Kolbe Academy's goal is to encourage every family to be independent, self-reliant, and totally confident in the education of their children in the home, aligning with the Principle of Subsidiarity. We understand and appreciate that parents, in making the decision to educate at home, have chosen to embrace their responsibility as primary educators. It is our privilege to provide support to families who have trusted Kolbe Academy as a partner in educating their children. This article will outline the ways a Kolbe parent supports their child's success in our various programs.

 

Traditional Homeschool

In our traditional homeschool program, parents are provided with detailed weekly course plans, tests, and answer keys to help guide students through the material. Each course's pacing is established by the parent in conjunction with the student’s goals and academic calendar. Parents are responsible for the organization, instruction, assessment, grading, and reporting of courses to Kolbe. To report grades, parents submit sample work and recommended course grades to Kolbe Academy for review and approval, following our grade reporting guidelines. Textbooks and teacher manuals are available. Learn more about our homeschool program. 

Digital Homeschool

The digital homeschool program is a homeschool program in a partially digital format. These video-based courses are created by Kolbe teachers with homeschool students in mind. Weekly, auto-graded quizzes are embedded in the course. The pacing is established by the parent in conjunction with the student’s goals and academic calendar. All grading, possibly some instruction, and grade reporting is done by the parent. To report grades, parents submit sample work and recommended course grades to Kolbe Academy for review and approval, following our grade reporting guidelines. Textbooks and teacher manuals are available. Courses are hosted in Schoology, an online learning management system used by the student and parent to access assignments, assessments, and view the student’s gradebook where auto-graded quiz results are stored. Kolbe Academy provides a Schoology account for each online student and the parents.  

 

Asynchronous Online

The Asynchronous Online program is a homeschool program in a digital format, with the addition of teacher grading on select assignments and teacher support and correspondence. These video-based courses are created by Kolbe teachers. Weekly, auto-graded quizzes are embedded in the course and maintained by the teacher. These are teacher directed courses where the pacing is established by the parent in conjunction with the student’s goals and academic calendar. The teacher will submit grades for Asynchronous Online courses.  Teachers will hold occasional office hours at the request of the student. Courses are hosted in Schoology, an online learning management system used by the student and parent to access assignments, assessments, track attendance, and view the student’s gradebook. Kolbe Academy provides a Schoology account for each online student and the parents. See our Schoology guides. Read more about our Asynchronous Online courses.

 

Online Programs  

At times, families discern that they could benefit from additional support in carrying out their responsibility as primary educators. In such cases, the online courses available at Kolbe Academy often prove to be an immense aid to families. By enrolling your child in an online course, you are embarking on a collaborative partnership with the instructor for that course and Kolbe Academy as a whole. This partnership entails entrusting a portion of your educational authority to us. It is important to acknowledge and appreciate Kolbe's responsibilities that come with this partnership, including: 

 

1. Course plan content 
2. Number, breadth, and depth of assignments 
3. Assessment 
4. Grading of all assignments 
5. Final quarter and semester grades  

By enrolling in online courses, the parent acknowledges that the teacher has the authority to give assignments, perform assessments, and assign grades at his/her discretion. Comprehensive daily and/or weekly work will be part of the student's overall grade. Course requirements and expectations must be adhered to.

 

It is the student's responsibility to be prepared for each class. It is also the student's responsibility to make up for any work missed due to an absence and to understand that late or missing work may affect the final grade. It is the parent’s responsibility to: 

 

1. Understand account access, including student accounts, so you can provide accountability with assignment deadlines and support good study and time management habits. 
2. Keep contact information updated with Kolbe Academy and check email regularly for email communications from Kolbe Academy staff and faculty. 
3. Read all Kolbe communications, including the Friday Memo in Schoology. 
4. Complete a Schoology check-in with the student at least once a week to provide oversight and accountability. Review what features to check in the Schoology Student View (Parents) article.
5. Set up Schoology notifications. We strongly encourage you to turn on at least the overdue assignment notification, if not all notifications.
6. Proctor exams and tests as outlined in the Parent and Student Handbook.
7. Reach out to the teacher via email if questions or concerns about the course arise. 
8. Read additional detailed tips and tricks to foster success for both the student and primary educator in the Succeeding in Online Courses article. 

 

Elementary Online Program

A student's success in the online elementary program is dependent on a strong partnership with the family. While the instructor runs the live online lesson, the parent still has a very important and active role to play in the child's learning.  

 

In the K-5 Online Program, the parent role of facilitator requires the following:  

• Help child log in & troubleshoot technology 

• Check week at-a-glance and Schoology assignments/gradebook daily.  

• Help child organize work and submit assignments 
• Help child through repetition work, workbooks and writing assignments while offline  
• Help child in areas of struggle and alert teacher to concerns  
• Help child dive deeper into topics of interest or struggle  
• Respond to teacher emails and concerns 

It is imperative that the parent assists with getting the student logged on for classes, provides an appropriate learning environment for the child with the proper supplies, space and tools to success, and communicates with the instructor as needed. This partnership continues when it comes to offline assignments.  
 

The assignments students complete after live class are extensions of the live class, designed to provide meaningful ways for students to master concepts while inviting families to engage in student learning, especially at the elementary level. The partnership continues here in that instructors must provide clear instructions and guidance on parental expectations for each assignment, and in turn, parents must do their best to support their child in the completion of those assignments and in their timely submission. For K-5 parents, it is encouraged that you check both parent account (weekly) and student account (daily).  The amount of parental support varies by age, grade level, maturity, and overall academic ability. However, at every stage, parent support drives student success. 
 

Our teachers seek to support parents in their partnership through leveled assignment labels. In K-1, various levels of assistance are required and suggested for assignment types. This chart will be useful for communicating which level of assistance is needed on a given assignment to help your child thrive: 

 

Parent Assistance Leveling
Level of Assistance	Expectations for Partnership
Level 1	Student works independently, parent provides encouragement.
Level 2	Student-led assignment, but parent may assist and guide student to the correct answer or provide corrections as needed. Parent should provide feedback, if child struggled with the assignment.
Level 3 (Lap-Sitting)	Student and parent may work together to complete the assignment.

 

Middle & High School Online Program

While students in middle and high school take on more responsibility in their learning, parent partnership is still required, including parental oversight and accountability. Parents are expected to have a level of involvement that is appropriate for their child. Students who have never taken an online class before should be monitored closely by a parent to ensure the student is supported as they transition to online learning, they are meeting deadlines, and that technology is not hindering them. While parents are not expected to grade or teach material from the online course, reinforcement of concepts or additional emphasis and discussion may be important for many students to succeed. 

 

We advise one parent to frequently check Schoology to review assignment status, grades, and student communication. For more mature students, a weekly check-in to Schoology will likely be sufficient. For students requiring ongoing assistance with time management, focus, accountability, and support, a daily check-in to Schoology with closer attention to student assignments and communications to achieve maximum student success. Once mastery of the online environment and flow of the class has been achieved, parents can feel confident in letting an independent learner take the reins. For more detailed information on Schoology check-ins and suggestions for student success, review the “Succeeding in Online Courses” article.

 

Parents are also expected to assist with proctoring exams and tests. Be sure to adhere to exam and testing guidelines as outlined by each individual instructor and in the Parent and Student Handbook. Proctoring is defined as a parent or guardian (college-age sibling is ok) physically checking in on the student while an exam is being taken to help deter the student from the temptation to academic dishonesty. The proctor should be in the same household as the student and be aware of all honesty statements that the student and/or proctor must sign at the beginning or end of the exam. The proctor should be aware of whether an exam is open book or if any outside resources are allowed by the teacher. While the proctor is not required to sit next to or be in the same room as the student during the entirety of the exam, periodic physical check-ins while the student is taking the exam are required.

 

Supports for Kolbe Academy Families

As Kolbe Academy partners with parents as the primary educators of their children, we offer a variety of supportive systems for Kolbe families.

Academic Support Services 

Our Academic Services Department is available for any questions or concerns throughout the year. Our enrolled families and their students are eligible to receive a variety of services from the Academic Services Department, including official grade records, transcripts, verification of enrollment, and letters of recommendation.  

 

Your advisor is available to support you in your vocation as a parent choosing to educate your child at home. We are also here to guide you in the everyday aspects of facilitating the education of your children. We have a dedicated team of advisors and a full admissions staff available to answer your general questions as well as your specific questions about choosing curriculum, developing a course of study, and finding a schedule that will best suit the needs of each individual student.  

 

In the high school years, your advisor will assist parents in tracking graduation progress and assist you and your student with college planning and applications. This support is a cooperative effort between Kolbe Academy’s Academic Services Department and the student and parent. Parents have a responsibility to monitor their student’s graduation progress, track awards, and provide the student with support and accountability throughout high school.  

 

For students applying to college, we have many support resources available. However, the student and parent play a key role in doing their own research, tracking dates and deadlines for applications and scholarships, keeping the senior course list updated with their advisor, and communicating their needs to their advisor well in advance of deadlines. Please carefully study the College Planning folder in our Help Center. Also, be sure to attend our College Planning Webinar, College Fair, and other college-oriented events. 

 

Student Support Services

Empower your child to overcome learning challenges with Kolbe Academy's Student Support Services Program. We offer a variety of ways to support students who are struggling with particular courses, need additional accountability for moving through a course (online, asynchronous online, digital homeschool, or traditional homeschool), or just need general support as a member of our virtual community. Our team of experienced professionals will work with your family to develop individualized learning plans that are tailored to your child's unique needs and abilities. We offer varying levels of support to ensure that every child has access to the resources they need. Learn more about Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services Program.

 

Contacting Kolbe Academy 

We are happy to assist you! Please review the "Contacting Kolbe Academy" section in the Parent and Student Handbook to know who to contact with your questions.