2009-2010 will begin our 7th year of award-winning Latin classes!
How do these classes work?
Latin 100-400 classes meet online (via webex) for two formal class sessions and one informal help session per week. Each class has a scheduled meeting time, e.g. from 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays (Mountain Time), but if you cannot attend during that time period, you may watch a recording of the class at your convenience. The weekly (drop-in; optional) help session will be scheduled during the parent/student meeting in August; it is usually Tuesday evenings from 6 - 7 Mountain Time.
STELLAE meets once a week for one hour (we tend to start promptly and run 5 minutes over).
What is the parents' role?
Latin 100-400: Parents are expected to proctor exams (4 per year for Latin 100) and administer the National Latin Exam in March (registration will be done for you! You will receive the exam in the mail -- just proctor it and mail it to the national center in the provided envelope). Beyond that, parents may OPT to attend the online classes with their students, help with homework, and participate in any manner they wish. Parents should roughly monitor study time and contact me if Latin is taking their student 4 hours/week or more -- 4 hours is the maximum homework time limit; students taking more than 4 hours generally need study tips to help them work more efficiently. (3 hours/week is the homework time estimate.)
STELLAE - Parents are expected to monitor their student as he/she attends class (keep him/her on task, make sure he/she is not disrupting the class by playing with the computer system), and - if their student takes the Exploratory Latin Exam - to proctor the test and mail it to the national grading center.
Materials:
Latin 100: Students will receive handouts and a teacher-created CD in the mail. The CD contains extensive materials -- packets for each chapter, video clips, audio recordings of each chapter, English translations of each chapter, answer keys for all homework, and other useful documents. Students do need to purchase the Orberg textbook - Lingua Latina Pars I: Familia Romana - not an expensive book! You do NOT need to purchase any ancillaries - e.g. workbook, CD - our versions are included on the CD we mail you.
STELLAE: Students will receive teacher-created handouts/packets and access to teacher-made activites on the Quia website. There is nothing to purchase!
Payment: For Latin 100-400, a $25 materials fee is due on the first day of class (recommended two weeks before class begins, to ensure that your CD and materials arrive on time). Students may then try the class for two weeks. At the end of the second week of class (after the student has attended 4 classes and has decided to commit to the course), the balance is due: $200 for Latin 100-400, or $75 for students "auditing" Latin 100-400. If a student chooses to withdraw after that point, refunds may or may not be available (Refund policy – see below). For STELLAE students, the $50 fee for Fall session is due before the second class (there is a one-week free trial). For spring semester, the entire fee ($225 for Latin 100-400, $100 for those auditing Latin 100-400, $50 for STELLAE) is due at the end of the second week. For STELLAE students who opt to take the three-week December session, the $30 fee is due on the first day of class for that session. For payment, you may either mail a check or use paypal - a paypal link is given on the Home Page. If using paypal, please add 4% to cover paypal fees.
Behavior issues: If a student has behavior issues (this includes netiquette issues!) that are distracting the class or destroying the mood/environment, the parent would have the choice to either attend class with the student (and keep the student in line) or to withdraw the student from the class. If the student’s behavior is not acceptable by my standards, even with the parent’s presence, I may have to decide to withdraw the student from the class. (Refund policy – see below.)
Refunds: Refunds cannot be given if the student’s withdrawal would drop the class size under 6. Otherwise, refunds are solely at my discretion; plan on no refunds being available, to avoid disappointment.
Religious issues: The courses are open to students of any background – everyone is welcome! Roman mythology is required for the NLE, but it’s not our focal point. (We finish it quickly – in a “survey” fashion – and don’t explore any myths in great depth until we read the Aeneid in 300/400 Poetry.) We may read selections from the Vulgate Bible in any class; in addition to any special significance it may have for your family, it has historical value, is genuine Latin, and is actually easy reading (boosts students’ confidence when they see they can understand “real” Latin). The Orberg textbook, in later chapters, explores different belief systems present in the Roman Empire, including early Christianity. If you plan to study church history, this would be a great stepping-off point. All students will probably receive a handout or two with church-related Latin (“Adeste Fideles,” the “Pater Noster,” etc.) – things Latin students should be aware of, since they will likely encounter those Latin references in daily life.
Please email Karen Karppinen with questions!