Frequently Asked Questions
What are your school hours? What does a school day look like/sample schedule?
Students should arrive between 8:00-8:10 in the morning. We will start chapel at 8:10 and parents and younger children are welcome to join us for chapel on Thursdays. At 8:30 instruction will begin, and each student will go to their assigned class until 12:30. At the Grammar stage, students will study Bible, World History (starting with the Ancients), various sciences at each age level, Math, Latin, Phonetics/Spelling/Vocabulary, Grammar/Writing/and Handwriting, Literature, and Recitation. The class day flexes according to the teacher’s agenda and often times the classes blend into one another. For instance, a student may be studying Egyptian Pharaohs in History alongside their Bible reading from Exodus with a Recitation of the Ten Commandments and a writing assignment that connects all of the above. The goal of classical, Christian education is to make learning connective and integrative.
What happens during optional afternoon Enrichment?
After 12:30, the activities for Enrichment will vary for different ages. There will be opportunities for clubs, one-on-one tutorial with our after-school tutors or teachers as well as quiet time for reading and study. Students who elect this option should be able to complete any out-of-class assignments during this time.
Why will my child be registered as a homeschooler with the state of Arkansas?
Do I have to homeschool my children also?
As the parent, you are the primary educator of your child, whether s/he attends home, private, or public school. At Sager Classical Academy, parents register their children as homeschoolers because they will not be enrolled for a full-day of instruction for five days a week. We expect a partnership, for the education at home to be reinforcing the instruction that your child receives during the half day at SCA. However, forty hours each week is unnecessary for instructing children; students need to be playing, exploring their creativity, and enjoying where their curiosity takes them. Therefore, SCA will provide sixteen hours of instruction and allow more time at home for the aforementioned education (play, exploration, curiosity).
Can children not enrolled in SCA attend Cultural Arts Fridays?
Yes, and we hope they will take advantage of the programming! We are in conversations with Siloam Springs Center for the Arts, the Community Arts Academy, artists and musicians in the area to offer theater, children’s choir, visual arts training and so forth. Our dream would be to give these students opportunities to perform each year and apply the training they receive. All children are welcome to participate in the yearly program.
Are there extracurricular classes?
For 2019-2020, the programming on Fridays will be our “extracurricular” opportunities. As we grow each year, we are open to finding ways to offer more. This area has quite a few opportunities, so partnering with existing programs is probably best for everyone in the community.
What foreign languages are offered?
We are a classical school, so teaching Latin is near the heart of things. Students will begin Latin in kindergarten and take it through sixth grade. It is best to know one language well instead of a smattering of languages. Latin is the root of six Romance languages and shares many cognates with English. As a dead language, the logic of the language has not changed, so it forms students’ minds logically and prepares them for other studies, such as geometry, grammar, etc. As SCA grows, there may be options for taking Greek at the Rhetoric stage and potentially other foreign language instruction.
Is there tuition assistance?
Not currently, but our goal is to eventually raise money for scholarships, for covering the cost of books and supplies, and to open our doors to families with greater financial need.
Do we have to be Christians? Is the school associated with any church or denomination?
Christian faith is not required for students or parents, but we will be teaching everything with Christ at the center. We also require chapel attendance at the start of each day; this will be ecumenical, open to all. While we are not associated with a denomination, we have written out a statement of faith on our website and in our registration materials. We expect all students and parents to support it, whether or not they believe each statement.
How many students/what’s the teacher-to-student ratio?
Lord willing, we will have 10-12 students per teacher. The goal of SCA is to keep classes small no matter how we grow as an institution. We will continue to hire more teachers to keep a small student-teacher ratio.
Are you accredited?
Accreditation means little at the grammar school stage, but we will be members of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools, an accrediting organization. They will assess us for accreditation when we have our first graduating class. No college or university will ask whether your classical school was accredited because the students excel beyond other applicants.
Will students wear uniforms?
We are requiring a dress code, but not an official uniform. We hope this decision makes it easier on families to find appropriate clothes on their own budgets. For 2019-2020, each student should wear khakis (either shorts/pants for boys with the option of skirts for girls), navy or white polos, or white button-ups, and closed-toe shoes.
How are you finding your teachers and what are their qualifications for teaching at SCA?
Because we are not accredited, we do not require certification for teachers. Once we have an accurate head count and know which grades will make, we will be posting job openings on ACCS website and in other classifieds. Already we have been approached by public school teachers and former school teachers who would like to teach for us. We will be training these teachers classically each summer that they work with us and holding faculty workshops and professional development throughout the school year. Teachers must be teachable themselves, love the Lord first, feel called to serve students, and have a passion for education.
What are the fees and process of application?
The application for the 2020-2021 school year is currently open. Completing the application is the first step.
Enrollment (or acceptance) for current SCA families began December 1. Current families are guaranteed a spot if they apply and pay the enrollment fee by December 31.
Enrollment for new families begins after January 1 and spots are assigned on a first come first serve basis.
Once a student is notified that they are officially enrolled there is a $295 enrollment fee due per student; this is earnest money to hold your student’s place in the school. If you are enrolled before February 1, this money applies to your overall tuition (and thus acts as a discount). After February 1, you will pay the enrollment fee in addition to tuition. If, for some reason, a grade does not make, the enrollment fee is refundable. However, if the grade makes, the enrollment fee is nonrefundable, whether or not your student attends next fall.
We hope to accept every new student who applies. If you have attended an information session or met with our Head of School or one of our six board members, then you should hear back about your application status quickly. However, if you have not done one of those things, then you must attend an information session or meet with the Head of School or a board member prior to being enrolled. Once your student is enrolled, you are liable for the year’s tuition.
For the 2020-2021 school year, tuition will be expected by June 1, 2020 (for fall semester) and November 1, 2020 (for spring semester). Paying by check is the preferred method because we are not yet set up to accept credit card payments without transaction fees. If you pay by credit card, you should expect a 2.9% transaction fee added to your payment.
Under the 529 plan, you may now deduct up to $10,000 from your gross income towards private K-12 education. You are also able to donate to SCA at any time.