This class will work on the song “Go Light Your World”. This will be a sign and musical drama type performance. We will use real candles and engage with audience. If time allows, we may work on a second song.
Time: 10:45 AM
Introduction to Spanish 4-12th
Taught by certified K-12 Spanish teacher Ronda Bemenderfer, students will be reading a chapter book in Spanish using comprehensible input. Students will sing, read, write, and play games in the target language. Students will become confident in all of the ACTFL standards. Ronda Bemenderfer has taught at Waterloo High School and Waterloo Junior high for 5 years, and uses many similar styles to allow for fluency in students. The fee covers the cost of rights to our chapter book which will be completed within the semester. This class will be new vocabulary and a new chapter book if students took the last semester. It is not a repeat, but is also open to first-time students.
P.E. Fun and Games!
In this 4th through 6th grade PE class, kids will jump into fun, active games like soccer, dodgeball, and Cops and Robbers, while also learning how to warm up safely with light stretches and exercises. The focus is on teamwork, sportsmanship, and building confidence moving around. Think lots of movement, lots of laughs, and plenty of energy being burned!
World Literature
This high school level (grades 9-12) world literature course will focus on great literary works from Germany and Great Britain. It would be a wonderful accompaniment to a world history course. Using Progeny Press study guides as well as The Complete Grimms’ Fairy Tales and Heinrich Hoffman’s comical cautionary tales in Struwwelpeter, we will be reading and studying several original German fairy tales/children’s stories as well as two British novels: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (first half of the semester), and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (second half of the semester). I have used Progeny Press for years and I like how they are written from a Christian worldview and incorporate scripture verses with the novels students will be studying. They do a great job of tackling controversial issues as well. Included in the cost are both novels and a printed study guide for each book inside a binder. (I will supply one binder with a clear front so you can swap out study guides when we switch novels.)
Students WILL be expected to come to class each week with their Progeny Press study guides completed and prepared to discuss in class. Please do not sign up your student if homework cannot be completed, as this course requires a lot of student participation. The only homework required for this class will be for the British novel portion. There will be a pre-reading assignment and one essay assigned for each book in addition to the weekly study guide assignments. Students will need to begin reading and completing the study guide two weeks prior to the first class since these are lengthy novels. Work will also be assigned over the break week (October 20). I will have other fun activities planned for class in addition to the study guides/German tales.
According to Progeny Press, completing two of their study guides is equivalent to a half credit for high-schoolers. I will offer this class again in the spring–we will read Frankenstein and The Screwtape Letters. If your student takes this class in the spring as well, Progeny Press has stated that it would be equivalent to a full credit. (This information is printed in the front of their study guides on the “Note to the Instructor” page.) I personally will not be “formally” offering this credit (or half credit) as that is up to you as the homeschool teacher to decide if your student earned that. You get to decide about issuing credits and adding them to your student’s transcript. On that note, I also do not grade any of your student’s assignments. That is also up to you as the homeschool teacher as well. I will post answer keys in the Basecamp project I will create for communication during this semester (I will not hand physical copies of the answer keys to students as I have done in the past). You can use the answer keys to grade your student’s assignments if you decide to do so. We do go over a lot of the answers in class and I give students the option to share essays, but I don’t give out grades.
*This is a high school level class. Although classical novels, they do contain mature thematic content such as violence, death, alcohol, smoking, etc. Feel free to check out commonsensemedia.org for more details. With that in mind as well as the higher reading level of these novels, I do not recommend signing up a junior high student for this class. This class is designed for grades 9-12. The study guides do a good job of tackling those controversial elements in novels.
**Please note, there will not be homework for the German literature portion of this class. That study will take place during class time only.
***If you already have a binder and/or either of the books we are using this semester, I will refund you (in cash) the following amounts on the first day of class: $3 if you already have a binder, $13 for The Hobbit, and $9 for Great Expectations. Please let me know ahead of time if any of the former details apply to your student.
Intro to Forensic Science Jr. High and Highschool
I will be using information from Intro to Forensic Science from a Biblical Worldview( Masterbooks Curriculum) and also Crime Scene Investigations : Real-Life Science Labs for Grades 6-12
Each class period will consist of handouts to learn about the topic and labs each week.
Some examples will be : Measuring partner/self using Bertillon classification of body measurements, Lesson on document forgery, deductive reasoning, Will be assessing a crime scene (misplaced item), fingerprint lab, shoe print lab, and so many more! Last semester I did a Blood type analysis lab (will discuss with families)
10.00 per student includes copying handouts, folder, any extra materials needed
The Art of Set Design
The Art of Set Design
Step behind the curtain and discover the art of theatrical storytelling through set design! In this hands-on high school art course, students can serve as the set design team for Monroe County Christian Homeschool Co-op’s winter stage production of A Christmas Carol. From the earliest concept sketches to the finished stage, students will experience the creative and practical process of bringing a script to life through visual design.
Students will begin by reading and analyzing each play to identify the mood, setting, and visual needs of every scene. They will create concept sketches, develop scale drawings, explore color palettes, and determine appropriate materials and construction methods to achieve the desired artistic vision. Throughout the course, students will study the artistry of set design from Broadway productions, community theaters, and school performances, learning how designers use scenery, lighting, texture, and composition to support storytelling.
Projects may include:
- Scene sketching and concept development
- Material selection and budgeting
- Basic woodworking and scenic construction
- Scenic painting, including murals, portraits, and landscapes
- Designing and creating stage backdrops
- Repurposing and transforming thrifted or recycled items into stage props and décor
- Functional layout and stage planning
- Basic theatrical lighting concepts
- Collaboration, problem-solving, and production teamwork
This project-based course blends artistic creativity with practical design and construction skills while introducing students to the collaborative world of theater production. By the end of the year, students will have contributed to the complete visual design of two full-length productions and developed a portfolio showcasing their creative process and finished work.
Participation in Theater Class or the play is not required. 9th-12th graders welcome. Priority will be given to students in 9th-12th grades, but as long as there is space in the class, you can reach out to me if you have a junior high student that would love this experience.
Math and Reading Fidget Games
We will play fidget games designed to help with math and reading practice. These games are designed for 1-3 so in order to play the kids will need to at a minimum recognize their uppercase and lowercase letters, know what sounds they make, and recognize numbers 0-10.
Pre-K/K Fine Motor & Sensory Learning
A brain break to use/improve our fine motor skills and socialization. Will be using OT manipulatives, sensory play and creative teamwork to have a nice reset between core classes.
U.S. History Based Writing Lessons with IEW
I will use the Institute for Excellence in Writing curriculum to implement the structure and style writing method. I will also be using Fix It Grammar and Our Mother Tongue to implement grammar into the course as well. Each week the students will write 1-2 paragraphs that they will stand up and present to the class. The class will be interactive and the students will be up at the board to correct sentences and diagram as well. At the end of the course, the students will choose a character and write a research paper to present in costume of their choice. My total fee is $45 for the class, my fee is $5/ child for my expenses for the class with making copies, etc US History Based IEW course student workbook for $40 including shipping and tax. If you want to do Fix It Grammar on your own at home the book is $19. I will be using and copying some of the material to share in class, but this is a daily grammar book if you’d like your child to perform grammar daily at home. Class range is 4th-7th.
JV Cheerleading
This class will be a 25 minute class for 3-8 year olds interested in cheerleading and gymnastics. We will learn simple jumps, cheers, stunts, and tumbling. We will also play some fun games to build team unity!