FAQ

Q: Do I have to homeschool my kids to participate?
A: If you choose to enroll your student full time for a more typical school experience, you won’t be responsible for the instruction, simply for keeping a record of your students’ work. The record keeping process is as simple as keeping a file of the work your students bring home.
Alternately, if you already homeschool, you may select a few individual courses to supplement your homeschool program.
If you have further questions about the details of our cooperative model, contact us any time!

Q: What are the advantages of operating as a cooperative and not a private school?
A: As a “cooperative,” and not a “private school,” we provide options for both part-time or full-time school attendance. We also have tremendous flexibility to provide classical instruction in the ways we see fit, on the schedule we see fit, without heavy government involvement.
For instance, our 4 day school weeks and Field Day Fridays, designed to give families more time together, would not be possible without the cooperative model.

Q: Where did the school’s name come from?
A: The peace prayer of St. Francis has played a prominent role in our lives for some time now. Both the prayer and the life of the man are instructive and encouraging. St. Francis of Assisi lived a beautiful life worthy of imitation. If you’d like to read a brief biography of the Saint, G.K. Chesterton wrote a wonderful one called simply, Saint Francis of Assisi.

Q: Is this a Catholic school?
A: While our tutors teach from a Protestant perspective, the academy is an ecumenical endeavor. We highly value the writings, liturgies, and traditions of the historic and global Church. We intend for our faculty, advisors, and student body to represent the beautiful ecumenical variety in the Church. We are pleased to currently have staff and supporters who are Anglican, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Christians.

Q: Why is baptism a prerequisite for admission?
A: St. Francis Classical is a discipleship model school. Our primary goal is not to make new Christians, but to help parents train up their children in the way of Yahweh. We believe, in accord with the Scriptures and the historic councils and creeds of the church (Council of Trent, the Westminster Confession, London Baptist Confession, etc….), that baptism is the sacrament applied to an individual by the Church, in obedience to Christ’s command, that joins him to the visible Body of Christ. As such, it is an appropriate prerequisite to admission into a discipleship school.

Q: Can I pay tuition over time?
A: Yes. Many families pay on a 10 month payment plan.

Q: What are some of the benefits of integrated Humane Letters courses?
A: The integrated Humane Letters course:
– Safeguards time and space for dialectic – for students to dwell on the normative concerns of old books
– Fosters the Tutor-student relationship as the labors of students are carefully directed and rewarded by their Tutors
– Creates the opportunity for the formation of moral character through the study of the classics
– Provides students with an ideological and philosophical foundation for all later learning and life

Q: What are Field Day Fridays?
A: In the spirit of broad and beautiful education, the Tutors at St. Francis Classical offer once-a-month Field Day Fridays to any student enrolled in at least one class. Attendance at Field Day Fridays is entirely optional. Activities will be announced ahead of time and may include lessons and hands-on experience with the following:

Beekeeping
Gardening
Millinery
Sewing
Drawing
Painting
Bread Baking
Horseback Riding
Auto Repair and Maintenance
Animal Husbandry
Butchery
Pasture Management
Wood Splitting
Knot Tying
Sailing
Seine and Cast Net Fishing

Q: May parents and other siblings come to Field Day Fridays?
A: Absolutely. We value the involvement of parents and siblings and the fellowship that will accompany Field Days. We simply ask that parents consider the kinds of activities being held on those days, and that parents take responsibility for the care of their own children when parents are able to join us.

Q: How do combined classes work?
A: Though we hope they will not always be necessary, combined classes certainly have a place at a young institution. Our Tutors have prior experience teaching combined classes with great success. For humanities courses, Tutors with students from multiple grade levels will present lessons to the entire class, expecting students to glean from the lessons at different levels. Assessments and assignments will be grade level appropriate and tailored to the student.
In math and science courses, Tutors with students from multiple grade levels will present lessons to the entire class whenever possible, and will spend time with students from each grade level, instructing them in their specific discipline on their level. Through careful classroom management, Tutors ensure that there is never any downtime and that students have the instruction and attention they need to understand the material presented. If you’d like to see our Tutors in action, we’re always happy for parents to come observe in the classroom.

Q: Do you grant diplomas?
A: We are not a diploma granting institution.

Q: Do you have a sports program?
A: Many of our students choose to participate once a week in intramural extracurriculars.

Q: How involved is homeschool record keeping and administration?
A: Keeping records at home is very simple. We recommend keeping a binder for each child with dividers to separate school years. (Florida only requires parents to keep the most recent two years worth of homeschool material.)

In each binder, you will simply need two forms and samples of the work that your students complete throughout the year. That’s it! There’s no need to keep everything your students complete, or to create any fancy documentation.
The first form is a notification to the State that you’re beginning to homeschool. (We’re happy to help with this.)
The second form is an evaluation completed each year by a state certified teacher. We’ll provide you with this one each year. Once a year, we’ll invite a state certified teacher to the school, and have all of the students evaluated. On the day of the evaluation, your student will return home with a copy of their form for their binder.