“…the fact probably is, that never is intellectual power so keen, the moral sense so strong, spiritual perception so piercing, as in those days of childhood…”
– Charlotte Mason
Their eldest daughter, having grown to the age of kindergarten, placed Rodney and Marybeth Nelson on the crux of a dilemma. Would they send her someplace more institutionalized, impersonal, and task oriented than they preferred? Or would they homeschool her?
That predicament drove them to research.
“We soon discovered the work of Charlotte Mason, a turn-of-the-century British educator and reformer,” Rodney recounted. “She believed the sole end of education should be physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth. That education boils down to good habits every child is born with the capacity to adopt. That great thoughts allow children to grow into great thinkers, pure and simple.
“My wife and I completely agreed with Ms. Mason. After much contemplation and prayer, we considered it our calling to provide an education she would approve of to as many children as we’re able.”
Rodney, who had previously worked at a large Christian school for a number of years, debuted RiverTree School to fourteen students in 2009. “The Lord blessed our little school in Crystal, which has grown to about ten times its original size,” said Rodney. “And now that we’re opening our second campus at Liberty Baptist Church of Eden Prairie, we’re poised to show many more students and parents what K-12 education is meant to be.
“Mainstream education revolves all around scores. Too many children spend their entire lives being measured, ranked, and classified, like they’re cuts of meat awaiting USDA approval. That’s why RiverTree School doesn’t begin assigning letter grades until ninth grade. Letter and numerical grades don’t provide a good measure of a child’s growth toward their full potential, which is greater than anyone could imagine, let alone measure. To some children, grades and marks are more of a hindrance than they are an incentive.
“Our mission is facilitating that growth. It begins by providing the calm atmosphere and small classrooms in which students feel safe, comfortable, and valued – not the fight-or-flight instinct that’s all too familiar to those who have attended some other schools, where teachers are forced to play whack-a-mole trying to manage an overcrowded classroom.
“We greet each student by name as they enter the school and their classroom, where beautiful paintings hang on the walls. Instead of screens (which we ban outright through the eighth grade), they find themself surrounded by their close group of classmates, whom they can converse and genuinely connect with. A bell calls everyone to the chapel for a brief assembly with prayer and announcements, followed by first class.
“All in all, the vibes are closer to those of a library, or a personal study. It’s the kind of harmony that simply can’t exist in a concrete and brushed steel facility.
“RiverTree School’s air of peace belies a vigorous academic curriculum. We have not embraced the prevailing sentiment that children should no longer read whole books. We instead challenge them with classics like The Yearling, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Odyssey, Crime and Punishment, and even The Confessions of St. Augustine. We encourage enthusiastic engagement with literature; genuine understanding of the author’s intention, as opposed to bullet points that can be jotted down on a quiz. Our fourth through eighth graders perform Shakespeare’s plays in his original language. We have watched many inspired renditions of Doctor Pinch and Ghost of Hamlet's Father over the years!
“Mathematics. Science. Art. Music composition. We nourish our students’ curiosity in all academic disciplines, and help them develop the habits they’ll need to broaden their horizons over the course of their lifetimes. We also teach them crafts that help their hands and minds work as one, such as weaving, needlepoint, woodworking, and calligraphy.
“That’s right: RiverTree School students learn cursive.
“We believe children are the heritage of the Lord – created in God’s image, and fully capable of appreciating His creation with the right intellectual guidance. The gospel said nothing about Christ testing and grading His disciples. Like Him, our teachers endeavor to feed students’ spirits, and reveal just how miraculous their world truly is. We want them to understand they are persons– human – not numbers on a spreadsheet or lemmings to be herded around, but thinking, feeling, loving vessels of the Holy Spirit.
“If God knows all, then all true knowledge must be divine. Everything we do at RiverTree School is to bring children closer to His light.”
RiverTree School’s new Eden Prairie campus will welcome its inaugural class to Liberty Baptist Church this autumn. Visit RiverTreeSchool.org to learn how you can help the light of your life grow brighter.
"It’s the kind of harmony that simply can’t exist in a concrete and brushed steel facility."
"Our fourth through eighth graders perform Shakespeare’s plays in his original language. We have watched many inspired renditions of Doctor Pinch and Ghost of Hamlet's Father over the years!"