FAQS
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HOW MUCH IS SCHOOL TUITION?
Each family will pay a family fee each semester to contribute to rent, insurance, training and other administrative costs. The fee is $175 per family, each semester.
Class Tuition will be approximately $10-$45 per class, per student. Afternoon Inspiration Elective Classes will each charge a supply fees. Please see the current class registration for this semester's class fees.
WHEN AND WHERE DO WE MEET?
We will meet one day a week, on Tuesdays, between September through April at the Westside Church of Christ in Beaverton.
DAILY SCHEDULE
We will begin our day with a morning devotional, follow by morning classes and lunch. Juniors leave after lunch, while Scholars have an opportunity to sign up for afternoon elective classes.
CALENDAR
We will run on a 12 week Semester Schedule plus one week for Family Adventures.
WHAT DO THE JUNIOR CLASSES LOOK LIKE?
Junior classes begin in the morning after our opening devotional and will last 2 hours.
Click here to check out the Juniors Program page for more information.
WHAT DO THE SCHOLAR CLASSES LOOK LIKE?
The foundation of the Scholar program is reading and discussing classics. We will also offer "Inspirations" Electives in the afternoon and condensed LEMI Projects as requested by students and parents. All classes are supplemental to a student's education, to enable scholars to continue pursuing their own chosen scholar phase interests.
HOW WILL I KNOW WHICH KEYSTONE LEVEL TO PUT MY TEEN IN? WHY AREN'T THE CLASSES BASED ON AGE?
Every child develops at his or her own pace. Since we follow A Thomas Jefferson Education model, our classes are designed to follow the developmental phases of each child to determine their placement. We have a list of developmental markers for each class, this will help us all aide in the correct placement of each child.
Click here to check out the Developmental Milestones list for each Scholar Class.
WHAT ARE SCHOLAR "INSPIRATIONS" CLASSES?
When you have the whole world to explore, it might be hard to know where to start! These classes are designed to be short introductions to exciting topics and skills, taught by talented and passionate members of INSPIRE or invited community members, and chosen by the scholars and parents. These classes will have minimal homework out of class time, so to protect the scholar’s time for love of learning and personal studies at home. Afternoon scholar classes are open to any youth ages 8+ for INSPIRE members, or 11+ outside of INSPIRE, with approval from the Mentor and Scholar Director.
WHO TEACHES THE CLASSES AND HOW DO I GET TRAINED TO TEACH?
We will all have an opportunity to mentor and assistant mentor a class. We are a community of parents who mentor each other's children. We support parents as their children's primary mentors and so we train parents to mentor as well as to continue their own education. Trainings will occur 4-6 times a year. We also have a 2 day Training prior to the start of the school year. These training opportunities will help us all develop mentoring skills.
HOW WILL I KNOW HOW TO DO THIS AT HOME?
Every home will do things differently based on their individual interests and needs. Since we are a community we are here to help and support each other. We offer trainings, book suggestions, and getting started videos.
Click here to check out our Videos page.
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Here's a list of books that can help you on your homeschooling journey:
A Thomas Jefferson Education, by Oliver DeMille
For The Love of Learning, Giving Your Children a LOLIPOP Education, by Amy Edwards
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, by John Taylor Gatto
A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion, by Oliver DeMille, Rachel DeMille and Diann Jeppson​
Charlotte Mason Companion, by Karen Andreola
Know and Tell, by Karen Glass
HOW WILL THE SCHOOL RUN? WILL I HAVE A SAY?
We are a family run school, so leadership will be selected from the members by the members.
CAN I TOUR THE SCHOOL?
During the school year you can contact us to set up a day to tour the school. The school year runs September - April.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN?
Families or guardians with children above nursery age are welcome to join, and other community and family members may be asked to mentor. Prior to joining, parents are asked to read our core philosophy books: A Thomas Jefferson Education, agree to our statement of faith, agree to follow a leadership education model at home and sign a participation waiver. To continue participation each year we require at least one parent to teach a weekly class, serve on a committee and attend the parent trainings.
WHAT IS MY TIME COMMITMENT?
We are a volunteer run community. Each family is asked to contribute in three ways:
1. Mentor a morning class each week
2. Volunteer on a committee or job
3. Help with childcare or cleaning rotations
WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL RULES?
We believe is few and sensible rules. And we also believe in setting clear expectations from the start. So we ask each family member to read and sign our Behavior Code of Conduct. And here are a few rules.