The Holy House Academy

HOLY HOUSE ACADEMY
of  The Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham
FAQ

 
Brief description of the program
The Holy House Academy previously known as Children of the Holy House™ is a home school enrichment program that offers courses from Pre‐K through 12th grade. We meet during 26 Wednesdays of the year, from September through May, with a typical day running from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Holy House courses are challenging and grounded in a balance of faith and reason. Studies are meant to emphasize the intellectual, historical, and spiritual gifts of our faith, with the goal of students discovering the influence of Catholicism in every aspect of culture. We do this through courses in art, music, Greek, Latin, science, math, literature, history, nature, philosophy, and reflection on how that knowledge, based on our understanding of mankind’s relationship to God, can renew the culture.

As of the fall of 2016 we also began to offer classes and services on Mondays.

History of the Holy House Academy
Children of the Holy House™ was established in 1999 as part of a family of programs under Our Lady of Walsingham Institutes of Catholic Culture Studies, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It currently is an enrichment and educational outreach program of The Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham.
 
What does Holy House have to offer Catholic home schoolers?
Holy House provides a wholesome environment where each child can explore his/her academic and social skills with gentle and charitable guidance. We want to help our students understand that our faith goes beyond going to church and being good. They must live their faith and be beacons of the faith in the culture that prevails and in so doing bring others to Christ. We want our students to understand the necessity of being prepared, not only spiritually, but also intellectually, to be able to defend their faith through reason, as well. Our students attend Mass at noon, and the rector of the church provides support and guidance to the students when they need it. Our wonderful Holy House families have formed a solid community of support and encouragement and many bonds of lasting friendship have been forged.

One of the major advantages we offer home educators is that the teachers do the weekly course planning and the testing. The most important responsibility of the parents is to make sure their children complete the Holy House assignments at home in a systematic and orderly fashion.
 
What are the strong points in the Holy House Academy? Our strong points are: (1) an authentically Catholic approach to education; (2) a challenging and rigorous academic program, (3) vibrant and committed Catholic teachers, (4) structure and accountability, (5) a community environment, (6) low tuition and, of utmost importance, (7) Mass.

Do you have any accreditations? No, we don’t. We are not a school. The main goal of our program is to assist home schooling parents in providing a solid classical style Catholic education for their children.

Does Holy House offer daily lesson plans, with tests? Our teachers send an email to the parents with a variety of assignments to complete during the week. Depending on the course, teachers give quizzes and tests several times during the school year. We submit progress reports to the parents twice a semester to help them understand where their children are in each class. Our teachers keep in contact with the parents when there are concerns and to help the parents manage the intensity of the work, etc.

What support does Holy House offer parents?  Our courses supplement or complement the courses that parents are doing at home. Because we are in partnership with parents in the education of their children, we have a strong Catholic community and environment. Holy House also provides a platform for the forging of long‐term friendships and associations and vigorous intellectual interaction, which comes from learning with others and that stimulates critical thinking.

We ask the students to wear uniforms and to sign disciplinary action plans with their parents. These measures help the students realize that they are participating in a serious, academically demanding program where rules must be followed for the benefit of everyone involved.

Does Holy House offer any standardized testing at the end of the school year? We facilitate the taking of standardized exams when requested by parents.

What is our educational approach?  We strongly lean towards the classical and we emphasize the importance of the Catholic faith and culture in all aspects of education.

Does the Holy House curriculum have a provision for slower study or for children with learning disabilities? Over the years many students with different learning challenges have completed our program successfully. While we are not able to offer a specific program for children with learning disabilities, we work with the parents and the teachers to provide a safe and friendly environment to all students without making those students feel different or uncomfortable. We make as many accommodations as we can to help all children take advantage of the courses we offer.
 
To Schedule a tour or find out more information please contact Andrea Shurbaji, [email protected]