Better Late Than Never: A Personal Vision for Our Homeschool

For the past four years our homeschool has been based on the vision of St. Jerome Academy, but I realized (just last week!) that I never wrote our own version of it.

After getting overthat facepalm moment, I sat down to write.

Warning: this might look different than some of the homeschool vision statements you’ve seen. In my other life I’m a brand strategist and I follow this approach to vision statements:

• Your purpose is why you’re here.

• Your mission is how you fullfill that why.

• Your vision is what you will achieve.

So, here’s our better-late-than-never vision statement!

Our Purpose

To form our children as whole persons, created in the Image of God and called to walk in the footsteps of Christ.

Mission

Under the patronage of St. Dominic Savio, we form our children’s minds through the skills of the liberal arts and fill their souls through the humane studies of faith, literature, history, and natural philosophy. [see this post by Martin Cothran]

• We place the richness of Scripture and the Liturgical Year at the beginning of our day.

• We study Latin daily, understanding that it is the foundation of grammatical understanding and ordered thinking.

• We place the study of arithmetic after Faith and Latin, realizing that it is the grammar of number and therefore essential to higher mathematics, the sciences, and music.

• We directly teach the skills of the liberal arts and practice them through our literature, history, and nature studies.

• We cultivate wonder in all our studies, recognizing the depth, breadth, and beauty of each.

• We attain delight through a focus on mastery and working well, understanding that delight comes from the knowledge that we truly know.

Vision

Our children will be strengthened by truth, ministered to by goodness, and inspired by beauty, enabling them to respond joyfully as they answer Christ’s call to holiness.

2021 UPDATE: life circumstances have required that we alter the belows plans while still keeping to our vision. See this post and this one for the studies we’re focusing on right now!

Grammar School

We will focus our efforts on the following studies, using reading, student guides, recitation, flashcards, simple games, quizzes, and tests to develop mastery:

• Latin
• Math
• Grammar/Composition
• Spelling
• Literature
• Classical Studies
  

In the following studies, we will read, discuss, and recite, with familiarity as our goal. Flashcards, activities, and student guides will be done as we are able.

• Nature Studies
• Timeline
• Geography
• Greek Alphabet
• American History

High School

We will focus our efforts on the following studies, using reading, student guides, recitation, flashcards, quizzes and tests to develop mastery:

• Latin/Spanish
• Math
• Composition
• Literature
• History
• Science

In our elective studies we will read, discuss, and recite (where applicable), with familiarity as our goal. Flashcards, activities, and student guides will be done as we are able.

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Writing this down gave me so much peace and clarity. Now I just need to make it pretty…

What do you think? What would your statement say?