Education Is an Atmosphere

an atmosphere where Christ’s Spirit dwells and transforms hearts…

by Bobby Scott, Headmaster Emeritus

Last week, Perimeter School had the joy of hosting the annual ChildLight Association of Schools (CLAS) Conference. The ChildLight Association of Schools is a community of independent schools that encourage and support one another as they seek to promote the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason in a variety of settings. What began as a small group of Atlanta schools has now grown into a network of 16 schools across the country, and the ChildLight community continues to flourish. Faculty and staff came together to learn, share ideas, and be refreshed in their calling as educators. During the conference, Perimeter School Headmaster Emeritus and Founder of CLAS Bobby Scott was honored for his vision and faithfulness in bringing together schools united by Charlotte Mason’s rich philosophy that “education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” Years ago, Bobby reflected on the atmosphere of education he helped cultivate at Perimeter School.

“One of my rituals, almost daily, is to walk down the halls about 9:00 AM as the students are settled in class. I like to glance in the doorways and just listen to the general hubbub. I also like to make sure that trash, miscellaneous pencils, and school tools are not left on the floors, so that the halls look clean. But really more important than clean hallways is a healthy atmosphere of grace, faith, and love that I desire to permeate every crack and crevice.

This desire was expressed so wonderfully by one of our prayer coordinators in our monthly meeting on Monday, as she prayed that God's Spirit would move in the lives of students themselves, not just through the influence of parents and teachers. Our children, as special recipients of the grace of the covenant, have identity (I am a child of God), obligation (I ought to do His will), ability (I can do what He tells me), and potential (by His grace I will). They can help create an atmosphere of love, grace, and enthusiasm for learning.

Last week we had a special visitor, Miss Eve Anderson of Eton, U.K. Miss Anderson had visited us before when we first moved into our new building. She is a retired headmistress of the Eton End School, one of those mentioned by Susan Macauley in For the Children's Sake, a school where atmosphere is critical to learning. Of course, I was interested at the end of the week to hear what she thought about our school now. Her words about our students were so encouraging: inquisitive, enthusiastic, able to use well-chosen words in narrations, not just fact-oriented, hard to drag out of the woods due to their interest in nature, bright, respectful to her, and generally well-behaved. Though her time was spent primarily with third, fourth, and fifth graders, I feel certain this is descriptive of our students as a whole.

But the most encouraging note was that she believed we had moved from a group of individuals occupying a building to an atmosphere of warmth, a learning environment with students learning from teachers and learning from each other. That's an atmosphere that doesn't just happen, nor does it maintain itself. It happens primarily by all parties, parents, teachers, and students, submitting their wills daily to Christ that His Spirit might flow through them.”

As we reflect on Bobby Scott’s words and the legacy he left, we are reminded that education is far more than lessons and textbooks - it is the cultivation of an atmosphere where Christ’s Spirit dwells and transforms hearts. Bobby’s vision continues to inspire our community to nurture spaces filled with grace, curiosity, and love, where both teachers and students grow together in wisdom and faith. As Perimeter School carries this vision forward, may we remain faithful stewards of this atmosphere of learning, one that points every child to the beauty, truth, and goodness found in Christ alone.