What is the educational philosophy of Sycamore
Academy?
What is the educational philosophy of Sycamore
Academy?
Our purpose is to provide an alternative educational program, enabling parents to teach
their children at home. This allows parents greater control over the development of
the characters of their children as well as the building of a firm foundation of basic
skills. We believe parents should have the option to teach their children at
home. No one cares as much about a child as his or her own parents. No
traditional classroom can provide as much individual attention as the parent. We
believe that the combination of parental love and professional guidance by credentialed
educators will result in the most effective educational program. We believe the best
educational program is based on the Bible.
How long have you been in business?
Sycamore Academy started in 1981 and incorporated in 1982. We were the
first school and catalog in the world solely dedicated to homeschoolers.
What are the system requirements?
Pentium III processor,
Windows Vista, Windows XP Pro (preferred), Windows 2000, Windows ME, or WIN
98 Second Edition Operating System, 256 MB of
memory, 250 MB of Hard disk space,
800 x 600 or higher resolution monitor, 16 bit color,
CD-ROM drive, and Internet Service. A printer is
recommended. This program is not available for Apple Computers.
How does the online school work?
Curriculum for each subject is on a CD ROM (included in the course fee).
Students do the assignments on the their own computer and then download it to our office
where it is checked by credentialed teachers. The teacher writes back to the
students. Students may ask any questions and get all the help he or she needs for
their subjects.
What grades are offered in the online school?
We currently offer grades 3 through 12.
What is covered in each subject in the online school?
Click here to find out everything that is
covered on the CD ROMs for the online school.
Does my student need to be connected to the internet at
all times?
If you have DSL, cable, or broadband, you are
automatically connected all the time. If you have dial-up, you will need to
connect before beginning and when finishing your work. There are also some links
websites to look at.
What curriculum is used for the online school?
We use the Switched-On Schoolhouse multimedia curriculum. It is a highly
motivating and challenging multimedia-enhanced CD-ROM program offers a wide variety of
interactive problems to keep students actively involved in learning. Material is
thoroughly taught and reinforced with the "Focus Learning" system. Quizzes
and test then give students the opportunity to prove what they have learned.
How long does the student work take?
The curriculum is designed and hour a day per subject for 180 days. English
may take longer due to the written work required.
Is all work done on the computer?
Yes, with the exception of some science experiments
and some literature books for high school students.
Can students work on materials at their own pace? What
is the minimum enrollment period?
With our online school, students are able to work at their own pace with no
minimum enrollment period.
When may my student enroll?
Students of any grade level including high school may enroll in the online school at any time during the year.
What does my student get when we enroll?
Upon enrollment, you will receive a nice binder filled with information on how to
set up the program including student passwords, information
on how the program works, all needed information to use the program, and all
curriculum on disks.
What kind of help will my student get online?
Highly qualified teachers who are specialists in their fields personally review
all work and reports. Our teachers work with your students monitoring their
progress, addressing student concerns and questions, and making comments on student work.
An email messaging system is built right into the curriculum so students and
teachers can easily communicate. Students can attach questions or comments directly
to specific problems. Similarly, teachers leave notes for the students.
How do enrolled families contact Sycamore
Academy
for
technical help?
When enrolled, you contact us by mail at 2179 Meyer Place, Costa Mesa,
CA 92627, E-mail at info@sycamoretree.com, or by calling (714)
668-1343.
How are grades assigned?
Grades are assigned through the online school program based on student work.
Who maintains my student's cumulative records?
Family files are kept in our office for progress reports, materials lists, health records,
report cards, test results, parent/teacher comments, etc. We will send for records from
your child's previous school (optional for elementary
students), and upon request, send them on with your
accumulated Sycamore Tree records as your child moves into another school environment.
Does the Sycamore Academy Online
Program offer foreign language programs?
Spanish is available online. Other languages would be taken under the combination
enrollment. Any language, including sign language, will meet our high school program
requirement.
What about laboratory sciences?
A laboratory science is required for college-bound students. Choices are
Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Minimal equipment will need
to be purchased.
What other added benefits will my student get by enrolling in
Sycamore Academy?
- Student Body Cards
Each student receives a nice photo ID student body card identifying him/her as a student
in Sycamore Academy private school. This is useful for obtaining student discounts, and
also gives the child a feeling of "belonging." In addition, we send birthday
cards to all our students!
- Catalog Discount
All enrolled families receive a 10% discount on all catalog items that begin with a
letter.
What costs are involved in enrolling and tuition?
See our complete fee schedule for costs of enrollment
and tuition for the online or combination programs.
What if we need Legal Insurance?
A group plan with a discount group rate is provided through Home School Legal
Defense Association. This organization provides support and legal aid when public
personnel question your homeschooling. It is strongly recommended that you join this group
although it is not required.
Will you mediate with the local school officials if they
have objections to our student's enrollment in your school?
Yes. Since we have been in business since 1981, many schools and school
districts are familiar with our program.
Will my student get a high school diploma?
Upon completion of the high school program and demonstrated performance on proficiency
tests, the student receives a diploma, printed in gold. Students with Sycamore
Academy diploma have attended many colleges, universities, and entered the armed forces. All high
school classes must be documented, either by us or by the previous school. Credit for
classes taken at local Junior Colleges may also be applied to the high school graduation
requirements. We also give credit for work experience.
What about high school transcripts?
Upon graduation or transfer, Sycamore Academy will provide a transcript. This transcript
has been recognized by public and private schools as well as many colleges and
universities around the nation. They include subject, grade, and year each course is
taken.
Do you give credit for work experience, whether paid or
volunteer?
We give credit for work experience, whether paid or volunteer. Sports will
be part of the PE grade. Music fulfills a requirement for fine arts.
How do you assign credit for previously completed high
school work?
Credit is given for previously completed work taken through a public or private
high school.
What extra services do you provide for high
school students?
We will write letters of
recommendation to your insurance for good student discount qualification.
We will help you obtain work
permits.
We will help your child enroll
in a local Junior College to take classes.
We will supply high school
students with our ID Code for proficiency tests and college exams.
Are there enrollment requirements for high
school?
For students enrolling in our high school program, you must either begin in the 9th grade
or transfer from another school in order to receive a diploma from us. We cannot give
credit for classes taken in homeschool unless they are backed by another program.
Are you accredited?
Yes. Both Sycamore Academy textbook-based and online homeschool programs
are fully accredited by the Northwestern Association of
Academic Schools.
What about Socialization?
Many parents are concerned about socialization for their homeschooled
children. When you put your child into a classroom, they will unfortunately
learn as much from their peers as from their teacher.
You have no control over what the other children are allowed to do, the television programs and movies they are allowed to watch, or the language they use. Are they being taught to be compassionate? to be kind? to be honest? Like it or not, the peer group has a great deal of influence over your child. Is this the kind of socialization you want for your child? When you are homeschooling, you can choose the groups you want your children to associate with through outside activities. Just be cautious in over scheduling.
Another advantage that takes place when your children are not peer-dependent is that they will become the leaders in a social situation. Last of all, it's more important for your child to feel comfortable around adults. When your child grows up, he will have a head start in dealing with the world.
