It is our philosophy that children are nurtured and trained best by their own parents. Therefore, Sancta Familia Academy
has developed a collegiate style school based on this philosophy, in order to make the advantages of classroom instruction
compatible with family life, and to take the best of home education and merge it with the best of traditional schooling.
Following this model, parents remain a primary influence on their children which is essential in forming Christian character
and family values. To assist parents and schools in developing a college preparatory program based on the university
model together with character education, NAUMS (National Association of University Model Schools) was developed and
offers membership and certification to University Model Schools. To learn more about University Model Schools, read the
articles on the previous page, and visit the NAUMS website.
Sancta Familia has, at its core, two primary focuses - 1) Parent as primary educator, and 2) Classical education. We
believe that these are indispensable elements of a Christian education and a Catholic education. (Please see our about us
page to read more about our educational philosophy.
Sancta Familia Academy
Enrollment and Attendance Options
School Year 2008-2009
|
Sancta Familia Academy provides a full program for our students as well as enrollment options for home educated students.
(choices (c) and (d) as defined in s. 1003.01) For more about these choices, visit our home learning services page.
Sancta Familia Academy Classical School
for students in grades K - 6th
|
The classical school includes a foundational academy for kindergarten and the primary grades. At this young age,
parents are by far the best teachers. However, years of experience and research have given the administration of
Sancta Familia Academy the advantage of being able to offer a well developed curriculum and teacher training. By
taking advantage of our program, parents avoid the long process of "trial and error" and can learn from, rather than
repeat, the same mistakes of others that have gone before them. Combining loving parents with expert curriculum
and advice and with small group classes conducive to optimum learning, Sancta Familia Academy offers all the
advantages of a school but eliminates the disadvantages, including all those hours away from the family.
In order to return to a higher standard of education, we must take advantage of the resources available to teach both
our children and ourselves. Though early learning in the home is the "seedbed of genius," many parents feel
ill-equipped at providing just the right material, choosing the right methodology, and making as few mistakes as
possible. Just about all parents are perfectly capable of teaching their children at home and we often tell them that
whatever mistakes they will make will not damage their child. This is true, but again, experience has shown that some
parents regret choices they make along the homeschool road, and there are others who would rather not undertake
the years of research to learn about the best methods and materials but would still insist upon only the best for their
child. SFA offers just the right assistance for parents by providing an academy which offers both class time and all of
the resources for parent directed lessons at home.
With over 20 years of educational experience and research, our administration has collectively raised and educated
more than a dozen of their own children. We have experience with all ages and grade levels, exceptional students,
average students, and we have dealt with a variety of learning challenges throughout the years. We have actually
tried, read, and used, hundreds of the curricular materials available to public schools, private schools, and
homeschools. Our curriculum has been developed by actual experience with materials and methods and not only by
catalog browsing, review reading, or school board mandates.
We offer parents the advantage of our years of "trial and error" along with all of those curriculum providers who have
spent years of their own lives teaching and learning. Our experience has been gained through home education,
classroom education, and individual tutoring.
Weekly enrichment classes
- Art
- Literature
- Music
- Spanish
- Science
- Sign Language
Integrated curriculum for home (recommendations, lesson plans, resources)
- Phonics & Reading
- Printing & Motor Skills
- Math & Thinking Skills
- Cultural Studies
- Science
- Art
Weekly enrichment classes
- Art
- Literature
- Music
- Spanish
- Science
- Sign Language
Core Classes two - three days per week
- Phonics
- Handwriting
- Fine Motor Skills
- Spelling
- Grammar (nouns, verbs, sentences)
- Composition (words and sentences)
- Literature
- Reading Comprehension
- Numbers, Arithmetic, and Mathematics
- Concrete Operations
- Arithmetic Concepts
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Multiplication
- Division
- Fractions
- Numbers, quantity, and counting
- Math Concepts
- Catechism
- Bible
- Saints
- Character
Lessons and assignments for Parent-led Instruction at home
- Penmanship
- Phonics
- Spelling
- Reading
- Arithmetic
- Religion
- Enrichment
The advantages of class time:
Teacher Directed Instruction
Montessori Materials & Learning Centers
Oral drills & Games
Group Recitation
Structured Learning Modules
|
The advantages of home work:
Parent-led lessons
One-to-one instruction
Family bonding
Individualized - attention to special needs
Parent involved in whole education
|
At this stage students require more class time because of the Direct Instruction and Classical Curriculum employed by SFA.
The Core Grammar School Curriculum is presented in class on one, two, or three days per week. Enrichment classes are
offered one day per week (usually Friday). Students are still required to complete a portion of their work at home with
parental guidance.
Core Courses:
- Penmanship
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Composition
- Literature
- Reading Comprehension
- Latin
- Math
- Classical Studies
- Christian Studies
- Science
- Geography & American Studies
Enrichment Classes:
- Art
- Music
- Latin Choir
- Sign Language
- Spanish
Group Classes are offered in a 3 year cycle
and taught to multi-grade level students within
the grammar stage (grades 3 -6 or 4 - 8).
These include Classical Studies, Christian
Studies, English Studies, and Science, as well
as all enrichment classes.
Classes in Math and Latin are offered to
multiple grades simultaneously and students
are placed in the appropriate level based on
placement testing, pre-requisites, and grade.
Both Latin and Math class include time for
group activities including: drill, recitations,
sound-offs, flash cards, and games. They
also include class time devoted to students in
each level within the grammar stage.
|
Three Year Cycle:
- First 1/2 of the Old Testament
- Second 1/2 of the Old Testament
- New Testament
- All three years include the Baltimore Catechism
- Ancient Greece
- Ancient Rome
- Middle Ages
- American Studies & Geography
- World Geography
- U.S. Geography & State Facts
- U.S. Historical Facts & Presidents
- Astronomy
- Botany and Zoology I
- Zoology II and Zoology III
Graded Courses:
- Prima Latina
- Latina Christiana I
- Latina Christiana II
- Latin Road I
- Practical Arithmetic (2 years)
- Saxon Math 65
- Saxon Math 76
- Math is supplemented with a variety of materials including flash cards, games, oral drill based on Ray's
Arithmetic, etc.
Upper Level Classes are available through our collegiate style Upper School for grades 7th - 12th.