Looking for some summer reading inspiration for yourself or your children? Two particular 20th century authors are most beloved around the Veritas (and, Christian in general) community: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein. This episode gives a new perspective on why these authors and their works are so enduring, influential, and simply wonderful.

Listen in on a fun and insightful discussion with Mr. Paul Miller, a local pastor who also teaches upper grade Omnibus (humanities and Great Books) here at Veritas. Paul's love for Lewis and Tolkein is infectious as he has taught their works in 7th and 8th grade Secondary Omnibus, and this conversation will either ignite an excitement for these authors and thinkers in yourself, or rekindle your interest and inspire you to journey back to Narnia and Middle Earth or pore over Mere Christianity and Miracles.

If you've ever wondered why we bring up these two Brits so often in our classes and discussions - or if you're already an ardent fan of their works - we're pretty sure you'll have great fun listening to Paul talk with our Head of School Ty Fischer about Lewis, Tolkein, and why they belong not only in a school's curriculum, but also on your family's bookshelf.

This episode was originally released in June 2023.

This episode, originally released in early 2024 as part of Season 3 of Cultivate, is a recording of a talk given by Dr. Albert Mohler to our secondary students during a visit he paid to Veritas.

Dr. Mohler – a prominent Christian thinker, author, podcast host, and President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary –shares his testimony and discusses how his upbringing (and, specifically, how his challenging questions about faith were handled) shaped his faith and leadership.

Emphasizing the importance of Christian education and the transformation he witnessed through mentorship, Mohler's testimony exhort us – parents, young adults, and teenagers alike – in the importance of discerning truth from lies, engaging critically with culture, and the essential role of the church community in grounding Christian faith.

Summer's here (well, at least officially for Veritas families as school is out for the year!), and so it's the perfect opportunity to close out our Cultivate season with some summer reading recommendations courtesy of a few recent graduates from the Class of 2025.

Get to know some of our seniors - Meghan Spanjer, Annika Martin, and Daniel Huang - as they share some of their favorite books that they have read here at Veritas (as well as books they've read outside of school that have impacted them). You'll see a theme in the works they've chosen (hint: these may not necessarily be considered "light beach reading"), and likely be inspired to check out some of these influential works of literature which will challenge your viewpoints, provoke deep thought, and perhaps spur you to greater action to advance God's kingdom here on earth wherever you are called!

This season of Cultivate has been sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located at North Point Boulevard in Lancaster leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Liberal arts education - like what we ascribe to at Veritas - can get the (wrongly assumed) reputation of being irrelevant for modern STEM fields, thanks to what is perceived as a humanities-heavy curriculum. We cry foul on that argument - and our alumni prove it invalid as well!

Hear a conversation with two Veritas alumni who are both flourishing as engineers - Zach Spykstra (class of 2012) and Aaron Lielbriedis (class of 2020). They'll share their stories of how classical Christian education uniquely prepared them for success in their STEM fields. The conversation turns to:

• What they most appreciated - and what they would most like to change - about their Veritas education.
• How each of them maintained their faith as they navigated college and secular science fields.
• How a liberal arts education specifically equipped them for college and their careers, giving them advantages of traditionally-educated peers.
• Fun discussions on automotive and power generation technologies, and more!

Thank you to our Cultivate Season 4 sponsor, Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located at North Point Boulevard in Lancaster leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

In this episode, Veritas Head of School Ty Fischer talks with one of our sixth grade teachers, Ibrahim "Ibby" Rios, who came to Veritas Academy after many years teaching in the public school system in Philadelphia, in Chester County, and Maryland. Hear his story of what spurred him on to seek a different kind of education, not only to teach, but for his own children, and what it was about classical Christian education that specifically drew him.

Did you know that students at Veritas (and other classical Christian schools) begin learning Latin in second grade? And, they continue it as a required part of their curriculum through 7th grade? And furthermore, some elect to study Latin as their language of choice in 9th - 12th grade, too?

And we know many parents might be saying:

"Um...why? Isn't it a dead language? Why would you spend so much time and effort on something that isn't even spoken aloud anymore?"

So glad you asked, because that's what this episode is all about, and we're about to make you a bona fide (see what we did there?) Latin enthusiast!

Hear an interview with our Lower Grammar School Latin Teacher Miss Sarah Smith and our Upper School Latin Teacher Mr. Stephen Darrenkamp. They'll walk us through the myriad benefits that students reap from learning Latin at all phases, and give a you a glimpse into what studying Latin looks like at Veritas for our youngest students through our advanced high schoolers.

After all is said and done, you'll be so glad that your child is learning Latin...or, if you're not at Veritas currently, you just might consider this yet another excellent reason to enroll your child in a classical Christian school!

This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers,  a wealth management firm located at North Point Boulevard in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

It may seem antiquated, and it's fallen out of fashion in most modern education circles, but memorization - once a staple of school - is very much alive (and awesome) here in the Veritas Academy Grammar School grades.

Why do we adhere to rote memorization as a primary learning tool for young kids? Two big reasons - because it works (really, really works), and because it's fun! And it may look quite differently from how you picture it.

In this episode, Veritas first grade teacher Mrs. Katie Thompson and third grade teacher Mrs. Judy Hermanovitch share their experience and stories that highlight how and why memorization is simply the best learning tool for younger children. You'll hear:

• Why (biologically) kids are truly designed as sponges.
• What memorization looks like during the school day at Veritas.
• How memorizing information, songs, and facts in grammar school is serving kids in their older years.

Their insights and stories may flip what you thought you knew about memorization in school on its head, replacing images of dry, monotone chants and information cramming with joyful, exuberant songs and a lifelong love of learning!

This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers,  a wealth management firm located at North Point Boulevard in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Teachers, school administrators, and parents alike can attest - this time of year can be pretty rough and active in terms of discipline needs for students. But we realize that discipline is a year-round endeavor, one that is both challenging and crucial in the spiritual development of our kids.

Veritas Head of School Ty Fischer, Principal Dr. Dan Spanjer, and Dean of Students Graham Dennis have been around the block and back a few times when it comes to dealing with discipline of kids from kindergarten through senior high - not just student discipline at school, mind you, but their own children as well. Their insights in this episode are encouraging to all Christian parents who are seeking to discipline not just their children's behavior, but really their hearts toward a more mature relationship with God.

In this episode, a follow up to our previous one, Ty, Graham, and Dan will bring their perspectives from their many years of serving in a disciplinary role at Veritas to discuss:

• How discipline - biblically speaking - is meant to be the way we are discipled to be more like Christ.

• Helping kids and parents alike deal with (and remove) the shame associated with discipline, and to see it as an opportunity for growth and training.
• How to handle common discipline struggles, including how to handle discipline when we're angry, and how to handle the inevitable "he said, she said" scenarios.
• How parents can best approach a situation when they find out their child has needed disciplinary action at school in a way that shepherds their kids' heart toward growth, love, and restoration.

• What does a visit to the Principal's office at Veritas look like for kids of all ages (and how might it differ from the dreaded Principal Office visits of pop culture or your own memory)?

This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers,  a wealth management firm located at North Point Boulevard in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.