Student Spotlights: Peyton and Oliver
Like many of our students, brothers Peyton (11th grade) and Oliver (9th grade) were homeschooled (through Seton House Study School) before they made the switch to Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Indeed, it was through their homeschooling group email lists that they first heard about Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Both have found the transition to in-person instruction with a group of other students to be a welcome one. During a time when many schools have had to go virtual, Oliver is especially grateful for the in-person experience: “Before I came to Chesterton Academy, in our home school, I did most of my work on my computer at my desk. I’m really enjoying the difference of having teachers for instruction, who hold me accountable for getting my work done on time.” Peyton agrees: “I am enjoying learning in a classroom setting.” In addition, Peyton is finding his curriculum to be an improvement: “[It] is much more coherent, and the classes have more meaningful topics.”
Both have found their philosophy class is one place where they have discussed “meaningful topics.” When asked about something particular they’ve learned in class that stood out to them, both Oliver and Peyton mentioned how they learned to define the terms of a discussion or debate before proceeding with that communication.
Melanie Smith, Oliver and Peyton’s mom, is also enthusiastic about this type of learning. For Melanie, the fact that Oliver and Peyton are “learning to consider the question carefully before offering an answer” is one of ways that Chesterton Academy has already had a positive impact on her sons. In addition, she is excited by the instructional methods unique to a classical Catholic education: “It’s so important to teach our children how to think for themselves! There is no better way to spend the high school years than reading excellent books, having lively debates that are rooted in truth and goodness, and being surrounded by like-minded peers.” It is such lively discussion, exemplified by his Socratic Discussion in Literature, which Peyton has enjoyed most so far during his time at Chesterton.
Such experiences are, Melanie acknowledges, ones that “could not have been found anywhere else,” including through their home school. A mother of ten, Melanie has been homeschooling for 15 years, and was not considering sending her children to school until she heard about Chesterton Academy: “A classical education, offered by this particular staff of teachers and rooted in Catholicism, was extremely appealing to us. We knew it would be the perfect extension of our home school, while allowing our boys to experience and learn more than we could offer at home.”
The decision to transition Oliver and Peyton to Chesterton Academy was, according to Melanie, especially guided by Our Lady of Guadalupe. According to Melanie: “She has been with us, through objects and images in surprise appearances, and when we heard that the school had ultimately been named for her, it was a great sign to our family that we were headed where the Lord wants us.”
For the Smiths, their experience of Chesterton Academy’s commitment to fostering the faith of its students has confirmed that God has led them to the right place. Indeed, one of Oliver’s favorite experiences so far has been the pilgrimage around Detroit hosted by Chesterton Academy at the beginning of October: “The pilgrimage started with Mass at St. Joseph Shrine in Detroit, and then we walked throughout Detroit visiting beautiful, old churches, some of which have been in Detroit since the 1800's.” In addition to special events like the pilgrimage, the daily faith practices of Chesterton Academy have meant a great deal to the Smiths. As Melanie says: “Because of the emphasis at Chesterton on daily Mass and regular prayer, it’s being reinforced that we should begin and end with prayer, with our eyes on the Lord every minute in between. This is what we have hoped to instill in our children through homeschooling, and we are so very pleased that they’re still living it out at their high school.”
As the semester continues, Melanie is especially excited about Chesterton’s “music, art, and drama” because ”these subjects are being twisted or diminished in society, and I’m happy our boys will get to experience them as they should be.”
We are so grateful that Our Lady has led the Smith family (pictured below) to our community. We are blessed to have Peyton (pictured on left of right picture) and Oliver (pictured on right) as parts of our first student body of Chesterton Academy!
