Frequently Asked Questions
What are your school hours? What does a school day look like/sample schedule?
Students should arrive between 7:45-8:05 in the morning. Chapel starts at 8:10. 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 Arts in the Afternoon?
After 12:30, the classes for Arts in the Afternoon will vary from day to day. Current offerings include P.E., Art, Culinary Arts, Ukulele and S.T.E.M.
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 Friday Enrichment?
Yes! For 2020-2021 SCA is offering Art, Music Appreciation, Book Club and Creative Writing. SCA is also 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. All children are welcome to participate in the yearly program.
For 2021-2022, spots in Friday Enrichment will be given to full-time students first. Students who wish to participate in Fridays only will be waitlisted for Fall 2021-2022 at first and then notified later whether or not a spot will be available for them.
Are there extracurricular classes?
For 2020-2021, the programming during Arts in the Afternoon and Friday Enrichment is the “extracurricular” opportunities.
What foreign languages are offered?
SCA is 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?
Yes! Application for financial aid opens February 1st. Families wishing to be considered for financial assistance for tuition should first register their students. Next, families are invited to complete the online assistance qualifying process with Independent School Management’s FAST aid. (Fast Aid charges a $45 fee to complete the financial assistance application.) Financial assistance applications are reviewed by the school’s Financial Assistance Committee and a financial award recommendation is made to the Head of School. The Head of School makes a final determination and notifies the family.
Sager Classical Academy is committed to partnering with parents to help ensure that finances do not create a barrier to seeking a classical Christian education. We encourage parents to consider applying for financial aid in appropriate circumstances. Please don’t let a possible financial burden keep you from applying to SCA.
This worksheet, provided by FAST Aid, will help you know what information you will need to have ready when you complete the financial assistance application. In addition, here is a Parent User Guide from FAST Aid.
Do we have to be Christians? Is the school associated with any church or denomination?
Christian faith is not required for students or parents to attend SCA.
The Christian worldview does, however, guide all of our teaching. Chapel attendance is also required at the start of each day; this will be ecumenical, open to all.
SCA is not associated with a denomination. However, a statement of faith is published on the website and in registration materials. The expectation is that all students and parents support the statement of faith, whether or not they believe each statement.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio?
SCA strives to maintain a 12:1 ratio. The goal of SCA is to keep classes small no matter the size of the institution.
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?
There is a dress code, but not an official uniform. For 2020-2021, 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.
Are teachers required to be certified?
Because SCA is not accredited, it is not necessary to require certification for teachers. However, SCA is committed to employing teachers who have the highest standards of pedagogy and are committed to their ongoing professional development.
What are the fees and process of application?
The application for the 2021-2022 school year is currently open. Completing the application is the first step.
Enrollment for 2021-2022 for current SCA families will begin December 15. Current families are guaranteed a spot if they apply and pay the enrollment fee by January 15.
Enrollment for 2021-2022 for new families begins January 15 and spots are assigned on a first come first serve basis based on registration + paid enrollment fee.
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 pay the enrollment fee by January 31, you'll receive a $100 discount off of 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.
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 each school year, tuition will be expected by June 30 (for fall semester) and November 1 (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 3.8% transaction fee added to your payment.
Tuition/fees and Schedule for 2021-2022:
Enrollment fee per student: $295
Register and pay the enrollment fee before January 31st and receive a $100 discount off of tuition!
K-2nd: Mon-Thurs (1/2 days) $2950, Optional Cultural Arts Friday (1/2 day) $700
3rd-5th: Mon-Fri (1/2 days, integrated cultural arts) $3650
6th-8th: Mon-Fri (4 full days, 1/2 day Friday, integrated cultural arts) $4975
Discounts:
Register and pay the enrollment fee before January 31st and receive a $100 discount off of tuition!
A sibling enrolled in SCA will receive $300 off his or her tuition. A third child and beyond will each receive $500 off.
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.
Students should arrive between 7:45-8:05 in the morning. Chapel starts at 8:10. 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 Arts in the Afternoon?
After 12:30, the classes for Arts in the Afternoon will vary from day to day. Current offerings include P.E., Art, Culinary Arts, Ukulele and S.T.E.M.
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 Friday Enrichment?
Yes! For 2020-2021 SCA is offering Art, Music Appreciation, Book Club and Creative Writing. SCA is also 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. All children are welcome to participate in the yearly program.
For 2021-2022, spots in Friday Enrichment will be given to full-time students first. Students who wish to participate in Fridays only will be waitlisted for Fall 2021-2022 at first and then notified later whether or not a spot will be available for them.
Are there extracurricular classes?
For 2020-2021, the programming during Arts in the Afternoon and Friday Enrichment is the “extracurricular” opportunities.
What foreign languages are offered?
SCA is 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?
Yes! Application for financial aid opens February 1st. Families wishing to be considered for financial assistance for tuition should first register their students. Next, families are invited to complete the online assistance qualifying process with Independent School Management’s FAST aid. (Fast Aid charges a $45 fee to complete the financial assistance application.) Financial assistance applications are reviewed by the school’s Financial Assistance Committee and a financial award recommendation is made to the Head of School. The Head of School makes a final determination and notifies the family.
Sager Classical Academy is committed to partnering with parents to help ensure that finances do not create a barrier to seeking a classical Christian education. We encourage parents to consider applying for financial aid in appropriate circumstances. Please don’t let a possible financial burden keep you from applying to SCA.
This worksheet, provided by FAST Aid, will help you know what information you will need to have ready when you complete the financial assistance application. In addition, here is a Parent User Guide from FAST Aid.
Do we have to be Christians? Is the school associated with any church or denomination?
Christian faith is not required for students or parents to attend SCA.
The Christian worldview does, however, guide all of our teaching. Chapel attendance is also required at the start of each day; this will be ecumenical, open to all.
SCA is not associated with a denomination. However, a statement of faith is published on the website and in registration materials. The expectation is that all students and parents support the statement of faith, whether or not they believe each statement.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio?
SCA strives to maintain a 12:1 ratio. The goal of SCA is to keep classes small no matter the size of the institution.
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?
There is a dress code, but not an official uniform. For 2020-2021, 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.
Are teachers required to be certified?
Because SCA is not accredited, it is not necessary to require certification for teachers. However, SCA is committed to employing teachers who have the highest standards of pedagogy and are committed to their ongoing professional development.
What are the fees and process of application?
The application for the 2021-2022 school year is currently open. Completing the application is the first step.
Enrollment for 2021-2022 for current SCA families will begin December 15. Current families are guaranteed a spot if they apply and pay the enrollment fee by January 15.
Enrollment for 2021-2022 for new families begins January 15 and spots are assigned on a first come first serve basis based on registration + paid enrollment fee.
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 pay the enrollment fee by January 31, you'll receive a $100 discount off of 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.
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 each school year, tuition will be expected by June 30 (for fall semester) and November 1 (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 3.8% transaction fee added to your payment.
Tuition/fees and Schedule for 2021-2022:
Enrollment fee per student: $295
Register and pay the enrollment fee before January 31st and receive a $100 discount off of tuition!
K-2nd: Mon-Thurs (1/2 days) $2950, Optional Cultural Arts Friday (1/2 day) $700
3rd-5th: Mon-Fri (1/2 days, integrated cultural arts) $3650
6th-8th: Mon-Fri (4 full days, 1/2 day Friday, integrated cultural arts) $4975
Discounts:
Register and pay the enrollment fee before January 31st and receive a $100 discount off of tuition!
A sibling enrolled in SCA will receive $300 off his or her tuition. A third child and beyond will each receive $500 off.
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.
