The LadyK Podcast

How Relationships Shape Character: A Conversation with a Lafayette Academy Junior

In this episode, you hear from a junior at Lafayette Academy, a classical school, who has already completed her senior thesis. It is a capstone that reflects years of reading deeply, writing with care, and learning to think with clarity. At Lafayette, education is not only about knowledge, but about the formation of character and the cultivation of virtue. The senior thesis is one expression of that formation. It reveals a student’s ability to engage meaningful ideas, speak with confidence, and pursue truth with humility. This conversation offers a rare look at what a student is capable of before graduation, when both intellect and character are taken seriously. If you have ever wondered what the end result of a classical education can be, this episode gives you a clear and compelling picture. For more information about Lafayette Academy, A Classical School please visit https://lafayetteacademy.org/ For Referenced Resources from the LadyK Podcast Click Here for Download [https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1bTzrVhqWoCcYmW7LLBipzfP7wacRrjwI]

Lafayette’s Approach to History: Forming the Moral Imagination and Future Citizens

In this episode of the Lady K Podcast, Katy McKinney pulls back the curtain on how Lafayette Academy: A Classical School teaches history, and why it’s so much more than dates, battles, and tests. From kindergarten stories about George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette to tales of pioneers, Almanzo Wilder, and Benjamin Franklin, we explore how history is intentionally used to build moral imagination, shape character, and form future citizens who can sustain our Republic. Discover why we teach restraint through Washington’s refusal of kingship, patience and self-control through Farmer Boy, courage and justice through real historical dilemmas, and the dangers of resentment through Benedict Arnold. At Lafayette Academy, history isn’t just content, it’s formation. If you want your children to love what is good, recognize evil, and develop the virtues needed to be thoughtful participants in a free society, this episode reveals the deeper purpose behind our approach. Join Katy as she explains how we’re not just educating students, we’re forming citizens. For more information about Lafayette Academy, A Classical School please visit https://lafayetteacademy.org/ For Referenced Resources from the LadyK Podcast Click Here for Download [https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1bTzrVhqWoCcYmW7LLBipzfP7wacRrjwI]

Forming Future Citizens An American Education Worth Preserving with Guest Dr. Khalid Khan

In a free nation, education is never neutral, it is always forming something. In this episode, Dr. Khalid Khan explores what it really means to educate a child for citizenship, not just academics. Through examples like the restraint of George Washington and the life of Benjamin Franklin, we consider how what children learn shapes the kind of people they become. At the center of this conversation is a simple but often misunderstood idea: you can’t teach a child to think without first giving them something to think about. Knowledge is the fuel for thinking, and without it, true understanding never takes root. You’ll hear how Lafayette Academy builds that foundation through rich historical study across each grade level, meaningful stories, and books like Why Not, Lafayette? that help form what we call moral imagination, a child’s ability to recognize virtue, responsibility, and truth. We also discuss why the school delays screens and technology in the early years, not to resist the modern world, but to protect attention, cultivate focus, and create real pathways for deep thinking. This isn’t about producing better students. It’s about forming future citizens. Not just what is my child learning,  but who is my child becoming? For more information about Lafayette Academy, A Classical School please visit https://lafayetteacademy.org/ For Referenced Resources from the LadyK Podcast Click Here for Download [https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1bTzrVhqWoCcYmW7LLBipzfP7wacRrjwI]

It Started With a Question: Academics or Character?

Why would someone start a school from scratch? In this episode of the LadyK Podcast, Katy McKinney shares the real story behind founding Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri. It wasn’t a business plan or a strategic move. It was a conviction. After years of teaching, homeschooling, and searching for the right environment for her own children, Katy kept running into the same problem: schools that offered strong academics often lacked character formation, and schools focused on character often fell short academically. So she asked a simple question: Why can’t a school do both well? This episode walks through the heart behind Lafayette Academy, the gap it was created to fill, and why classical education is resonating with so many families in St. Charles County and beyond. If you’re a parent exploring school options or curious about classical education, this episode will give you clarity on what makes it different—and why it matters. For more information about Lafayette Academy, A Classical School please visit https://lafayetteacademy.org/ For Referenced Resources from the LadyK Podcast Click Here for Download [https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1bTzrVhqWoCcYmW7LLBipzfP7wacRrjwI]

The Hidden Skills That Shape Great Students | Classical Education at Lafayette Academy

What truly makes a student successful? Grades and test scores are only part of the story. In this episode of the LadyK Podcast, Katy McKinney, Founder and Head of School at Lafayette Academy, a classical school in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, explores the often overlooked skills that shape strong and capable students. Katy discusses the importance of soft skills, executive functioning, and emotional intelligence—the abilities that help students read the room, manage responsibilities, lead well, and interact with others with maturity and confidence. While classical education is known for its rigorous academics, much of what forms exceptional young people happens in the margins: learning how to think clearly, interact wisely, and develop awareness of others. If you're a parent in Lake Saint Louis, O’Fallon, Wentzville, St. Charles County or St. Louis County exploring education options for your child, this episode will give you insight into the deeper formation that happens inside a classical school. Learn why the skills that are hardest to measure often have the greatest impact on a student’s future. Link to study mentioned: NATIONAL C-SUITE EXECUTIVE SURVEY ON COLLEGE GRADUATES in the WORKFORCEhttps://www.highpoint.edu/lifeskills/c-suite-executive-survey/ For more information about Lafayette Academy, A Classical School please visit https://lafayetteacademy.org/ For Referenced Resources from the LadyK Podcast Click Here for Download [https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1bTzrVhqWoCcYmW7LLBipzfP7wacRrjwI]