Sunday, October 7, 2012
Learning Tree Academy: 15 Days Left
Learning Tree Academy: 15 Days Left: Hey guys just another push for our indiegogo campaign. Here is what you can do to help. Please share this link http://igg.me/p/184961?...
15 Days Left
Hey guys just another push for our indiegogo campaign. Here is what you can do to help. Please share this link http://igg.me/p/184961?a=891101 on
facebook, twitter, linkedin, googleplus, digg and other social media
accounts. Or you can e-mail it to
friends or colleges you think could help spread the word. Ask all the above to share with folks. Make comments on the campaign and ask others
to.
So how does this help?
Every hit or comment improves our page rankings. The higher our rankings the more exposure we
have, the more people see our campaign, the more support we get. So please, please share the link and ask
others to as well, it is that simple.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Learning Tree Academy: Support Us!
Learning Tree Academy: Support Us!: Things have been busy since we started classes. Classes have been fun and busy and the kids have been really engaged. The childre...
Support Us!
Things have been busy since we started classes. Classes have been fun and busy and the kids
have been really engaged. The children
learned about Hokusai and woodblock printing and Michelangelo and frescos in
art so far. Spanish is fun (and loud!)
and is reinforced during our core day.
The weather has been our friend and we have lunched outside
and played for an hour each day with the exception of one.
We finally have a rock star logo (above) from the great Jeanne
Wilson at Markbeech Marketing http://markbeechmarketing.com/ We are so lucky she decided to share her
talent with us. We love how the logo
really represents what we are doing. We think it really shows how home and school are coming together to form something new in Richmond and you can’t miss the love. Thanks Jeanne! Your are talented and brilliant!
We have also launched a Indiegogo campaign. Our goal is to be able to provide this experience
to any family that is interested, regardless of their ability to pay. We really could use your support on many
levels. One thing we need to do is
improve our ranking so more people see our campaign. To help with this, spread the word. Ask people to stop by and visit. You stop by and visit. Also comment, comment, comment! It helps improve our rankings.
Look for an open house.
We are so tickled and thrilled with our “school” and we look forward to
sharing it with people. Even if it is
not something your are interested in, we would really love to show it off to
you!
Thanks for all the support and good thoughts!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Enrichment Classes Finalized
Please join us at our brand new co-op in the Westover Hills part of town. We currently have openings in the three following classes. If you have any questions at all, just email me (Vanessa) at: vlmccauley@verizon.net or call me at 804-231-3319. Deadline is September 3rd.
Our current enrichment schedule for elementary ages include the following classes.
Famous Artists -- a Mixed Media Class
Class focus: We'll focus on different artists from Michelangelo to Warhol, and the styles they used. We'll study the masters' techniques and what influenced these great artists. Kids will make their own creations using the particular master's stylistic approach.
Tuesdays 1:30-2:30
Cost $75/8 weeks (with a sibling discount)
Location: Westover Hills Methodist Church (1705 Westover Hills Blvd)
Instructor: Nan Johns. Nan majored in arts & crafts in college and spent years creating and selling her own jewelry.
Four openings left in the Famous Artists class.
Spanish -- ¡Pásala bien! (Have a good time!)
Have fun learning Spanish! In this fun class students will learn both conversational and formal Spanish.
Wednesdays 1:30-2:30
Cost $65/8 weeks (with a sibling discount)
Location: Westover Hills Methodist Church (1705 Westover Hills Blvd)
Instructor: Cassidy Thimpson, has a background in formal Spanish. Her fiancé, and native of El Salvador, however allowed her to develop her colloquial Spanish. She has had a passion since 7th grade and loves to share that with children!
Five openings left in
Spanish class.
Music Fundamentals- in this class children will learn basic music theory,
music history, vocal training, and rhythm exercises. This is a great fundamentals class to help
spark your child’s love of music!
Thursdays 1:30-2:30
Cost $100/8 weeks (with a sibling discount)
Location: Westover Hills Methodist Church (1705 Westover Hills Blvd)
Instructor: Matt Spangler- Began his passion for music at 4, playing the piano and organ. He graduated from Virginian Commonwealth University and earning his Bachelor of Music degree. He is currently the Director of Music for Westover Hills United Methodist Church and formed the Westover Hills Community Children's Choir. He has also been a Music Camp Director for the Greater Richmond Children's Choir.
Thursdays 1:30-2:30
Cost $100/8 weeks (with a sibling discount)
Location: Westover Hills Methodist Church (1705 Westover Hills Blvd)
Instructor: Matt Spangler- Began his passion for music at 4, playing the piano and organ. He graduated from Virginian Commonwealth University and earning his Bachelor of Music degree. He is currently the Director of Music for Westover Hills United Methodist Church and formed the Westover Hills Community Children's Choir. He has also been a Music Camp Director for the Greater Richmond Children's Choir.
Six openings left in
Music Fundamentals class. This class must make numbers. If it does not, you will be refunded September 4th by 5:00 p.m.
To enroll your child or children in the classes email me at vlmccauley@verizon.net. Make your check out to: Learning Tree Academy. If you prefer to pay by credit card below. If your child will take multiple classes or you are signing up more than one child e-mail me and I will send you and invoice. A discount will apply.
Please send your check to:
Vanessa McCauley
405 w. 32nd st
Richmond, Va 23225
We're looking forward to an exciting fall!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Fall 2012 Enrichment Classes
We'd like to share some enrichment classes we will be offering this year. We will choose the art classes based on interest, so when you respond, please let us know which classes interest you.
Currently we have Tuesdays at 1:30 reserved for art; however, if there is enough interest, will add another time slot as well.
Art classes are $85/8 weeks except for Art Fundamentals, which is $65/8 weeks.
Mixed Media Landscapes
Try out lots of different techniques from painting to printing to collage to building up textures with food! Create beautiful, interesting landscapes and learn about famous artists.
Recycled Sculptures
Use found and commonly discarded items to make art! We will use things like old shoes, plastic bottles, and computer parts to create robots, flowers, portraits and more. We will discuss reasons that artists might use discarded objects and how thinking creatively can help our world be a better place. Start collecting junk now!
Eastern Inspiration
Learn about art from Asia. We will practice brushstrokes, try out calligraphy, have a Japanese tea ceremony, paint dragons, and more. Put on your Kimono and join us!
Crafts
What are crafts? What is art? Why do people make things? Discuss form vs. function and try your hands at weaving, jewelry making, and mosaics.
All About Paper
In this class young artists will make their own paper from pulp, decorate paper with painting and stamping techniques, and use their paper to make journals and collages. We will also make altered books and experiment with adding text to our art with a little creative writing.
African Art
Learn about art and wildlife from big beautiful continent of Africa: from Ndebele architecture of the south, to masks of the Dogon, to animals of the Serengeti. Create paintings, prints, more.
Famous Artists
Learn about different artists (Monet, Matisse, Seurat, Van Gogh, etc) and the styles they employed. Learn about their techniques and make your own creations in their style.
Art Fundamentals
Let your child step into a world of art. In this class the teacher will cover different artistic mediums, from paint to drawing, collage and more.
Spanish
Wednesdays 1:30-2:30
Cost $75 1 day a week or $125 2 days a week
Have fun learning Spanish! In this fun class students will learn both conversational and formal Spanish.
Music
We plan to add a music class as well but are still working on the details.
We are located at 1705 Westover Hills Blvd in south Richmond (just south of the Boulevard Bridge).
Currently we have Tuesdays at 1:30 reserved for art; however, if there is enough interest, will add another time slot as well.
Art classes are $85/8 weeks except for Art Fundamentals, which is $65/8 weeks.
Mixed Media Landscapes
Try out lots of different techniques from painting to printing to collage to building up textures with food! Create beautiful, interesting landscapes and learn about famous artists.
Recycled Sculptures
Use found and commonly discarded items to make art! We will use things like old shoes, plastic bottles, and computer parts to create robots, flowers, portraits and more. We will discuss reasons that artists might use discarded objects and how thinking creatively can help our world be a better place. Start collecting junk now!
Eastern Inspiration
Learn about art from Asia. We will practice brushstrokes, try out calligraphy, have a Japanese tea ceremony, paint dragons, and more. Put on your Kimono and join us!
Crafts
What are crafts? What is art? Why do people make things? Discuss form vs. function and try your hands at weaving, jewelry making, and mosaics.
All About Paper
In this class young artists will make their own paper from pulp, decorate paper with painting and stamping techniques, and use their paper to make journals and collages. We will also make altered books and experiment with adding text to our art with a little creative writing.
African Art
Learn about art and wildlife from big beautiful continent of Africa: from Ndebele architecture of the south, to masks of the Dogon, to animals of the Serengeti. Create paintings, prints, more.
Famous Artists
Learn about different artists (Monet, Matisse, Seurat, Van Gogh, etc) and the styles they employed. Learn about their techniques and make your own creations in their style.
Art Fundamentals
Let your child step into a world of art. In this class the teacher will cover different artistic mediums, from paint to drawing, collage and more.
Spanish
Wednesdays 1:30-2:30
Cost $75 1 day a week or $125 2 days a week
Have fun learning Spanish! In this fun class students will learn both conversational and formal Spanish.
Music
We plan to add a music class as well but are still working on the details.
We are located at 1705 Westover Hills Blvd in south Richmond (just south of the Boulevard Bridge).
If you are interested e-mail me at vlmccauley@verizon.net. There is a discount for multiple classes.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
A Change is Going to Do Some Good
We have been quite for a while but we have been busy.
We will be meeting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The academics are done the first part of the
day. We will have roughly 1.5 hours of
learning, a break (for outdoor or indoor unstructured play), and additional 1
hours of learning then a break for lunch and then enrichment. During learning
time we want the kids out of their seats as much as possible, doing hands on
learning. Over the next week we should present
the year schedule and more details.
Information on enrichment will come in an additional post.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
SUPPLY LIST 2012 - 2013
3
- 10 packs of #2 pencils (sharpened) (Best Deal in office supply dept. - pack
of 10 for $.47)
1
- Bottle Elmers school glue (4 oz. bottle)
1
- 2 piece pack pink pearl erasers
1
- Pack 4 X 6 index cards
2
- Boxes crayons (24 Count)
2
- Packs colored pencils (12 count)
2
- Yellow HiLiters
1
- 12" ruler (1/2", inch and centimeters) wood or clear plastic
12
- Glue Sticks
1
- Pair age appropriate scissors
2
- small packs loose leaf notebook paper (wide rule about 50 pages total)
4
- Spiral bound notebooks (70 page, wide rule)
2
- Pocket folders (no prongs, plastic, solid color)
2
- Pocket folders (with prongs, plastic, solid color)
2
- Packs of multi colored construction paper (best buy is dollar store)
2 - Standard 6 color watercolor set
1 - artists pack of paint brushes (variety of sizes $4.97 at Wal-Mart)
2 - Standard 6 color watercolor set
1 - artists pack of paint brushes (variety of sizes $4.97 at Wal-Mart)
(All
of the above are at Target and WalMart now at the back to school sale prices! The
Academy will provide a storage box for each child. Please label every
item you purchase, so we know where to return any leftovers at year end.)
2
- Large boxes of Kleenex
1
- Containers Clorox/Lysol Disinfecting wipes
1 - Large Tub of Baby Wipes
1 - Large Tub of Baby Wipes
4
- Rolls of Paper Towels
1
- can of spray Lysol
1
- Large men's dress shirt for art smock (best buy is at GoodWill if you don't
have an old one at home)
1
- Roll of toilet tissue
Friday, July 13, 2012
Meeting Update July 12th.
It was a really great meeting. We had two new families. If we keep this up we might outgrow meeting
at a home and may have to switch to a meeting place.
We reviewed the cost breakdown. I also ran numbers based on hiring a teacher
just 3 days a week. We also talked about what is the maximum
everyone can afford. I didn’t get
everyone’s numbers, but will be reaching out this week to find out. It looks like $3,000 or less is the number we
are looking at. For us to hit that price
and hire a teacher 5 days we will need 7-8 students, so would need a few more
families. It does seem that we should
easily be able to hire a teacher 3 days a week.
With that said, we are reviewing
resumes and will decide if we should re-post an ad now that we have a more
clear image of what we need from a teacher.
We agreed we all should interview the teacher.
One thing the new parents suggested
was that we have more information on the blog. What is going to be expected of
the parents, how much will they be required to teach. We will work on getting that written and on
the blog.
We talked about doing a neighborhood
market as a fundraiser. We have reached
out to Woodland Heights Baptist and they might be interested in letting us use
their parking lot. Everyone thought it
could be a good idea.
We are going to start working on a
outreach campaign to grow our numbers.
We will be putting information out on homeschooling groups, flyers in
target rich areas and doing some press releases.
Next meeting is Thursday July 19th
at 2:00. Please let me know if you are
coming. I might need to see if we can
find a meeting place.
So…You Are Not a Homeschooler, Don’t Want To Be a Homeschooler and Frankly Think Homeschoolers Are Weird? Why You Should Still Consider Learning Tree
I know what you are thinking: “I don’t want to homeschool!” There are probably 5,000 reasons in your arsenal as to why homeschooling is a terrible idea. So why on earth, if you are 100% sure homeschooling is not right for you, would you consider this?
It is an excellent question. Maybe you shouldn’t. However, maybe you should. Clear? No, I suspect not. Let me help.
First ask yourself the following:
If you answered yes to any or all of the above, keep reading. If you answered mostly no, then we are probably not a great fit for you. However, feel free to keep reading anyway.
Homeschooling Myth and Reality
The reality is that in a traditional homeschooling paradigm, the burden of teaching falls fully on parents. Either they have to teach subjects at which they are not great, or just don’t enjoy, or they have to find someone else to teach those subjects -- usually at a cost. It also requires them to find and coordinate art, music, physical education and social outlets. It often feels like more than a full-time job to do all of this. There is a constant fear that no matter how much you do, it is never “enough.”
It is hard to find all the resources to give your child the education you wanted when you decided to homeschool. Sometimes it feels if the idea of homeschooling in your head was a far more dreamy endeavor that the reality of it has become.
However, the massive benefit to homeschooling is that YOU decide what your child learns. So, if, for instance, your child is an avid reader, she isn’t stuck reading at a 1st grade level along with the class, getting bored and frustrated; instead, she can skip ahead to more challenging books. It also means if she struggles with a subject or concept, you can take as much time as needed to make sure she is comfortable with the material before moving on. There are no looming SOLs forcing your hand or setting your pace.
Nothing is Perfect….Nope, Not Even This!
In public (or even private) schools, you have little control over the curriculum content. You have little say on policies, either. That said, you also have a lot less individual responsibility for your child’s education. Your children also have a built in peer group.
With homeschooling, you have complete control over your child’s educational experience. But that also means the burden rests squarely on your shoulders. You also have to piecemeal extracurricular activities and schedule social time with a peer group for your child.
Here’s the idea behind Learning Tree. As a homeschooling cooperative, we, the parents, will have input on curriculum content. You will share the responsibility with a teacher and with the other parents. The multi-level classroom will give children the chance to be grouped by ability for some activities, by age for others, and will allow for group learning activities and peer-assisted learning. Your children will have a built-in peer group, with whom they will be able to interact both in an educational setting and during unstructured outdoor time and lunch time.
So what is the downside? Obviously, there will be a financial cost, which we hope will be minor compared to private school tuition. And of course there will be a time commitment, because part of the cooperative experience is pitching in and helping out. You will be responsible for helping with the education of your child. Perhaps you don’t want to teach. That is okay. Instead you might do library runs, or keep the books, or line up guests to come and teach, or find field trips. Finally, while you do have a voice in the shaping of the school, so do other families. That could mean compromise. It also means that every family is very important to the overall growth and success of the school.
So why compromise? Why bother? Why pay? Imagine what your child’s educational experience will be like when he/she has not only a teacher, but a group of parents to help teach that currently have expertise in:
Gardening
Building
Dancing
Creative Writing
Art
Business
Music
Social Work
Foreign Languages
Ancient History
Crafts
Cooking
And these parents have friends that have offered to help with:
Cultural studies
Art History
Computers
Science
Geometry
Plays/Drama
Papyrus Making
Public Speaking
And the list grows as we grow! We have access to a rich community. This will create an amazingly diverse and rewarding school experience. To sum up, it is homeschooling, but with the support of a teacher and community. I guess you could think of it as Homeschooling lite, or traditional school on steroids. You pick.
We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our neighbors. That is how change takes place in living systems, not from above but from within, from many local actions occurring simultaneously.
-- Grace Lee Boggs
"Average people and the average community can change the world. You can do it just based on common sense, determination, persistence and patience."
~ Lois Gibbs
It is an excellent question. Maybe you shouldn’t. However, maybe you should. Clear? No, I suspect not. Let me help.
First ask yourself the following:
- Do I think the current public schools are a good fit for me and my child?
- Would you, if you could, send your child to a private school?
- Do you think class sizes are too big?
- Do you think SOLs are not the way to pace your child’s school experience?
- Are you willing to help with your child’s educational experience, but not willing to be 100% responsible for it?
If you answered yes to any or all of the above, keep reading. If you answered mostly no, then we are probably not a great fit for you. However, feel free to keep reading anyway.
Homeschooling Myth and Reality
The reality is that in a traditional homeschooling paradigm, the burden of teaching falls fully on parents. Either they have to teach subjects at which they are not great, or just don’t enjoy, or they have to find someone else to teach those subjects -- usually at a cost. It also requires them to find and coordinate art, music, physical education and social outlets. It often feels like more than a full-time job to do all of this. There is a constant fear that no matter how much you do, it is never “enough.”
It is hard to find all the resources to give your child the education you wanted when you decided to homeschool. Sometimes it feels if the idea of homeschooling in your head was a far more dreamy endeavor that the reality of it has become.
However, the massive benefit to homeschooling is that YOU decide what your child learns. So, if, for instance, your child is an avid reader, she isn’t stuck reading at a 1st grade level along with the class, getting bored and frustrated; instead, she can skip ahead to more challenging books. It also means if she struggles with a subject or concept, you can take as much time as needed to make sure she is comfortable with the material before moving on. There are no looming SOLs forcing your hand or setting your pace.
Nothing is Perfect….Nope, Not Even This!
In public (or even private) schools, you have little control over the curriculum content. You have little say on policies, either. That said, you also have a lot less individual responsibility for your child’s education. Your children also have a built in peer group.
With homeschooling, you have complete control over your child’s educational experience. But that also means the burden rests squarely on your shoulders. You also have to piecemeal extracurricular activities and schedule social time with a peer group for your child.
Here’s the idea behind Learning Tree. As a homeschooling cooperative, we, the parents, will have input on curriculum content. You will share the responsibility with a teacher and with the other parents. The multi-level classroom will give children the chance to be grouped by ability for some activities, by age for others, and will allow for group learning activities and peer-assisted learning. Your children will have a built-in peer group, with whom they will be able to interact both in an educational setting and during unstructured outdoor time and lunch time.
So what is the downside? Obviously, there will be a financial cost, which we hope will be minor compared to private school tuition. And of course there will be a time commitment, because part of the cooperative experience is pitching in and helping out. You will be responsible for helping with the education of your child. Perhaps you don’t want to teach. That is okay. Instead you might do library runs, or keep the books, or line up guests to come and teach, or find field trips. Finally, while you do have a voice in the shaping of the school, so do other families. That could mean compromise. It also means that every family is very important to the overall growth and success of the school.
So why compromise? Why bother? Why pay? Imagine what your child’s educational experience will be like when he/she has not only a teacher, but a group of parents to help teach that currently have expertise in:
Gardening
Building
Dancing
Creative Writing
Art
Business
Music
Social Work
Foreign Languages
Ancient History
Crafts
Cooking
And these parents have friends that have offered to help with:
Cultural studies
Art History
Computers
Science
Geometry
Plays/Drama
Papyrus Making
Public Speaking
And the list grows as we grow! We have access to a rich community. This will create an amazingly diverse and rewarding school experience. To sum up, it is homeschooling, but with the support of a teacher and community. I guess you could think of it as Homeschooling lite, or traditional school on steroids. You pick.
We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our neighbors. That is how change takes place in living systems, not from above but from within, from many local actions occurring simultaneously.
-- Grace Lee Boggs
"Average people and the average community can change the world. You can do it just based on common sense, determination, persistence and patience."
~ Lois Gibbs
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Weekly Update July 5-10th
I have finally got an e-mail group done (please e-mail learningtreeacademyrva@gmial.com). Sad it has taken so long but we have been so
focused on other things.
Those of you at the meeting this past week know we settled
on a place for fall! Westover Hills
Methodist will be our home come September.
Here is a link to their webpage http://westoverhillsumc.org/
Besides deciding on a space this week we discussed teacher
resumes, what our plans are if we don’t get enough number to hire a teacher,
how to promote our group and fundraisers and touched on extracurricular
activities.
Reaching folks and getting them involved (even just to
support what we are doing continues to be a struggle). So anyone that has ideas on how to reach people or ideas for some
fundraisers please let me know.
Our facility and insurance costs were quite a bit less than
anticipated. Previously we had
anticipated that the cost per family with 8-10 students would be
$3,200-3,800. With what we have saved
our numbers are now at $2,950-2,400 for 8-10.
So that is great news. Hopefully
with more firm numbers and a home we will find it easier to attract people interested
in what we are doing.
That said, we did decided that even if we cannot get our
numbers to the point that hiring an instructor is a financial reality this year
we will continue as a traditional cooperative and look to hiring next year. We
all felt that the building was a huge hurtle and with that resolved we should
find the rest gets easier. So sink or
swim we are opening September!
We will meet this week at 2:00 p.m. Thursday. Meet at my
house again, as the weather seems iffy.
Children welcome!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Learning Tree Academy: Gourmet on the Go
Learning Tree Academy: Gourmet on the Go: Time for our next fundraiser. We are super lucky to have recieved the donation of time by 2 chefs to help pepare a menue and dinner for ...
Learning Tree Academy: It Was No Cake Walk
Learning Tree Academy: It Was No Cake Walk: Sometimes... well typically really, things you think will be a total cake walk simply are not. When deciding to do this I thought findin...
It Was No Cake Walk
Sometimes... well typically really, things you think will be
a total cake walk simply are not. When deciding
to do this I thought finding a teacher that was versed in child centered
learning, that also wanted to teach part time, would be near impossible to
find. I thought finding a space that
could accommodate us that wouldn’t kill the budget would be impossible. I was
wrong… on both fronts.
We have had so many wonderful teachers contact us who were
interested in the position. Who knew! It
made me realize we were on to something that not only resonated with parents,
but with teachers.
However, I had no idea space would be so hard to find and so
expensive! The first place we looked at
I think falsely set our expectations. It
was a great space and the price was right.
So with that we set off to look at many, many, many more places thinking
that the first place was just our jumping off point. Either the space was wrong, or they were not interested
in having a cooperative or they wanted way too much or typically all three. Frustrated we had almost forgotten out our
first place. So we went back to the beginning
and realized we should have just stopped there ages ago.
We have signed no lease, so nothing is official; however,
barring any complications we are proud to tell you our new home will be
Westover Hills Methodist Church.
We hope to have some open houses once everything is
official. Stay tuned!
Here is a link to the church
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Learning Tree Academy: The Bottom Line Folks
Learning Tree Academy: The Bottom Line Folks: The last meeting we had was great. One suggestion was to give you guys tuition numbers. I have been really reticent to do that, because ...
The Bottom Line Folks
The last meeting we had was great. One suggestion was to give you guys tuition numbers. I have been really reticent to do that, because it will be based on enrollment. However, the suggestion was to give you the numbers the best I could.
To hire a teacher and secure a facility we will need 8 students. If we enroll 8-10 students tuition will be in the $3,200-$3,800/student range.
That said..., that is for the full day. We have people that are interested in just doing enrichment, and we also have fundraisers. I would like to see those get the total cost of tuition down to $500-$800 less per student. Clearly if we get more students over 12 the cost goes down. If we do not meet our enrollment of 8 we have a decision of forgoing a teacher or forgoing a facility for the first year.
We are meeting Thursday at 2:00. Again e-mail me, I think it will be at my house again. Even if you are not enrolling this upcoming year, please come. This is an opportunity to shape the program. We need to start figuring out the enrichment as well. So again, if you are a homeschooler and just interested in the enrichment part of the day, come and let us know what you want!
I will try and remember to post a meeting outline prior to the meeting!
To hire a teacher and secure a facility we will need 8 students. If we enroll 8-10 students tuition will be in the $3,200-$3,800/student range.
That said..., that is for the full day. We have people that are interested in just doing enrichment, and we also have fundraisers. I would like to see those get the total cost of tuition down to $500-$800 less per student. Clearly if we get more students over 12 the cost goes down. If we do not meet our enrollment of 8 we have a decision of forgoing a teacher or forgoing a facility for the first year.
We are meeting Thursday at 2:00. Again e-mail me, I think it will be at my house again. Even if you are not enrolling this upcoming year, please come. This is an opportunity to shape the program. We need to start figuring out the enrichment as well. So again, if you are a homeschooler and just interested in the enrichment part of the day, come and let us know what you want!
I will try and remember to post a meeting outline prior to the meeting!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Learning Tree Academy: Weekly Meetings
Learning Tree Academy: Weekly Meetings: We will be having weekly meetings to discuss, curriculum, fund raising, and schedules. We would love your input even if you don’t plan t...
Weekly Meetings
We will be having weekly meetings to discuss, curriculum,
fund raising, and schedules. We would
love your input even if you don’t plan to participate until the following year. This is your chance to shape the
academy! We meet every Thursday at
2:00. To find out the meeting place
contact us to be added to our meeting e-mails.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Learning Tree Academy: Salsa For a Cause
Learning Tree Academy: Salsa For a Cause: We are selling some amazing salsa to help raise money for our filing fees. It is super fresh tasting, loaded with lime and cilantro with...
Salsa For a Cause
We are selling some amazing salsa to help raise money for
our filing fees. It is super fresh
tasting, loaded with lime and cilantro with a bit of a kick. It is just $5for a 16 oz. container.
If you live in the forest hill/westoverhills/woodland height
area we will deliver Sunday 6/03 between 12-4, please just note the
address. Otherwise we can arrange for
pick the same day.
You can pay via paypal below.
You can pay via paypal below.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Learning Tree Academy: And Just WHAT are we doing again?
Learning Tree Academy: And Just WHAT are we doing again?: I feel quite confident if you are here or watching us via Facebook your biggest question is, “what will this cooperative look like.” A...
And Just WHAT are we doing again?
I feel quite confident if
you are here or watching us via Facebook your biggest question is, “what will
this cooperative look like.” And really,
it is the most important question. If
you are like me, you have a clear vision on what you want your child’s
education to look and feel like. So I am
going to attempt to paint a picture.
Please feel free to chime in with questions or comments!
Learning Tree Academy
Overview:We are looking to do something that
has not been done in the Richmond area by marrying homeschooling with a more
“school” like environment.
School for most is looked at as a one
stop shop. You drop your children off and when they are picked up that
day, they have been “educated.” Typically, the most parental involvement
that families have with hands on instruction is with their children’s homework.
Conversely, most homeschoolers bear not only the task of educating their
children entirely, but also serving as social intermediary. Our approach
is different.
We see learning as an active process
that occurs between student, teacher and parents. All have to be engaged in the
process. Think of the academy as an educational tool to help redistribute the
burden, not to remove it. The emphasis is on the intersection where home
and “school” come together, as such learning should extend beyond classroom
time. There will be a teacher on site approximately 3 hours a day.
The learning will be child centered, but facilitated by the teacher. The
teacher will introduce concepts to your child within a rich setting and your
child will have different modalities in which to explore the concept. Sometimes
that may be all your child needs, sometimes they will need you to help
reinforce things beyond the classroom. You will meet periodically
with the teacher and they will review concepts that they will be introducing in
class that you should be reinforcing at home. You will also find out
areas in which your child shows particular interest or talent. There
should never be a time when you are not aware of what is happening in the
classroom at a given period or not clear on your child’s interests and areas
you might want to watch or support.
After instruction, the children will
all share lunch together. The second part of the day is
enrichment. Depending on what is decided going into that year,
enrichment might involve contracting an outside instructor to do some classes
or it might be parent led.
The other thing that will be unique
about what we are doing is you can choose to do a whole day or just our
enrichment program. One of the frustrations with homeschooling is
having to drive all over town to find enrichment activities for your
children. We would like to open the enrichment part to homeschoolers not
interested in the academic day, but want a “one and done” place to provide
their children with access to arts, music, language and more.
Curriculum:The academy will take a child centered
approach. Child centered learning is a philosophy of education that
focuses on learning by doing. To paint a clearer picture, let’s say the
concept being taught is fractions. The teacher will introduce the
concept. To reinforce the concept the children will be given an option of
either using a mixing bowl and water and various measuring cups to explore how
many quarter, or eighth cups make a whole cup of water, or they might want to
go to the area that has a play pizza to explore fractions, and if they are a
worksheet sort of kid, they can do a worksheet. After they explore, they then
have the opportunity to present to their classmate what they found. This not
only builds their confidence and understanding of the skill, but allows the
other students to learn at a peer to peer level. What is important is that they
explore and use the concept in a way that is meaningful and concrete to
them. It is an approach that allows the teacher to individualize
the learning process for your child.
Parents Role in the Academy : Your role is important. In fact,
it is critical in reducing the cost of your fees. The amount of time you are
responsible for will be determined by enrollment. While not everyone is
comfortable leading a class there are many, many other ways you can contribute.
Planning field trips
Helping clean the space
Paperwork and Bookkeeping
Library Runs (to get material
pertinent to the class)
Fundraising
What if I Work Full Time or Can Not
Complete My Hours: The “dues” are based on the assumption
you will not complete your hours. While most of your dues will go directly to pay for building fees and
teacher fees, a portion is held in escrow. At midterm, if you have
completed your hours required you will be refunded half the amount held in
escrow. At year end, if you complete the hours required you will be given
the remainder. You will have a set amount of time you are responsible for per
week. You cannot hold your time and “knock it out” the last month or so.
As a reminder, this refers to in
school time. No matter the circumstance you will still need to be engaged
in co teaching your children at home if this is going to be successful for your
child.
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