Frequently Asked Questions
How many days per week and which days??
We will have academy academy M-TH in person from 8-12:30. We will work on independent work/homework assignments on Friday.
What would the school calendar look like??
We will start the day after Labor Day and finish on the last day of May.
We try to follow the local school calendars for large holiday breaks etc. We do not follow the school calendar for inservice days, Monday or Friday No School days, half days, etc. We take off for Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, MLK Day, and Presidents Day.
What time would academy begin and end?
For the 2022 school year, we will begin Academy at 8am and end at 12:30pm. This allows time for our high school students to commute to both Seminary and extra curricular activities.
What ages/grades can attend?
Shining Light Academy is for students in 7th-12th grade. 8th graders have the option to take some high school credits during their 8th grade year, so it seems like a great fit for them to be included with the 9th graders…BUT that does not mean that they HAVE to complete high school credit coursework. That is the beauty of the One Room Schoolhouse way of learning…we can adapt to the needs and learning styles and abilities of each student.
What about 6-7th graders?? For 2022 I have allowed 6-7th graders to attend on an individual basis. If you have a 7th grader who is motivated and interested in joining our group, let’s chat and figure out if SLA will be a good fit.
What about Seminary??
I have asked LOTS of questions regarding seminary for those students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The answer I have gotten from everyone I have talked to (including the High Council, seminary teachers, bishops and stake leaders) is that IN PERSON seminary is the best for students. There are online/home-study options, but it is not recommended for students as a first choice. The consensus was…If you want your student to graduate from seminary and check that box, home study seminary will work. If you want your student to interact with the scriptures in a personal way, build their testimony, and benefit from the testimonies of their peers, then in person seminary is the best option.
As of August 2022, Connell is not offering an 8th hour Seminary option. Some student from SLA will be attending Connell for 7th hour seminary. Chiawana/PHS students have been able to attend at different times.
What curriculum will you be using??
I have been researching for months, and spend hours and hours looking through curriculum and reviews and books. I think that curriculum is SOO important and makes ALL the difference in how much FUN a student has completing a course. BUT I also think that the prices of some homeschool curriculums is just CRAZY. I am searching for the unicorns in the curriculum world…cost effective, fun, Christian, literature based curriculum that will work well for a group but will also allow for independent study as well. And guess what…I am CLOSE to having it all figured out.
This is what I know so far…
For the 2024-25 school year…
What about graduation? Grades? Transcripts? College? Credits??
I talked about this in a video recently…see if you can find the answers you are looking for over there.
What if my child needs/wants honors level coursework?? Or is not performing up to grade level?
That is the beauty of home schooling, we can work together to figure out what level will work best for your child and how to challenge them. If your child wants HONORS level courses on his/her transcript, just think of that as 1.5 or 2X the course. For example, if your child wants Honors English, plan on them completing Language Arts through the Academy and then adding on another LA homeschool course or additional book studies to equal a 1.5 ish course load. If they want to make their History or Science an Honors course, I can point you in the right direction for additional lab work, readings, projects, etc.
What if I have more than one child interested in Shining Light Academy??
I would LOVE to make this a co-op FULL of families. I will for sure offer a discounted rate for those families with multiple students. Check the FEES section for that information.
How much is tuition and what is included???
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