​What to know...​

How are Alistair Academy courses different from other online courses?​

We believe learning can be free of frenzy and anxiety without sacrificing academic excellence. Our courses are designed to provide “peaceful learning” to support students. We train our teachers to foster delight and character development in students while engaging them in joyful discussions and reflections. In each course, our focus is on leading students toward creativity and mastery. For a detailed description of our learning philosophy, please see the Alistair learning philosophy section of our Student-Parent Handbook.

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1. Are you a vendor with our Charter School? 

We are currently an active vendor with Visions in Education, Pacific Charter Institute schools, IEM Schools, and Cottonwood. If you would like us to become a vendor with your charter school, please reach out to us. We would be happy to start the process. 

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2. What texts or materials will I need for taking Academy courses?​

All the materials you will need to take an Academy course are listed on the course page under “Course Materials.” Teachers will send detailed lists in their welcome emails to students.

  

3. Are required texts and supplies included in the purchase of the course?​

No, course materials are sold separately.

 

4. How can I be sure my student is ready for a particular course?​

Please pay careful attention to the course descriptions, target grade level, and any prerequisites listed. Entry-level courses don’t have specific academic requirements other than age and on-level reading and learning ability. In the case of math classes, there is a more detailed and specific placement process. Please reach out to the Instructor if you have specific questions about placement. 

 

5. May I register a student who falls outside of the listed grade range for the course?

Sometimes this is possible.  If you have any questions about placement or if you want to enroll a student who is outside of the listed grade range for the course, please contact us before you begin the registration process, and we will be happy to help you determine the best placement for your student.

 

6. Do you accommodate students with learning challenges and/or differences?

At Alistair Academy, we understand the honor and responsibility of being entrusted with a child who has learning differences.  As best as we are able, we work to partner with parents as they navigate this road. Our general instructors are not equipped or trained to specifically serve students with learning differences. However, in many cases, students with learning challenges are able to participate in our courses with outside assistance. Please see further details below.

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• Before you enroll a child with learning challenges and/or differences: To ensure that we can serve your student well, we ask that you please contact us prior to registration if your student has any unique learning challenges or has been diagnosed with any learning differences. If you have questions about the placement of your child in one of our classes, please contact us. Not all accommodations are possible. In some cases, we may request that the student and/or parent meet with the course instructor to determine the best course of action.

• Provisional enrollments for students with learning challenges and/or differences: Students with learning differences who are accepted into Alistair Academy courses are enrolled on a provisional basis. To the best of our ability, we seek to ensure proper placement before the start of the school year. However, in the occasion that an issue becomes apparent within the first 3 weeks of classes, the parent or teacher may request that the student withdraw for a full refund.

Please note that Scholé Academy, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to deny admission to a student for any reason.

 

7. What technology do you use for teaching Academy classes online?

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We use Zoom, a cloud-based virtual classroom.  Courses are live and in “real-time,” with students seeing the instructor and each other on the screen. Zoom is easy to use and is reliable over many kinds of networks. Using Zoom, teachers are able to share a digital whiteboard (that students can type or write on) as well as PDF displays of actual book pages, PowerPoint slides, videos, audio—virtually anything available on the teacher’s computer. Standard features such as a chat box and “hand raising” are also available. To learn more about Zoom and the technological requirements for using it successfully, see the classroom technology section of our Student-Parent Handbook.

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8. Do students need to participate with their video turned on?

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Yes. It is expected that students will engage in the live classes with their videos turned on. Parents and guardians will encourage their students to respectfully participate in the courses, as the instructors have designed them to include class discussions, projects, peer evaluations, exchange of ideas, homework submissions, and shared class resources. Parents and guardians will ensure that suitable computer equipment is available and working so that students can access the online courses and use them well.

 

9. What is your grading policy?

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• Instructors typically assign the following grades based on students’ level of achievement: magna cum laude (with great praise), cum laude (with praise), satis (sufficient, satisfactory), and non satis (not sufficient). Ideally, every average student working diligently should do praiseworthy work (cum laude). Those who excel beyond this expectation will be noted as magna cum laude. Students who do adequate but not praiseworthy work are designated satis. Non satis means lacking sufficiency or adequacy. These designations are ways for both the student and the instructor to assess mastery.

• If students need to complete a high school transcript with either a numeric or letter grade, they will need to notify the teacher so that he or she can provide a traditional grade upon request at the end of the course.

• Alistair Academy serves homeschoolers by providing online instruction, but we do not replace parents as the administrators of homeschools. As such, the ultimate authority on a student’s grade is his or her parent. If a parent feels the need to modify the teacher’s assessment in his or her own records, he or she is free to do so. However, only students who complete the required work for a given class at a level deemed satisfactory by the instructor will receive a Mastery Narrative from Alistair Academy.

 

10. Is attendance required? Can my student watch a recording of the course instead of attending the live session?

• Our classes are live and highly interactive, with students regularly interacting with their instructor and peers and participating in class discussion. Students are expected to attend classes with their videos turned on and to function as a full participant in each class, contributing to the class dynamic and success of the entire cohort. There are, of course, circumstances, both planned and unplanned, in which students must miss a class. In such circumstances, we provide students with a recording of the live class session so that they may play back the session they missed. Whenever possible, we ask that students alert their instructor of their absence before missing class.

• While recordings of live sessions are a helpful tool for occasional absences, they are not a sufficient replacement for class participation in the long term. With this in mind, we allow a maximum of 3 absences for one-semester courses that meet 1-2 times per week. 

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Please note: Though we will endeavor to have recordings for each and every class, we can’t guarantee that we will have recordings 100 percent of the time (occasionally we run into technical difficulties). Our teachers are available to their students in class, via Canvas messaging, and during office hours. If your student has to miss a class, anything you can do to minimize the extra work required of the teacher would be greatly appreciated. As you might expect, teachers can’t reteach the material via email. However, our teachers are accessible to their students and provide assistance as needed.

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11. What happens if my student will be absent more than the maximum number of days allowed for his class?

The absence policy is intended to curtail chronic absences that would inhibit the maturation of the class dynamic and the student’s success or create a burden for the instructor. However, if you have planned absences that will exceed the maximum number of days allowed for a class, please let the instructor and registrar know before the time of purchase. In some cases (and at the approval of the instructor), exceptions can be made to accommodate preplanned absences for trips, family moves, etc. In other cases, students are required to adhere to the absence policy to maintain their enrollment in the course.

 

 

12. If a course is full, can I get on a waiting list?

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If the enroll button is not active for a given course section, that means the section is full.  Families have the option to “Join the Waitlist.”  If a seat becomes available, we will notify those on the waitlist in the order in which they joined. 

 

13. What is your withdrawal/refund policy?

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There is a $35 non-refundable deposit built into the cost of each course. After the course starts, no refunds will be available.

● Withdrawals requested 30 days before the class start date are granted a full refund.

● Withdrawals requested 15 days before the class start date are granted a full tuition.

● Please work with your charter school to cancel the voucher/purchase order if a withdrawal is successful. Alistair Academy is not responsible for contacting your charter school to cancel the voucher. You may not request a voucher cancelation if a withdrawal has not been made at least 15 days before the class start date. Your student’s enrollment is taking the place of another student, and the class teacher is preparing for your student. Alistair Academy upholds this policy to prevent no-shows and waitlisted families from participating on the first day of class.

 

14. Can I enroll after classes have already started? 

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Yes! We welcome students throughout the year on a case-by-case basis after considering several factors including space available, the preparedness of the student, the instructor approval to accommodate a late addition to the class, and the content of the course. 

 

15. Will I receive confirmation that my student is assured a seat for a given Academy course?

Yes, you will receive a confirmation email as soon as we process your order. The purchase of the course secures your student’s seat in the course; the student information provided at checkout enables us to contact you and help prepare you for the course. In any case where the Academy determines that your student might not be ready for a course, we will issue a complete and immediate refund.

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16. How do I learn about the qualifications of Academy teachers?

We include biographies of our teachers on the class description page. The Academy recruits and hires experienced teachers who are equipped and trained to teach according to our approach.

 

17. Are your high school courses accredited?

Our high school courses are not accredited, but we do post the recommended credit amount to be given for each course below the course description.  While we are not a traditional school, Alistair Academy is currently pursuing possible forms of accreditation for our educational services.

Parents should take care to ensure compliance with state laws and keep records of study for student transcripts. The best place to begin in researching local laws and transcript preparation for colleges is the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.

If you are new to homeschooling and considering it as an option, here is a great place to begin learning.

 

18. If I enroll 2 students in the same course, is tuition charged for each?

Yes. Just as in a traditional classroom setting, students enrolled in our courses participate in interactive live class sessions as well as receive personal feedback on their work. Siblings enrolled in the same class will participate as individual students, so tuition applies to each. We strongly recommend that siblings join the live class sessions from separate computers so that they can participate fully in class discussions, breakout sessions, etc.

 

19. Can adults enroll in or audit student classes?

Adults are not permitted to enroll in or audit student classes. We have occasionally created adult versions of some of our courses. If you are interested in an adult course, please contact us and let us know.

 

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