Experience with once-a-week school (possibly similar to CC)

[MathGirl]

First, I know very little about Classical Conversations so I am not sure how similar my topic is to CC.

 

I recently discovered a local classical school which meets once a week and teaches all major subjects (except math, spelling and penmanship). The student is then expected to complete homework before the following week's meeting. I think DD would enjoy this, but I am unsure of how much daily work this would be for her. It does line up with our educational philosophy for the most part (I have a bit more of a Charlotte Mason bend).

 

Does anyone have any experiences with this type of school set up? What are some things I should be aware of/ ask about/ consider before committing to this?

 

Thanks

[mom2hunangirls]

We've done CC, 1-day-week, and next year 2-day-a-week....that's as high as I go though!

Our one day program was a great enrichment day for my daughter. They did art, music, a little Latin, history, science, logic.... Absolutely nothing was required of us other than showing up and a science project. She loved it.

I'm switching to a different program this year (2 day) simply because my dd is the type that thrives with external motivation. If a room of friends is learning Latin, she's going to push to do well. Not so much the case when she's just at home. She's bright (not gifted) and just enjoys competition. So this year they assign each week's assignments. The biggest downside is big for me....their control over our curriculum. I didn't mind it as much for subjects like Latin or logic....things that might get set aside at home. But I'm pretty confident in my grammar and math (FLL/r&s and Saxon having to switch to Shurley and Right Start *shudder*). You will be on a school calendar. Our one day program was completely optional, whether or not she was going to miss wouldn't matter. She never ever wanted to miss. At the new school....it is less flexible. We don't expect a lot if travel so I'm ok with the calendar. But I will miss not getting to ditch reading for a week because I know we'll catch up during the rain next week.

So those are my big things.

Edited May 17, 2012 by mom2hunangirls

[Sevilla]

First, I know very little about Classical Conversations so I am not sure how similar my topic is to CC.

 

I recently discovered a local classical school which meets once a week and teaches all major subjects (except math, spelling and penmanship). The student is then expected to complete homework before the following week's meeting. I think DD would enjoy this, but I am unsure of how much daily work this would be for her. It does line up with our educational philosophy for the most part (I have a bit more of a Charlotte Mason bend).

 

Does anyone have any experiences with this type of school set up? What are some things I should be aware of/ ask about/ consider before committing to this?

 

Thanks

 

You shoulld be able to ask them (or ask parents whose kids attend) how much work there is in a given week - be sure to ask for kids the same age/grade as your child would be as workloads can vary widely across grade ranges.

[Dmmetler]

You may want to check into what is required. I looked at a hybrid program, and discovered that in order to meet the requirements for that one day a week, I'd have to make that the foundation of my homeschooling all week long, and I didn't see that as a good fit for my DD, since the whole reason for pulling her out of school was because she didn't fit in a grade level box.

[Mommy22alyns]

We did a 1 day a week enrichment co-op for a couple of years. All we had to do was pay & show up. The girls had fun, but they're raising prices so we have to bail out. It's a long drive each way and is going up to $80/month per child.

[Sevilla]

We did a 1 day a week enrichment co-op for a couple of years. All we had to do was pay & show up. The girls had fun, but they're raising prices so we have to bail out. It's a long drive each way and is going up to $80/month per child.

 

What the OP is describing is not an enrichment coop, it is more of a hybrid model where what you do for homeschooling during the week is assigned during the one day class.

[lmrich]

My oldest attend a hybrid. I usually love it. They have great teachers who are organized and motivated. I get a little discouraged when I feel like I could do better and in the past I have been able to supplement and teach more, but now my oldest two hate when I intefere with their school. They resent that I give them extra assignments (even though the hybrid school doesn't cover our states' 180 days), but I know I could not teach each child to the level they are receiving so for now it is worth it. I did not enroll my youngest even though she could attend. It is all a compromise.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Does anyone have any experiences with this type of school set up? What are some things I should be aware of/ ask about/ consider before committing to this?

 

Thanks

 

My dd attended a similar academy in elementary school. Based on our experience, I would suggest you ask about the teacher turnover. Who pays for the school? How is that money spent? What are the attendance requirements? (Our part time teacher turnover was extremely high, due to low pay, long hours, and unsupportive administration. My dd had a first year teacher each of the three years she was there. It was a full time public charter with a separate part time program for homeschoolers. While the homeschooled children attended 20% of the time, the school was paid 50% of a full time student. That money went to mostly fund the full time high school. My dd missed two classes early on, and I received a form letter from the school threatening to "fail" her if she continued to miss, although they had zero authority to do that.)

 

BUT we had one excellent teacher, and the curriculum meshed perfectly with what we were doing at home. It was overall a good experience, and I believe this particular school has made several improvements/changes since then.