2019-2020 Friendly Educators Honors Extra

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What: Honors program for high school students grades 9-12

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Who: Mrs. Black and Mrs. Dockham

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Classes:

• Biology

• British Literature

• Chemistry

• Creative Writing

• Introduction to Literary Analysis

• Psychology

• US Government/Economics

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Location:  Greensboro Seventh-Day Adventist Church; 1320 Fleming Rd.; Greensboro,NC

 

Cost: $150 additional tuition fee per course plus a $20 donation per student for facility usage.

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How it works: Students will attend the regular Tuesday class meeting of their course and complete the assignments given to the whole class. For the honors extra option, they will be given additional enriching assignments that may include readings, projects, presentations, and papers. These assignments will not be busy work but will enhance the students’ learning of the subject as well as prepare them for college classes. We will choose the extra assignments carefully so we don’t burden your students.

 

Study sessions: Each Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, Mrs. Black and Mrs. Dockham will be available to meet with students for one-on-one and group coaching on the honors assignments. This will be a productive working time rather than additional lecture time that could burden your schedule. Your student will leave with work completed – and you will have a free morning to work with your other children or take some time for yourself!

 

Once a month (or more, depending on the need), the entire “Honors Extra” students

will meet with their tutor as a class. This would be for enriching discussions, presentations, or further class instruction. These required dates will be announced ahead of time. The other Thursdays will be optional.

 

NEW: Included in our Thursday morning time will be instruction and practice in a variety of skills that strong, college-bound students should have in their wheelhouse. These topical units will build on themselves as the year progresses. Examples:

• Study skills

• Research skills, including a field trip to the downtown library

• Public speaking/presentation skills

• Debate

 

JUST FOR FUN: We will break in the middle for a few minutes of “Coffee and Life” with Mrs. Black and Mrs. Dockham. One of the best parts and most serendipitous outcomes of our pilot program in 2018-19 has been the relationships created in this more informal setting. We have LOVED the one-on-one and small group time with these wonderful teens, and we have LOVED watching them develop friendships that have extended outside of the class time. We want to continue to encourage this by dedicating a few minutes each week for snacks, fellowship, and prayer requests.  

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We are so excited to expand the Friendly Educators program by offering these opportunities for students that may desire an “Honors” education, while still staying true to the Friendly Educators core principle of community, family, and faith.

 

***Student Testimonial***

 

“The Friendly Educators honors courses are an opportunity to challenge students academically and promote independent thinking while in a peer-supported environment. Students who partake in this program expand upon the basic curriculum by investigating an in-depth topic to enrich the individual student’s particular interest. The topic is researched throughout the entire semester and is presented as a project to all the honors classes at the end of the semester. On Thursday mornings, students are able to interact with one another to explore questions and keep each other in check. The student-to-student and student-to-teacher collaboration promotes social interaction and exposes each other to different ideas. This program benefits students by preparing us to challenge problems that the world poses and enrich intellectual stimulation and creative solutions.

“Honors students are expected to perform well and stay committed to their research. The courses are fast-paced and include an increased and intense workload. However, with the support of each other, students are able to maintain focus on their projects. Many of the students who attend the honors courses have a similar drive for excellence and higher achievement, encouraging an “iron sharpens iron” environment.”

--Phoebe Lee, Friendly Educators Class of 2019

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