Bloggermom Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I need opinions and experiences with The Potter's School Classical Track. I am very curious about using this for high school for my kids. Here is a link to it - http://www.pottersschool.org/tps/classical.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josie Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 No one has used the Potter's school classical track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO MOM Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 My ds is in the first year of it. He has enjoyed it for the most part and has been challenged. We will most likely continue unless we decide to do something very different (like private school or something) for next year. Did you have any specific questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofgals Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 My niece has been a part of it. She was in the inaugural class, and it was a LOT of work. I think that TPS was supposed to have trimmed the program somewhat after that first year b/c of the complaints of the parents. She loves the track, however, and has formed some good friendships, joined students on trips to Washington, D.C., and participated in the TPS mission trip to Thailand. If you need to talk to someone, pm me, and I will see if my sil would be willing to give you her opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josie Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 My ds is in the first year of it. He has enjoyed it for the most part and has been challenged. We will most likely continue unless we decide to do something very different (like private school or something) for next year. Did you have any specific questions? I would like to hear anything about the classical track that you are willing to share. We are seriously considering this for next year. We would be doing year 1. How long is his school day? Does he have time for other activities or is TPS classical all consuming? How many papers are required? How long are the papers? How is the student evaluated? Does your son take a foreign language? If yes, which language? What classes does he take at TPS, independently, or through another program? Has he made friends in the classes? Are the classes controlled or do the students use the chat box to distract each other? What would you like to see changed in the program? Is he enjoying the books? You see where I am going....please just share what you care to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breezy Point Mom Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I, too, would love to hear the answers to these questions. We are seriously thinking about TPC Classical Track for our DS, but I am wondering if we will be killing him with work. Don't get me wrong - we are not looking for easy fun high school either. He is bright and would benefit from challenge, but it can be too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Personally I am torn between the Potter's school or Veritas Press for high school. I'd like to know how they compare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO MOM Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I would like to hear anything about the classical track that you are willing to share. We are seriously considering this for next year. We would be doing year 1. How long is his school day? Most days he starts at 7:45 or 8:00 (3 days his TPS classes start at 7:45 for our time zone) and ends around 3:30 - 4:00. However, he takes an hour for lunch in there, plus 3 days of the week he has other mid-day activities that interupt that, so he does not work solidly. He usually has "homework" that he does for an hour or more most evenings, plus some on the weekends. It is time-intensive, but not overwhelming most of the time. Does he have time for other activities or is TPS classical all consuming? Yes, he does karate two days a week, plus one day a week he participates in a homeschool choir and drama group. These are scheduled during typical school hours. He also plays competitive chess, is in 4H, has a job 3-4 hours/wk, and is involved in church volunteer activities, so he has a very full schedule. He usually manages to fit in some computer/video games :tongue_smilie:and time with friends too. Most of the time it goes pretty well - though there are weeks that get hard. How many papers are required? How long are the papers? I don't know exactly how many papers he has done, but they are writing in at least one class every week. Most of the papers are in the lit class and are in the 2-3 page range. He has done one larger (3-5 page) for history and one for Starting Points. They are currently working on a research paper (6+ pages). They seem pretty careful about not having major writing going on in more than one class at a time, so when they are writing for history, they are doing less or none in lit, etc. BTW, my ds has taken TPS English from 6th-8th, so that has probably helped. If this would be your first experience with TPS writing, it might be a little more challenging. How is the student evaluated? All the classes (except for symposium) have graded assignments. Lit has the most with grammar, writing, and reading comp type quizzes or study guides. S.P. has weekly questions that you as the parent evaluate based on completion and turn in a grade each quarter, plus some writing and class participation. History has weekly reading notes/assignments, a few in-class quizzes, and class participation, but is does not have typical chapter tests, etc, so it is a little lighter which helps. Does your son take a foreign language? If yes, which language? Yes, he takes Latin 2 through TPS (he had done junior high Latin for Latin 1). It is his hardest class in his opinion and I think he will switch to a modern language next year. What classes does he take at TPS, independently, or through another program? Well, the TPS classes I've mentioned, plus we do math at home and biology part at home and part with a local co-op. Has he made friends in the classes? He is friendly with students in class, but does not communicate with them outside of class - but that might be more just him. I think some others do more. He does enjoy the class discussions, and they have had some interesting symposiums. Are the classes controlled or do the students use the chat box to distract each other? In our experiences with TPS, that has not been a problem and if it starts to be, the teachers (depending on the teacher of course) usually crack down on it very quickly. For CT, my ds said it has not been a problem. What would you like to see changed in the program? I don't really know of too much - they are pretty open to input from parents I think though as far as how the workload is going, etc., so when asked, I have mentioned things that have worked better than others. Is he enjoying the books? Mostly - a few he had read previously, so he didn't like reading them again very much. They also get to choose some extra ones to read off a list, so he has enjoyed those as well. The TPS teachers in general are very approachable and the Classical Track teachers have been even more so. They have responded quickly to any email questions I've had, and they have even called me at home when I've had questions about how to better manage the workload or future planning. They want your student to succeed, especially if they can see that your student is working hard and putting in serious effort, and want to come along side your efforts at home. You may be interested in going to their Open House on the Classical Track which I believe is tomorrow (25th) morning at 9:45 EST. If you can't make the live time, they are usually recorded so you can listen to it later as well. You see where I am going....please just share what you care to share. It is a very good program and brings strengths that I don't have. It is definitely presented from a Christian perspective, which is something we appreciate, but may not be for everyone. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Breezy Point Mom Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Thank you for your complete answers to these questions. It is very encouraging to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Thank you very much, CO Mom! We are seriously considering the CT for this fall. I went to the Open House (scroll down to "American History," hopefully a recording will be posted soon). I asked about the number of pages they read each week and was told about 100-125, including history (30ish), literature, & Starting Points. They also made the point that the teachers of the CT classes work together to integrate their topics, but also to balance the workload between them (more due in one class means less in the others). My dd takes some classes at TPS this year and has made many friends. They do talk to each other outside of class, including in the "student hangout," TPS forums, and "TPS Portfolios," which is almost like a private Facebook. (Not sure if my dd would describe it that way, but they can post pictures and comments on each others' "walls.") The social interaction is one of my dd's favorite aspects of TPS. Some of the students mention this in the CT's Open House. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 We registered for CT Year 1 yesterday, and it looks like dd has the recommendation of her TPS English 2 teacher. :-) Will anyone else have kids in CT Year 1 in the fall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemommy Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Classical Track at the Potter's School? We are considering this program next year for my ds. I would really appreciate any feedback and hints. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 My dd & her local friend who are in the CT love it!! It's plenty of work, but probably not more than a b&m classical school. Her favorite is Starting Points -- the biblical worldview discussions have been great! She loves all the CT teachers also. We'll continue next year too! I just asked dd what she would say to someone considering the CT. "It's really, really good!" Do you have any specific questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I just re-read CO Mom's response (post #9) and agree with her description. My dd also has Geometry, Biology, and Spanish with TPS, so, with everything, she does do work into the evenings. However, she still finds time for piano, choir, youth group (twice a week), church and volunteering at church, and Saturday tennis. Her grades are all As. She finds the CT & other TPS classes to be a good challenge and seems to feel good about what she is accomplishing and learning. She's currently working on a research paper on women in the Civil War and is enjoying the research! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemommy Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 My ds has been approved by her Eng 3 teacher for the Classical Track. Initially I was not interest in it because I thought the workload might be too heavy. If my son takes the 4 required classes in CT, he will also take Biology, and high school French 2, along with Geometry. I once read somewhere that taking more than4 classes from TPS is too much. Not to mention he has piano lessons 2 to 3 times a week, and practices piano 2 to 4 hours a day. Do you think he has time to fit it all in? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy7 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Can anyone tell me how much classes at TPS are? I have searched their website and I just can't seem to find it. I'm probably not looking in the right spot. It said the prices are by each course, but I didn't see any prices on the page I was on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Can anyone tell me how much classes at TPS are? I have searched their website and I just can't seem to find it. I'm probably not looking in the right spot. It said the prices are by each course, but I didn't see any prices on the page I was on. You'll need to find each specific course in the course selector. Ana is planning on taking Russian I this year. It's $616. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I think most high school courses are $478. Semester & summer courses are less. At this link http://courses.pottersschool.org/p/tps/courses.jsp, you can select a class and the price will be at the bottom of the paragraph description that appears on the right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teva Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 What I have learned this year from my 9th grade son is that he does much better with the Veritas Press classes, and I think some of the reason is that they are held twice a week. This seems to keep him on a better pace and he feels more connected with the class and the teacher. I would check the individual class expectations for TPS. For instance, my son took HS Latin I and was expected to do 90 minutes of homework for five days per week in addition to the weekly class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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