The Role of Community
As we begin this new year together, Redwood Classical Academy invites you to pause, not with a policy or set of practicals, but with a painting. This year, The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet has been chosen as a visual metaphor for the kind of community we are cultivating at Redwood.
In the classroom, students will engage in picture studies like this one, taking time to observe, reflect, and share what they notice. We encourage you to do the same: take a few moments to look carefully, consider what stands out, and reflect on what it might mean.
Painted in 1857, The Gleaners depicts three peasant women bent low in a harvested field, gathering leftover stalks of wheat. Though their work appears small and unnoticed, Millet honored their quiet labor, elevating it as essential, humble, and sacred. At the time, critics dismissed the subject as too ordinary, even controversial, yet the painting continues to speak to the dignity of unseen, persistent work.
At Redwood, we see in this image a reflection of the formation we pursue together. True formation is low to the ground, slow, intentional, and shared. It grows in ordinary moments: through shared stories, thoughtful correction, daily prayers, and simple habits. Like the gleaners, we labor side by side. This way of life is counter-cultural in a world that often isolates and prioritizes self. Yet God designed His people for community. Scripture reminds us, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
The work of homeschooling and partnering with Redwood is not just about academics; it is about learning how to live together. Children need more than friends; they need to see that the Christian life is a shared pilgrimage. At home, families model forgiveness, patience, sharing, and service in daily rhythms. At Redwood, those lessons are reinforced and deepened in community, as families walk together toward the same vision.
In the classroom, students will engage in picture studies like this one, taking time to observe, reflect, and share what they notice. We encourage you to do the same: take a few moments to look carefully, consider what stands out, and reflect on what it might mean.
Painted in 1857, The Gleaners depicts three peasant women bent low in a harvested field, gathering leftover stalks of wheat. Though their work appears small and unnoticed, Millet honored their quiet labor, elevating it as essential, humble, and sacred. At the time, critics dismissed the subject as too ordinary, even controversial, yet the painting continues to speak to the dignity of unseen, persistent work.
At Redwood, we see in this image a reflection of the formation we pursue together. True formation is low to the ground, slow, intentional, and shared. It grows in ordinary moments: through shared stories, thoughtful correction, daily prayers, and simple habits. Like the gleaners, we labor side by side. This way of life is counter-cultural in a world that often isolates and prioritizes self. Yet God designed His people for community. Scripture reminds us, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
The work of homeschooling and partnering with Redwood is not just about academics; it is about learning how to live together. Children need more than friends; they need to see that the Christian life is a shared pilgrimage. At home, families model forgiveness, patience, sharing, and service in daily rhythms. At Redwood, those lessons are reinforced and deepened in community, as families walk together toward the same vision.
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