merry gardens Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I fear homeschooling for high school so thus far we've sent our older children to a private brick and motar Catholic high school. My twins (boy/girl) just turned 13 and going into 8th grade in our homeschool. My dd 13 is quite bright and it just occurred to me that I could bump her up into 9th grade to see how we liked homeschooling high school. While I'm an eclectic homeschooler with an attraction to classical and other methods, I've often thought if we were ever to homeschool for high school at that point I'd want to use an accredited program like Seton. If it works out, we might continue to homeschool for high school or it might just save one year of tuition at a more expensive brick & mortar school. What do you think? Could a bright eighth grader handle skipping 8th grade and going straight into 9th grade with Seton? We were already planning to do Algebra 1 this fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Yes. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 If you really want a "program", I'd suggest also looking at Kolbe. I've read that they are more flexible in what they accept for courses so they may be a better fit for an "eclectic" schooler. JMHO, your dd probably could do 9th grade with Seton, but personally, I'd be wary of trying it since that might lead to her going to college a year earlier. Do you think she'd be ready to leave home at 17 yo? Also, many students take Algebra 1 in the 8th grade, so that wouldn't be unusual. Giving her that "extra" year at home might make her more competitive for scholarships since she'd be a year older when she takes the ACT/SAT..... Lots to think about .... Best wishes, Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thank you for the replies Brenda and Ellie. :) As far as going off to college earlier, it's far more likely that we'd opt for junior college classes that year. Lots of homeschoolers and even some public schoolers around us do that their junior and senior years of high school so she'd likely find similar aged peers. Or we might just send her to the private school her other brother attends as a freshman, but fepending on how this year goes we might save a year of that tuition. Yeah, Kolbe fits my usual homeschool style better than Seton. I didn't think Kobe was accredited, but in looking over their sight I see they are. Now I have more exploring to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I bumped up my youngest last year. Everything she was doing was high-school level, and she held her own in a local lit/history/writing class with mostly 16-18 y.o. All of her close friends are older, and we also plan on community college first. She'll turn 18 during her first semester of college, which is fine. Time will tell, but it can work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I'm a Kolbe advocate, I love them. That said, to give you options, take a look at MODG (Mother of Divine Grace) as they have the best type of accreditation. http://motherofdivinegrace.org/aboutus/accreditation MODG is recognised by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges ) and a couple of others. Kolbe's accreditation is by NAPC*IS http://www.kolbe.org/documents/catalog/FAQ.pdf http://napcis.org/ and that is not as recognised as WASC. Up to you, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 I saw Seton is accredited by yet a different organization, SACS CASI. I have very little knowledge about accreditation--I just know that I want it if we homeschool for high school. It would mostly be for my peace of mind, but I'd also want them to have a hs diploma saying someone beyond just me thinks they did satisfactory work. Is there any link to compare Seton, MODG and Kolbe to each other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 SACS is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. I would go with 9th also in Seton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I'm not American, so know very little about American accreditations. But what I do know is that there are six regional accreditations and those are considered "the top". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_accreditation For my province of residence, any other accreditation is barely worth the paper that it's printed on. (now it doesn't mean the school is no good. I believe Kolbe is a great school, but my kids will apply as homeschoolers, not as high school students) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
journey00 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I was also fearful about homeschooling high school, I suggest you research & call MODG for 8th grade to get use to the ropes before high school. That's what I did, that way if my child did not do well, it would not look bad on her transcript. MODG provided the most hand-holding for me and with a consultant that will spend all the time I need on the phone with me to figure out curriculum. You can sign up for different levels of support, for a fee: Teacher Services: A teacher will call the student (monthly, 2x month, or weekly) to discuss the lessons and assignments, grade papers, and help with writing assignments. LS Classes: Are online classes with an instructor and a class of students. MODG is flexible with their curriculum and they are accredited. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Decisions, decisions. Looking over responses here and other places, it seems that Seton teaches more of the memorized responses with some ability to adapt but not too much if we want their diploma, while Kolbe and MODG have greater flexibility and work to develop thinking skills more than strict memorization. Is that a fair assessment? My 20 yo college says he wishes he'd had more practice of parroting back what the teacher/text said because that's what he's finding he has to do alot in college lower division classes. (Engineering major at a state college.) He did well at an outstanding private high school--I hope one day he appreciates his education. Anyway, I'm left wondering what's the best fit for us--something that plays to my strengths as a homeschool teacher or something that makes up for my weaknesses? I've concluded my 13 yo daughter would likely do just fine with any of these programs. And if it works okay for me, I might just homeschool the others through high school. The thought of private high school tuition for three is almost as scary as the thought of homeschooling them for high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Thank you all for answering my questions and helping me sort through this! Thank you for the private messages too. I've been looking into Seton, Kolbe and Mother of Divine Grace. Since I'm not sure if we'll continue homeschooling throughout high school or eventually send my dd to the high school, I felt accreditation was very important so that the credits might transfer. As I looked over these schools, Kolbe seems like the best preparation and/or alternative to private high school which her older brother(s) attends(attended). I'm rather excited right now. :) I've liked my eclectic approach, but I always wonder if it's enough or too much. This might be just perfect to assure me that the materials I choose are adequate--and if they're not, someone will direct me on what else to include. It's a good way to put our toes in the water to try out homeschooling high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Just wanted to jump in and say that I'm homeschooling our youngest using Kolbe this year. He will be a 9th grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Thank you all for answering my questions and helping me sort through this! Thank you for the private messages too. I've been looking into Seton, Kolbe and Mother of Divine Grace. Since I'm not sure if we'll continue homeschooling throughout high school or eventually send my dd to the high school, I felt accreditation was very important so that the credits might transfer. As I looked over these schools, Kolbe seems like the best preparation and/or alternative to private high school which her older brother(s) attends(attended). I'm rather excited right now. :) I've liked my eclectic approach, but I always wonder if it's enough or too much. This might be just perfect to assure me that the materials I choose are adequate--and if they're not, someone will direct me on what else to include. It's a good way to put our toes in the water to try out homeschooling high school. Never, ever assume that credits from an accredited school will mean that the credits will be accepted by a campus school. You would want to have a face-to-face meeting with the school administrator/principal and get it in writing if he says the school will accept the credits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Never, ever assume that credits from an accredited school will mean that the credits will be accepted by a campus school. You would want to have a face-to-face meeting with the school administrator/principal and get it in writing if he says the school will accept the credits. This is very true. The daughter of friends of ours homeschooled using Seton since kindergarten. She looked into going to the local high school for her senior year, but the school wanted to put her back a year, as a junior. She said no thanks and finished homeschooling with Seton. She did well on her ACT and got a good university scholarship. She was well prepared of college work, but the high school would not accept all of Seton's credits for whatever reason. I was scared at the thought of homeschooling through high school in the beginning, but not anymore. All of our kids have transitioned into college by taking some classes at the local two-year college, starting in 11th grade. It has been a good way for them to get their feet wet, and to have someone other than Mom for a teacher, while earning college credits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 PrairieSong > my DD will be a 9th grader with Kolbe too. I enrolled her full time in their online academy. My DS will be in grade 12, graduating with Kolbe! YEAH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 Never, ever assume that credits from an accredited school will mean that the credits will be accepted by a campus school. You would want to have a face-to-face meeting with the school administrator/principal and get it in writing if he says the school will accept the credits.Thanks for that heads up. I'm a little surprised. I can see that a student might not have all the required classes for graduation, but to not accept transfer credits from an accredited school just seems a little crazy. This is why I was afraid to even try homeschooling for high school with my older children--I was afraid we'd quickly be at the point of no return, so if we decided to stop after a year or two, they'd have to start high school all over. I thought accreditation would address those fears. Drat. Oh well. Even if the credits don't transfer, I'm still interested in trying homeschool high school for what would otherwise be her eighth grade year. It's still a way to test how we like homeschooling high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneEyre Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 And then there's Angelicum too: www.angelicum.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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