Our Elementary department is a combined effort of parents to instruct our 1st - 6th graders in a collaborative setting. At least one parent of each elementary-aged student must participate in classes. Lead positions earn compensation. Parents are required to assist with set-up, clean-up, and other behind-the-scenes activities. We believe that the Lord has given each person unique gifts and talents and that by contributing these, our collaborative is strengthened, and our children are greatly benefitted
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Registration for the 2023-24 School year will open on May 15th for current families and June 1st for new families
To register for the 2023-24 School Year, click Class Registration.
A breakdown of 2023-24 Elementary tuition and fees can be found here: Elementary Course and Material Fees
| Core: History | Core: Science | Core: Memory Work |
| Additional Tuesday Courses | ||
| Foundations of Math | IEW Writing (3rd-5th) | IEW Writing (5th-7th) |
TAP 1 (2024-2025) | TAP 2 (2025-2026) | TAP 3 (2023-2024) Starts this Fall! | |
|---|---|---|---|
History | Ancient History to Age of Exploration | Age of Exploration to Age of Imperialism | Age of Imperialism to Sept. 11, 2001 |
Science | Earth Science - Biology - Botany | Physical Science - Astronomy | Anatomy - Health |
Geography | African and Asian Countries Major Land Features | European and South American Countries Major Land Features | U.S. States and Capital Major U.S. land features |
The Tuesday Morning Core Program is designed to introduce students to the Classical Model of Learning. In this model, elementary school children are expected to become familiar with a specific body of knowledge but are not yet asked to analyze it. Therefore, we spend time on Tuesdays learning the new memory work, studying science related to our new grammar terms, and history as learned in our memorization. The chart shows the content that rotates each of the three years; however, math, Latin, English, and Timeline are repeated yearly.
Due to the program's structure, we require students and families to sign up for all of the components on Tuesday mornings.
Class Length: 60 mins/24 weeks
Required Texts: all materials provided by Anchor
Materials Fee: $30
Homework Level: Light, varies significantly by family
Course Description: The Elementary Core program is set up to introduce new memory material each week to our 1st thru 6th graders. This process is based on the idea that children easily soak in new material. It is an excellent framework for building your weekly lessons at home. New memory work each week will be given in the following areas: Timeline, History, Geography, Latin, English/Grammar, and Science. Students should memorize the memory workpieces each week. Parents are responsible for supplementing their children's learning at home with a workload that suits their family's needs. More information about the Classical Model can be found here: Classical Model at Anchor.
Tutors: Sarah Nicholson (1st/2nd, 3rd/4th), Molly Czarcasty (5th-6th)
Class Length: 60 mins/24 weeks
Required Texts: Lead Tutor will Specify
Course Fee: $80 Materials Fee: $50
Homework Level: Light-Moderate
Course Description: All Science classes will have week's lessons reinforcing each week's memory work. Students will receive weekly homework pages and reading selections from a Science book selected by the lead tutor for each grade level.
Tutor: Brooke Jones (1st-2nd) (3rd-4th)
Class Length: 55 mins/24 weeks
Required Text: Teacher-Provided Materials and Homework focusing on the Modern Age (including World and American history from the time of the American Civil War through the end of the twentieth"century).
Required Materials: 1" D-ring binder with numbered dividers 1-24, school box, pencils, pen, markers, glue sticks, scissors.
Grade/Age: We will modify the class for each age group to present a developmentally appropriate lesson.
Course Fee: $80 Materials Fee: $50
Homework Level: 1st-2nd Minimal, 3rd-4th: Moderate
Course Description: Class time will be spent in collaborative activities exploring weekly topics. Reading and homework will be provided to complete at home. History memory work will correspond with the time period covered. History sentences may or may not match the weekly history topic.
Tutors: Renata Janes (5th-6th)
Class Length: 55 mins/24 weeks
Required Text: Story of the World, Volume 4: The Modern Age audio or print version(Student book only. Activity book is not required.)
Required Materials: 1 1/2" D-ring binder with numbered dividers 1-24, school box, pencils, pen, markers, glue sticks, scissors.
Grade/Age: We will modify the class for each age group to present a developmentally appropriate lesson.
Course Fee: $80 Materials Fee: $50
Homework Level: Moderate
Course Description: Class time will be spent completing various corresponding activities, studying maps, and reviewing questions. Reading must be done at home before class. Homework will include reading (or listening to) 1 chapter per week, completing review questions and a quiz, aanda short writing assignment based on the topic. History memory work will correspond with the time period covered. History sentences may or may not match the weekly history topic. 5th and 6th-grade students will complete Volume 4 over 2 years.
Year 1 (2023/24) | Year 2 (2024/25) |
|---|---|
Vol 4 Chapters 1-22 | Vol 4 Chapters 23-42 |
Tuesday Elective Options
Our afternoon block offers multiple levels of Literature and Wristudents'ses designed to meet our students' various needs--from those who are just beginning to read and write to those who have reading and writing experience and are looking to develop their skills further.
**Even though each IEW course spans three grade levels, each course covers two different textbooks on a two-year rotation; it is recommended that students take both years of each course before moving on to the next level, providing a solid foundation of writing skills on which to build. Once both texts have been completed within the course, a student should advance to the next higher class.**
Tutor: Brenda Gibbs
Class Length: 90 mins/24 weeks
Course Fee: $200 Materials Fee: $25
Pre-requisite: Students must be able to read at grade level comfortably and bead and write complete sentences. If the parent is unsure of proper placement, talking with Mrs. Backhaus is encouraged.
Text: IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) All Things Fun & Fascinating, Second Edition, January 2012, by Lori Verstegen. (Student Book Only). ISBN: 978-0- 9801005-2-5
Required Materials: 3-ring binder with paper and tabbed dividers; Any readable, quality thesaurus (siblings may share.); a sewn composition TBD book for journal writing; sharpened pencils with erasers
Homework Level: Approximately 30-40 minutes daily – varies from child to child.
Course Description: The beginning student will study simple sentence construction leading to solid paragraphs and three-paragraph stories. in this class, created to
complement what is being taught in Language Arts by the parent in the home, 3-5 Writing will provide the students with many tools to improve their writing skills. Vocabulary
words and proper grammar usage will also be taught. The students will learn to take notes, summarize narrative stories, summarize references, write from pictures, and create
personal stories. Students will also do daily journal entries every other week to provide practice for these writing skills and create a booklet of their work throughout the
yearWriting'stitute for E"cellence in Writing's mission is “to equip teachers and parents with methods and materials to aid them in training students to become conf" dent and
competent communicators.” Your child will grow in confidence and writing ability. through class instruction and weekly homework assignments (Students will benefit
from parental guidance on assignments since one hour of instruction each week is not enough time to thoroughly cover the subject.)
**Even though each IEW course spans three grade levels, each course covers two different textbooks on a two-year rotation; it is recommended that students take both years of each course before moving on to the next level, providing a solid foundation of writing skills on which to build. Once both texts have been completed within the course, a student should advance to the next higher class.**
Tutor: Brenda Gibbs
Class Length: 90 mins/30 weeks
Class Time: Tuesdays 2:30-4:00
Course Fee: $260 Materials Fee: $25
Prerequisite: Please note – if the student has not had any previous practice writing complete sentences or struggles with reading at grade level, it may be best to start in the 3-5 Writing class, where they will feel less intimidated. Talking with us about any of these concerns is encouraged before any final decision is made or if the parent is unsure of placement.
Required Text: IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Required Materials: 3-ring binder with paper and tabbed dividers; any readable, quality thesaurus (siblings may share); a sewn composition book for journal writing; sharpened pencils with erasers.
Homework Level: Approximately 45-60 minutes daily – varies from child to child.
Course Description: Created to complement what is being taught in Language Arts by the parent in the home, this class will improve its writing strength and depth with
Medieval History content. Incrementally, all the IEW models of structure and elements of style will be taught, and proper grammar and vocabulary to enrich the students’
writing. Journal entries will be assigned every other week to provide beneficial practice of these skills. The mission of the Institute for Excellence in Writings is “to equip
teachers and parents with methods and materials to aid them in training students to become confident and competent communicators.” As students are instructed and
encouraged in this theme-based program's basics, their confidence and writing ability will soar.
Thursday Enrichment Program
The Thursday Enrichment Program is designed to offer various experiences to enhance the Tuesday Core Program. Students participate in Art, a rotation of mini-courses, and fitness. These classes are programs a rotation. Due to the program's structure, we require students and families to sign up for all of the components on Thursdays. This keeps the groups cohesive, allows friendships to form, and streamlines Thursday mornings for the cooperative.
| Art | Fitness |
| 6-week Mini-Courses | |
Mini-Courses allow our elementary students to express themselves through artistic endeavors, communicate through Spanish, and express themselves through music and drama. These study areas are offered in 6-week blocks to expose students to various activities throughout the year. This is a great excellent our kids to grow academically, creatively, and cooperatively with their peers.
Class Length: 50 mins/6, weeks each
Course Fee: $100 ($25 for each course paid directly to each lead tutor) Materials Fee: $50
Students registering for the Thursday program will participate in all four courses throughout the year, rotating every 6sixweeks in a pre-set rotation.
Drama (Liesl Schiavone): Students will engage in fun, interactive lessons and games that encourage them to express themselves openly in front of others.
Music (Liesl Schiavone): Students will explore the structure and genres of music, growing in their appreciation of the Art.
Spanish (Morgan Rogers): The course's primary focus is to introduce students to Spanish. In this 6-week mini-course, students should develop a basic Spanish vocabulary. In addition, students should be able to greet each other and share about themselves using the learned language.
STEM(Angela Somers): Students will explore many science, technology, and math aspects using hands-on activities and challenges!
Tutor: Robin Shultz
Class Length: 50 mins/24 weeks
Required Materials: Comfortable clothing and sneakers
Course Fee: $80/year
Course Description: This class will be 40 minutes of high-energy and fun-filled activity, starting with a dynamic warmup, a series of exercises, and ending with games. By making exercise fun, children get excited to move around. Moving around results in becoming physicIt's more robust and more energetic. It's a significant first step to cultivating a lifetime of health and fitness!
Lead by Anchor moms
Class Length: 30 mins/24 weeks
Required Materials: none
Course Fee: included in Tuesday's Core material fee
Course Description: On Thursday morning, this time will be allotted to play games to help students review weekly memory work topics. There will also be time devoted to reciting any memorized work.