Alcuin Retreat for Classical Educators

 

Dates: June 24-27, 2012

Location: Historic Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, Texas

www.hoteladolphus.com

 

The Alcuin Retreat for Classical Educators is a gathering of the ICS Alcuin Fellowship and friends of the Fellowship.

The Alcuin Fellowship meets twice a year to address challenges of curriculum and pedagogy in classical Christian schools throughout the country. Throughout the year the fellows continue to work on various projects related to curriculum, pedagogy, seeking  to connect educational philosophy to concrete practice in the classroom. All of the fellows have significant training and experience at classical schools from around the country. A list and photographs of all the fellows is included below.

If you are an educator (administrators are welcome too) interested in this retreat, you may contact Christopher Perrin, Alcuin Fellowship Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . In addition to the ten Fellows attending the retreat, we are inviting ten-to-fifteen additional educators to join.

Description of the Alcuin Retreat

We also leave time for discussion on ad hoc topics prepared and raised by the fellows and guests at our retreat.  While this retreat will focus on cynicism, sentimentality and gratitude as it relates to classical Christian education,  we will be adding some additional topics as well.  For example, David Diener will be presenting on wonder, wisdom and worship in the tradition of classical education.  Usually, we will have one of our fellows introduce a session with about a 20 minute presentation, followed by a moderated discussion. 

We normally schedule three to four discussions/seminars per day, and our discussions are meaty, usually lasting 90-120 minutes per topic (with a break).  Then our evenings are free for dining, fellowship and lots more discussion and merriment.  We hold friendship as a noble virtue.

Our featured guest this year is Dick Keyes author and director of the L'Abri fellowship.  Dick will present three times on cynicism, sentimentality and gratitude followed by discussion of these themes as they relate to our roles as classical Christian educators. We will all try to read his book Seeing Through Cynicism as preparation for the retreat.

 

The retreat will be held at the beautiful Adolphus Hotel (details below) in Dallas, Texas (http://www.hoteladolphus.com/), which will provide a relaxed setting for great conversation, food and training. This conference is limited to 25 participants in order to facilitate the best communication, engagement and friendship.

Special Alcuin Guest Speaker: Dick Keyes

Dick Keyes is the Director of L'Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has worked with his wife and family since 1979. He holds a B.A. in History from Harvard University, and an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

Dick has worked for L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and in England, where he served also as a pastor in the International Presbyterian Church in London for eight years. He has been an adjunct professor at Gordon Conwell Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary.
He is the author of Beyond Identity, True Heroism, Chameleon Christianity, Seeing Through Cynicism, and several chapters in anthologies such as No God But God, ed. Os Guinnes, Finding God at Harvard, ed. Kelly Monroe, and New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics from Intervarsity Press. He is currently writing a book on the significance of Jesus’ questions. He has lectured widely in the U.S. and also in Europe and Korea.

As with many workers in L'Abri, Dick's interests are many and varied. If there is any integrating idea it is the attempt to connect important aspects of modern life to Biblical truth with a theological, apologetic and pastoral concern. His writing on identity, heroism and cynicism, for example, are efforts to help Christians toward a more integrated and engaged faith, but also to help those who are not Christians to be able to see the claims of Jesus from a fresh perspective. Dick enjoys reading, working in the woods, rowing and playing blues and ragtime guitar for self-therapy.

 

Among those participating in last year's event were:

Grant Brodrecht, Geneval School, Winter Park, FL

Pam Brookshear, Covenant Classical, Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX

Jennifer Cable, Trinity Christian School, HI

Kevin Clark, Geneva School, Winter Park, FL

James Daniels, ICS Academic Consultant, MS

Michael Dicken, Veritas School, Richmond, VA

David Diener, Covenant Classical, Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX

Jason Edwards, Grove City College, Grove City, PA

Andrew Elizalde, Veritas Classical Christian School, VA

Ryan Garner, Paideia Academy, Knoxville, TN

Jesse Hake, Covenant Christian Academy, PA

Melody Herrick, Ambrose School, ID

Grant Horner, Trinity Classical Academy, CA

Ravi Jain, Geneva School, Winter Park, FL

Arron Kau, The Ambrose School, ID

Jeff Kulp, Trinity Classical Academy, CA

Adam Lockridge, Westminster Academy, TN

Wendy Massetto, Trinity Classical Academy, CA

Christopher Perrin, ICS Round Table Director, PA

Nick Perrin, Wheaton College and Graduate School, IL

Al Popp, Ad Fontes Academy, VA

Andrew Smith, Westminster Academy, TN

Bill Stutzman, Ambrose School, ID

Steve Turley, Tall Oaks, DE

Al Zambone, Educator, VA

 

Retreat Summary and Details

• Event Name: Alcuin Retreat for Classical Educators
• Dates: June 24-27
• Event Registration Closing Date: May 31, 2012
• Time of Event: 5pm, June 24 to 12pm, June 27
• Location: Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, Texas
• Cost: $720  This costs covers the conference fee, lodging and meals.  If you prefer to room alone, there will be an additional cost of $240 for the week.
• Cancellation Policy: Cancellations before May 15, 2012 will receive a 50% refund. No refund offered after May 1, 2012.
• Event Program Summary: Three days of discussion, problem-solving,  conversation and fellowship.
• Contact Person at ICS:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For More Information

For more information about this retreat, please email Christopher Perrin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Registering for the Retreat

Register with ICS here (you be be asked to send in a check for the conference fee; just follow the instructions on the registration page).

Retreat Venue

The historic Adolphus Hotel is one of the premier hotel facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.  With a four-star restaurant, beautiful grounds, gardens and accommodations, it will not disappoint.  To learn more about the Adolphus Hotel, visit the hotel website here.

 

 

Members of the Alcuin Fellowship

The Alcuin Fellowship is a gathering of visionary educators who are either secondary or college level educators who have thought deeply about the renewal of Christian classicism and classical Christian education for K-12 schools. They bring exceptional training, talent and humility to the Fellowship under-girded by their love for God and a zeal for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Alcuin was the English scholar and educator called by Charlemagne to reform education in the Holy Roman Empire. He served Charlemagne during the 780s and 790s and introduced the seven liberal arts into the schools of the empire. Alcuin was able to recruit some of the best scholars and educators from various nations to serve with him, helping contribute to the flowering of learning we call the Carolingian Renaissance.

Christopher Perrin, PhD, Director

ICS Classical School Round Table Director

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Academic Specialties: Latin, Greek, History, Apologetics

 

James Daniels, Assistant Director

ICS Academic Consultant

Memphis, Tennessee

Academic Specialties: Biblical Studies, Theology, Logic, Rhetoric

Grant Brodrecht, PhD, Geneva School

History Department Chair

Orlando, Florida

Academic Specialties: History, Literature

Kevin Clark, Geneva School

Educator of Theology, Literature and Rhetoric

Orlando, Florida

Academic Specialties: Philosophy, Theology, Rhetoric, Literature

Jesse Hake, Covenant Christian Academy

Dean of Community Life, Educator of History, Theology

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Academic Specialties: History, Theology, Rhetoric

 

Grant Horner, PhD, Trinity Classical Academy, Master’s College

Professor of Literature, Dean of TCA Rhetoric School

Santa Clarita, California

Academic Specialties: Literature, Theology, Film

Ravi Jain, Geneva School

Educator of Physics and Calculus

Orlando, Florida

Academic Specialties: Theology, Mathematics, Science

Nicholas Perrin, PhD, Wheaton College

Professor of New Testament

Wheaton, Illinois

Academic Specialties: Latin, Greek, Theology, Biblical Studies

Andrew Smith, Westminster Academy

Upper School Principle, Educator of Rhetoric

Memphis, Tennessee

Academic Specialties: Philosophy, Theology, Rhetoric

William Stutzman, Ambrose School

Grammar School Principal, Educator of Literature and Music

Boise, Idaho

Academic Specialties: Music, Literature