Schedule and Room Assignments
4th quarter classes begin the week of March 18, 2024.
You can see key dates in our Google calendar or view our Academic Calendar. You can also view the schedule as a grid (below) or as a list.
Quarter beginning March 18, 2024 |
Friday
Skills for School: High School and Beyond*
Quarter(s): 3,4
Day(s): Fri
Open Spots: 2
Quizzes, tests, homework, projects, reports, teams, clubs, jobs, internships, volunteer work, applications, life decisions arghhh! The demands of high school can be overwhelming or downright intimidating to most teens, even those who are homeschooled! And guess what? That variety of new responsibilities and expectations doesn t go away. They will likely increase in the later years of high school and into college. But don t worry- there are strategies and core skills that will help prepare a teen for success in high school and beyond. Study skills and college success basics include a toolbox of key life skills that will help your teen tackle high school and prepare for college. These skills are taught through in-class activities, some at-home trials, and by evaluating best practices. They are not taught as a one-size-fits all, but rather a range of options to accomplish the same thing for individual learners and different learning styles. Skills that will be addressed in this class include time management skills and tools like planners, to-do lists, calendars, and reminders- paper or electronic- what are the options, and what works best? Students will look at ways to manage short-term and long-term assignments; setting goals; how to break a bigger project into manageable steps and milestones; and how to avoid procrastination. The class will also learn fundamentals such as how to tackle a new chapter, read to retain, recall details, annotate, make margin notes, and take notes from readings, lectures, or videos; outline, and the art of brainstorming. Students will learn how to study and prepare for tests. In their toolbox, teens will also learn soft skills needed in school such as communicating and coordinating with a team on group projects and how to ask for information from teachers, employers, and other adults. The group will complete a career inventory and think about what they might be interested in doing in the future and will get tips on internships, mentor relationships, and options for junior/senior summer or a gap year. Finally, the class will look at sleep, diet, stress, screen time, and other personal habits that can impact a teen's work and effectiveness. Note: This is a repeat, not a continuation, of the first semester class by the same name in order to make this resource available to an additional group of students.
1:00 pm-1:55 pm
8th-12th
(Semester Long)
Chess for Teens: All-Level (Q4)
Quarter(s): 4
Day(s): Fri
Open Spots: 2
Teens will enjoy the logic and challenge of the timeless strategy board game as they learn and play chess with classmates. This is a multi-level class open to Beginners, Advanced Beginners, or Intermediate Players. Instruction will be differentiated based on the make-up of the class, and teens will be placed in pairs or groups depending on experience. Since teens move quickly through lessons and enjoy the interaction of the game, instruction will be approximately 20 minutes, with 35 minutes reserved for weekly in-class matches that are monitored and supported by the coach. Beginners may play as a group against the instructor which is a low-pressure way to learn the game. Teens who are engrossed in their games may continue their play into Friday Teen Game Night. Learning and playing chess supports problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in logic/reasoning or and elective for purposes of a high school transcript.
2:00 pm-2:55 pm
8th-12th
Krav Maga Self Defense for Teens: Green Stripe (FRI)
Quarter(s): 4
Day(s): Fri
Open Spots: 3
Krav Maga is the Israeli martial art which teaches self defense and fitness. Students of Krav Maga are taught a series of strategies to assess and respond to common situations, such as facing a bully. Teens are always taught first and foremost to get away, to get help, and to try to deescalate the situation. When that fails, students practice a technique that includes a warning strike followed by escape, and finally, they learn how to stand up for themselves and how to counterattack if a situation escalates and becomes threatening. Teens are empowered and gain confidence when they rehearse how to handle real-life situations. Exercises and in-class practice incorporate balance, coordination, energy, and other key elements of fitness along with life skills such as confidence, teamwork, respect, discipline, and respect. Students may enroll in Krav Maga at any time, and everyone will begin as a white belt. Each quarter, students will practice the full range of skills, but there will be two "featured" moves that a student can earn a belt stripe for being able to demonstrate. Featured moves will include a combative strike and a defensive escape technique. No one stripe is a prerequisite for any other color, and color stripes can be earned in any order. Foiurth quarter, students will have the chance to earn a Green Stripe. Featured moves include: cover defense and wrist locks (red stripe); straight punch defense and bear hugs (orange stripe); head movement defense and front 2-handed choke (yellow stripe); round kick defense and back 2-handed choke (green stripe); front kick defense and guillotine choke (blue stripe); clinch defense and rear choke (purple stripe); ground striking defense and head lock defense (brown stripe); and 360 defense and full Nelson (black stripe). Students will be able to test for belt promotions to move through the ranks of white belt, yellow belt, orange, etc. On average, it is estimated that a student will be ready for a belt test after four quarters/four color stripes. Belt testing will be by coach approval. Topics in this Series: Red Stripe (1st Quarter), Orange Stripe (2nd Quarter), Yellow Stripe (3rd Quarter) and Green Stripe (4th Quarter). Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-2 hours per week outside of class. Assessments: Belt testing for promotion will be by coach recommendation, but on average will take 4 quarters. Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $10.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for the t-shirt and white belt (new students) or $5.00 for the white belt (returning students). An belt test fee of $25.00 is due payable to the instructor when a student is ready to test for promotion. What to Bring: Refillable water bottle. What to Wear: In lieu of a full martial arts uniform, students will be asked to wear a class t-shirt provided by the instructor. Students should also wear shorts, leggings, or loose, comfortable athletic pants, and comfortable athletic shoes or sneakers with their class t-shirt. Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Physical Education for purposes of a high school transcript.
12:00 pm-12:55 pm
8th-12th
Natural Leaders: Spring*
Quarter(s): 4
Day(s): Fri
Open Spots: 0
Natural Leaders is an outdoor education and leadership program. Each week, the group will venture into the woods surrounding Lake Fairfax for an authentic, immersive adventure featuring hiking, outdoor skills, leadership, and camaraderie. At each meeting, students take turns in different roles that are key to the group's success, safety, and fun such as: coordinator (plan out the group's schedule for the day); navigator (following the map, practice orienteering); naturalist (investigate and present a lesson about local plants, animals or ecology); skills coaches (research, practice, and demonstrate a skill to others, such as knot tying or whittling); game master (plan and teach an group game or challenge); and safety officer (present on a safety or first aid topic) They will also learn survival skills such as fire-building, outdoor edibles, building shelters, use of knives, and safety/first aid. The student-led portions of the program promote group cohesion, cooperation, and friendship, while students benefit from the positive peer pressure to come prepared for their weekly roles and responsibilities. Tweens and teens will also become more confident and comfortable as leaders and outdoor adventurers as their self-reliance skills grow. Natural Leaders is supervised by an experienced Natural Leaders mentor, trained and supported in providing a positive experience and managing safety. They typically have a passion for sharing nature with kids, and may have a background in a range of skills such as wilderness first aid, survival skills, tracking, primitive skills, and experience in hiking, camping, rock climbing, water sports, etc. Natural Leaders meets weekly rain, snow, or shine, in all temperatures. Students should always dress is layers for the forecasted weather conditions. Registered students will receive more detailed instructions about what to wear, what to bring, and where to meet prior to the start of the program.
10:00 am-2:55 pm
6th-8th
| Art / Music | Science / Technology | Humanities / Social Sciences | Language Arts |
| Extracurricular | Math | Foreign Language | (Full Classes) | Private Lessons | Cooking | Lunch N Learn |