March 23, 2023

Dear Hill Country Families,

In Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, Dante finds himself hopelessly lost. Unsure of the path forward, he turns to his beloved literary mentor, Virgil, for guidance, literally and metaphorically. Virgil’s literary genius in The Aeneid served as inspiration and an exemplar as Dante sought to craft his own masterpiece. Dante’s imitation of and reverence for Virgil reminds us why we read Great Books. The Great Books that have stood the test of time, books that point us to the True, Good, and Beautiful, serve as invaluable guides as we strive to understand our own paths. When we study Great Books, they don’t just provide us with beautiful narratives; they can guide us with the wisdom of voices past, wisdom we can cultivate in our own lives for the present and the future.

As Christian educators, one goal we should pursue is to encourage students to seek and value wisdom. We want our students to see that academic endeavors are not merely efforts to obtain a high GPA or attain entrance to a college of choice; our time in the classroom should mirror the biblical charge from King Solomon in Proverbs 3:21 who said, “My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.” As parents and educators, we don’t always know what lies ahead for our students. Therefore, we equip them with sound wisdom for the path ahead— wherever it may lead. We encourage them to seek wisdom from Scripture, from the past, and from godly mentors who can remind them, as Virgil reminds Dante, that the path forward is secure because Christ has already gone before us.

At Hill Country, we are blessed with so many incredible teachers who mentor and love their students as they point their minds and hearts toward Christ. For this episode of In the Classroom, I sat down with Hill Country’s exemplary Latin teacher, Mrs. Casey McMickle, to discuss her love for Latin and how Great Books and languages of the past can shape our hearts and minds for the glory of God.

With Excellence,

Sarah Novlan, Director of Academics

See our previous interviews from the IN the Classroom series here:

• First grade teacher, Sherrie Reichenau
• 4th grade teacher, Mike Giles
• Middle School teacher, Ed Baptiste