About Us

• Classes will be on Monday and Thursdays (2024-25)
• We ask that Lower School parents plan on being on-site, being on a grade team, and commiting to the minimum required hours  
• SNAC is open to families and teachers who are not Orthodox Christians with the understanding that all of our educational offerings are grounded in our faith and traditions. 

We strive to be a witness for our Lord and as such we encourage fellowship, kindness, and community between each person in our Cottage School.

Glory be to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

Mission  

The mission of St. Nicholas Academic Community (SNAC) is to love and honor Christ as we  encourage, educate, and engage with the local community of homeschool families. Our program  brings together like-minded parents to cooperatively share resources to train the mind of the  students (their children) to recognize unchanging truth and form the soul in virtuous character through a classical education grounded in historic Orthodox Christianity.  

Statement of Faith  

The SNAC Statement of Faith is that of the Orthodox Church as stated in the Nicene Creed (A.D.  381):  

I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things  visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,  begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten,  not created, of one essence with the Father through Whom all things were made. Who  for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the  Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He was crucified for us under  Pontius Pilate and suffered and was buried; And He rose on the third day, according  to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father;  And He will come again with glory to judge the living and dead. His kingdom shall  have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from  the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, Who  spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one  baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life  of the age to come. Amen.  

History  

We began in 2017 as a small group of homeschool parishioners of Nativity of Our Lord Orthodox  Church with a vision to educate our children together for the glory of God. In 2018 the program had  classes for students in grades K-8, was named after St. Nicholas of Myra, and became a partner member of the Classical Latin School Association, receiving curriculum, training, and guidance as one  of their “cottage schools”. In 2019 St. Nicholas Cottage School added high school level classes to its  offerings. In 2020 we expanded to include more families from the local Christian community and won  a small compassion grant from HSLDA and VELA Education Fund for helping families during the  COVID education challenges. In November 2020 St. Nicholas Cottage School registered with the state of Virginia as a non-profit corporation under the name of St. Nicholas Academic Community. Today SNAC is a hybrid homeschool program that meets for classes twice a week and has a truly cooperative character. As the parents share resources to educate their children, classes are taught and supported by parents, paid teachers, and volunteers. We meet in classrooms at Nativity of Our Lord Orthodox Church in Manassas. 

The Cottage School Model 

The SNAC program is defined as a hybrid homeschool model, also known as the cottage school model,  which incorporates elements typical of both private school and home schooling. Classes are taught by experienced teachers 2 days per week in a small classroom setting and the students learn at home and complete class assignments with their parents on all remaining days of the week. The program is run  in partnership with parents and each student is required to get an approval from his/her state of  residence to receive home instruction. The Cottage School model is not a primary or secondary  parochial or private school, it serves only as a cooperative extension/resource for parents to work  together in homeschooling their children as permitted by law.  

Administration and Spiritual Direction  

SNAC is a non-profit corporation, and its Executive Board is responsible for maintaining the overall policy and direction of the organization. The Board delegates responsibility of day-to-day operations to the SNAC Director. We are under the canonical protection (omophorion) of  Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa (American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese) and our Spiritual  Advisor is Fr. Daniel Vaskalis.

Financial Support  

All program expenses (books, paying contracted  teachers, supplies, training, etc.) need to be covered by tuition and fees. Most work is done by volunteer parents, many of whom dedicate many hours coordinating activities and finding  inexpensive ways to get books. The tuition has been set very low and the budget is very tight, therefore, it is very important that you pay your tuition on time. If you can make a donation to SNAC, it would  help us grow and improve and would make the volunteers’ jobs easier.  

Prayers and Feast Day Services  

The liturgical life of the Church is the foundation of Christian education, therefore communal prayer  is incorporated into the day: teachers begin each class with a brief prayer, everyone assembles for prayer in the church, and our morning schedule changes on major feast days of the Church (see Academic Schedule) to include a Divine Liturgy and a special snack. Any adult or child is welcome to sing in the choir--let us know if you are interested in learning how to sing and chant!

Expectation of Parents  

As a critical and integral part of the SNAC cooperative model parents are partners in raising disciples of Christ and educating the minds of the children, so they are expected to cooperate with SNAC to  ensure they love and respect everyone involved, complete their assignments, and adhere to the Student Code of Conduct and Health Policy. Parents are encouraged to communicate with the teachers. If any issues arise, parents first attempt to resolve it directly with the Teacher, then the Director. Parents are solely responsible for knowing and meeting all requirements of home instruction  as required within their state law.  

Expectation of Teachers  

All teachers must pass a background check and complete Youth Protection Training. SNAC cares  deeply for our youth and its adherence to the Nativity of Our Lord Orthodox Church Youth Protection  Policy is adopted to facilitate a safe environment for our children, to educate adults on safe and proper  ways to interact with children, and to protect NOLOC and SNAC from child predators.  

Teachers prepare and conduct classes, communicate with parents by weekly email about what was covered in class and what the assignments are.