As a classical school, Sundial believes modern education puts too narrow of an emphasis
on only one area of development: the intellect. We believe that, to paraphrase Charlotte
Mason, children are whole persons who should be educated in a rich environment that gives
equal importance to the development of the arts and practical skills alongside academic
instruction.
Friday Agriculture and Tradeskills Program
Program Details
The Friday Agriculture and Tradeskills program is completely unlike anything else in
the Lansing area. It teaches children as young as five years old via the apprenticeship
model. Children are not just pretending to garden, they are genuinely working alongside
an expert to learn practical skills as children once learned them - at an adult's side
from the time they could walk and talk.
Many different terms are used to describe this type of content: Life Skills, Practical
Skills, Common Arts, Servile Arts, Tradecraft, Craftsmanship, etc. Sundial Classical
Farmstead prefers the term, "Common Arts" as we see them as equal in importance to the
Liberal Arts and Fine & Performing Arts. Furthermore, we see "skills" and "arts" as
interchangeable terms because, as the CiRCE Institute
states: “When a person learns an art, he directs
his attention to learning a skill.” We also like the term "common" with the connotation
that these skills meet needs that are common to all people, that is, the need for food,
clothing, shelter, and community.
Whether a student is headed to the Ivy League or a trade school we believe all well-rounded
adults should have real knowledge of the labor and materials that go into meeting basic
human needs. If, for example, one day they need the foundation on their house repaired,
having a basic understanding of how stone masonry is constructed will allow them to evaluate
quotes from repairmen knowledgeably.