2024-2025 Class Descriptions

High School

Automotive: Students will start off by learning about the history of the automobile and the impact it had on America. We will then spend some time going through each major system in a car, Engine Repair/Performance, Automatic Transmission, Manual Transmission/Axles, Suspension & Steering, Brakes, Electrical Systems, and Heating and Air Conditioning. At the conclusion of the course students will be able to put their knowledge to use as we cover Basic Automotive Maintenance, Roadside Emergency Repairs, and Basic Dealership/Repair shop Operations.
Apologetics: Worldviews come in various forms, but are they equally logical, rational and truthful? Do all worldviews point to God or do some claim a way to God outside of what is true? In this class, your students will learn scripture to address the big questions that every worldview needs to answer, develop evaluation skills to think critically about various beliefs circulating in our culture, and begin to develop a strong Christian worldview on the truth of scripture and the firm foundation of the Gospel.

Why is this important? It's important because many adult Christians find it difficult to articulate their beliefs in the midst of opposing worldviews. However, through Bible application, thoughtful discussions and cultural study, your students will develop confidence and compassion to hold fast to their faith (Heb. 10:23), be ready for an answer (1 Peter 3:15) and participate in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20) with courage, clarity and kindness.
Apologetics 2
- Semester 1: Theology (The Nature of God, The Nature of the Trinity, The Nature of Man, The Nature of Christ, The Nature of Salvation and the Church)
- Semester 2: Proof of the Resurrection - Why It is true and not a myth - OR- The Historicity of the Bible (How was it compiled? Why do we believe it is God breathed? Inerrancy, Infallibility and the Sovereignty of Scripture)

Completion of Apologetics 1 is a requirement for Apologetics 2 where they will continue an in depth study of Apologetics 1.

Communications 101: An Introduction to the World of Communications and the Arts: Do you want to become a better communicator? This class will explore various aspects of communications - public speaking, marketing and advertising, graphic design, blogging and digital content, journalism and broadcasting, public relations and event planning. Students will use hands-on approaches by crafting their own messages while learning these aspects with real life examples and creative mock exercises to develop essential skills. Examples include creating measurable public relations campaigns targeting their peer students at Central Homeschool Academics, developing a how-to demonstration speech that will be presented in class and reviewed by class peers, creating and publishing a blog, crafting a newspaper with articles to distribute to students at our school, broadcasting announcements in news video format to release to our student body, and planning an end of year charitable event for our school to give back and celebrate our successes!
Horticulture: God saw that it was good to make life spring from a garden! Before God created man, He created plants. In this course, we will strive to understand the nature of what God created for us. Students will experience fun and informative ways to understand how plants grow, specifically plants that we regularly consume. The goal of this class is for students to master how to grow a garden. They will do this by acquiring a knowledge of the importance of soil, what plants are able to grow in our climate, and the seasonal nature of plants. Students will have hands-on experience in planting a garden bed, specifically cultivating a cool-season vegetable and herb garden. Through the observation of our garden, students will gain an appreciation of the journey from soil to seed to plant. They will learn simple ways to build biodiversity in soil, differentiate between plant families, apply horticultural vocabulary to gardening practices, and will easily identify exactly how their favorite foods grow.
Theater: We bring all your talents and gifts, and put them on the stage! Students will work on one large musical for next year as well as a dance workshop. Families can expect a 75 minute practice per week, and extra practices as the musical performances grow closer. This schedule will be posted at the beginning of the school year.
US History: American History & Constitution fulfills a High School credit and invites students to not only learn history, but to examine it with a careful eye considering worldviews and understanding that God alone is sovereign over all of History. Events never occur in a vacuum. We will journey throughout history together as we make weekly stops on our timeline. Students will make timelines, create projects, write papers, and become excellent note-takers in their preferred note- taking method.
World History: World History fulfills a High School credit and invites students to not only learn history, but to examine it with a careful eye considering worldviews and understanding that God alone is sovereign over all of History. Events never occur in a vacuum. We will journey throughout history together as we make weekly stops on our timeline. Students will make timelines, create projects, write papers, and become excellent note-takers in their preferred note-taking method.

Middle School

Advanced Writing 7th-9th: This class is intended for the student in apx grades 7-9 who have a solid grammar and writing foundation and is either comfortable with Institute of Excellence in Writing’s systematic methods or can pick up new materials easily. The pace will be steady seeking to transform the more reluctant writer and supercharge the most talented writer. Grammar, writing, vocab will be included during class time. Class will be upbeat & amp, engaging with rewards incorporated.
Grammar and writing HW will be apx 2+ hrs per week. Literature recommendations will be encouraged and at times woven into class.
Grammar Aspect: Using Shurley English Level 6, students will solidify their grammar foundation. Fundamentals include 8 parts of speech, sentence patterns, usage, grammar rules, capitalization & punctuation. See Scope & Sequence.
Writing Aspect: Students will confidently work through IEW units 1– 9 as they learn to take notes, retell narrative stories, summarize references, write from pictures, compose their own creative stories, construct formal essays, and create a formal critique. Class will follow IEW’s EZ+1 method which introduces 1 new technique once the most recent technique has become EZ. I will advance at the pace of the students, taking longer with some assignments if necessary. The ultimate goal is understanding the presented skills, not 100% completion of the book. Includes vocabulary cards & literature recommendations. See Scope & Sequence.
Please note: For success in this class, parents should be actively involved and are expected to check grammar HW & edit weekly writing assignments. I will offer feedback but not grades.
Kindly consider if this class would be a suitable fit for your family.
Art 6th-8th: Students will be exploring artists and their techniques through different periods of art history, as well as trying out those techniques and styles for themselves. Over the course of the class, students will create an art profile that showcases the styles and inspirations of artists throughout history as well as their own unique touches and styles. These profiles will be able to be presented at an art show at the conclusion of the semester.
Creative Writing and Graphic Design through Illustrations: Using creative writing prompts, students will develop a storyline of their own to use as a framework for designing digital illustrations. This class will cover basic graphic design essentials related to illustration and typography. Note: a laptop will be required in class for all students. At the end of the class, students will have the option to self publish their stories and illustrations into professionally printed bound books.
Health and Anatomy: Using Inside the Human Body by Carla Mooney, students will peel back the layers to take a look inside the human body and learn basic anatomy—bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and organs. We also explore the body’s physiology and how its organs work together to allow us to function and survive.
We will spend 2-3 weeks in each body system learning deeply about how God's designed each one. We will also incorporate health and wellness along the way, including CPR during our study of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and first aid basics across several systems. We will also cover topics like exercise, skin care, nutrition, and disease prevention.
Horticulture: God saw that it was good to make life spring from a garden! Before God created man, He created plants. In this course, we will strive to understand the nature of what God created for us. Students will experience fun and informative ways to understand how plants grow, specifically plants that we regularly consume. The goal of this class is for students to master how to grow a garden. They will do this by acquiring a knowledge of the importance of soil, what plants are able to grow in our climate, and the seasonal nature of plants. Students will have hands-on experience in planting a garden bed, specifically cultivating a cool-season vegetable and herb garden. Through the observation of our garden, students will gain an appreciation of the journey from soil to seed to plant. They will learn simple ways to build biodiversity in soil, differentiate between plant families, apply horticultural vocabulary to gardening practices, and will easily identify exactly how their favorite foods grow.
Literature with Writing: Students will read The Chronicles of Narnia while covering grammar and writing in the context of short reflection papers and highlighting examples of passages from the stories of literary concepts.
Medieval History: Our class will cover World History from the ascension of Jesus Christ (AD 33) to the invention of the printing press (1456). We will blend the history of the early church with worldwide events of the Middle Ages- on one meaningful timeline. We will be historically accurate and chronological as we trace cause and effect, relevance, and the timeline significance of world history. We plan to have fun making timelines, and documenting history events in our own special ways. Prepare to be on an adventure through the Medieval times! (We may even get to joust with pool noodles). We will be using Mystery of History Vol II: The Early Church and the Middle Ages
Spanish: Middle School Level Spanish - We will explore the fascinating world of the Spanish language and culture of Spanish speaking countries. The 4 basic skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing will be taught, but the main focus will be on speaking (basic conversational Spanish skills) with the goal being - "the ability to hold a short conversation in Spanish including asking and answering questions." Since vocabulary is the basic building block, we will learn greetings, numbers, weather, everyday activities, descriptive words, feelings, classroom objects, food and drink, family, sports, etc. Using correct grammatical structures, music and songs will help students communicate easily. The emphasis will be on the ability to communicate with others using simple sentences.
STEAM: STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. This course will focus on components of all of the above by using hands-on learning to strengthen practical abilities while fostering creativity and imagination. Each week we will focus on the different aspects of STEAM with fun and engaging projects and learn how they work together to improve collaboration, creative problem solving, and critical thinking skills.
Theater: We bring all your talents and gifts, and put them on the stage! Students will work on one large musical for next year as well as a dance workshop. Families can expect a 75 minute practice per week, and extra practices as the musical performances grow closer. This schedule will be posted at the beginning of the school year.
Walking Through the Bible: Students will journey through the entire Bible as we learn how to become Biblical storytellers through scripture, study prayers and the Psalms, dive into an in-depth look at Revelation and the end times, and learn to see the Bible through a chronological view of history.

Elementary

Arts and Crafts 2nd-3rd: Here is a list of the supplies your child will need for Arts & Crafts this year. We are so excited and can't wait for a fun year of learning and creativity!

Basic Supplies Needed:
Childs ScissorsGlue Stick(s)
Pencil
Markers
Crayons
Colored Pencils
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor Paper
Painting Smock or Old T-Shirt to wear when painting so their clothes don't get messy
*Optional: Pencil Box or Pouch to keep their supplies in
Art 4th-5th: Students will be learning more about the movements of art history, and get the opportunity to try out those styles and movements in their own projects. Over the course of the class, students will create an art profile showcasing the many ways art has changed throughout time featuring their own unique touches. These profiles will be able to be presented at an art show at the conclusion of the semester.
Crazy 8’s: Crazy 8s is a math club unlike any other! It offers unique, high-energy math activities that appeal to kids of all math abilities. This is not in instructional class, rather it is a math club that reviews and strengthens math skills in a fun, low-pressure way!
Foundations 1 (7 & 8 yr olds): Foundations is a morning of learning and fun! Students will read books, learn about specific time periods in history, do some light grammar and writing work, and do seasonal activities. In addition, students will have a robust science lesson and participate in fun math games. Please note that a full grammar and writing program at home may be desired. In addition, a full math program at home is necessary.
Foundations 2 (9 & 10 yr olds): Foundations is a morning of learning and fun! Students will read books, learn about specific time periods in Bible/history and do seasonal activities. In addition, students will have a robust science lesson. Please note that a full grammar and writing program at home may be desired. In addition, a full math program at home is necessary.
Spanish: Beginning Spanish - We will explore the fascinating world of the Spanish language and culture of Spanish speaking countries. The 4 basic skills of speaking, listening (and some reading and writing)will be taught, but the main focus will be on speaking (basic conversational Spanish skills) with the goal being - "the ability to hold a short conversation in Spanish including asking and answering questions." Since vocabulary is the basic building block, we will learn greetings, numbers, weather, everyday activities, descriptive words, feelings, classroom objects, food and drink, family, sports, etc. Using correct grammatical structures, music and songs will help students communicate easily. The emphasis will be on the ability to communicate with others using simple sentences.

Theater: We bring all your talents and gifts, and put them on the stage! Students will work on one large musical for next year as well as a dance workshop. Families can expect a 75 minute practice per week, and extra practices as the musical performances grow closer. This schedule will be posted at the beginning of the school year. Please note that Theater is for students aged 9 years and up. If your student is under 9 years old, but has at least one year of theater experience, he or she is welcome to audition. All students must be able to independently read a script.