Q&A Topics
Q: Who are your teachers?Q: How do you find teachers?A: Each spring we list our open positions on the Employment page of this web site and we publicize our open teaching positions among current families, our school mailing list, and local churches. Each prospective teacher undergoes a thorough application, interview, and evaluation process. TCS provides one of the few employment options for a part-time teaching position in a Christian school.
Q: Are your teachers trained in classical education?
A: All TCS teachers receive classical training, and the majority of our teachers come to TCS with some experience in Classical instruction, content, and methods. The school provides training to all our teachers during the summer and we also have on-campus in-service days when teachers receive training during the school year. Additionally, teachers may attend a Classical education conference during the school year.
Q: Are your teachers Christian?
Q: How many teachers do you have?
A: One for each class. Some upper grades are taught by a teaching team. We will add additional teachers as we add grades and classes. Several Teacher's Aides also assist in the classroom with the younger grades.
Q: What are your teachers' qualifications and backgrounds?
A: All of our TCS teachers are degreed professionals with a deep commitment to Christian education. Please review our Teachers and School Leadership page for details about our teachers' qualifications.
Q: What non-teaching staff do you have?
A: In addition to our teachers, TCS has the following positions: Head of School, Campus Coordinator, Adminstrative Coordinator, Academic Coordinator, and Teacher's Aide.
Q: What if my student needs to miss a week of class?
A: Our expectation is that every student will attend every class day, health permitting. If a student must miss class due to illness, the full lesson plans are available for the days that were missed, and the child's teacher may also provide some additional guidance for the best way to make up the missed days. Since each week includes only two on-campus days, it is especially important that students attend on-campus school days if possible.
Q: Do you follow a particular school system for calendar purposes?
A: Our Spring Break and weather-related cancellation schedule follows that of Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD). However, TCS does not observe all the same holidays as SBISD and our first day of school in August, our last day of school in May, and Christmas break dates may be different. Visit our school calendar page for the detailed TCS calendar.
Q: How early could we be admitted and enrolled?A: If you apply at the first opportunity following the October Information Meeting, and if you subsequently receive an offer of admission, you could enroll as early as December. Applications are accepted immediately following the first Fall Information Meeting in October. The first family interviews are conducted in November and December and enrollment for new families begins in December. Q: What happens if we apply but the grade level we're interested in is already full?A: You may choose to remain in the waiting pool or you may withdraw your application. The application fee is 100% refundable for families that do not receive an offer of admission.
Q: What is the typical class size?
A: Our current classes have between 6 and 13 students.
Q: What is the maximum class size?
A: As the school grows, maximum class size will vary by grade. For the 2011-2012 school year, class sizes range from six students to 13 students. Maximum class size in future years will cap at 15 students, depending on grade level and enrollment. Some classes may have fewer students.
Q: Are books included as part of the tuition?
A: No, books must be purchased separately. TCS provides a detailed book list with an ISBN code for each book. Parents may purchase the books locally, online, new, used, or in any combination they wish.
Q: What is the cost of books?
A: The cost of books varies by grade. Also, some books and resources are purchased once and then used for several years, so the first year cost will be higher than subsequent years. You may purchases used books and you may purchase books from anywhere, as long as the book's ISBN matches the book list. Depending on these factors, the cost of books can range between $200 and $400 per student. Most books can be purchased on Amazon.com. The Homeschool Store in Houston carries or can order all of the TCS books.
Q: Do you offer scholarships?
A: We do offer a partial scholarship for children of full-time ministers and need-based scholarships for other students as funds permit. More details are available on the Scholarships page.
Q: Do you offer tuition discounts for multiple children from one family?
A: We do not offer automatic tuition discounts for multiple children. The enrollment fee of $500, however, is paid once per year per family, regardless of family size.
Q: What is the role of the parent when teaching at home?
A: Parents assume the role of "co-teacher" for the younger grades. The on-campus teacher introduces new concepts in class, and prepares detailed lesson plans and a checklist for each subject that parents use at home with their student. In the older grades, as students begin to work more independently, parents transition to the role of course monitor.
Q: How much time is spent on lessons during the at-home days?
A: The amount of time spent on lessons during the main at-home days (Tuesday and Thursday) will vary by student. Fridays are a "flex day" which are used for completing reading assignments or other projects. The Friday course load is usually one hour or less. For the Tuesday and Thursday at-home course load, you might expect the following as general guidelines:
Pre-Kindergarten: less than one hour per at-home day Kindergarten: 2.0 to 3.0 hours per at-home day First Grade: 2.5 to 4.0 hours per at-home day Second Grade: 3.0 to 4.5 per at-home day Third Grade: 3.5 to to 5.0 hours per at-home day Fourth Grade and up: 4.0 to 5.0 hours per at-home day Additionally, some families may choose to supplement the lesson plans with enrichment activities, optional assignments, or extra reading.
Q: How do I teach my older child during the at-home days while my younger children are also in the home?
A: TCS families use a variety of strategies to teach at home effectively. Our parent orientation in August (before the Fall semester begins) provides a wide range of suggestions and ideas for effective teaching at home. Some ideas for teaching older children while having younger children include the following: - Have all children participate together in some subjects, as appropriate. Even young children may be able to follow along (or sit or play quietly) when you help your older child with flash cards, a history story, memory work, singing/chanting, or read-aloud time.
- Keep separate activities or learning centers available for use the younger children to use during the school day (e.g, coloring pages, handwriting activities, sorting things into egg cartons, painting, cutting magazines, play dough, wiki sticks, magic noodles, glue and pasta or beans, window markers, shaving cream, dull knife with fruit, Legos, blocks, educational videos).
- Have older children read to younger ones.
- Work on memorization at the dinner table, during a family walk, or in the car.
- Listen to Story of the World (history curriculum) using the unabridged CD version.
- Have older children alternate in helping with the younger ones.
- Have one parent care for the younger children while the other parent works with the older child(ren). This can be done in the late afternoon or early evening when both parents are home.
- Save some subjects for the other parent to complete after the work day. For example, some families save Math or Latin for Dad to help teach when he comes home from work.
- Teach while younger children are occupied with another activity such as napping, eating, sleeping, quiet room time, nursing.
- Teach while younger children are out of the house at a Mother's Day Out program, at preschool, at a play date, at a grandparent or relative's house.
- Arrange a study date with another family who has a child in the same grade as yours.
Q: How do I teach multiple children in the older grades?
A: Lessons can be staggered so that the parent can teach one child while another is working independently. Also, as students get older they are able to work on more portions of their lessons independently which allows the parent to work with other children. By second or third grade portions of assignments can be completed without the parent needing to be directly involved. This allows flexibility for working with multiple older children.
Q: Is there a set schedule that we must follow during at-home days?
A: No, you have complete flexibility in choosing the times for your at-home lessons. The lessons assigned by the on-campus teacher need to be completed prior to the next on-campus school day, but you may choose when the at-home learning occurs. We do, however, recommend that once you find a schedule that works for your family you stick with this schedule to provide consistency and a routine which is familiar to your student(s).
Q: What if I get stuck and don't know what to do for a particular assignment?
A: We encourage parents to contact the on-campus teacher by email or phone with any questions. Each teacher maintains office hours when he/she can be reached by email or phone. Parents may also choose to interact with other parents from their child's class to swap ideas and tips. The monthly TCS Mom's Night is an opportunity for TCS moms to gather for fellowship and discussion.
Q: Do you have uniforms and a dress code?A: Yes, all students wear a knit shirt embroidered with the school crest. Colors are navy blue, white, or light blue. Girls may wear a khaki skirt, pants, or jumper. Boys may wear khaki trousers or shorts. Students may also wear a navy blue cardigan or pullover sweater if needed.
Our uniform supplier is Land's End.and you may view the specific items at the TCS Store on the Land's End website. Q: What if I just want my child to attend a half-day?
A: The school's curriculum is formed around a group of classes called the "Classical Core," which includes Language Arts, History, Science, and Math. The Classical Core is a full-day program that meets two days per week. If you would like for your child to attend only a portion of the Classical Core classes, this can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. Q: What are school hours?
A: Parents may drop off their children at 8:00am on Monday and Wednesday. Morning Assembly begins at 8:15am. Regular classes end at 2:30pm and electives end at 3:30pm.
Q: What happens in the classroom during a typical on-campus school day?A: The pace and format of the on-campus classroom time is tailored to each grade level. Students bring a morning and afternoon snack which is eaten in the classroom. Class time combines sitting and listening with movement and activities to keep students engaged and learning. Classroom activities can include the following: direct instruction from the teacher, discussions, student presentations, students working example problems on the whiteboard, singing songs, reading groups, read-aloud by the teacher, working on projects, repeating chants and mnemonics, student recitation, question-and-answer, prayer time, working on assignments individually, writing, tests and assessments, learning games, working with math manipulatives, and completing assignments under the guidance of the teacher.
Q: What are your current electives?
A: Our current electives are Greek, Latin, and Fine Arts.
Q: Will you have sports in the future? A: Yes, we intend to add competitive athletics to the school's program when we have enough students to form teams.
Q: How many students participate in electives?
A: The majority of our students participate in an elective.
Q: Do you take field trips?
A: Yes, on several Fridays throughout the year. Since Fridays are a "flex day" with typically a lighter course load, this is an ideal day for trips which are planned by the on-campus teacher or a volunteer parent. Examples of past field trips include visits to the Health Museum, to a special exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, to a local television station's weather center, and to a children's theater.
Q: What student leadership opportunities are there?
A: Within the classroom, students have the opportunity to lead and participate in group projects and peer-to-peer learning activities. During the on-campus school days, older students are encouraged to set an example for younger students. Outside of the classroom, students participate in service projects and field trips. Additional opportunities will emerge as we add athletics and student government.
Q: What have been some of your service projects?
A: Singing hymns at an elder-care center, performing a beach clean-up, preparing packets for a charity fun run, a park clean-up, serving food to families at our Christmas Program, assembling care packages for Operation Christmas Child, making blankets for the homeless, working on a clean-up project at our host church, and packaging supplies for the SPCA.
Q: How much of the Pre-K on-campus school day is play vs. instruction?
A: Our Pre-K program is academically focused and includes specific curricula and daily objectives for math, Bible, center time, handwriting, phonics and phonograms, language arts, and the morning and end-of-day routines. The lesson plans for each on-campus Pre-K day include well-defined learning activities and objectives for each hour and encompass the full day until 2:30pm.
Q: What reading program do you use?
A: For phonics, we use Wanda Sanseri's thorough, rigorous, and well-proven Spell to Write and Read approach. This covers the 70 basic English phonograms and 28 spelling rules which apply to 98% of English words. For our older readers, Dr. Frank Guszak's Individualized Reading Program uses literature and stories that have been individually chosen for each student and helps develops skills in the areas of predicting, locating, organizing, remembering, and evaluating. Q: Is your Bible curriculum linked to a particular church or denomination?A: No. It is consistent with the school's statement of faith, but it does not espouse a particular denominational viewpoint. We use the English Standard Version (ESV) translation for scripture memory, but students may use any translation they wish for reading.
Q: What are your plans for gaining accreditation?
A: TCS is on a path to accreditation that will take a few years to implement. We intend to pursue accreditation as soon as we are eligible to be considered by the appropriate accreditation-granting body. Our rigorous academic and professional standards are consistent with the expectations of accrediting organizations.
Q: How is the school held accountable to external standards?A: As we strive to provide the best possible education for our students, we evaluate ourselves - we are aware of accreditation standards and have implemented or are in the processing of implementing those standards - we are a member of the Association of Christian and Classical Schools and we benefit from attending related conferences and events - we are a member of the Texas Consortium of Classical Schools, and we confer with other classical schools with regards to curriculum, standards, and performance measures - we collaborate and fellowship with other classical and university-style schools around the country. - we administer standardized tests each Spring In future years, this external accountability may also include the following: - we compete in scholastic competitions with other schools - we have students who receive offers of admission for selective universities
Q: Do you administer standardized tests to students?
A: Yes, we administer a nationally-normed, standardized test each Spring. We use the Comprehensive Testing Program, 4th edition (CTP4) from Educational Records Bureau (ERB).
Q: Is the standardized testing mandatory?
A: There is no cost to participate in the standardized testing, and a family may opt out if they wish.
Q: Is there admissions or placement testing?
A: Yes. We offer a placement test for math and reading so that our teachers can better understand the profile of their class and prepare lessons which meet the needs of all their students.
Q: Are there grades given for the Bible curriculum?
A: Separate grades are not given for Bible in Grammar School, since Biblical concepts are integrated into the overall curriculum through history, science, reading, and memory work.
Q: Do you give report cards?
A: Yes, grade reports are issued four times per year. If a parent has a particular area of interest or concern, the child's teacher can provide informal updates on a student's progress. Parent-Teacher conferences are held once each semester. Teachers are always available by email or phone to answer questions about assignments, grades, or expectations.
Q: How are grades and assessments handled?
A: As work is completed throughout the semester, students receive their graded work in their "Home Folder" and this is available daily for review by the student and parents. Each quarter students receive a grade for each subject. Younger grades receive grades on an E-G-N scale, where E is "exceeds grade level expectations," G is "meets grade level expectations," and N is "needs improvement." Older grades use the A-B-C-F grading scale.
Q: What is the standard for passing from one grade to the next?A: If a student has received N's or F's, then the on-campus teacher and Head of School will confer with the student's parents to explore the options for improving the specific areas that need attention.
Q: My child would be coming to TCS from another school which is not Classical. Will he/she be able to fit in academically?A: Students have successfully transitioned to TCS from diverse backgrounds including private school, public school, and homeschool. Any student who is at or above grade level in their current school should be able to transition successfully to TCS. The first few weeks of our school year includes some review and we also gradually increase the amount of work for the at-home days during the first weeks of the semester. Some memory work such as the Shurley English phonograms and the History Timeline begins in the early grades and is repeated each year, and a student can learn these items beginning in any grade.
Q: What should I do to prepare my student for TCS?
A: Probably nothing out of the ordinary. We do encourage students to read during the summer months. We can provide a summer reading booklist and we can also suggest summer math enrichment workbooks.
Q: How would I transition to TCS from homeschool?
A: Homeschool to TCS has been a very smooth transition for many of our families. Your routine for at-home school days may remain similar to what you have done previously. Parents follow the TCS curriculum and students are on campus for two days per week, but since the instruction is at home the other days of the week, many of the other aspects and benefits of homeschooling are completely preserved.
Q: Students learn individually. How do you determine where to place them?
A: Prior to the start of the school year, we provide a short placement assessment for math and reading which identifies the student's level and allows the on-campus teacher to develop lessons which will meet each student's needs.
Q: My child is advanced academically and is reading well-above grade level. Would TCS be a fit for my child?
A: We think so. Many TCS students are reading and achieving above their age-based grade level. TCS meets the needs of advanced students in several ways:
First, our individualized reading program allows students to read, explore, and understand literature on their own customized level. Second, daily lesson plans often include optional assignments which can serve as the basis for deeper investigation or enrichment for advanced students. Third, advanced students may take subjects with older grades, as determined on a case-by-case basis. Fourth, many TCS school assignments are not limited by a student's grade level. These assignments provide enough challenge that each student can learn from and excel in these assignments without being constrained by his or her grade level. Examples of such assignments include writing essays (or paragraphs in the younger grades), making in-class presentations, completing science projects (astronomy, earth science, botany, chemistry, and physics), and designing history projects (ancient weapons, literary characters, historical role play). Fifth, TCS Teachers are aware of each student's level and abilities and plan lessons that are challenging and exciting for their students. TCS Teachers can provide optional challenges if required by the students in their class. Sixth, the flexible weekly schedule and the high level of parental involvement allows for other learning opportunities to be added at home. Parents can provide additional enrichment materials, books, and resources. Student can participate in lessons, tutorials, clubs, or other activities that supplement or extend the TCS lesson plans.
Q: Can accommodations be made or assignments shortened for students with learning differences?
A: The same grading scale is applied to all students, but we fully expect our students to span a range of ability and our teachers are prepared for that, as long as one student's needs do not dominate the on-campus class time. Because of the increased role of parents in our educational model, there is plenty of opportunity for a child with mild learning differences to receive extra attention at home and to complete supplemental assignments, tutoring, or therapy during the at-home school days. The TCS Individualized Reading Program allows students to read challenging literature at their own customized level. Students with severe learning differences would probably not be a fit with TCS due to the overall academic rigor and pace of instruction.
Q: My child has a severe peanut allergy. Can precautions be taken for this?A: Yes. TCS is a peanut-free campus. We also avoid all tree nuts on campus for the safety of our students who are allergic. We also have a "no food sharing" policy during the on-campus lunch period and provide ID bands for students with allergies.
Q: My child needs medicine or insulin administered during the school day. Can this be accommodated?
A: We do not have a nurse on staff or the ability to refrigerate medicine, but parents are welcome to visit the school to administer medicine, or another arrangement can be made with the Campus Coordinator on a case-by-case basis.
Q: How is on-campus discipline implemented?
A: We fully understand that young children can be rambunctious at times. We also set expectations for our students in the area of classroom behavior, recess and lunchtime behavior, language, and courtesy. Any problems which the on-campus teacher cannot resolve will be referred to the Head of School. We discuss any lingering problems with parents, since we believe that the ultimate responsibility for appropriate behavior lies with parents. The TCS Family Handbook provides full details on our discipline policy, and the TCS Head of School is available to answer specific questions.
Q: Are parents expected to be on-campus on Monday and Wednesday?
A: Parents are not required to be in the on-campus classroom on Monday and Wednesday. You may drop off your child at 8:00am and pick them up at the end of the school day. If you wish to observe your child's TCS class during an on-campus day, please arrange that with the Head of School. We do ask that parents assist with the lunch/recess hour two times per semester.
Q: What exactly is meant by "parental involvement" in the school?
A: The primary way that parents are involved is facilitating your student's at-home learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We also expect parents to be available for our annual training and orientation prior to the the start of the school year in August, and be available to help with monitoring lunch/recess twice per semester. Other volunteer opportunities are available, such as planning field trips or serving as "Room Mom." We welcome the involvement of our parents!
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