Maintaining the Momentum
From Desiree Salcido, Support Specialist
As spring blossoms and the end of the school year draws near, it’s easy to feel the tug to slow down and let structure slip away. The sun lingers longer, the days grow warmer, and our carefully built routines can start to feel less urgent. But even now—especially now—there is value in finishing well.
Charlotte Mason encourages us with these words:
“Let us consider carefully what point we wish to reach, and then let us make a vigorous effort every day to reach that point. Do not let the children pass a day without distinct efforts—intellectual, moral, volitional.”
(Home Education, Vol. 1)
This doesn’t mean every day must be rigorous or packed, but rather purposeful. Whether you’re reading books outside under a tree, observing the clouds for nature study, or having rich conversations over afternoon tea, there are many gentle but meaningful ways to keep up the momentum.
One way to stay engaged is to lean into what your children love most about their learning. Let narration happen on a walk. Swap your usual schedule for a more relaxed rhythm while keeping key habits intact. The end of the year is a wonderful time for gentle projects, end-of-year reflections, or creative expressions of what your students have learned.
So take heart. The work you’ve done this year is bearing fruit—even on the slower days. Press on gently, but with purpose, and end the year not in exhaustion, but in gratitude.
Let’s finish the year with peace, purpose, and a renewed sense of joy! Let us know how you are doing this in the comments below!
Notes:
- Come Plan With Us: Join us on Tuesday, April 22 at 8:00pm EST. A few friendly faces from the CMI team will be hanging out on Zoom, ready to help you with your planning questions! Learn more about the event and RSVP here.
- Office Hours: Join us for Office Hours on Thursday, April 24th at 3:30 pm EST with Andrew Chambers of Excel College. We'll be diving into things to think about and questions to ask during any college selection process, and also hearing a bit about Excel's unique model of higher education.
- CMI Giveaway: Celebrate Resurrection Sunday with a special book giveaway—click to enter and reflect with us.
- NEW! Courses & Certifications: Looking for some structured time studying Charlotte Mason’s ideas and methods? Registration for our summer courses is now open, and, after getting your feedback, we’ve redesigned our certification programs as well!
- Common Place Quarterly: Have you checked out the newest issue of CommonPlace Quarterly yet? This issue is all about books. Inside you will find three articles by CMI staff. For just $25 per year, you can enjoy digital access to all 25 back issues of CPQ, plus the new issues coming out this year! Use code CMIdigital25 at checkout.
- Conference: Session descriptions for the conference are now up! Browse all the workshops and fireside chats and stories we’ll get to enjoy at Guiding with Grace, and make plans to join us today!
- Open House: Know a friend interested in Alveary? Send them this link to sign up for our online Open House.
Trivia Question: What British magazine of humor and satire did Mason enjoy reading?
Answer: Punch
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May this Easter weekend be filled with the joy of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is risen!
