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Student-Parent Handbook

Fall 2024 Version

Welcome, Scholé Academy Families!

We’re delighted to partner with you in pursuit of restful classical education for your students. The below handbook outlines the structure of our online academy, the philosophy of education that we embrace, and the policies we have set in place to facilitate a smooth and fruitful experience for students and instructors. Please review this handbook carefully, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. You confirm your commitment to these policies and agreements by enrolling your student in a Scholé Academy course.

Printable Student-Parent Handbook

I. The Scholé Learning Philosophy

II. Classroom Technology

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III. School Policies

IV. Parent Agreement

I. The Scholé Learning Philosophy

The word scholé (pronounced skoh-LAY) comes from a Greek word meaning “restful learning,” with connotations of reflection, contemplation, and leisure. Put simply, scholé means undistracted time to study the things that are most worthwhile. As our name implies, we at Scholé Academy value learning that is restful rather than frenetic. 

How do our educational philosophy and methods differ from those represented by progressive education? Modern, progressive education is largely an education in anxiety. In this system, students commonly take eight or more courses at a time, which contributes to the stress and anxiety now associated with the term school. For each of their classes, students are typically graded numerically by instructors who are often driven to “teach to the test” and who must use assessments that produce easily quantified data or who justify the education enterprise in purely material terms. Students in such a system learn to cram, pass, and then forget.

By contrast, our courses of study cultivate unrushed learning with meaningful, deep engagement of fewer books and concepts (comparatively speaking), so that learning becomes memorable, enjoyable, and permanent. Scholé Academy instructors create an atmosphere of restful learning by modeling peace, tranquility, and love of the subject, and they utilize methods of evaluation that assess understanding and mastery of the subject rather than just the input and output of facts.

This means that, even in an online classroom setting, the Scholé Academy instructors work to create engaged discussion and learning and seeks to build relationships with and among students. We work hard to structure our courses so that the amount of work required is in accord with the allotted time, while also cultivating an atmosphere of contemplation, conversation, and reflection. Our instructors seek to wed truth to beauty in their teaching and cultivate education in its fullest sense, ensuring that through Scholé Academy your student will receive excellent, classical instruction that leads to wisdom and mastery.

As part of our commitment to providing a restful education, we carefully seek out and hire instructors who already demonstrate a commitment to these ideals. All Scholé Academy instructors are given access to ClassicalU, along with other key resources that define our philosophy of education, for ongoing professional development. If you are interested in exploring the concept of scholé in more depth, we recommend the following resources to you:

In pursuit of scholé, Scholé Academy employs two key pedagogies that set it apart from other online schools. First, we emphasize the development of virtues in our students; second, we employ patterns of “liturgical learning.” In fact, liturgical learning is an important part of developing student virtues. While it is beyond the scope of this handbook to fully describe the student virtues and how we seek to cultivate them, the student virtues should nevertheless be briefly described.

 1. Student Virtues

“. . . there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.”
– Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Augustine described education as essentially teaching students to “love that which is lovely,” following on Plato’s idea that affections and taste must be cultivated. The classical and Christian traditions have emphasized that it is critical to model for students the love for the true, good, and beautiful, and by various means to cultivate and stir up a love for them. C.S. Lewis makes this case persuasively in his little book The Abolition of Man. He tells us that we need to cultivate not only minds but also chests (the visceral, affective part of us), especially since presently our modern schools neglect the cultivation of affections, rendering us as “men without chests.” He comments that modern students are not so much “jungles to be cut” as “deserts that need to be irrigated.” Even the word student suggests this. It is derived from the Latin word studium, which means “zeal,” “fondness,” and “affection.” Thus, etymologically considered, a student is someone who is affectionately zealous and eager for truth, goodness, and beauty—that is, for wisdom. Is it not true that there are many students who are not really students? Until we have a child before us who is seeking and zealous for wisdom, we really don’t have a student before us; instead, we have someone who we must force to do academic work, usually by means of the carrot and the stick. Such a “student” will be generally uncooperative and resistant (even if passively so), and he will quickly forget what he is forced to “learn.” Teaching such “students” is no fun at all. By contrast, once a child becomes eager to learn—to know—and is, in fact, “in love” with math, history, language, or logic—then teaching is a joy. Great instructors know instinctively that they must cultivate this studium, this zeal, in their students. Naturally, parents play the most vital role in this development—and in education, a partnership between parents and instructors is required for true success. (Please note that we include guardians when we refer to parents, but for the sake of space, we use parents throughout this handbook.) So what are the key student virtues that we need to cultivate in our children? What are the corresponding vices that they must overcome?

Virtues

  • Love: Love is beautifully described in I Corinthians 13. Love is a master virtue that fuels and empowers the other student virtues. Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 13 that even if we speak in the tongues of angels (high linguistic achievement!) and fathom all mysteries (surpassing the learning of a genius) but do not have love, our achievement will be worth nothing. Students are called by God (and thus should be called by us) to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” There is a whole-hearted expectation of our affection.  What’s more, we are to “love the lovely,” which means we must glory in God Himself and His revealed mind in nature, Scripture, and ourselves. Knowing of God’s goodness in the world, and His goodness toward us, we can live out of love and gratitude in all we do and study.
  • Humility: Humility is another master virtue that leads to other virtues. Humility is the necessary posture of a learner. We cultivate humility by taking students to the heights and showing them greatness. In the presence of greatness, students become conscious of their own slender resources and will not take on anything beyond their power, but instead learn to rejoice in what is given them in their measure. Humility will also lead to gratitude—gratitude even for those friends whose gifts and capacities surpass our own. Sertillanges writes, “In face of others’ superiority, there is only one honorable attitude: to be glad of it, and then it becomes our own joy, our own good fortune.”
  • Patience: Patience involves bearing difficulties well, enduring the hardship and “suffering” that does come occasionally (and sometimes regularly) as part of learning new skills and acquiring new knowledge.
  • Constancy: Students who exhibit noble constancy keep steadily at a task, remaining focused and diligent. This virtue enables students to push away even “good” distractions that would inhibit learning and mastery.
  • Perseverance: Perseverance is similar to constancy, but this virtue requires a willful spirit to do what must be done, and even to love what must be done (reminding us that love is a master virtue). Students will be motivated and inspired to persevere by the vision of mastery, capacity, and wisdom that instructors lay before their eyes. Small wins and slowly increasing capacity will also kindle perseverance, constancy, and patience.
  • Temperance/Studiousness: Students need to avoid excessive negligence (laziness) and excessive curiosity and ambition (vain ambition and overreach). To master an art, students must walk the wise, proven path, starting at the beginning and mastering each step. To leap ahead (even when they can to some degree) does damage to the necessary discipline of mastering an art. Sertillanges says, “If you want to see things grow big, plant small,” and go to the sea by way of the streams and rivers—it is folly to go jump in the sea. Recall as well the tortoise and the hare. Students also must balance or temper their studies with other academic work and with their other responsibilities as human beings (good exercise, prayer, worship, family living and contributions, etc.).

Vices

  • Pride: Pride drives students to love their own opinions and thoughts such that they cannot learn from others or discern the broader wisdom from other minds that would inform them.
  • Envy: Envy agitates the mind by refusing to honor the gifts and capacities of others; it hinders students from learning from other honorable and able students.
  • Sloth/Laziness: This is where the good gifts and capacities of students go to die.
  • Sensuality: Indulgence in sensuality (not only of the sexual variety) creates lethargy, befogs the imagination, dulls the intelligence, and scatters the memory; sensuality distracts from learning.
  • Irritation/Impatience: Irritation and impatience repels exhortation, direction, and constructive criticism, and thus deters students from mastery and leads them to increased error.
  • Excessive Ambition (a form of intemperance): Excessive ambition leads students to leap ahead of their capacity without true mastery and integration (often out of pride), which ultimately slows down learning and leads to patchy, nonintegrated understanding.

All of these vices compromise a student’s ability to attend, to judge or assess, and therefore to truly know. All of these vices also tend to come together and lead to one another—they are interconnected. These virtues are not so much taught as they are cultivated and modeled. We should make students aware of these virtues and we should, in fact, occasionally teach them directly. However, it is very important that students begin to hunger for these virtues themselves and cry out to God for them. This seems to be the point of Proverbs 2—if students won’t cry aloud for wisdom and seek it as hidden treasure, they won’t ever get it. Therefore (among other things we do), we must exhort our students to ask God for virtue and wisdom—a prayer He delights to answer (James 1).

2. Liturgical Learning

“Liturgical learning” is a phrase that describes the use of the embodied patterns from church worship and tradition for shaping the way we order time, space, and language in our schools and homeschools. We believe that using elements of a liturgical pattern within our classes is an effective way to recover reflection and contemplation as part of learning. We think that it is a faithful application of the classical tradition, and one that differentiates us from other online schools. For example, one could use the following “order of worship” as a pattern for ordering a lesson. This pattern or template is intended as a guide that is not followed to the letter but nonetheless shapes the “learning liturgy” of Scholé Academy classes to distinguish them as scholé courses. Our faculty embrace and love incorporating this approach, and we believe our students will too.

Please note that the pattern of a class is determined by the course instructor. Many of our instructors incorporate elements of the following pattern, but the embodiment of “liturgical learning” will vary from instructor to instructor and class to class.

  • Welcome/Greeting: Students are greeted by beautiful image(s) and music, perhaps with an inspirational quotation or key question, which they are asked to contemplate for several minutes.
  • Grateful Acknowledgement: The students and the instructor express gratitude for the art, one another, and the opportunity to study some aspect of God’s creation, mind, nature, humanity, etc.
  • Confess What We Need: The students and the instructor confess a need for a disposition, a frame of mind, a virtue, a heart that seeks and calls out for wisdom, etc. A written confession may be read and/or a prayer offered. (Key Scripture: Proverbs 2:1–7).
  • Teach/Present/Discuss: The instructor leads a traditional lesson, ensuring that students are engaged and participating.
  • Confess What We Know/Have Learned: The instructor leads a summary and review, sometimes taking the form of a “creedal” confession that edifies.
  • Expression of Thanksgiving: The instructor (or a mature student) leads the class in expressing gratitude to God, the instructor, and/or other students.
  • Benediction/Dismissal: The instructor gives a prepared benediction written by the instructor or from traditional sources.
  • Processional: The students return to beautiful music and images. Students are free to leave immediately or remain for quiet contemplation.  

As we seek to recover and renew the scholé tradition of education, we know that we will misstep and veer from this path—after all, we don’t know the path nearly as well as we would like. Still, we believe that finding and walking that path will be enriching to students, parents, and instructors. As we seek to recover the classical tradition of scholé, we welcome parental feedback and ideas about how we can better embody scholé in our online classes.

3. Christian Traditions and Our School Community

Our Scholé Academy community (to include St. Raphael School, Canterbury House of Studies, and Aquinas House of Studies) has become a patchwork of individuals, stitched together by the common threads of classical education. It reflects what we see across the broader renewal of classical Christian education, which certainly serves a variety of Christian traditions. We’ve outlined our approach to Christian traditions and the unique character of our “houses of study” on our website in an article entitled “Welcome to the Great Hall at Scholé Academy.” We have striven to be intentional about how we work with each of the Christian traditions, acknowledging the areas where we share commonality and the areas where we differ.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes that Christianity is like “a hall out of which doors open into several rooms.” “The hall,” writes Lewis, “is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live.” He goes on to explain that it is “in the rooms, not the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals.”  We (perhaps generously) view Scholé Academy as our community’s Great Hall—a place where we can find common ground in the study of courses like Latin, logic, science, mathematics, grammar, writing, etc. With St. Raphael School, the Canterbury House of Studies, and the Aquinas House of Studies, we are intentionally providing “rooms” within which each student (with the guidance of his family and his church) can seek a deeper knowledge and understanding of God.  

It is important for parents to recognize that classes offered in our Great Hall are taught by instructors coming from a variety of Christian traditions, including Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic. Our instructors will all be familiar with the three main Christian traditions and will demonstrate patience, rationality, and a spirit of open inquiry when engaging with students from any of these traditions.

4. Faith and Culture

Convictions held to as a community including instructors, families, and students: 

The Scholé Academy instructors affirm the dogmas expressed in the Nicene Creed without exception, and the Scholé Academy community affirms traditional moral teachings of the faith such as:

  • the sanctity of life (treating life as sacred from conception until natural death);
  • historic orthodox standards of human sexual behavior (including gender as assigned at birth, sexual identity, and chastity–exclusive monogamous fidelity within marriage and abstinence outside of marriage); and
  • Christian marriage as defined as the sacramental union of one man and one woman.

Our school community adheres to the multi-faceted Common Tradition (Christianity as expressed universally until the Great Schism of 1054) or “Canonical Theism,” including:

  • the centrality of the Bible as Holy Scripture;
  • the liturgy as a manifestation of common worship (i.e. Sunday worship, the Eucharist);
  • the important role of spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting/feasting, giving, etc.) as formative in the Christian life;
  • the Ecumenical Councils as expressions of a common creed;
  • the value of religious art (icons, architecture, music, etc.);
  • the witness of the church fathers as guardians of the faith (through councils, homilies, commentaries, poetry, and hymns); and
  • the saints as role models and witnesses to the truth.

Instructor Conduct

Scholé Academy instructors will conduct their personal and professional lives in accordance with the following:

  • Regularly attend Christian worship, pray, and study Scripture;
  • Respectfully defer to the authority of students’ parents and clergy on controversial issues;
  • Uphold and exemplify the above stated Faith and Culture convictions;
  • Refrain from advocating personal religious convictions that fall outside the Common Tradition;
  • Refrain from advocating personal political views in class (a range of political examples may still be utilized in various classes when the instructor determines those inclusions are valuable for instruction of course content) that might not be shared by other Christians who adhere to the Common Tradition;*
  • Treat those who sin without shaming, judgment, or condescension; restore students who stumble with compassion, grace, and Christian charity;
  • Abstain from behaviors that would hinder their ability to serve as role models to the students; and
  • Out of a pastoral concern for students, instructors will feel the freedom to briefly depart from their lesson plans to offer timely life wisdom on issues that affect the lives of their students and are relevant to the goals and content of the course.

Instructor Character

In line with the previous “Student Virtues” section of this handbook, we expect that our instructors will be individuals who pursue virtue and holiness in their own lives as they are challenged to serve as living examples for our students.

II. Classroom Technology

For our live online classes, we use Zoom, a video-conference platform that is both powerful and easy to use. Students join their instructors for real-time, face-to-face class sessions that mimic a brick-and-mortar classroom experience. Class participants can see and hear each other throughout each session, a feature that facilitates engagement with the material and interaction among the instructor and students. Our instructors can also share their computer screens to show students documents and photos, use a virtual white board to annotate, and even allow students to share their own work on the screen. This streamlined technology allows us to bring our students face-to-face with master instructors and engaged peers while affording the flexibility of learning from home.

Our decision to use Zoom video, while not regularly allowing the chat feature, reflects our emphasis on real, personal, and charitable interaction. This kind of learning cannot be achieved without the use of video. Thus, students are expected to use video in each class (except under special circumstances, as approved by the course instructor).

1. Sample Class

View recent Classroom Experience Events on our YouTube Channel. We invite you to email any instructor for a recording from a recent course. Instructors are listed with each course on our All Courses page and their emails can be found on the About Us page.

2. Technical Requirements

Red checkmarkComputer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or higher on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS with Mac OS 10.9 or later; Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7. We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be a better solution. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as annotation, which may be used by our instructors for class activities.

Red checkmarkHigh-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1.5 Mbps or better.

Red checkmarkWebcam and Headset: If you do not have a webcam built into your computer, you will need to purchase an external webcam. We also recommend using a headset for audio rather than a built-in microphone and speakers, as this will help reduce background noise heard by the entire class. Make sure to get a headset that is compatible with your device—USB, 3.5 mm, or Bluetooth.

Red checkmarkZoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes. For reliable performance, after your initial download of Zoom, it is important to frequently update the app as described in the instructions below.unnamed-e1455142229376

To Download Zoom:

  • Visit zoom.us/download.
  • Click to download the first option listed: Zoom Client for Meetings.
  • Open and run the installer on your computer.
  • At the mandatory parent-student orientation session, parents and students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class

To Update Zoom:

  • Launch the app on your computer.
  • Click on your profile image (or initials) in the corner of the app.
  • Select “Check for updates” from the dropdown menu.
  • Install.

Red checkmarkCanvas: We use a Learning Management System (LMS) called Canvas.  This software is free to families and serves as the place where assignments are posted and submitted and where feedback is given.  Instructions for accessing Canvas are in the course welcome letter provided by the instructor.

 

3. Joining a Class Session

To enter a class in Canvas for the first time, use the private URL provided by your instructor in the welcome letter. After that, you will log in to our school specific Canvas URL. 

Students should join their live class sessions by clicking the link found on their Canvas course pages. This will launch (previously installed) Zoom automatically, 

In some exceptional circumstances (power outages, technical difficulties, loss of access to Canvas), students may need alternative ways to join the live class by using the meeting ID or a call-in phone number. These will be provided by the course instructor in their orientation and course syllabi.

4. Class Recordings and Permissions for Recording Use

All class and tutoring sessions are recorded.  These recordings are not standardly accessible but can be made available to students when necessary (as in the case of an absence), provided students are in compliance with the attendance and participation policies. Please see our attendance policy below for the specific number of absences allowed per year and the requirements for course participation.

On occasion, we may use and distribute video clips taken from class recordings for promotional purposes. If you do not wish a clip of your student’s class to be shared in this way, please notify us at the time of enrollment by reaching out to [email protected].

III. School Policies

1. Statement of Faith

Our instructors teach from within the Christian faith and will relate class concepts to the Christian faith when pertinent. Scholé Academy instructors will affirm the dogmas expressed in the Nicene Creed without exception (noted below), and affirm traditional moral teachings of the faith.

As our name implies, we seek to present all teaching and learning restfully with scholé. While scholé as an idea originated with the Greeks, it was transformed and extended by the church, especially in monastic centers of education. Scholé Academy seeks to recover this approach to education that is contemplative, “liturgical,” restful, and full of Christian peace. Our faith commitment is summarized in the Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.

Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. 

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried.

On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

At Scholé Academy, we have carefully considered how we should engage our contemporary culture as those who believe that Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and that all truth has its source in him. We think it is important to provide our upper school students (in grades 7-12) with tools and opportunities for critically examining various cultural trends, issues and mores without fear and through the lens of orthodox, Christian beliefs. Being confident in the truth revealed to us in creation, the Scriptures, and the tradition of the church, we are not afraid to follow the truth and its implications nor to address error and falsehood. You may read more about our approach to healthy dialogue on our website page Faith & Culture.

2. Making Course Selections

We want to make sure each course is a great learning experience for every enrolled student. The placement process is critical to student success, and it begins with the parents carefully reading course descriptions before they enroll. A detailed class description has been provided for each course Scholé Academy offers. We have asked our instructors to convey their vision for the course: the course objectives; the target grade range; their pedagogical/teaching style; student expectations; and a sketch of how they plan to assess the students, including the skills and virtues students should be cultivating during the course.

Before you purchase and register for your class, please consider the following categories as you determine if the course will be a good fit for the student:

  1. Target grade range: If your student falls outside the listed grade range but you still believe that the course will be a good fit, you should seek approval from Scholé Academy for the student to be granted admission into the course. If you are in this situation, please contact us before purchasing the course.
  2. Minimum and maximum age requirements: Students enrolling in Scholé Academy courses must meet the following age requirements, determined by their age on the first day of class:
    1. Family-Style Courses: 5-9 years old
    2. Lower School: 8–13 years old
    3. Middle School: 12–16 years old
    4. Upper School :14–19 years old
  3. Maturity/readiness to discuss controversial topics (Middle & Upper School): From time to time, in our Upper School, students are encouraged to participate in healthy and robust debates on a wide range of topics. We are committed to providing a Christ-centered education to all of our students, but we also encourage our students to wrangle with theological, social, political, and moral issues and questions. Our courses are designed for student engagement and discussion. We expect our instructors to navigate these waters wisely and well; we expect our students to step into the arena of these class discussions with maturity and respect for their cohort and instructors. We will always encourage our students to share their class conversations with their parents and pastors. Every course has its own specific set of necessary background skills, prerequisite skills, and knowledge base. Please visit the course page for the class you are considering, click on the Scholarship Skills tab and review the information provided by the instructor hosting that course.
  4. General skills: Course pages on our website include a tab with information about general skill requirements for students who wish to enroll in the course. These include computer skills, reading level, penmanship, and personal organization and planning. After reviewing the information we have provided, if you still have questions about the placement of your child, please call us at 866-730-0711; we would be happy to help you determine the best fit for your student.

Once you have considered each of these questions and have determined that the course looks like a good fit, go ahead and register.

3. Placement Evaluations

After registration, Scholé Academy administrators and instructors will verify appropriate placement by reviewing the enrollment information you provided. Depending on the course and previous enrollments of the specific student at Scholé Academy, the instructor may require a placement evaluation. This may include any of the following:

  • a Zoom conference with the parent and/or student;
  • a written exam;
  • writing samples; and/or
  • information about previous coursework.

Instructors will be provided with lists of students who may need to complete a placement evaluation.  Placement evaluations should be completed by students without any outside help from parents or other adults, including tutors or special needs instructors, and without assistance from print or research materials, unless otherwise stated by the course instructor. If accommodations are required, please seek approval from the course instructor about these first. 

In the case of math and Latin classes, there is a more detailed and specific placement process.  Click here for the math placement process flow chart. Click here for the Latin placement process flow chart. 

Please note: Registration is not finalized until the student’s placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation. Scholé Academy, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to deny admission to a student for any reason.

4. Student Learning Differences

We are proud to offer services via the Scholé Academy Center for Students with Learning Differences (CSLD). We firmly believe that classical education is the best education for all students, even if it is delivered or received in unique ways. Families of students with learning differences can explore the help that the CSLD offers at any point in the academic year and summer. Likewise, instructors may suggest exploring CSLD services during the academic year. Special Needs Instructors (SNIs) are available to help parents navigate curricular decisions, support academic goals, and provide instruction and resources to help students continue to build the skills necessary to meet their life-learning goals. Scholé Academy Special Needs Instructors work to support the student alongside course instructors, but independently from the instructor. The course instructor remains the authority in the classroom, and parents are the point of contact for any accommodations. To read the CSLD parent letter, click here.

Our course instructors are not required to be equipped or trained to serve students with learning differences. However, in many cases, students with learning differences are able to participate fully in our courses with outside assistance. To best enable us to meet your student’s needs while maintaining high standards for our courses, we would like to invite you to dialogue with us if you think your child might demonstrate a learning difference that could limit his ability to fully engage with the course and its standard requirements. 

To ensure that we can serve your student well, we ask that you please contact us before registration if your student has any unique learning challenges or has been diagnosed with a learning disability. If you have questions about the placement of your child in one of our classes due to extenuating circumstances, such as a learning difference, please contact your course instructor; instructors are glad to discuss possibilities for accommodation. The instructor can also consider requests for accommodation or remediation, and a principal can assist with the process as needed by either party. The course instructor will ultimately decide if he can meet the student’s modification or accommodation plan or requests.  A medical diagnosis is not required to discuss with the instructor a student’s learning differences and suggested accommodations.

Students with learning differences who are accepted into Scholé Academy courses are enrolled on a provisional basis. (Course instructors must be made aware of a student’s learning differences within the placement process.) To the best of our ability, we seek to ensure proper placement before the start of the school year. However, if it becomes clear within the first three weeks of classes that a provisionally-enrolled student is not well-suited for a course, the parent or instructor may request that the student withdraw for a full refund. The parent should email [email protected] to request a withdrawal. 

5. Enrollments and Withdrawals

Class Size

Scholé Academy chooses to limit class size and generally caps enrollment at 15 students. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. In some instances, instructors choose to lower the enrollment number to better facilitate the desired class dynamic and student engagement. In other cases, class sizes are allowed to rise as high as 18 students pending instructor approval. The Academy will not allow more than 18 students (including auditors) to enroll in any course.

Tuition & Payment Plans

Course purchases may be made online on the Scholé Academy website or by calling the office at 866-730-0711. Tuition for each course is listed on the course page and also at checkout. For flexible purchasing options, you can choose Shop Pay at checkout. Shop Pay offers you the option to pay in full, or to split your purchase into regular payments with Shop Pay Installments (powered by Affirm). You can learn more about Shop Pay, Affirm, and paying with installments here: https://shoppay.affirm.com/help/s/article/about-sp.

Withdrawing from a Class

There is a $75 deposit built into the cost of each course. 

  • Withdrawals requested before May 1 are granted a full refund, including the full $75 deposit.
  • On May 1 and before July 31 withdrawals are granted a full tuition refund less the $75 deposit. 
  • On August 1 and before the drop/add deadline, withdrawals are granted a ½ tuition refund less the deposit.
  • For Spring semester courses, withdrawals are granted a ½ tuition refund less the deposit on or before February 1, which is the Spring semester drop/add deadline.
  • For summer courses, a 50% refund will be granted to withdrawals made 2 weeks prior to the start of the class.  Withdrawals made during or after the two week countdown to start will receive no refund.

All other withdrawal times for any reasons after the drop/add date will only receive a ½ refund if one of the below conditions is met:

  1. Parents must initiate a substantive conversation with the instructor regarding the possibility of withdrawal and/or describe significant student struggles, scheduling conflicts, or other concerns with the course prior to the end of the second week of class. If those conversations are in process prior to the end of the second week of class, and if the student ultimately withdraws, withdrawals are granted a ½ tuition refund.
  2. If parents initiate a conversation with the instructor regarding the possibility of withdrawal and/or describe significant student struggles, scheduling conflicts, or other concerns related to the course after the end of the second week of class and if a withdrawal occurs, no refund will be given. For courses which meet once per week, the add/drop period is extended to three weeks.

If a family withdraws (with or without a refund), the family is not entitled to access any of the work, assignments, handouts, recordings, projects, or exercises provided by the instructor during the student’s enrollment. The student will be withdrawn from his Canvas classroom and all access to the course.

The parent should email [email protected] to request a withdrawal. All withdrawals are final.

Even if the student is withdrawn without a refund, the family should not expect those funds to remain as a financial credit for future services. The student cannot be readmitted to the same course later in the year citing their full payment without refund. If a family withdraws a student during an academic year and they wish to re-enroll in the same course later that same year, an interview with the family, instructor, and principal will take place to determine whether or not to re-admit the student and what, if any, additional fees should be paid for the re-enrollment. If the family withdraws a student during an academic year and they wish to later enroll in a different course during the same year, the family will pay for a brand new course enrollment.

If a student is enrolled in a course and wishes to withdraw and pursue private tutoring instead, the student should officially withdraw from the course (see policy above) and then purchase additional tutoring. Course purchase funds do not transfer to tutor purchases.

Should a student withdraw from a course before the conclusion of the term, the instructor will generate an official Grade Report from Canvas and write a brief narrative of the reason for withdrawal. The Grade Report will only reflect the course work completed and the course will be marked incomplete. These documents will be emailed to the parents and will remain as part of the student record held by Scholé Academy.

Sometimes withdrawals reflect concerns and grievances. Families are flagged when unresolved issues from previous years carry over into new enrollment seasons. Scholé Academy reserves the right to deny enrollment until the administration is satisfied with the terms of reconciliation with the family.

Withdrawing from Tutoring Services

Concerning refunds for purchased tutoring hours or CSLD services, please contact the Tutoring Center Manager with questions regarding a refund. Refunds are considered on a case by case basis. Please refer to the Proposal and Policies documents provided to you by your tutor at the commencement of services. See the FAQs at the bottom of our Tutoring Services page for this and more information. 

Waiting Lists

If a given course is designated “full with waiting list” and you’d like to be added to the waiting list, please use the waiting list link on the course page or send us your request, including your name, phone number, and email address, as well as the following student information: name, grade (20XX–XY school year), and date of birth. We can add students to the waiting list up through the last day of the add/drop period. If a seat becomes available before the end of the add/drop period, we will notify those on the waiting list in the order in which the requests were received. Waiting lists are closed at the end of the add/drop period. Our Late Registration and Ongoing Enrollment policy begins the first Monday of October (or third Monday of February for Spring semester courses). In some cases, Scholé Academy may offer an additional section of a course if the course fills up quickly. In this case, we will notify those on the waiting list when the new section becomes available for registration.

Late Registration and Ongoing Enrollment

While the official add/drop period technically ends after the second week of class, Scholé Academy may allow students to enroll in courses that are in progress throughout the academic year. Parents interested in late-enrollment should review course offerings online, determine the course section, and contact the instructor directly through email to initiate the process. Instructor emails are available on our website.

These late additions to classes are managed on a case-by-case basis, and they are allowed only with instructor approval. After the add/drop deadline, all instructors are welcome to consider their courses closed and not allow additional students to enroll, even if seats are still available. The instructor is the best judge of class dynamics and progress. If he does not believe a student is adequately prepared to enter the course late, or if the addition of a new student may negatively impact the already-established class dynamic, the instructor is at liberty to refuse a new enrollment.

Late enrollments begin with an interview between the parents and instructor. If the instructor is willing to consider a late enrollment, he will build a transition plan for the parents to review. That plan will include a variety of placement evaluations, transition assignments, modified due dates, etc.

Once the parents and instructor have come to an agreement about the necessary requirements for enrollment, the family will be billed for the enrollment. If a student is permitted to join a class after the end of the official add/drop period, the cost of enrollment is full price through the end of the first semester, and 50% of the tuition cost, plus applicable fees, if enrolling at mid-year or later. We do not price classes on a per-diem rate.

Purchases cannot be made through the website after the end of the add/drop period. Parents who have been approved to enroll their student after that time will call the main office and make their payment by phone. Payment will be due in full—payment plans are not available for late enrollments.

Please note: If a family wishes to enroll their student in a year-long class but the student will not begin until the second semester, the family may purchase half of the course ahead of time at 50% normal tuition. However, priority will be given to students who pay full price and enter the course prior to the beginning of the second semester. If the course fills at any time prior to the beginning of the second semester, the family of the second-semester student will be provided with a full refund, including the $75 deposit.

All late-enrollment purchases are final. We do not provide a withdrawal window for our late enrollments. If a family determines that the course is not a good fit after the enrollment is processed and paid for, the student may be withdrawn without a refund. The tuition for the original purchase cannot be applied to a course transfer of any kind.

Student Auditing a Class

If your student is interested in auditing a class, please contact us.  Student-auditing is permitted on a case-by-case basis and with instructor approval. The charge for auditing a Scholé Academy course is 70 percent of the tuition fee.

While student auditors will have access to their Canvas classrooms, student auditors will not be responsible to take any examinations or complete any assignments. Instructors will not assess any written work of auditors. Student auditors may not participate in class discussion except when required by the instructor. Instructors will not be obligated to provide access to videos of missed class sessions or review missed material with the auditing student if he is absent. No grades or end-of-year grade report will be provided.

If a student has signed up to audit a course but the course enrollments fill before the end of the add/drop period and a fully participating student wishes to enroll in the class, the auditing student will be withdrawn from the course to free up the seat for the fully participating student. In this case, the family of the auditing student would be provided with a full refund, including the $75 deposit.

If a student begins the year as a full-paying student and after the add/drop period switches to audit status, no refund will be given. In this case, the instructor and the parent can discuss which parts of the course the student will still be allowed to enjoy and which parts will be reserved for fully participating students. Generally speaking, all auditing students will be restricted in their class experience as described above.

Class Cancellations or Changes

On rare occasions, Scholé Academy might have to cancel a class, move students to a new section of a class with a different instructor, or replace an instructor (usually for health reasons). For these cases, please note the following:

  • If a class has been canceled, a full refund (including the full deposit) will be issued to parents of participating students.
  • If a student has been moved to a new section of the class with a different instructor, parents will be permitted to withdraw their student from the course and receive a full refund within 10 business days of receiving notice of the new assignment.
  • If an instructor resigns from a course for any reason and a new instructor is installed, parents will be permitted to withdraw from the course and receive a full refund within 10 business days of receiving notice of the new instructor’s assignment.
  • If an instructor takes an extended leave of absence but does not resign from his class and is still monitoring the course and the substitute during the extended absence, the family will not be permitted to withdraw from the course with a refund. Any questions or concerns should be raised with the instructor, who should address those grievances in a timely fashion.

 

Transfers

Transfers are only permitted prior to the end of the second week of class and if space is available in the new section. Scholé Academy defines a transfer as a student who wishes to transfer to another section of the same course with a new or same instructor.

Should a student wish to move to a different course with a new or same instructor, Scholé Academy considers this a change in enrollment. In this case, the family will need to request a withdrawal. (Any applicable refund will be issued based on our withdrawal policy noted above.) Pending space available and active waitlists, the family may make a new enrollment purchase for the desired course and section. 

After the add/drop period has closed, teacher payments will have been calculated and disbursed. Therefore, if a family wants to make a change in enrollment from a course with one instructor to another course with a different instructor, the family will first need to withdraw from the original course which could result in no refund (see Withdrawal Policy above for specifics), and then re-enroll (initiating a new purchase) in the new course they wish to take (see “Late Registration and Ongoing Enrollment” above). After the drop/add deadline, students seeking a transfer from one section to another of the same course will need to follow the change in enrollment guidelines.

*Families who used Affirm to complete course registration will need to call the office at 1-866-730-0711.

Scholé Academy does not allow families to “transfer” from course enrollment to tutoring enrollment. Please contact your instructor and the principal if your student needs to withdraw from his course and consider pursuing tutoring as an option instead. If a family purchases a course and subsequently decides to withdraw and pursue private course instruction prior to the end of the add/drop period, the course deposit can be waived so long as the tutoring hours are purchased prior to receiving a refund for the course. All withdrawals will be processed according to the policy noted above.

6. Orientation Sessions for Parents and Students

One week prior to the start of a course, the instructor will hold a brief orientation session for parents and their students. This session is an opportunity for students, parents, and instructors to introduce themselves to one another, test the classroom technology, and ensure everything is in working order for the first day of class. Parent and student participation is required.

Details regarding the orientation session will be provided by the instructor via email during the month of August. If you or your student are unable to attend the orientation session, please contact the course instructor for access to the recording of this session.

7. Attendance and Participation Policies

Class Participation and Webcams

Our classes are live and highly interactive, with students regularly engaging with their instructor and peers and participating in class discussion. Students are expected to attend classes with their videos turned on and to function as a full participant in each class, contributing to the class dynamic and success of the entire cohort. Students who do not turn on their videos during class will be removed from the Zoom classroom and marked absent. We remain vigilant in providing security for our online classes. If an attendee logs into a Zoom classroom without their video turned on and is unresponsive, it is the policy of Scholé Academy to remove that attendee from the session. However, if a student is having a legitimate technology issue, the instructor will use his best judgment to respond appropriately. 

As we are also encouraging and training our students in responsibility and respect, certain etiquette must be adhered to, including timely arrival to class and being fully prepared to begin.  Students ought to dress for class appropriately, which means no pajamas or revealing clothing. Remind your students to keep themselves muted unless they are speaking so as to cut down on background noise and to raise their hands to speak. Likewise, keep visual distractions to a minimum by blurring your student’s background or using a screen. Finally, students are expected to turn off unnecessary devices and avoid multitasking during class.

Absence Policy and Class Recordings

There are, of course, circumstances, both planned and unplanned, in which students must miss a class. In such circumstances, we provide students with a recording of the live class session so that they may watch the session they missed. Whenever possible, we ask that students alert their instructor of their absence in advance.

While recordings of live sessions are a helpful tool for occasional absences, they are not a sufficient replacement for class participation in the long term. With this in mind:

  • We allow a maximum of twelve absences for yearlong courses that meet four times per week.
  • We allow a maximum of nine absences for yearlong courses that meet three times per week.
  • We allow a maximum of six absences for yearlong courses that meet two times per week.
  • We allow a maximum of three absences for yearlong courses that meet once per week.
  • We allow a maximum of three absences for one-semester courses that meet two times per week.
  • We allow a maximum of two absences for one-semester courses that meet one time per week.
  • During the summer term, absence permissions are handled by the course instructor on a case-by-case basis.

Please note: Though we will endeavor to have recordings for each and every class, we cannot guarantee that we will have recordings 100 percent of the time (e.g., occasionally we run into technical difficulties). Our instructors are available to their students in class, via Canvas messaging, and during office hours. If your student has to miss a class, anything you can do to minimize the extra work required of the instructor would be greatly appreciated. As you might expect, instructors cannot reteach the material via email. However, our instructors are accessible to their students and will provide assistance as needed.

If, at any time, a student’s absences begin to near the maximum number of missed days, the course instructor will reach out to begin a conversation with the parents and take meaningful steps to help resolve the problem. The school principal will also be made aware of the concern.

If a student reaches or exceeds the maximum number of missed days, the course instructor and the principal will work diligently with the family to resolve the issue. If the parent is unresponsive, or if no resolution can be reached, we will suspend the student’s enrollment in the course until the issue can be resolved. We will compassionately work with families to find a reasonable way forward. However, without resolution, the student will be withdrawn from the course without refund.

Special Circumstances

Our students live all over the world, and there are occasionally natural events that prevent a family from being able to attend their scheduled classes. Please make your instructor aware of any extensive damage or displacement due to natural disasters. We are happy to accommodate families in these cases.

Religious Observance

One final note: To accommodate our Orthodox families who observe Holy Week and Pascha on their own liturgical calendar (which does not always coincide with Western Holy Week and Easter), we have created a flexible absence and assignment-submission policy. Holy Week is a busy time for many families, and since our Orthodox families will not always enjoy Western Easter week as vacation, we have asked our Scholé Academy instructors to modify the attendance policy and provide flexible assignment submission deadlines to those Orthodox families who elect not to attend classes during Eastern Holy Week. Orthodox student absences that week will not be counted toward the maximum number of missed days. Students and instructors should work to coordinate assignment deadlines as needed.

8. Grading Philosophy, Practices, and Reporting

Scholé Grading Philosophy

While Scholé Academy courses are “restful,” we also recognize the need to provide grades for students who will be using a course as part of their prepared college transcript. It is a delicate balance to achieve both restful learning and “good grades.” We believe that earning a specific grade should not overshadow achievement goals for mastery of a discipline. Attaining mastery is its own reward, and this is the intention behind all Scholé Academy grading practices.

Grading Practices

Instructors typically assign the following grades based on students’ level of achievement: magna cum laude (with great praise), cum laude (with praise), satis (sufficient, satisfactory), and non satis (not sufficient). Ideally, every average student working diligently should do praiseworthy work (cum laude). Those who excel beyond this expectation will be the magna cum laude students. Students who do adequate but not praiseworthy work should be designated satis. Non satis means lacking sufficiency or adequacy. These assessments are not mere grading instruments but ways for instructors to signal progress towards mastery with students and parents.

Grade Reporting

We recognize that some parents are required to prepare transcripts so they can report the courses and grades earned by their students. Scholé Academy does not provide official transcripts for parents to use in their reporting of courses and grades. However, If your student is enrolled in a lower school course and you require either a traditional numeric or letter grade, please notify the instructor.  Middle and upper school instructors will provide traditional numerical grades, but they will also provide more meaningful narrative feedback and progress reports.

While Scholé Academy serves homeschoolers by providing online instruction, we do not replace parents as the administrators of homeschools. As such, the ultimate authority on a student’s grade is his parents. If a parent feels the need to modify the instructor’s assessment in his own records, as the administrator, he should feel free to do so. However, only students who complete the required work for a given class at a level deemed satisfactory by the instructor will receive a grade report from Scholé Academy.

9. Student Concerns

There are occasionally times when a student’s behavior necessitates academic probation, a change in enrollment status, or withdrawal after the start of a course. These situations will be handled with compassion and great care. Most of the specific details of the situation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. The instructor will consult with the principal when the student’s performance indicates that academic probation, a change in enrollment status, or withdrawal might be necessary.

In other cases of poor student performance (such as a student ill-suited to the demands of the course, excessive absences, failure to submit homework, refusal to participate, refusal to turn on video or audio, egregious behavior, etc.), the instructor will first reach out to the parents, making them aware of the situation(s), and asking for their assistance in resolving those concerns.

If, after the meeting, the behavior continues, it might be necessary for the principal to become more involved in the situation. It might be necessary to place the student (and family) on academic probation. An individualized plan addressing the concerns of the specific situation will be determined by the course instructor. Academic probation may consist of the following requirements that must be fulfilled by the parents and students: 

  • The parents will agree to take a more active role, maintaining good communication and serving as a partner on the home front in the following ways:
    • The parents will help encourage the student to faithfully attend classes, arrive on time, stay for the duration of the classes, be sufficiently prepared for each class, and engage appropriately in class.
    • The parents will regularly check in with the student to ensure his assignments and other homework are completed with his best effort.
  • The student will agree to faithfully attend all classes, arrive on time, stay for the duration of each class, and engage appropriately during class.
  • The student will agree to faithfully submit homework on time, complete assignments in their entirety, and apply a best effort to coursework.
  • The student will agree to maintain good communication with the instructor, helping the instructor better understand where the student might be struggling or when he is feeling overwhelmed.
  • The student and family agree to achieve satisfactory-level work (or higher) during the process. The student and family agree to avoid absences and tardy arrivals during the process.
  • The family will be provided with a reasonable window of opportunity to make adjustments and improve grades and performance. The student will be reevaluated at a specified date to reassess the situation.

 

If academic probation is a success, the instructor, the principal, and the parents can discuss which, if any, of the requirements may be lifted, and continue on with positive growth.

Should the academic probation not yield the desired results, it may become necessary to move the student to audit status (a refund will not be given), or officially withdraw him from a course. In these cases, if the student is not exhibiting virtuous behavior, and the ongoing concerns are within the scope of poor student scholarship, willful negligence, pride, laziness, etc., it might be time to withdraw the student. This decision will be made by the principal and the instructor, both of whom will discuss this with the parents. The specifics of this process will be handled on a case-by-case basis and in collaboration with the principal.  Scholé Academy reserves the right to deny enrollment the following academic year until the administration is satisfied with the terms of reconciliation with the family.

In the cases where a hard-working, virtuous student is facing an unexpected family crisis or a change to his schedule, the instructor and family may elect to allow the student to continue on as a course auditor. In these cases, the student may attend classes and participate but will not be required to submit assignments or earn grades or credit for the course. Despite the change in status, a refund will not be given.

10. Academic Dishonesty

We define plagiarism as “a form of academic misconduct that involves dishonestly representing another’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism can be deliberate or unintentional, and students must be very careful to properly cite their sources so as to clearly attribute words, ideas, or data that are not their own and are not common knowledge to the proper sources.” *

Particularly for our younger students, plagiarism can be an issue—though not necessarily because the student is willfully ignoring academic guidelines or intending to deceive the instructor. In many of these cases, students are unaware of common citation rules, have not been instructed about how and when to use them, or do not understand the necessity for them. Instructors of these younger students understand that this may be the case and will respond with grace and appropriate instruction if citations are required for a student assignment and/or upon a first occurrence of problematic submissions.

It is also the responsibility of parents to stay current with student assignments and recognize where some home instruction might also be necessary regarding common citation practices. (Parents, students, and instructors can make use of the Owl Purdue resources when teaching students how to include citations in their submitted work.)

There are cases, however, in which some students do willfully engage in academic dishonesty by not citing sources and/or by employing unapproved tools such as generative AI. Generative AI (artificial intelligence) is a term for machine-learning algorithms that are used to generate new content that can include written text, images, audio, videos, and other content. ChatGPT, Bard, Midjourney, DALL-E, and DeepMind are examples of some readily-available AI tools. Technologies such as these make engaging in academic dishonesty simple, quick, and largely undetectable. Nevertheless, because submitting work generated by AI can be an attempt to pass off someone/something else’s work as one’s own, we characterize the undisclosed use of AI as plagiarism. 

Because of our commitment to contemplative, formative, mastery-based learning, we expect that students will not use generative AI tools to enhance, supplement, or complete their course work for Scholé Academy classes. We expect students and their parents will help us uphold honesty and integrity in the work their students are doing and in the work they are presenting. 

In the event that a concern arises regarding academic dishonesty, the steps listed below will be taken.

  • The instructor will reserve judgment and allow all relevant facts to be revealed.
  • The instructor will reach out to the parents and student and make them aware of the concern. 
  • The parent and student will receive the communication with an open heart and mind, trusting the instructor’s love for the student and desire for his well-being.  
  • The instructor will explore whether there is any way the student could have legitimately misunderstood the scope of liberty he was allowed to take when completing the assignment and will consider the academic maturity of the student: Is it possible the student wasn’t aware of how to complete the assignment in an academically responsible way?

If, after exploring the situation, it becomes evident that the student was academically dishonest, the following actions will be taken:

  • The student should admit his behavior (confession) and apologize, in a meaningful way, for it (repentance).
  • The student must work to make restitution, including redoing the assignment. The parents and the instructor may decide if the new submission will earn any grade credit. The parents will actively participate in this decision.
  • The parents and student should understand that future instances of this behavior will result in a more serious response, which may impact the student’s grade and/or ongoing enrollment in the course and/or Scholé Academy.

If, however, after exploring the situation, the instructor and parents are confident that the student has not been academically dishonest, the following actions will be taken:

  • If there were any areas where stronger communication could have prevented a misunderstanding, the instructor will take those steps to clarify for the sake of this student and the other students in the class.
  • If the student is in need of citation skills or other reference skills, the instructor will make a recommendation to the parents so that the student can be better prepared in the future. These resources can also be made available to the rest of the class for their benefit.

* This definition provided by Dr. David Diener, Assistant Professor of Education at Hillsdale College.

11. Addressing Concerns: Matthew 18 Principle

At Scholé Academy, we encourage our community of parents, students, and instructors to operate under the Matthew 18 Principle—a common conflict-resolution process that encourages each member to follow the course of action provided in Matthew 18:15–17:

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

If, at any time, parents have a concern regarding their own student or the course, we encourage them to contact the course instructor directly, as soon as the concern arises. If the issue remains unresolved or requires further attention, we encourage the parent to contact the school principal. If a parent has a concern regarding a principal, policy, or school-wide issue, we encourage them to contact the Scholé Academy Director as soon as the concern arises. Likewise, should our instructors have any concerns about a student, they will reach out to the parent or student right away. Our instructors wish to keep lines of communication with their students and students’ families open at all times, and the vast majority of concerns can be resolved quickly if expressed promptly. With the exception of very minor concerns, we encourage parents to set up a call with the course instructor to discuss the matter over the phone. We have found phone and/or video conversations to be far more effective for resolving concerns and conflicts than email, which naturally lends itself to ambiguity and misinterpretation. If a parent has already spoken with the course instructor and is dissatisfied with the resolution of the issue, the parent should not hesitate to contact the respective school principal who will be happy to hear and address the concern.

In these conversations, there are some unfortunate occasions when high emotions and passions can negatively influence reason and language. We encourage parents, instructors, and school leaders to maintain a good and true partnership by respecting all involved parties through the use of proper etiquette and language indicative of Christian virtue outlined in our handbook. In the spirit of Christian charity, we ask that involved parties use healthy ways to communicate.  Scholé Academy reserves the right to deny future enrollments until the administration is satisfied with the terms of reconciliation with the family.

12. Special Events

Throughout the school year, Scholé Academy and St. Raphael School will offer a variety of online community events. Some of these events are open to the public, and some of them are intended for our communities only. For these community events, parents’ and students’ attendance is welcome but not required. Parents should also feel free to spread the word when we offer events to the general public.

One additional special event will be a surprise “Snow Day.” There are many benefits to homeschooling and online education. One thing many students miss by taking courses online is the absence of the unexpected Snow Day (let’s be honest: instructors love them too!). Scholé Academy instructors may announce one surprise Snow Day during the winter months. Each instructor may select a day to declare a Snow Day for each of his classes. Parents will be provided with more details as the day approaches. Shhh…it’s a secret!

13. Student Communications and Conduct

We hope to foster an environment that allows students to connect and grow together in their pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful! In order to support these relationships within our school community, we ask that students and parents adhere to our Faith & Culture statement expressed under Part I of this handbook. At Scholé Academy, including the houses of studies, we purposefully create a space to receive an education that is both personal and free from distractions that are beyond the content and goals of each course. We recognize that the current culture requires our attention and discussion at times, and we encourage that conversation when appropriate in the class; but when cultural issues are not a part of the classroom or the learning topic, we ask our instructors and students to honor the intended focus of the classroom and limit distractions. Instructors limit distractions not as a punitive measure or to sit in a place of judgment, but simply to cultivate space for purposeful and intentional learning related to the course discipline. Should distractions arise, the instructor will redirect the in class discussion and have a follow up conversation with the student, parent, and administrators after class. Should a student not cooperate in the redirection of the conversation, the student may be dismissed from the class for the day until the follow up conversation can take place. 

14. Student-to-Student Communications and Conduct

Students and parents are encouraged to build relationships with other members of our community. We hope to foster an environment that allows families from across the United States and the world to connect and grow together in their pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful!

Students (particularly those in Middle and Upper School) enjoy meeting new kids and building new friendships through their Scholé Academy courses. We’re delighted to see this happening.

It is the responsibility of parents to monitor the relationships their students are forging with other Scholé Academy students, as well as the social media tools their students use to communicate with others outside of our community.

Please note that while Scholé Academy uses Zoom Video Conferencing to host classes, and instructors supervise the interactions with students during live class sessions, Scholé Academy and its instructors do not take responsibility for nor do they monitor the use of student’s individual Zoom rooms or chats that take place outside of live classes.

Scholé Academy is not responsible for the conversations, meetings, or interactions of individual students who use their social engagement platforms to connect with other Scholé Academy students or those outside of our community. Social engagement platforms may include Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Canvas,  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

We fully support our parents and want to respect their authority and governance of their own children. When parents and students are communicating with members of our community, we hope those relationships will reflect the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22–23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

IV. Parent Agreement

In the essentials unity, in the nonessentials liberty, in all things charity.

— St. Augustine

Please note: Parents confirm this agreement by enrolling their student in a Scholé Academy course. Teaching children is a noble activity but also one that can create anxiety. After all, to hire someone to teach your child touches upon and impacts 1) your money, 2) your faith and life philosophy, and 3) the soul of your child. It is important, therefore, that we clarify what each party (Scholé Academy and the paying parent) expects from the other and to commit to treat one another with respect and charity.

What follows is a general description of what we (Scholé Academy) pledge to provide to the parent or guardian as the paying customer for our courses. This section is followed by a description of what the customer pledges to Scholé Academy, including the various logistical and financial responsibilities and student requirements. We look forward to a successful partnership, serving each other for the education of the next generation.

 

1. Scholé Academy Responsibilities

  • Scholé Academy will provide qualified instructors to teach students according to excellent academic standards while also cultivating noble affection and virtues in the souls and minds of students.
  • Scholé Academy instructors will follow the scholé learning philosophy of restful learning in a congenial online atmosphere.
  • Scholé Academy instructors will provide meaningful assessments to help students and parents gauge the academic progress of students and ensure they are on the path to mastery.
  • Scholé Academy instructors will neither upbraid nor humiliate students, but they will seek to guide, mentor, and correct students (including class behavior) in accordance with Christian love and wisdom. When a sensitive issue, offense, or grievance arises, instructors will seek to speak to students privately whenever possible.
  • Scholé Academy expects that the vast majority of discipline and behavior issues will be handled by means of meaningful conversation over the phone or Zoom between the instructor and student.
  • Scholé Academy expects that parent concerns and grievances will be handled by means of meaningful conversation between the principal, parent, and instructor.
  • Discipline and behavior issues that cannot be resolved by conversation between the instructor and student will be brought next to the parent or guardian’s attention.
  • Discipline and behavior issues will only be brought to the Scholé Academy principal when no resolution has been achieved after conversation over the phone or Zoom between the instructor and parent.
  • Scholé Academy expects principals, instructors, and parents to use proper language and etiquette when communicating through email, phone, and Zoom.
  • Scholé Academy will provide high-standard virtual classroom software and learning management system software, offering general support and guidance in order that parents and students can use these tools well.
  • Scholé Academy instructors recognize that parents have purchased a portion of their time and will set aside their course time for the purposes of course instruction, endeavoring to keep that time clear of personal obligations and responsibilities. This includes the instructor having regular childcare arranged for their own children. (Of course, we hope that families will be understanding if, on rare occasions, personal needs might dictate that the instructor adjust these expectations.)
  • Scholé Academy instructors will dress appropriately, avoiding sloppy attire and appearance and instead dress comfortably, yet still present a professional, tidy appearance.
  • Scholé Academy instructors (teaching in the Great Hall) will be respectful of the Christian traditions represented in their classrooms, while still endeavoring to shape the loves of the child and cultivate virtues through ecumenical Christian instruction. (See the “Christian Traditions and our School Community” section above.)

2. Parent and Guardian Responsibilities

  • Parents and guardians will support the school in the statements of Faith and Culture, affirming:
  • the sanctity of life (treating life as sacred from conception until natural death);
  • historic orthodox standards of human sexual behavior (including gender as assigned at birth, sexual identity, and chastity–exclusive monogamous fidelity within marriage and abstinence outside of marriage); and
  • Christian marriage which is defined as the sacramental union of one man and one woman.
  • Parents and guardians will encourage students to be diligent in the following areas:
    • timely completion and submission of all assignments
    • coming to class on time
    • participating in class discussions
    • maintaining respectful behavior in class
  • Outside of class, parents and guardians will seek to reinforce and complement the “restful learning” approach of Scholé Academy.
  • Parents will assist students by reviewing homework and written assignments, and helping students stay organized, on task, and on pace.
  • Parents will review the annual Academic Calendar to ensure that students are prepared ahead of time for upcoming classes.
  • Parents and guardians will trust the assessments of qualified instructors who are masters of their art and will generally refrain from challenging the assessments of instructors. Parents and guardians will, however, seek to understand the academic progress of students and engage instructors with questions when they need clarity and guidance in order to help their students.
  • Parents and guardians will encourage respectful behavior of students in class and in all communications with other students and instructors.
  • Parents and guardians will bring any offense or grievance privately to the instructor for resolution. Only after a discussion with the instructor fails to bring resolution will an offense or grievance be brought to the attention of the Scholé Academy principal.
  • Parents and guardians will bring any school wide offense or grievance to the principal for resolution. Only after a discussion with the principal fails to bring resolution will an offense or grievance be brought to the attention of the Scholé Academy Director.
  • Parents and guardians will ensure that students engage in the live classes with their videos turned on. Parents will likewise strive to ensure that students are protected from distractions while in class—especially outside chats and social media.
  • Parents and students will refrain from taking screen-shots of live classes or Canvas pages and sharing or posting those pictures in public places accessible to people outside of our school community or the student’s family.
  • Parents and students will not share or post Zoom Meeting ID numbers in public places accessible to people outside of our school community or the student’s family.
  • Parents and guardians will encourage their students to respectfully participate in all aspects of their courses, including class discussions, projects, peer evaluations, exchange of ideas, homework submissions, and shared class resources.
  • Parents and guardians will maintain good and respectful communication with Scholé Academy instructors and ensure that students are able to access the learning management system online. Parents and guardians will notify instructors and the Scholé Academy administration (at [email protected]) of any change in email address or phone number.
  • Parents and guardians will ensure that students make up any missed classes by viewing class recordings (distributed by the instructor) and completing any missed assignments. They will also help students follow the course description and syllabus, which will be distributed by Scholé Academy instructors.
  • Parents and guardians will ensure their student adheres to the attendance policy (see above).
  • Parents and guardians will ensure that suitable computer equipment (see “Classroom Technology” section above) is available and working so that students can access the online courses and use them well.
  • Parents with two or more students enrolled in the same Scholé Academy course may allow up to three students to use one computer, but parents must be responsible to ensure that audio and video will work well with the configuration. If the configuration will not work well, parents will be required to provide one working computer for each student. Scholé Academy encourages parents to provide one working computer for each student if at all possible.
  • Parents of students who are both receiving services from a CSLD Special Needs Instructor and who are enrolled in a corporate class must actively direct communication between those parties and the student. These parents must ensure that their student’s needs are communicated well to the appropriate party. They must make requests for recordings, meetings, and other needs from one party on behalf of the other. These parents are the owners of records and the managers of their student’s learning plan and team.

For any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at [email protected].