Hewitt Homeschooling Resources

High School

If any of the following describes you, Hewitt's high school program may be what you're looking for:

You want greater assurance that your high school child will be ready for college when the time comes - and that colleges will think so, too.
You have younger children who require more of your time, and you would like your high-schooler to work more independently of you.
You question your ability to provide adequate instruction or evaluation of your student's high school work.
You think your high school student would respond better to constructive criticism of their work from someone outside the home.

For grades 9 - 12, Hewitt High School enrollment provides structure, guidance, grades, credits, transcripts, and diplomas. Counseling is also available throughout the year by email, phone, letter, or fax. Letter grades are given each quarter, but they are a small part of the evaluations (see a sample evaluation here). In addition, your student's work will receive personal attention, often with specific suggestions for improvement. Our evaluators strive to be supportive, realistic, and educational in their comments. For additional information, see the other high school links to your left.

What you do: Register your student by mail, phone, or on-line and pay for either the full year ($540.00) or the first month ($50.00). (Half-year registration is $300.00, monthly payments not available.) Once we have received the registration, we will mail a student I.D. card, questionnaires for the parent and students to complete and return, and a High School Handbook. Then order your materials for the appropriate courses (materials are not included in the registration cost). If you need help in choosing classes, please allow time for us to receive and review the completed questionnaires, appropriate transcripts (if applicable), and/or testing results before you call a teacher. When you have received your books and syllabi, begin your school year.

Your package for $540.00 (or $50.00 per month) includes:

High School Handbook
Counseling on our toll-free line or via email
Four written evaluations with letter grades
Transcript
Diploma at the completion of all requirements

NEW - Electronic English Grading

Students enrolled in one of our Lightning Literature courses - either as a single course or as a full-time student - can now choose to have their English work graded electronically. Students submit papers as they finish them (not at the end of the quarter) via email. Each paper is graded within two weeks and returned via email. When all papers for the quarter are complete, the student will receive a grade as usual. This is only available for our Lightning Literature programs and the cost is $75.00 above the usual enrollment fees.

Some additional information about Hewitt's educational philosophy, especially as it applies to our highschool program:

Everyone is unique. Students are different in how they learn, what they enjoy, and in their educational goals. Although we do have to uphold certain standards of education to maintain our good name, we don't believe in forcing students (or parents) into a Hewitt mold. One of the great advantages of home schooling is the tremendous opportunity to adjust the style of the learning for each child. We urge parents to really homeschool rather than just have school at home. We offer a range of classes in order to suit both the college-bound and others.

Flexibility is key. Although we recommend specific texts, we work with parents and students whenever alternate texts are desired. We also allow the creation of courses we do not currently offer (e.g., logic, philosophy, zoology). While enrolled with us students can submit grades from classes with private teachers, high schools, or colleges for credit. You can enroll with us at any time of the year, and we also welcome students midyear (please call Hewitt for prices for a half-year enrollment).

People learn best when “doing.” We emphasize active participation on the students’ parts in the learning process through reading, writing, experimentation, exploration, research, and projects rather than a repetitive read-study-test approach. For example, our history courses include many projects to allow students to learn and show what they've learned, through reading, writing, researching, drawing, building, acting, or even singing, rather than simply taking tests.

Education is not all in books. Therefore, we offer credit for work and volunteer experience, as well as educational travel. These experiences can be superior to academics in developing such traits as discipline, compassion, and integrity. We've had students receive credit for such diverse activities as mission endeavors, running a business, training horses, acting as a museum guide, and traveling.

Critical thinking is vital. Students need to learn how to think, to differentiate between fact and opinion, and to do research. We offer a different approach than outcome-based education by emphasizing research, primary sources, and opinion essays. As part of this, writing skills are emphasized in many classes, particularly for the college-bound.

Responsibility is important. We love making learning fun. However, students also need to be prepared for the requirements of college or career. In recognition of this we include tests in some classes, because regardless of what any of us thinks of tests, they are a part of adult life—whether it's to get into college or get a driver's license. We encourage students to keep records of class work each day to ensure accountability.

Independence should be fostered. We encourage our students to contact us with questions or problems (of course, parents can also contact us). We want to become acquainted with our enrollees; we often complete college, job, or scholarship applications in which we are asked to evaluate motivation, self-discipline, intellectual curiosity, and other traits. This is difficult if we communicate only with parents.