What about the Princess Academies and the resources coming out of our Royal Academe? Have we changed our curriculum to align with the "Common Core Standards" (C.C.S.)? Will we change our curriculum and resources to align with C.C.S? To answer both questions-- Princess Academies' aims are as they always have been and will remain:

"... to provide the highest quality educational resources to better equip mothers in raising and educating their "royal" children; so they are prepared for all the roles and responsibilities that await them in their futures."

Our vision, curriculum and resources encompass so much more than C.C.S. offers. For many families, we provide curriculum and resources for a whole educational experience, to prepare for a whole life. We also offer mentoring and classes. For others, our resources have been used to fill in the gaps not provided in the common school classroom and in canned curriculum of the past decade, thus, enriching children's lives. Now for those who use C.C.S., families can fill in the gaps created by C.C.S and help their children prepare for a whole life. We believe that the family is still relevant in our society and that children must be prepared for a "whole life" of family, community, and career; and not just prepared for a narrow nine-to-five niche of a specialized career. So, here at Princess Academies our vision is much broader and deeper than C.S.S.offers. No, we are not C.C.S. aligned, nor will we change what we offer in order to align our curriculum and resources.

Our curriculum is Bible based, Classical Leadership Education driven, which is developmentally based, rather than grade based. We feel this model more closely fits how children learn and develop. The curriculum and resources are designed to develop heart, might, mind, and hand; and to prepare individuals for a whole life.  In the preschool and early elementary years, our curriculum and resources help parents lay a solid foundation of Biblical values; relationships with God, family, and community; the discipline of godly habitudes and habits; developing a strong work ethic; developing the atmosphere of the home environment; and laying the foundation for academic learning. In the elementary years we strive to help families build on that foundation by working to cultivate a love of learning, exposing children to a breadth of knowledge, and to help children gain both the development of, and facility with the tools of learning. This is a generous curriculum of: Bible studies; classic literature; language arts; living math and science; world and U.S. geography and history; foreign languages (intro to Hebrew, intro to Greek/ Greek Roots, Latin Roots, and intro to a modern language); fine arts; domestic arts; Georgics, and refinement. In the secondary years we focus on developing a breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as, a refinement character and skills for a whole life.

The big buzz lately is talking about the C.C.S. Too often the discussions are based on other authorities, on both sides of the issues. Here at Princess Academies we encourage looking to original sources. Earlier this month I was asked to research the C.C.S. for another homeschool curriculum provider. I did research C.C.S. from original sources. I went to the C.C.S. site and to the various sites of those involved the development committee created at the National Governors Association, to do my research. I am not going to lay out here what I found. I feel it would be worthwhile for the reader to invest the personal time and effort in researching this out for themselves, whether for common core or not. I would encourage you not just rely on the C.C.S. promotional materials, nor to rely on the interpretation of C.C.S. by others. Are the claims from C.C.S. about the standards they promote, true and verifiable, or are they advertising hype? Are the claims made by others who are for and those against C.C.S. valid?  Are the claims backed up? Why not find out for yourself from original sources? Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions! I think any reasonable person would say they believe in standards. However, who sets those standards, and what goes into those standards is a matter of debate and should be. We need to look into the hype and packaging of these "common core standards." We need to look at the C.C.S. seriously and understand where the standards are coming from, as well as, what they are and what they are not. We encourage you to learn for yourself about these issues, so you can make informed decisions and support good measures in you community.

Tonight, my husband shared this letter with the family. My sister-in-law, Beatrice, had recently found this and mailed it to my husband.These were no idle words. From all I have seen about Edward Mowbray Tuttle, he was a man that lived by these guiding principles. These principles were passed on to his children, through his example. This counsel is as true and vital today as it was when written in 1918.

The picture to the left is Edward M. Tuttle and his oldest child, my mother-in-law about 1924.

"Will you let me leave a last message with you? Will you think about it and try to carry it out for the sake of our friendship and for the sake of the men and women you are to be so soon? We have talked of many of these things before, but I want to say them again with all the earnestness I have.

There are many kinds of people in the world, but, on the whole, they tend to fall into opposite groups.  There are the true and the false; the pure and the vile; the brave and the cowardly; the strong and the weak; the generous and the selfish; the kind and the cruel; the cheerful and the grumbling; the workers and the shirkers; the lovers and the haters.

Will you try every day to build your lives so that they will follow the first of each of these opposite qualities?"

          Be true:  to yourself, to the best you know, to right, to fair dealing, to your word of honor, to your friends and associates, to your government; play the game of life squarely; the reason there is war is because some people won’t play fair.

           Be pure:  clean of body; clean of speech; clean of thought; clean of deed.

           Be brave:  do not shirk the hard things; make yourselves face the tasks you dread, and do them well; stand for the things you believe in, without flinching.

           Be strong:  not strong to do harm to others, but strong to help others; strong to stand on your own feet and win your own way on the merits of your work.

           Be generous:  try to think of others before yourself; try to see their point of view; be glad when others succeed, do not grow jealous and criticize them; remember that each person has a right to his own life and that even though it may not be like yours, it may be just as good or better; learn that it is indeed better to give than to receive.

           Be kind:  everyone makes mistakes and does wrong sometimes; but all want to do better when they see the way; kicks will not help, but friendship that is gentle and tender and understanding never fails.

           Be cheerful:  smile and keep sweet; learn to say a word of praise and encouragement whenever you can do so honestly; we are all hungry to hear others say we have done well; it makes us try harder all the time; we are inspired by one who smiles on life even when things are hardest; we all dislike the person with a grouch, who grumbles and complains and makes himself and all about him miserable.

           Be a worker:  the busy person is the happy one; find some good work to do and do it even when you aren’t watched; never try to get something for nothing; deserve or go without.

           Love:  this sums it all up; learn to love all that is good and pure and true; learn to love the best in the world of books and music and art and nature and your fellow men; believe that we grow through love – a big all round love – as the flowers do in the sun, but that we shrivel up under hate as the flowers do beneath a frost.

           In these ways build yourselves day by day without saying much about it.  Just try to be true, and pure, and brave, and generous, and kind, and cheerful, and busy and loving.  Then all those about you will be glad and will give you in return the richest treasures life can hold, -- their respect, and friendship, and love.

           I believe in you, every one.  I do hope such great things for you now and in all the years to come.  I shall always be

 Your friend,

                              EDWARD M. TUTTLE