Schedule & Costs

Schedule

Between the time spent at the tutorial and work sent home from the tutorial, students will be occupied for 60-90% of the "school time" required by umbrella schools in Tennessee like Home Life Academy (varies with grade level and student). 

Our schedule is based on three terms with a clear break and reset between each term. Each term ends with an exam week that is shortened to three days and then a full week off of classes. No work is assigned from Starr for the period between exams and the beginning of the new term. By contrast  every ordinary week has work assigned for Friday for older students, including the  Friday before Christmas vacation.

➤ Meetings: Monday-Thursday from 8:30 - 1:15 for three 12 week terms.
 ➤ Monday-Thursday afternoon work overseen by the tutorial:

➤ Friday work overseen by the tutorial:


How A Tutorial Fits in a Home School plan.

With a tutorial model, parents need a strong home-school mindset. Parents are responsible for the overall education plan for their child and for keeping a pulse on their learning and development. This includes not only deciding whether or not Starr Mountain  Academy is a good fit for their child, but also providing the rest of the educational framework for their child.

We believe education should involve a structured core curriculum that is set by the educators and not by student, as well as elements that vary with the child and reflect their particular interests and abilities. One of the advantages of homeschooling is the flexibility to pursue specific interests of the child or family and incorporate electives or special study based on projects, travel, etc. The tutorial schedule allows plenty of space for that.

The tutorial offers a generous core curriculum that is engaged together by a group of students and focused, structured time for study. We prioritize the aspects of education where that setting is most advantageous. On the other hand, things like typing, hands on skills, student specific interests, and the extensive free reading needed for true fluency may fit better at home. Other things, like musical instruments, or dual enrollment college courses for high school students, may require specialized instruction from elsewhere.

Tutors can advise and supply information, but parents must decide their course of action. For example, if a student is having difficulty with reading, it is ultimately the parent who must decide whether just to give it more time, intensify the practice, or seek specialized assistance. Similarly, it is parents who are responsible for what high school courses and diploma type they will have their children complete.

When it comes to different learning styles, neurodivergence, or physical challenges, we do not have all the resources available that a large school may have. Our desire is to accommodate as large a range of students as possible and to integrate these students with the group for a substantial part of their schooling. Our curriculum emphasizes a wide range of learning methods (listening, silent reading, visual art, outdoor time, speaking, writing, and drawing), and methods are structured to acknowledge that students will have more difficulty with some and greater proficiency with others. Further accommodations like using audiobooks, extra time on a subject (usually at home), a partial schedule, etc. will be considered as we can integrate them.

As a tutorial, we do not issue grades or track attendance or hours.Our meetings and assigned work do not necessarily fulfill daily hours requirements for registration purposes. Parents are responsible for what other activities they count, whether formal classes, free reading, physical exercise, art, work experience, life skills, devotions, observation time, etc.Parents need to register their students as home schooled or via an umbrella school, and are responsible for submitting grades and attendance.  We do provide course descriptions that can be used for registering with Home Life Academy, and we provide parents with access to exams and work samples done at the tutorial, as well as grade suggestions.

For high school, we facilitate 5 credits per term. 

Finances & Resources

We want to make a rich education widely available. The tutorial operates at about half the cost of a full-featured private school. This is particularly important for large families. Tuition rates are set to cover core operating costs, but do not cover all of the supporting infrastructure like facilities and furnishings or enrichment resources. Families are encouraged to contribute above tuition rates as they are able through volunteering or gifts of money or tangible items. We also invite support from the wider community.

➤ Each family needs an Alveary curriculum license. (We will provide a code for a modest discount on the subscription.)
 ➤  Parents are responsible for personal supplies and notebooks for each student.
➤ High school students need a laptop or tablet with keyboard that can be carried to school and a home internet connection.
➤ Students grade 7 and up need to be able to type some assignments at home and submit them online.