Christmas 2026: "This Education Is a Gift"
Transformation at Ambleside: One Family’s Story
My connection to Ambleside was born in friendship, which is how many families find their way here. When I first visited, I was struck by the order of the place and by the ownership even very young learners had of their work. I felt an earnest partnership with Ambleside in educating my children. I wish I had known about this school earlier.
What’s most compelling is the transformation I’ve seen in my children. They have gained not just a love of learning, but a fascination with God’s created world. My youngest notices spring flowers pushing up through concrete and says, “What a beautiful flower.” Last night he brought home a library book on Einstein that included a picture of the town where Einstein was born. Looking at it, he said, “Look at how beautiful these mountains are.” That’s incredible. It isn’t the boy he was becoming before Ambleside.
Another of my children told me, “At my old school, we learned a lot of things, but at Ambleside, we learned to learn.”
As students become middle schoolers, they are expected to be the most attentive, and that includes toward the younger students. Delighting in the little ones is a sign of maturity and love.
They are learning to love the world in a distinctive way.
I saw this on a trip to Patrick Henry’s home at Scotchtown. At the end of the tour, the guide began reciting the “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, and the girls with me joined in. The guide clutched a chair, fell silent as they finished, then applauded. What these girls had learned had stuck with them beyond the classroom. They were taking Ambleside with them and sharing it.
If you are serious about your relationship with Christ and your role as the parent of your children, Ambleside will embrace that desire. Christ is at the heart of everything the school does. There is no separation between our Sunday selves and the rest of the week.
This is the best investment of your time and money in your child. Many families fill their calendars with sports, music, art, and other activities, but if your family’s resources are limited, this is the place to invest first. Your children will be formed and educated, and you will be welcomed into a community.
For families with more resources, Ambleside offers something rare in the D.C. region: a school built for the long game of Christian education. Few models have this depth. The school has thought carefully about the why of education, and it keeps seeking ways to improve with true humility and excellence.
There is a real unity of faith and commitment here. If you want to invest in something that bears lasting fruit, Ambleside’s impact on children is already evident. This education is a gift, and that gift should be shared.
