The New Classical Academy will host our first open house on Tuesday, January 17, 2006. The event will take place from 5 to 8 pm at Christ United Methodist Church in Weaverville. Kate Hyde and Kelly Homolka, the founders and directors of the school, will be available to answer your questions and show you the materials and methods we use. The church is located on Garrison Branch Road #2, 1 mile west of Weaverville on 25/70.

The home school enrichment class has been busy studying European geography, American history in the 1920’s, plants, and geometry. The middle school students are having fun making plans for the school store, which they will run next year when The New Classical Academy opens full time. The younger students have been exploring “geosolids”- wooden shapes which teach the fundamentals of geometry. And everyone enjoyed the model rocket that we shot off during lunch as part of our study of Robert Goddard!

The atmosphere at The New Classical Academy is quite different from what you would see in a typical classroom. All of our classrooms are consistent in design; they are organized, uncluttered and peaceful. There are no individual desks, and students do not have textbooks. Instead, children move freely about the room working cooperatively in pairs or small groups and often taking their work on a clipboard to sit comfortably on one of the many couches. Because of our belief that “the best way to learn is to teach” you will see students sharing, talking, and discussing their work freely.

Kate and Kelly would like to welcome Joanne Comito, who has agreed to serve on our first Board of Directors. A long time home schooler, Joanne has a child attending our home school enrichment program as well as a child currently enrolled in the Francine Delaney New School for Children, a local charter school. The Board will meet in January to adopt our bylaws, and then we will be ready to submit our application to the Internal Revenue Service for non-profit status.