Today we begin our SLO Classical Academy High School (sloCAHS) series on the blog. Those of you with middle school students at SLOCA are receiving emails this week about our high school program, and we hope those have been enlightening and valuable. Through Down Home, we also want to share all this great information with the broader community, and keep you interested in learning more about our outstanding classical program for high schoolers.
It is during the high school years that classical education truly shines, and we encourage you to take the time to learn about sloCAHS before making a decision about high school. Read the emails/blog posts, sit in on some classes, talk to teachers/students/parents, and please attend our High School Open House on February 3rd. Find out what we’re all about!
What better way to start things off than from the students themselves? Here’s what our high schoolers are saying about sloCAHS:
When I tell my non-SLOCA friends about how SLOCA High School works, they are always amazed and surprised. I tell them about diagramming sentences, and giving an informative speech on Instagram, and reading the Iliad over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. They have never diagrammed a sentence. They have never given a such an interesting speech. They have never read the Iliad. At sloCAHS, the education is amazing and, sometimes, surprising. But I like it that way. I love that I go to school three days a week. I love that I'm reading such great literature and delving deep into history. I love that our small physics class can take field trips to parks to study “playground physics.” I love that I'm translating Caesar's original works from Latin. I love that in my Algebra II class, we begin class with a quote from a philosopher or famous mathematician. I love that my teachers know me. I love that I am free to be myself because I know I won't be judged. I love how tight-knit the students are. I love being able to go on camping trips with the entire high school. I love our volleyball team. I love being able to design our literary magazine. I love SLOCA High School.
~Junior
At SLOCA High School, learning is fun. Yes, there is homework. Yes, it can be challenging, but the way the teachers teach the information makes those assignments worth it, and a lot of times you will have the ability to take your own creative route in how you want to complete the assignment, whether it is an art project, writing assignment, or even a presentation or power-point. The teachers, when you do feel lost, take the time and focus on your needs. An example of the great way we learn in the high school is the “Civilization Summit” we do every few weeks. This year, while learning about the ancients, we each were assigned a civilization team that focused on a certain civilization. Every few weeks, on Friday all the teams meet and give a presentation that explains an aspect of the civilization. This is a chance to do team chants, act out stories, and explore creative ways to learn. This is one of the many ways we do make learning fun, and personally, I find that more often than not, I am excited to go to school, and especially gratified that it can be at the SLOCA High School.
~Sophomore
I personally like SLOCA High School because of the history education above all else. It is, in my opinion, what makes the school unique. There are few schools where the average discussion for a lunch period might include the effects of the Gutian peoples on the political systems of ancient Mesopotamia, and SLOCA is one of them. History pervades every subject with math, science, Latin, and literature classes all heavily emphasizing the development of their concepts in a historical context, which heavily contributes to a deeper understanding of a particular area as well as the connections between subjects. The emphasis on history at SLOCA enhances every other subject.
~Junior
