Hoplite Radio

At 250 years old, America is a young country. Of course, some say we are not the country we were founded to be. They claim, with some credibility, that the republic ended in 1861, and that a nation rose from its ashes. Rome lasted a little less than five hundred years, Spain has existed for a little over 500, and England for perhaps 1,100. Are any of these the countries they began as, and if not,...

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, Ridgeview Classical Schools Headmaster Mr. Anderson sits down with third-grade teacher Sydney Bogle to discuss her remarkable journey from serving tables at Silver Grill Café to leading her own classroom at Ridgeview. Sydney shares how a chance conversation with Ridgeview staff members while working as a waitress led her to discover classical education and a caree...

Mr. Anderson presents the Commencement Address for 2026 graduates. "I would like to begin as Aurelius began…with gratitude. I would like to thank the parents of the students seated behind me. Without you, and without you having chosen us, we would never have been let into these lives. We would never have been a part of their stories, and they would never have featured in so many of ours. Everyone...

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, Ridgeview Classical Schools seniors Isabel and Oskar reflect on their seven-year journey through classical education, rigorous academics, outdoor education, and student life at Ridgeview. Isabel shares how mountain biking, volunteering, and the outdoor program shaped her understanding of community and self-discipline, while Oskar discusses robotics, engineering, b...

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, Mr. Anderson sits down with the Adamos to explore why they chose Ridgeview Classical Schools and why they continue to stay. From first impressions during their campus tour to the lasting impact of a classical education, they discuss the importance of community, character formation, and meaningful academic challenge at Ridgeview. The conversation also dives into th...

This is Mr. Anderson’s speech from the Numis Night Annual Fundraiser. Welcome. Thank you for being at Ridgeview and for being here this evening to support our school and our students. Thank you to Wendy Rankin, Stevie Daigneault, Sarah Banzhaf, Sarah Jones, Katie Johnson, Katie Gates, Lindsey Idem-Steele, Hanneke Boon, Heather Radzay, Megan Estes, Cindy Stark, Jackie Casper and Vanessa Somarriba f...

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, we sit down with parent volunteers, Wendy Rankin and Stevie Daigneault to learn more about our annual fundraiser, Numis Night, and the Numis Committee that pulls this event together each year. Mrs. Rankin and Mrs. Daigneault share how Ridgeview Classical Schools’ biggest annual fundraiser grew into a can’t-miss community tradition that not only brings families tog...

In this episode, Headmaster Anderson reflects on how Christmas offers renewal in a world often marked by monotony and acedia. Drawing on classical thinkers, Scripture, and beloved works of art, music, and literature, he explores how the season invites us to see one another with dignity, rekindle joy, and embrace a deeper sense of generosity and wonder. Through traditions, storytelling, and shared...

In this episode, we sit down with Mrs. Carvalho, our Outdoor Education Coordinator, and Mr. Lautenschlager, a Ridgeview parent, to discuss the growth and impact of Ridgeview’s Outdoor Program. They share their backgrounds, what brought them to Ridgeview, and how the program has evolved over the past decade. Together, we explore the benefits of time spent in nature, how outdoor experiences support...

Eat too much, drag out the board games and the cards; throw the football in the yard until your fingers are numb with cold, and the let the young ones play in the piles of leaves. Build a fire, grab an old novel, put up your feet, and rejoice in the material and immaterial abundance by which you are surrounded. Enjoy your turkey, your family, and friends in good cheer and good company. Realize the...

In this episode of Hoplite Radio, Ridgeview Classical Schools welcomes longtime college advisor Mrs. Dixon, who reflects on her 11 years guiding students through the ever-changing college admissions landscape. Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Dixon discuss how college advising has evolved—from the growing complexity of admissions and rising tuition costs to shifting student priorities and the role of values...

In the early 1930s, R.G. Collingwood, a prominent intellectual at Pembroke College, Oxford was concerned about the rise of Nazism and its implications for Britain and Europe, and borrowing a line from Book V of Livy’s Histories, he compared himself to the sacred geese dedicated to Juno in Rome that had warned of a surprise Gallic attack in 390 BC. He wrote in his autobiography in 1939, “I am a pro...

Curious about Ridgeview Classical Schools? In this episode, Mrs. Robideaux asks Mr. Anderson some of the most frequently asked questions from prospective parents and students. From Ridgeview’s classical education model to how the lottery works, this conversation offers an inside look at what makes Ridgeview distinct. Whether you’re exploring school options, preparing for enrollment, or simply want...

Charlie Kirk. Born in 1993 outside of Chicago, Illinois. Married in 2021. Two children. Founder of a political and religious advocacy group. Toured college campuses debating political opponents in an open forum. Hosted a podcast. Judging by those now celebrating his death, to include elected officials and political appointees, one would expect his biography to read more like this: “participant at...

We recently caught up with alumnus Gavin Steed (Class of 2023) to hear about life after Ridgeview. What began with email updates to Mr. Anderson grew into a meaningful conversation about Gavin’s journey—what it means to be a Ridgeview “lifer,” how he chose his college path, the ways he found community on campus, and how Ridgeview prepared him for the adventures ahead.

In ministering to the whole person, and providing him the latitude and information to choose his own ends, exposure to nature is as essential to an education as his having acquired the ability to read or to converse.

Given the passage of nearly a quarter of a century, it is worth pausing to consider what it is that Ridgeview is about. To understand this is to contemplate shifting attitudes about education, and the changing conceptions of childhood, parenting, and the cultural conditions that make civil and political society possible.

Join us for a thoughtful conversation with Mr. Johnson, a Ridgeview Classical parent and local Fort Collins small business owner. We explore his family’s journey at Ridgeview and take a deeper look into the field of Organizational Psychology, focusing on how his company, Rev 0, equips technical experts with strong leadership skills. The episode wraps up with a reflection on the role coffee plays i...

Mr. Anderson presents the Commencement Address for 2025 graduates. "Why are we alive? Why do we choose to continue going on? Is that not part of Yeats’ question? What really demonstrates knowledge of a compelling answer is not what college you go to, what sports you played, what mountains you climbed, what job you get, or how much money you make, but the principles that guided your actions, the ch...

In this episode, we sit down with two graduating seniors, Alena and Silas, to explore the Ridgeview Experience from their perspective. Alena and Silas discuss how the clubs, extracurriculars, and co-curriculars at Ridgeview helped to shape their journey. We discuss the impact of small class size, as well as the books that were read and the conversations they led to.

In this episode, we sit down with two graduating seniors, Luc and Claire, to explore the Ridgeview experience from their perspective. As students shaped by a classical education, Luc and Claire reflect on the challenges, growth, and memorable moments that have defined their journey. We discuss the impact of a classical curriculum on their intellectual and personal development, the value of a small...

Discover why the McKnight family—Ridgeview Classical parents and Fort Collins small business owners—chose Ridgeview for their children’s education. In this engaging interview, we explore their positive experiences at Ridgeview and highlight their local landscaping company, Turf Tamers, serving the Fort Collins, Colorado community.

At Ridgeview, Valborg is a family gathering to herald spring, to steel us for the final stretch of the academic year, to form new connections between young and old, to strengthen our community, and achieve a bit of catharsis by an invigorating run through the hills at the entrance to the Big Thompson Canyon. If all goes well, it will be smokey, muddy, dirty, wet, and glorious. It will involve stud...

On Saturday evening, Ridgeview held its eighth annual Numis Night. This was the best attended donor event in Ridgeview’s history. The venue, the Windsong Estate Event Center, was beautiful. Looking westward, as we bid on items, we watched the sun set over the Front Range before sitting down to eat.