Hoplite Radio

In this, the sixteenth episode of Hoplite Radio, we are joined by Jill Hitchman to discuss how Ridgeview teaches students to read. Mrs. Hitchman is a Ridgeview veteran and is extremely knowledgeable about Riggs—the explicit phonics program that Ridgeview uses in its elementary school. Please join us as we discuss this critical issue in education with Mrs. Hitchman, follow up by viewing some of Mrs. Hitchman’s videos available via PowerSchool, and consider joining us for our reading groups.

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, we visit with John Amschler about the importance of outdoor education, the demise of natural history in primary and secondary education, and the aspects of an education that cannot be taught in a classroom.

In this episode, we moved our recording equipment into Room 306 and recorded a discussion of parents discussing an excerpt of R.G. Collingwood’s The Idea of History. Our purpose in doing this was to give listeners a sense of what these discussions are like in the hope that they might find the material and exchanges enticing enough to join us in the future.

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, Mr. Anderson is joined by Mrs. Jennie Roebuck, a fourth-grade teacher at Ridgeview, and an alumna of the school. She shares her thoughts about how she came to Ridgeview as a student, where she went after graduation, how her experiences at Ridgeview have shaped her impressions of education, and where she is off to next.

Mr. Anderson is joined by Mrs. Kristina Menon to discuss how the role of principal has evolved over time at Ridgeview, and the ways in which this position has distinguished itself from the executive positions at other schools.

In an interview with Spencer Nauman, we explore the notion of economic literacy and the manner in which one acquires some measure of economic education.

This week, we welcome Mrs. Alexandra Hobaugh, a parent fairly recently arrived at Ridgeview, to talk about the parent discussion groups and the value these have for our community.

In this episode, Mr. Anderson converses with Kelly Trosper, longtime Ridgeview parent and board member about his Ridgeview story: what brought him to Ridgeview, what has driven his involvement with the school as a volunteer, and what has kept him here as an enthusiastic parent and supporter.

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, Mr. Anderson sits down and talks with another Ridgeview graduate, Jonathan Karr to discuss the impact of Ridgeview for our alumni years after graduation. As Jonathan prepares to begin his graduate studies at UC Berkley, he reflects on what he gained from Ridgeview and what it has come to mean to him as he has undertaken different kinds of study as an adult.

In this episode, we consider the impressions of what Ridgeview came to mean to Anders Jorgensen, a recent Ridgeview graduate who had attended Ridgeview since kindergarten. We frequently tell parents that we want for them to think of their enrollment at Ridgeview in terms of a thirteen-year commitment - to treat it as an experience, and not simply an experiment. From curricular considerations to extracurricular activities, Anders provides us with an insight into what Ridgeview meant to him and what it can come to mean to anyone willing to commit to it.

In this episode, we interview Zak Smith, co-owner of Thunder Beast Arms and owner of Competition Dynamics. Mr. Smith is a parent of two Ridgeview students who has provided tremendous support for our outdoor programs and adventures with students. We explore what these adventures contribute to a classical education, and in particular, the importance of discovering one’s limits as part of our student’s character formation.

The music program at Ridgeview has often dominated the lives of our students and parents. From the concerts to the musicals and madrigal performances, music has been an important part of the Ridgeview experience. Mr. Anderson and Ridgeview’s new music director, Mr. Ben Geier, converse about the place of music in a classical education in this episode of Hoplite Radio.

How is science taught at a classical school? Can a classical education produce students who will be competitive in the natural sciences? These are some of the questions we explore in this podcast with Mr. Hayhurst, Ridgeview’s Science Department Head.

In this episode, we talk with Domenic Carpine, Ridgeview’s Assistant Principal, and an employee of the school from its inception. We discuss the school’s culture, its disciplinary practices, and much else. Mr. Carpine also talks through how he first heard about Ridgeview as a parent, which will be of interest to those considering joining us at Ridgeview.

In Episode 2, Mr. Anderson, Principal of Ridgeview Classical Schools, and Mr. Herndon, a veteran history teacher at the school, examine what distinguishes the teaching of history at Ridgeview. They discuss the contingency of human experience, the intentionality of using primary sources, the role of will and circumstance in historical events, American exceptionalism, and the development of the historical imagination in students.

Episode IEpisode Title: Introduction to RidgeviewIn this episode, Mr. Anderson explores Ridgeview’s history, introduces listeners to what it is that makes a charter school different, and talks with Mr. Herndon, a veteran Ridgeview history teacher, about the sorts of things that make up the Ridgeview experience.