Cultivate: A Veritas Academy Podcast

In our last episode on Logic, you may remember our guests defining Logic as "the art and science of reasoning well." In this episode, we're continuing that trend and talking about, well, art and science!At Veritas, one of our science teachers has a unique background and set of skills that, at first glance, may seem like it doesn't all match up. Amanda Crooks teaches biology, anatomy and physiology, and earth science...and also served as an art teacher for many years.Science and art - two disciplines that aren't too often discussed together - merge beautifully in Amanda's classrooms. In this episode, Mr. Fischer talks with her about how her perspective on both of these fields helps her students see God's glory and enjoy learning in a whole new way.Hear about:The shared elements of beauty, observation, and creativity in both fields art and science. Unique classroom activities that naturally bridge artistic flair and scientific discovery together. The joys of integrating faith with art and science education, encouraging curiosity and critical thinking among students while grounding them in Biblical truth. The importance of preparing students for the world beyond school by instilling virtue and fostering a holistic appreciation of God's creation through.This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster, leading people to make better financial decisions, and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Middle schoolers can be argumentative. And it can drive parents crazy. But they are blossoming into young adults who will need to communicate and sometimes argue ideas in the real world soon enough. How do we equip them with the tools to not only think through their own beliefs, but to critically process new ideas, and sift through arguments to find and promote TRUTH above all?Enter the LOGIC phase of classical Christian education - the middle segment of our three-pronged Trivium. Right in the center of their education, students train their minds to know how to spot and construct sound, valid arguments and reason well, so that they can apply the facts they've learned and live as someone who listens and speaks well.In this episode, we'll hear from our two Logic teachers at Veritas Academy - Stephen Darrenkamp (who also teaches Latin) and Adam Timmins (who also teaches Omnibus and Apologetics). You'll listen in on a discussion covering:The role of logic in a student's educationThe integration with faith and reasonHow logic prepares students for rhetoric and effective communicationPractical advice for parents of argumentative middle schoolersThe broader implications of logic on students’ understanding of faith, culture, and morality.This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster, PA,  leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

One thing that many alumni and students will say upon reflecting on the merits of their Veritas education is: "I learned how to carry on a good conversation."The art of conversing seems to be dwindling in our culture. Being able to relate to others well in a variety of situations - and engage thoughtfully on a breadth of topics - is a skill that is deeply appreciated by others, and beneficial for ourselves, too.Especially now during the holidays – when we find ourselves in an array of social settings with family, friends, and even strangers – being equipped with the mindset and skills for good conversation will make Christmas gatherings all the more pleasant for everyone.Our host, Head of School Ty Fischer, is joined in this episode by Veritas alumni Jesse Brooks and Dean of Students and Omnibus/Rhetoric teacher Graham Dennis to talk about what makes for a good conversation, and how we can help cultivate in ourselves and our children the desire and skill to carry on good conversation.After all, that's a big part of what we're doing at Veritas – fostering students who can listen well and speak thoughtfully on topics that truly matter, and who excel at relating with one another in Christ because they've been trained regularly in talking around the table.This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located at North Pointe Blvd. in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

As the holidays approach, it feels like the perfect moment to reflect on feasting. Many of our families will soon gather around tables filled with long-cherished traditions—rituals that bind us together in joy and gratitude.In Classical Christian education, tradition isn’t just appreciated; it’s essential. Feasting is woven into the fabric of our school culture, shaping why families love Veritas and why students feel so deeply connected here.In this lively conversation, Veritas teachers Rhonda Forbes and Caleb Ploutz, Director of Events Rona' Martin, and our Head of School Ty Fischer explore the heart behind our many feasts: what they look like, why we host them, and how beauty, celebration, and intentional effort mark a child’s education in profound ways. They unpack how these joyful, carefully crafted events help form students’ souls in virtue, truth, beauty, and goodness. Enjoy!This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Boulevard in Lancaster, leading people to  make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Does it give you pause when you see a photo, video, or story and you wonder "Is this real, or was it created by AI?"Does it even matter anymore whether the art and information we're interacting with was created by human or machine?And, how is classical Christian education - so deeply focused on cultivating well-read, well-written, and well-spoken students - still relevant in a world that is increasingly obsessed with the efficiency that artificial intelligence tools promise?Our host, Veritas Head of School Ty Fischer is joined in this by two guests who are employed in various STEM fields and are in the thick of some of this AI usage - Jack DeWeese, a software developer and Veritas alumnus Zach Spykstra, a mechantronics engineer. They will dive into:How most AI programs actually work (they're not actually intelligent).Thoughts on how (or even if) parents and Christians can use these tools rightly and with discernment.What kind of education will serve the next generation growing up in an AI-fueled world...and how kids can set themselves apart by maintaining their God-given abilities to reason, think, and create freely.Warnings on the use of too much AI.Why (or whether) it matters if humans or a machine created content that we use.This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd. in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Graham Dennis, Dean of Students, and Adam Timmons, Director of Houses and secondary teacher at Veritas Academy, talk with Ty Fischer about the significance of relationships among students, and what parents can do to help their child foster relationships that honor God and honor each other. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located at North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster,  leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.Key takeaways include the importance of shared experiences, commitment, mutual challenge, and bearing each other’s burdens in relationships. The conversation delves into the struggles faced by students in forming and maintaining relationships, the role of parents, the impact of technology, and how to navigate romantic interests responsibly. The discussion highlights how Veritas encourages intentional, godly friendships and handles romantic relationships among students, and emphasizes a balance of guidance, grace, and community involvement in fostering healthy friendships and relationships.

Season Five of the Veritas Cultivate podcast officially kicks off with this thought provoking conversation with historian, theologian, and author Dr. Carl Trueman, who was our school's commencement speaker in May 2025. His bestselling books Strange New World and The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self offer thoughtful, biblical examination and response to our culture's current identity crises. Listen in to his discussion with Head of School Ty Fischer as Carl shares what led him to delve into these weighty and critical topics, as well as important insights for parents as we seek to raise our children to form and found their identity in Christ first and and foremost. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisors,  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.

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.

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.

The doldrums of Februrary are legendary for being something of a nightmare for teachers, school administrators, parents, and even kids. Cabin fever kicks in, and as the temperatures outside plummet, sometimes the tempers can rise. Many a school principal across the country can probably attest to the uptick in disciplinary issues that seems to present itself around this time of year.So, it's an apropos time to talk about discipline, yes? As a classical Christian school, Veritas approaches discipline differently than your typical school. Recognizing the relationship between the words "discipline" and "discipleship," our teachers and administrators aim to use challenging behaviors and situations to help point children toward being more like Christ.This episode is a conversation with our Pastoral Team - Principal Dan Spanjer, Dean of Students Graham Dennis, and School Counselor Rachel Kiehl - diving into the heart of discipline at Veritas and within the context of Christian parenting.Learn how this team of school administrators applies Christ-centered discipline aimed at restoration, with a heart for the holistic development of students toward maturity in Christ. Hear a little about how you as a parent can help your child learn and grow from discipline issues that happen at school, what kinds of contemporary cultural views clash with biblical discipline, and how resilience and emotional intelligence factor into your child's ability to receive restorative discipline.Thank you to our season sponsor, 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.

When you think of college entrance exams, the first one that almost certainly comes to mind is, of course, the SAT (with the ACT close behind), which has dominated the field for over a century. But there is a new test on the scene - The Classic Learning Test (CLT), honoring the enduring tradition of classical education. And, its catching on across the nation.In this conversation with Jeremy Tate, founder and CEO of the CLT, you'll hear the enlightening story of how Jeremy was inspired to implement an alternative to College Board's SAT behemoth. Jeremy explains the influence of classical education on his development and the pivotal points that led him to create CLT, prompting students to engage with classic and traditional texts rather than modern, often ideologically driven materials. Discover this new exam on the old ways – the CLT, which now serves around 250,000 students and is accepted by approximately 300 colleges, including major institutions in Florida. 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.

If there's one thing that a typical school day at a classical Christian school should not be, it's boring. That's because classical Christian school teachers and administrators not only find and impart great joy and passion in the subjects they're teaching (and the awesome God who created them all!), but also because this education model lends itself to such creative ideas and ways of learning. Emily Fischer, our fourth grade teacher, has been embodying this type of creativity in her classroom for many years, and has helped guide and inspire many other teachers to do likewise. It's not uncommon to walk by her classroom and smell smoke, hear power tools, or see costumed kids wielding weapons...and know that it's all part of the plan and going just fine! Emily joins her husband, Veritas Head of School Ty Fischer, on this episode to give listeners a glimpse into this wholly different, beautiful, joyful way of learning that is classical Christian education, especially as it relates to Grammar School. This conversation will help you see one more way that Veritas is likely quite different from any other school you've encountered, and perhaps even inspire you to aim for creative, outside-the-box, or even slightly risky traditions that will help your child mature as the young man or women God is designing them to be. In the midst of it, you'll get a tour through our fourth grade year, a thrilling journey through the Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation time periods peppered with castles, swords, exciting field trips, memorable moments, and (of course) lots of fire.

We're one quarter of the way into the school year, and maybe you're finding your child is struggling with a subject. Or, perhaps you're just an intentional parent who wants to do what you can to help your child thrive academically. Or, maybe you're thinking you would like to have your child attend Veritas, but you're concerned the academics would be too challenging. Whatever the case may be, you will enjoy this discussion with the Veritas Learning Support Team - Christine Hertzog, Deb Bentley, and Sandy Olcott - who give insights into the tools and methods they use to help kids grasp course material, things they've seen well-meaning parents do that can hinder kids' academic progress, and hope and encouragement pointing us to the real purpose of education (hint: it's not grades).

Our guest is Dr. Walt Mueller of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. Walt will be visiting Veritas Academy on the evening of November 19th to present his "Youth Culture 101" seminar, giving parents insight on the major cultural forces influencing today's kids and providing practical, hope-filled, Biblical perspectives on how to guide our kids through the noise that surrounds them and keep them pointed to Christ. (Click here to register for this event) In this episode, Walt brings his experience and expertise to a discussion on how Christian parents can connect with and guide their kids in truth and light through a complicated, anxiety-ridden culture. Together with our host Ty Fischer, they cover things like: Stress and anxiety in our kids Handing technology Common mistakes well-meaning parents can make Keeping the conversation lines open with your kids And more. For more information on Walt's ministry, visit cpyu.org.

In an election season such as we find ourselves presently, it seems we are inundated with political messages and noise - and much of it can feel frustrating and hopeless as we watch candidates batter one another with meaningless words and even outright falsehoods, and wade through the barrage of sound bytes, video shorts, pithy headlines, and Tic Toks to find something of real substance. In Classical Christian education, Rhetoric is the final stage of learning, preparing a generation of students to take their place as the next citizens, voters, and leaders of our nation. If the art of Rhetoric is "a good man speaking well," then we can agree that more excellent rhetoricians is what our nation could use. In this episode, Ty Fischer talks with the Hon. Gordon Denlinger, former PA State Representative and current Deputy Auditor General, and Veritas Dean of Students and Rhetoric teacher Graham Dennis. They discuss the political climate of this charged election season - and the many that have preceded it over the centuries - and what discerning parents and young people need to keep in mind if we are going to rise above the denigration and noise and speak Christ's truth and light well to a darkening culture.

If you're part of Veritas Academy - or another classical Christian school - you may not be aware that you're part of a burgeoning movement that is impacting families and communities all over the world. Tim Dernlan, Vice President of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, joins Ty Fischer in this first episode of Cultivate Season 4 to give listeners a view from the heights. Whether your family is already involved in a classical Christian school, or you're exploring school options for your children and considering classical education, you will be amazed and inspired to hear how the classical Christian education as we know it grew from humble roots to a worldwide movement of bold and passionate parents, church leaders, and educators seeking to train up a virtuous and courageous generation that will impact the world for Christ.