Classical Conversations is starting up in Gainesville, FL! We will be having informational meetings during the spring. Please email www.brighttracy@bellsouth.net for more information.

We are a Christian homeschool group that was founded by Leigh Bortins over 10 years ago. Leigh formed the first group in NC and now the group is nation-wide. Local homeschool moms and kids meet once a week for 12 weeks in the fall and 12 weeks in the spring. We use the Classical Model and each week we cover Math, Latin, Science, History, Geography, Science Experiments, Art or Music, individual presentations, and more!

Here is a little bit about our Foundations Program (Ages 4-6th grade) (copied from www.classicalconversations.com )

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Learning "grammar" together is pure fun!

Our Foundations Programs provide a Classical Christian community for home school families with students in grades K4-6th. These power-packed programs typically meet once a week for twelve weeks in the fall and twelve weeks in the winter/spring months.

Based on the Classical Model of education, families meet weekly to introduce new memory work (or grammar of a subject) and review old memory work using Classical Conversations’ Foundations Guide as the heart of the curriculum. A trained Tutor creatively introduces the memory work and leads the classroom time. The memory work is divided into 6 subjects: Timeline/History, Geography, Math, Science, Latin, and English Grammar. In addition to the memory work, students also participate in a Fine Arts project/lesson, a science project, and an opportunity to practice oral presentation skills each week.

Each year students have an opportunity to participate in an optional Memory Master track, where a student strives to memorize all the information for that year and recite it to a few adults at the end of the year. Through the Memory Master (MM) track students are "pounding in" the grammar pegs of history, Latin, English Grammar, geography, math, science, and history timeline they learned throughout the year.

Each week students have an opportunity to practice oral presentation skills, ranging from simple "show-n-tell" for the younger students to more structured and prepared presentations for the older students. The goal of our presentation time is for our students to be come comfortable standing, talking, and presenting in front of their peers.

Each week we also have a fine arts time, covering one of the following: basics of drawing, music theory, special art projects, and finally exposure to orchestra and classical composers. Students enjoy this mixture of hands-on activities and listening skills.

Finally, each week students work with the tutor to have a hands on science activity time. The goals here are for students to become familiar with the scientific method and to begin discover God through His creation and order in subjects like chemistry, physics, astronomy, physical science, and more...

Kids and parents rave about the time they spend together each week. Kids and parents develop precious relationships, and parents love the academic complement this program provides to their core schooling curriculum. Come and visit!