Beginning with High School

[ShaunaN]

If you were starting an MP cottage school or MP-related co-op with a focus on high schoolers, what classes would you offer?

My oldest child will be in 9th grade next year. We're new to our city and the homeschooling groups are pretty sparse in our area. My husband is a pastor serving two parishes, one of which has an empty, well-maintained school attached to it. So I have a space. I know the general advice is to start with offering Latin, but I'm pretty certain we won't have other interested families whose students would be ready for Fourth Form. Maybe a literature class or Logic?

It's important to me that my son has a group of peers for his high school years, and I think I need to build something for that to happen. My only other option that I'm aware of is to drive about an hour for Classical Conversations, which would not be my preference.

[DiannaKennedy]

I just want to say, BLESS you for recognizing the need and striving to build that community.

So, you may not have folks who can be ready for Fourth Form, but what if you switched up and did Henle I instead for high schoolers?

I agree with adding Logic. I'm tagging Nerdmom so that she can chime in with ideas for an MP program for older kids.

[Shane S]

Hello Shauna, I think logic is a great idea! I also think that you could offer literature and classical studies. For classical studies specifically, t can be a significant benefit to parents if you offer them a course that covers the Epics or Greek Tragedies. Those are hard courses to find! Really these classes are just book studies, so you don't need a seasoned teacher necessarily. You just need someone brave enough to dive head first into the Aeneid and then lead students through the MP guides. I've seen this done in several hybrid schools and would be happy to talk more with you about it if you're ever interested. Give me a call at 502-855-4824!

[Nerdmom]

Starting with high school can be tricky, because students haven't had similar backgrounds. But if I were to try, I'd start with Latin, logic, classical studies, and literature. If I had more time/resources, I'd add in music (choir, probably) and some sort of art (drawing lessons, calligraphy, etc - something with a structured focus, not just a free-for-all).

Best of luck to you!

[ShaunaN]

Thanks, Nerdmom and Shane S, for your feedback. I love the idea of adding in music!

[Gradchica]

If you have the ability to add a science, that would likely bring many students. Judging by what I see people in my area looking for, HS science seems to be very intimidating for many homeschoolers and sharing the burden of purchasing lab equipment in (even a smaller) group would likely be well received.

I am not starting an official cottage school, rather enlarging a co-op that uses a lot of MP materials. Next year is our first “big” year and our first year with HS students. We are offering Literature, Logic, Science, Math, Classics, Religion, History, Spanish, and 1st Form Greek. We are building in Sacred Music through our Christian Studies component of Classics. Our HS students who take Latin are continuing on with MP online or on their own.

Our MS group has writing and Latin as well. Both of those, along with science, seem to be very appreciated.

[ShaunaN]

Thanks, Gradchica, for the science suggestion. I agree that science is something many parents are intimidated to teach (myself included!).

Your course offerings are impressive! Are you using the sacred music course from MP? Will you have a choir as well?

[Gradchica]

ShaunaN, we are excited to expand our music next year. Currently we have a music and art appreciation class for 3-5th grade, so we will continue that and add a similar middle school class. We plan on using Prof Carol’s Early Sacred Music and MP’s new HS Art course along with Story of Christianity to form one class for HS level.

We won’t have a formal choir, since many of our students are in choir through their churches or a local homeschool band/choir/orchestra program. We do plan on incorporating a Latin hymn study per quarter and will make that hymn part of a weekly before school communal Morning Prayer/Lauds.

Most of our students are musicians, so we are looking into a music extra curricular club for them to work on pieces together for fun and to sometimes perform for the group during lunch or at our bi-annual Night of Beauty (an evening where all the families get together and students recite poetry, sing, or play a musical piece either with classmates or solo). Last month we had everything from a rock drum solo to violin/piano duets to a class recitation of the first paragraph of the Iliad to a full Horatius recitation. Our students are already planning what they’ll do for our next Night, so I’m hoping we can incorporate some music from our classes next year.

[ShaunaN]

Gradchica, that all sounds lovely!