Question 1

What courses do you currently offer?

Accepted Answer

Please see our Academic Offerings (http://www.saintfrancis.academy/our-academic-offerings)page for more detailed information for each class.

Question 2

How do you choose your curricula offerings?

Accepted Answer

The SFA Board carefully selects curricula that align with the academy's mission, vision, and commitment to Miss Mason's method. The Board affirms that it is, in the final instance, the parents’ duty to bring their children up in the fear and admonition of The LORD. SFA exists to assist parents in this responsibility.  If at any point a parent believes that the SFA curriculum are in conflict with this end, contact Liza Yarbrough, the Head of Curriculum.

Question 3

Do you provide curriculum to be used for at-home instruction?

Accepted Answer

Excepting Language Arts, we do not provide curriculum to be done at home. Most of the subjects taught during “at school” days are to be done twice per week. Hence, at-home work will be necessary only in the case of absences.

If you would like guidance about at-home subjects, Liza Yarbrough is happy to make curriculum suggestions and walk you through options.

Question 4

What do I need to do Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at home with my kids?

Accepted Answer

SFA parents teach their children at home on non-SFA days, and SFA parents are responsible for choosing and implementing an at-home curriculum. SFA’s course offerings are designed to supplement this at-home learning with courses that many parents find difficult to facilitate in their homes. Please see the above chart for subjects that Charlotte Mason recommended. With one exception (see note on Language Arts below), SFA does not provide materials for at-home instruction on non-SFA days. While SFA parents select their at-home curriculum, SFA’s Head of Curriculum, Liza Yarbrough, is happy to discuss options for those interested.

Note that as Language Arts is a subject intended to be offered each day of instruction (i.e., four days a week), we provide brief, 20-minute lesson assignments to be facilitated by the parent on Mondays and Wednesdays. We do this because we do not want parents to have to “double up” assignments on at-home days. Nevertheless, we try to structure our Language Arts assignments such that students who were unable to complete an at-home lesson are not “left behind” during the next at-school Language Arts class. On occasion, SFA teachers suggest additional materials or out-of-school learning for individual children, but this is solely supplementary and completely at the parents’ discretion.

In addition, we spend two Fridays per month exploring nature together during a nature excursion, and SFA children are encouraged to solidify that experience through regular nature journal entries at home.