Frequently Asked Questions
How many days per week and which days??
We will have academy 3 days per week, M-W. This would leave Thursday and Friday open for independent work, reading, working on assignments, family subjects, etc.
I would, however, LOVE to have some fun optional field trips on Thursdays or Fridays throughout the year. AND I plan to have an optional once a month Friday movie night featuring a fun movie that ties into our current unit study.
What would the school calendar look like??
We will start the beginning of September and end at the end of May. I am still deciding on Labor Day and Memorial Day…before or after…
I would also love some parent input for holiday breaks after kiddos begin registering. It feels like a lot of pressure to decide when YOUR Christmas begins and when you get to take a Spring Break…haha. I also don’t know if some families will have public school kids in the family and would want similar break schedules. I am open to suggestions…
What time would academy begin and end?
For the 2022 school year, we will begin Academy at 8am and end at 12:30pm M, T, and W. 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 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 2022-2023 school year, Shining Light Academy will offer the following…
Spanish 1 (8th graders can earn a HS credit for this one).
Language Arts (Literature, Writing, and Grammar)
Current World Studies (current events)
World Geography
Life Science (Caves, Weather, Ecology, and Oceans unit studies)
Math—-You will be in charge of your own Math curriculum, schedule, assignments, etc. I can offer some guidance on picking a Math course that will work best for your family…but trust me…you do NOT want me teaching your kiddos math:)
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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