First Day of School: 2020/2021

“First day of school, first day of school!!!”

Whether your kids are at home today or on campus, we are so excited to say — Happy First Day of School! We hope that after the long summer, you and your family are ready to join us on the adventure that is the 2020/2021 school year.

If you are new to SLO Classical Academy (SLOCA), we want to extend a special welcome. Today’s post is all about Down Home. So settle in and let’s get to know each other.

SLO Classical Academy exists to educate for life: the education we provide is life-enriching, life-preparing and life-giving; we understand that education is not a means to an end, but a worthy end in and of itself.

The Blog’s Purpose:

Our school blog is called Down Home because we know that much of the work and wonder that goes along with educating for life, takes place in the home. We want you to feel supported and encouraged by what we share. Down Home’s intention is to inspire, nurture, and educate us on the home-front as we cultivate and learn alongside our children. We hope to be a useful resource that will strengthen your role as an involved parent in your child’s classical education.

The Blog’s Aspiration:

We believe that there is nothing better than face-to-face connection and conversation. However, with the current COVID-related changes, face-to-face connection within our SLOCA community is going to be limited. Despite the changes, we can still find connection and community. As Susie reminded us on Thursday night, we are one community with one purpose. This year, more than ever, Down Home asipres to be a forum to help build and foster relationships in our SLOCA community. 

How To Join In:

• Subscribe — The easiest way to keep current with the blog is to subscribe. Follow the link and enter your email in the subscribe box. You’ll receive a message in your inbox each time there is new content. 
• Comment — Feeling connected this year is going to require some extra effort and creativity. Don’t be shy. If a post inspires you, sparks a question, or you have something additional to share — leave a comment! It is super easy, just type in your name and email address (your email will not be shown with the comment) and share your thoughts with our SLOCA community.
• Contribute — We love when our SLOCA community contribute ideas for posts, helpful websites, notices about student events, photos, and more. Send in your contributions to [email protected].

A Bit About Me:

Hi, my name is Sharon Cumberland and I am the Down Home blog curator. Our family is entering our 6th year at SLOCA. My husband Dave and I have a daughter in Primary and a son in LMS (Lower Middle School). 

What to Expect:

New content will be posted on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Here is what you can expect for each day:

• Sundays | To allow our home educators more time to preview and plan, we have moved our Monday Mix-ins to Sundays and have renamed them Mix-ins for Monday. Despite the fun alliteration, these mix-ins are not just for Mondays, they are enrichment resources for you to use throughout your week. You’ll find educational videos, helpful websites, and fun activity links corresponding with the history being studied that week. Links related to literature, science, art, and music will also be included from time to time. Check out last Monday’s post for a little bit of a preview. 
• Wednesdays | Will feature series like A Day in the Life, The Character Issue, Teaching Character Through Literature, as well as other posts on classical education, homeschool help, and more.
• Fridays | We will start off the year with the ever-popular, Friday Faces; get to know the staff of SLOCA through these fun posts. You’ll also find Fill-me-in-Fridays, What’s up Weekend, recipes ideas, etc. 

And that’s everything you need to know for now. Here’s to a fantastic first day of school! Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog. See you Down Home!