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What is this summer’s reading theme going to be?

4/24/2024

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Announcing… “Explore New Worlds!” (See the attached flyer for the complete list of titles and places we’ll be exploring!)

We have been building up to it in Bite-Sized Great Books. In February we discussed Sir Thomas More’s Utopia. Mrs. Peterson, the parent who had the most experience with this book, introduced it to us. (Utopia is an 11th grade “Great Book.”)

“Utopia is a novel whereby St. Thomas More imagines a distant land where no one owns anything and everyone shares what they have. He lays out a political and social structure where this might be possible but never tells us whether he's actually serious about implementing it or not.”

In March we read a segment of Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (a 12th grade “Great Book”) and discussed if there was any beauty in utility. De Tocqueville comments on the greater equity of access to academics and the arts that Americans have, but there seems to be less specialization and achievement. Was this the result of democracy or something truly American in character?

Today, (April 24th) we will take a “bite” out of Plato’s Republic (a 9th grade “Great Book.”) Is his political philosophy a utopia, or a dystopia? In our reading we’ll cover the allegory of the Cave, and how easily we can be fooled by things that seem real, and how surprising the real truth can be when we first learn it. We’ll discuss the difference between that which we grasp with our senses, and that which we grasp with our minds.

As soon as the school year ends, summer reading begins! And summer reading is for the WHOLE family, plus friends, neighbors, and extended family. It is free and open to the community, and participants do not need to be current CHA students or families. 

Summer Reading Book Club

Parents and teens can join us for lively discussions of Brave New World (June 26), Fahrenheit 451 (July 31) and 1984 (August 21). Older children and tweens can come too, and watch episodes of On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness from The Wingfeather Saga (Angel Studios, TV-Y7).

Summer Reading Trivia Night
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Last year the Akchin family dominated the Kahoot podium at Trivia Night when they had a living room full of friends and everyone had perfectly executed a “divide and conquer plan” for the eleven featured books. Who will give them a run for their money this summer??? Sign-up on Google Forms! https://forms.gle/gzcqRpVFPdim6ZfJ7

This is part of the Board Bits: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks series. Is there a question about CHA or homeschool that you would like answered?
​Submit inquiries to Tracey at 
[email protected]
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Reflections on Rome

4/17/2024

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Check out the comments below from participants who attended the recent high school trip to Rome, Italy! Thank you for all your support and prayers. We hope to return in 3 or 4 years! (Fundraising for the next trip begins NOW!)

“The entire trip was spectacular and life changing. Seeing places where major events of the faith occurred has allowed me to explore and understand what I believe more deeply. Seeing the major basilicas and all the churches around every corner allowed me to better center my life around Christ. I know that it wasn't in the tour, but going to Asissi with several of the other people who came was absolutely my favorite part of the trip because it showed me that, even outside of the walls of Rome, there are faithful who will help to guide you in your journey of faith. Within the city of Rome however, the holy steps were the most prominent to me. Being near this artifact and peace of the passion has led me into a deeper thankfulness of His death and resurrection. All in all, an experience I will never forget!” - Roland Adam, 12th Grade

“The favorite part of the Rome trip was attending the Palm Sunday mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. The Church was such a beautiful, peaceful, and holy setting and I felt such bliss being there.” - Abby Bartow, 12th Grade

“I think some of my favorite parts in Rome were seeing some of the crazy cool and ruined buildings everywhere we went and how they were thousands of years old. It really made me think about everything I’ve learned about the Romans, all the stories those buildings must’ve held, and, yes, even about Latin!!! I also loved seeing the beautiful churches! I believe seeing those churches made me appreciate my religion very much. But I believe what really moved me and that will truly stay with me forever was going to Assisi and seeing Carlo Acutis’s incorrupt body! I will be forever blessed to have been given such a wonderful opportunity and I will never forget it. -Cecilia Dion, 12th Grade

“My favorite part about the trip was pretty much everything. You can't narrow the trip down to one specific thing we did. Between seeing all the glorious beautiful churches to eating and spending time with family and friends it was all very enjoyable! I loved seeing everything we saw and how it all relates to things we learned in school about and honestly it's still hard to wrap my head around that some of the stuff we learned in school I saw in person. Overall I enjoyed every part of the trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat!” - Alex Ramirez, 12th Grade

“My favorite part about Rome was just getting to really see the city. Taking walks to restaurants and shops was when I felt like I really got to see how beautiful Rome is. And obviously the food is my favorite part too.” - Rosie Love, 11th Grade

“The trip was a fun time to hang out with friends and to see where the early church was formed.” - Oliver Adam, 10th Grade

“Since I've been going to CHA my whole life, I've also been learning about Rome and its history my whole life. When I learned back in middle school that CHA did Rome trips in highschool I got really excited, and then I got to go! I thank everyone who made this trip possible, you all did such a great job!” - Leiana Baxter, 10th Grade

“This trip was possibly the most significant that I have ever been a part of because it allowed me to use virtually everything I have learned at CHA thus far ESPECIALLY LATIN, and has brought me closer to God than I ever thought would be possible for me.” - Elijah Boyle, 10th Grade

“My favorite part of the trip was exploring Rome at night with friends. Also seeing how gorgeous the churches were. All in all the trip was incredible and I will never forget it. Thank you.” -Maria Seeley, 10th Grade

“My favorite parts were seeing the Capuchin Friar Bone Crypt, the Catacombs and the Colosseum. I thought it was interesting to see how different the Roman lifestyle and area were compared to us nowadays. The moment of turning around one corner in an alleyway and the Pantheon being right in front of you was incredible. Just to see how that was everyday life for the Romans, but is such a "wow factor" to us is really interesting.” - Zac Willet, 10th Grade

“Rome was very beautiful. Just walking through the streets was incredible. All the old buildings and beautiful churches were magnificent! My favorite part of the whole trip was on my free day I went to Assisi. It is the most beautiful city in Italy. The views are great, the churches are even better. I highly recommend going there if you have the time and money!” -Cici Love, 9th Grade

“Rome was amazing; it was surreal to be in these huge churches, which your mind cannot grasp the scale of.  It was interesting to be in another country which had a different language and culture than America.  It was fun to go to restaurants and eat gelato every day.  In short, it was fantastical.” - Gus Peterson, 9th Grade


“The most moving part of the trip for me was arriving at St. John Lateran Basilica for our tour and hearing the choir sing the litany of the saints and then hearing the cantor fill the basilica with the refrain "Dio mio, Dio mio".  I don't speak Italian but it didn't take a language expert to figure out she was singing the Psalm, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" It was beautiful and holy.” - Bill Jenkins, Headmaster and Parent

“Being an art tutor and teaching master artists such as Michelangelo, this trip brought those teachings to life. I got to see, firsthand, the masterpieces that I show the students each year. I can now add to my teachings the emotional aspect of seeing such monumental works of art in person. My favorite was after we entered the Sistine Chapel and I was standing in the middle of the room taking in my surroundings, I finally looked up to the ceiling and realized I was standing directly underneath the Creation of Adam.  It was a sense of awe that I had never felt before.” -Allison Gillespie-Jenkins, Parent

“All of the ‘first’ moments were absolutely incredible. The first moment when the bus turned the corner and there was the Colosseum- It is HUGE! The first moment when we passed by the Roman Baths, the Circus Maximus, the Pantheon- WOW! The first moment stepping into the red circle where Charlemagne was crowned emperor (800!), or walking into the Sistine Chapel, or seeing the hill where Peter was crucified, or witnessing the Pieta. I could keep going. Those moments are all seared into my memory.” - Tracey Willet, Parent

“Abby and I have truly enjoyed every minute of the trip. In so many ways I can say that it’s been a miracle for us. To be in the Sistine Chapel was greatly extraordinary. Learning about the Renaissance was captivating when I was Abby’s age or younger. So being there was a wonderful gift. Being at St. Peter’s Square made me go back in time and rapidly come back to the present as we see it in the movies. God indeed has a purpose for everything. I’m grateful to live the time I do, the time when we freely practice our faith and the time of a very robust Church, an unbreakable Church since it was founded by Christ. Saint Peter and millions of Christians gave their lives because of their conviction of faith. The Romans persecuted and severely punished Christians, and it’s precisely Rome, the center of the Empire, that became the physical enclave of Christianity. It’s been a delightful privilege to be able to visit such an amazing and memorable place. I love art in all its forms, so the architecture and all the paintings have given me so much delight. In general, viewing and appreciating such a high caliber in art quality translates into an unforgettable experience for both of us. And yes, the gelato is very unique. Madonna Mia! Greece and Rome civilizations have greatly contributed to the world in the most sustainable manner, therefore I can only close this message saying Thank you CHA from the bottom of our hearts for all the dedication and efforts towards the organization of this trip. -Emma Bartow, Parent

“My favorite part was bonding with fellow believers in a city so rich in church history. This trip was a perfect example of who we are at Christiana. A group of believers who all come together at the core beliefs. Each seeing the same things but taking something different away.” - Stacy Baxter, Parent

“Rome felt like part of my history personally as a Christian but especially as a Catholic. God used Rome to spread the message of Christ throughout the world - and spread it has!” -Sadie Peterson, Parent

“The ice cream, because it was delicious.” -Robbie Byrd, 12th Grade
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Math Task Force Report and Proposal

4/10/2024

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Task force members: Lou Stachowiak, Becky Paschal, Sadie Peterson, Galadriel Simons, and Kelli Renfro

Background: CHA currently uses Dimensions math curriculum for grades 1-3. While there are many positive aspects, we have found this curriculum to be quite challenging and not user-friendly for parents. CHA currently uses Saxon in grades 4-6 & Pre-Algebra, however, Saxon is no longer being published, making obtaining books very expensive and difficult. Therefore, the Math Task Force was formed to find a new math curriculum for grades 1-6. 

Goal:
To find a new math curriculum for grades 1-6 that meets the following criteria:
-teaches conceptual understanding
-takes a mastery based approach (where concepts are taught in units), to stay true to our classical model of education
-is user-friendly for parents and equips parents to partner with us in teaching math
-reasonably priced

Process: The Math Task Force was formed in September. We began by compiling a list of math curricula used by six private schools in our area. The task force divided the list and added a few homeschool curricula to research. We reported our findings back to the task force and narrowed our list of considerations. Findings are listed below. 

Curricula we considered…

  1. Envision- (used by St. John’s) We loved this curriculum. It is a conceptual approach, the workbook also comes with an online subscription each year, lots of resources, etc. What we didn’t love was the cost of the teacher’s manuals, at $700, the price took this curriculum out of the running.
 
  1. McGraw Hill (used by Gerstell) They do still offer physical textbooks, but are going in the direction of ebooks (like many other publishers!). The textbooks are a bit pricey, although this is a solid curriculum, we liked other options better.
 
  1. Bob Jones- (homeschool curriculum) This curriculum made it into the final three, we did like that it is workbook based, unit based, and met most of our criteria. In the end, we just liked another option better.
 
  1. Horizon (homeschool curriculum)- With lots of pages of repetitious work, we did not find this curriculum engaging or easily adapted to the classroom as we wanted.
 
  1. Abeka (used by St. Stephens) Abeka is colorful and workbook-based, however, it takes a cyclical approach which we are trying to get away from. 
 
  1. McDougal Littell (used by Liberty Christian) This publisher is also going to ebooks. We wish to stay with physical textbooks.
 
  1. Houghton Mifflin (used by Mt. Airy Christian Academy) has merged with McDougal Littell. 
 
  1. Singapore Primary Mathematics (homeschool curriculum) The current version of Singapore that we use, Dimensions, is the classroom edition (and is much more challenging than the original). The Singapore method is not the problem, but perhaps the version we chose. We did consider trying the original Singapore Primary Mathematics curriculum, which is geared towards homeschoolers, but decided some people have a negative association with the name Singapore, and it might be best to go with a new curriculum altogether. 
 
  1. Math with Confidence (homeschool curriculum)- The winner! Published by The Well Trained Mind, this curriculum meets all of our criteria!  See the full assessment below.

Proposal…
Math with Confidence, teaches a conceptual approach, is unit-based, and is designed for homeschool families. The instructor’s guide provides a script to teach from, so tutors and parents can partner together to teach math through the week. We found the instructor’s guide to be extremely user-friendly. There are 4 lessons per week, with an additional, optional enrichment lesson each week. Students use a workbook, concepts are taught in chapters and there is daily review. Workbooks are $17 each, the instructor’s guide is $24, the curriculum is 32 weeks long. This curriculum is published by a Well Trained Mind Press and the methodology is consistent with the Classical model of education. Currently, levels K-3 grade are available. Grade 4 will be released this summer with Grade 5 in summer of 2025 and Grade 6 being available in the summer of 2026.

You can read more at: https://kateshomeschoolmath.com/math-with-confidence-homeschool-math-curriculum/ 
“Flip through” videos are also available on Youtube of grade levels 1 & 2.
Purchasing information: https://welltrainedmind.com/?s=math+with+confidence

We propose using Math with Confidence beginning in the fall of 2024 for grades 1-4 (with the Kindergarten level being on the “suggested list”) and adding 5th grade in fall of 2025. Finally, in the fall of 2026, 6th grade can be added. 

Next Steps:

A search for a few Pre-Algebra textbook will be our next task!
This proposal was accepted and adopted by the Board of Directors on 3/11/2024.

This is part of the Board Bits: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks series. Is there a question about CHA or homeschool that you would like answered?
Submit inquiries to Tracey at 
[email protected]
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Why do we teach Rhetoric?    By Bill Jenkins

4/2/2024

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When explaining Christiana’s curriculum to new families, I make sure to cover Latin, Logic, and Rhetoric since I assume they may need as much explanation / justification as anything else we do. There is much to be said about all three, but today I wanted to write just a little bit about our Rhetoric program.  At CHA, Rhetoric classes are offered in high school, and are fundamental to completing the capstone Thesis in senior year.  However, Rhetoric begins with good writing.  Therefore, you can make the case that IEW, begun in 3rd grade, and Lost Tools of Writing, begun in 9th grade, are also a serious part of the Rhetoric program.  Ultimately, Rhetoric is the art of speaking and writing well and persuasively.  

As those who stand in the Christian tradition, it is quite likely most of you have met and listened to able rhetoricians at weekly church services.  For what is a sermon or homily at its best other than a piece of rhetoric?  It is crafted well: clearly articulated points, supporting examples, memorable turns of phrase, and many other literary devices mark the speaker’s speech.  Additionally, the preacher presents a logical progression of thought (logos), does so in a manner consistent with his / her own life (ethos), and is able to stir up an emotional response in the listener (pathos).  

We all know good rhetoric when we hear it.  We say things afterward along the lines of “I was really able to follow her line of thought,” and “I can tell that the speaker practices what he preaches,” or “He moved me to action with his passion and expression.”  Likewise, we recognize poor rhetoric: wandering lines of argument, lack of clarity, unnecessary connectors (“umm”, “you know”), the horrific abuse of the word “like”, a lack of depth in language, and worse, a speaker whose life does not match the views he espouses.  

It is our goal at CHA that student character will be developed in such a way that will allow them to speak with authority on moral issues.  It is our goal from IEW up through the Rhetoric classes to give them the tools to write and speak fluently, colorfully, and strongly.  Good rhetoric is not necessarily bombastic and loud (though times may call for that).  Nor is it dry.  It is the combination of language skills, logical thinking, strong character, voice inflection, and proper appeal to the listener.  

When these all come together, it makes for a great speech!  Next week, our seniors will deliver their thesis presentations.  While younger children are asked not to attend this event unless related to the speakers, it is our hope that many parents, and all high schoolers, will come and hear what students who have worked their way through the program at CHA are able to do.  Please consider attending the Thesis Presentations on Saturday April 13th at 9:30am.  But whether you attend or not, know that your child(ren) are being prepared as eloquent and persuasive writers and speakers in their classes at Christiana.

This is part of the Board Bits: Tips, Tricks, and Hacks series. Is there a question about CHA or homeschool that you would like answered?
Submit inquiries to Tracey at 
[email protected]

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Christiana Homeschool Academy = Co-op By Rosalie Seeley

4/1/2024

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Christiana Homeschool Academy is a homeschool co-op that was created by families that wanted another option to educate their children, specifically a classical Christian homeschool education. As a “hybrid homeschooling community,” this can only be done with a lot of dedicated parents and their families. We are intentionally NOT a drop-off school situation. We want you to be involved in the life of the academy! Each family is needed to offer their time and gifts so that we can continue to provide the many wonderful things that Christiana has to offer students and families. 

When we take on these jobs of tutoring, POPing, our CHA job, or any administrative position, we realize that we are not doing it for the wage, rather we do it for our children and the other families in our CHA community. I am daily reminded of the amazing families in our CHA community, as I watch others work together and help each other and foster relationships that reflect our Christian values. I have always felt that we have gotten much more out of CHA than I have put into it; with that constant feeling that I should be doing more. Knowing that there are other moms and dads that are busy with their own families but are also willing to dedicate hours to helping mine learn subjects that are not in my list of ‘gifts’ or that I cannot cover in-depth due to (# of children) x (# of subjects), or because I am not organized and disciplined enough, is comforting. 

Consider the time and talents of those who fill their volunteer CHA job positions. On average, one CHA job takes 10-15 hours a year to complete. Can you imagine what the cost of our tuition would be if we had to pay employees to do things like what our volunteer accountant, cleaners, and maintenance teams do? Or worse: we would have to cancel things like Morning Devotions, Field Day, Pizza/Chick-Fil-A day, Meal Train, and Fundraising. Among many other CHA jobs, these make our community so special! Your CHA job is important!

We do offer a wage for those jobs that take significantly more hours than a CHA job. Yes, it may look like a small amount on a job posting, but the heart behind all we do at CHA is for our students and families. This is how we manage a “hybrid homeschooling community”- together, in various roles, offering our gifts of time and talent to serve one another in love.
​

Please consider tutoring or applying for an administrative position, or if you see an area that needs attention, maybe it could be a CHA job- let us know! With each task that we do we are showing our children through our actions that we value a classical, Christian education, and most importantly, that we value each other.

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