complete education, one that is unapologetic in its commitment to teaching students how to become a person of character from the very beginning. This cannot be taught in platitudes or generalities. Young children (and people generally) first need to be taught expectations explicitly. Teachers model and explain what respect looks like at each moment during the day and then expect students to show it. Great schools plan to proactively teach these expectations so students can succeed in meeting them. We “sweat the small stuff” to ensure our students are stable, steady, and ready for becoming the person they are meant to become.

As more families seek Classical education, I am overjoyed to be part of Eagle Ridge Academy's expansion into Brooklyn Center to meet that demand. We have a special opportunity to lay a whole new foundation. As we do so, we are backward planning from our mission “to engage all students in a classical education that demands their best in academic achievement and honorable character while challenging them to attain their highest potential.” We ask ourselves: What do honorable character and academic excellence look like on the bus, during arrival, in the classroom, at lunch, at recess, and as students head home? We carefully plan what our students, teachers, and leaders are doing at each part to ensure we deliver our mission of excellence for our school community.

Although we are beginning something new, the truth is that our Brooklyn Center school gets to start on top of an amazing foundation set by our flagship campus in Minnetonka. The precise and careful work done over the last two decades has made this exciting opportunity possible for more students. I am so eager for our first day of school—to see all the families and students excited to build a school community that helps every child flourish.