Sending your kids to a Classical Christian Micro-school like Coram Deo can sound a bit confusing. You register as a homeschooler, but you send your kids to school four days a week. Is it a co-op? Do the parents teach? Is it just like a regular private school? I hope that sharing a day in our lives as a “Coram Deo family” might help show what is really involved.
7:40
The lunchboxes are packed and the kids are almost ready for school. One child is banging out the notes to “Skip to My Lou” on the piano and another is hunting for her library book under her bed. There’s no formal uniform, but we do have to make sure they are all wearing closed in shoes. Last week my four year old made it to school in just socks, so today my husband is double checking. It’s never very difficult getting them into the car, as they look forward to seeing their friends and they love their teachers.
8:20
My husband and the three big kids arrive at the church building that hosts the school. It’s a micro school (maximum number of students around 20) so there is no queue in the car park and the drop off process is a simple sign in sheet in the junior class room. The day will start with prayer and song before the classes separate for their different lessons. We have one child in the junior class (Kindy – Year 1) and two in the Senior class (Year 2-6).
9:30
Back at home, the baby has gone to sleep and I decide it’s time to make sure I’m ready for the upcoming Education Department moderator visit. This involves making sure that the school work the children bring home is correctly filed so that it’s easy to show the moderator what they have been learning all year. The rest of the day will be just regular housework and baby activities.
2:55
It’s my turn for the school run and I have arrived early, so I slip into the back of the Junior classroom where all the students and teachers have gathered to sing and pray. The classrooms are simply some rooms behind the main church building, fitted out with desks, chairs, whiteboards and A/C to keep everyone comfortable. As the prayer finishes I sign my trio out and try to corral them away from their friends and into the car.
3:10
Driving home, I’m never quite sure where the conversation will go. Sometimes we discuss friends and the games that they invented during lunch break. Other times the kids will quiz me on new Latin vocabulary they have learnt. (I don’t know Latin, but it’s surprising how many you can guess due to similarities to English words!) Today my eldest wants to share with me the next instalment of the story he has been writing during journal time.
3:40
We decide to stop at our local park before going home. The school has paving and astro turf, so the kids are delighted to chase each other around on the green grass at the oval. When we finally head home they empty their lunchboxes and I persuade my eldest to get started on his cursive writing practice. Homework is not a regular occurrence. Sometimes the kids have some writing to finish, times tables to practice or a book to read. Mostly, they are free to spend their after school time how they please.
This is a “typical” day attending Coram Deo, but there are non-typical days too, such as excursions, sports carnival, and school recitals. And I haven’t even touched on Wednesdays here, which are completely class free!
I hope this helps with understanding what it looks like for your kids to attend Coram Deo.
Kate Howard
Mum of three students,
Coram Deo