Two Questions Families Ask about Summer Courses… and the One Question They’re Not Asking

Dr. Seanta Cleveland​

As summer draws closer, our phones ring and email inboxes fill with parents asking questions about our program. Although every call is different, we’ve noticed there are two questions we get from almost every caller–and there’s one more question we’re not getting that we wish people would ask.

Parents ask:  How does the schedule work? 
​The One Schoolhouse summer session runs from June 12 to August 4, 2023. Students should expect to complete about twenty hours of work each week. The next question almost always starts with “But my child is planning…”. 

Kids want to cram a lot into every summer–they earn money, take on internships, volunteer, play sports, and spend time with friends and family. Because our courses are asynchronous, students can complete assignments at the time that works best for them, ensuring that they’re meeting regular deadlines throughout the week. At the same time, One Schoolhouse summer courses cover a full year of material in just eight weeks. In order to meet the swift pace of the syllabus, a One Schoolhouse summer course needs to be the student’s primary commitment during those eight weeks. 

Parents ask:  Will my student be ready for the fall?

Our 2023 Summer session courses are designed for motivated and engaged students to move ahead–completing Geometry in the summer, for example, to ensure students are ready for Pre-Calculus in eleventh grade–or create flexibility in their academic year schedules. Our courses have been created by expert teachers to give students a deep understanding of the key concepts, strategies, and knowledge that they need for further study. Students spend about half their time every week in application activities using the material they’ve learned in novel contexts, or exploring real world situations. By making sure students engage deeply with what they’re learning, One Schoolhouse courses prepare students for challenging academic year courses.

We’d love to hear you ask:  Are my child’s goals the right fit for a One Schoolhouse Summer course?

Summer is the time for students to invest in their passions. For some kids, that means reading The Lord of the Rings cycle for the fifth time. For others, it’s building their own bike and riding cross-state with a group of friends. One Schoolhouse Summer courses are a great fit for kids who are motivated by academic study and academic achievement, and who want to put those goals at the center of their summer. We hear every year from students that taking a One Schoolhouse Summer course is an important stepping stone to their ultimate goal. For elite athletes, taking a course in the summer creates flexibility for expanded training for the school year. For STEM students, completing Pre-Calculus over the summer means that they’ll be ready for Multivariable Calculus in their senior year. When your student’s goals align with our program’s strengths, we’re ready for a great summer.