“Your program is like the filet mignon
of homeschool programs!”
Mr. John O’Rouke

I’m writing to tell you that Jack has won a scholarship to one of Australia’s most prestigious private schools. Jack has won a scholarship to Scotch College(which is a private high school) for years 9-12. It is arguably one of the finest and most expensive private schools in Australia. The scholarship covers his tuition for years 9-12 , worth approximately $60,000US dollars. We are so proud of him and so thankful to everyone who made it possible, including the Angelicum Academy. I really believe that the depth and breadth of the reading list you provide put him over the top in his scholarship interview. The principal asked him to discuss his favourite authours and not many high school children can say that they’ve ever read G.A. Henty or Jules Vern, or even heard of them for that matter! Thank you! A. V. M.

……………………………………

This is our fourth year homeschooling and 1st with Angelicum Academy. WE LOVE YOUR CURRICULUM. IT IS OUTSTANDING! We have used …… curriculums and I must say that yours is enjoyable, easy to fellow and complete (I always had to complement the others) every morning when I say it is time for school. I am yet to hear .Do we have to? Thanks, Angelicum Academy for putting together such a wonderful program. Millie

……………………………………

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the summer newsletter. TA just gets better and better. I love watching it grow with you. I’m very excited about the study guides for the Good Books literature list. I will keep my eye out for them next year. Well done! Sincerely, Anna

……………………………………

As a junior student in the program, I have to say I absolutely love Angelicum–something I really have to remind myself every Monday night as I struggle to finish that week’s reading. The reading list is incredible–you definitely get an idea of how western civilization developed, as you read all the books that influenced it. For instance, last week we were reading Hobbes, and he was defining the dignity of a person as something that depended on their rank and power in life, which got me off to wondering if it wasn’t that sort of attitude that had eventually lead to abortion and euthanasia.

However, if it wasn’t for the discussions, I’m not sure how well I would have understood the readings–if you didn’t understand the reading, you have a terrible time keeping up with the conversation. So I often find myself rereading passages, thinking about what on earth the author was talking about, etc. In the actual class, we frequently refer to the book to support our arguments, and if you can’t find a passage supporting your thought, woe is you. You’re not allowed to twist the book so that it supports your belief; you’re welcome to disagree with the author’s conclusions (and we often do), but it says what it says, and you have to accept that. Whether I think it’s stupid or not, Calvin honestly believed in predestination. In the Calvin class, we were really urged to explore why Calvin thought that, instead of just dismissing it. Did anyone come out of class a Calvinist? No, but we sure had a better understanding of where Calvinists are coming from–and ultimately, why they’re wrong. In having to come up with rational arguments against Calvinism, we developed a better understanding of why Catholicism’s position on free will is the correct one.

The teachers usually start out with a question, and at the end of the class, we’ve generally gone over several aspects of the book. Also, one or both of the teachers end class with a concluding statement which clears up any confusion in the class. But they do urge us to think it out for ourselves, and are careful during class to not give away their own conclusions too early. And it really does force one to think when you’re confronted with questions such as: “What is freedom?”, “What is the value of education?”, and (my favorite!), “What is the end of the state?” And you can’t ever answer, “Well, because I think it should be this way,”–oh, no. You’ve got to find reasonable arguments, preferably based on the text. One of the best classes we ever had was on freedom–we eventually concluded that true freedom was following God’s will, after two hours of wrangling over why freedom couldn’t be doing whatever you darn well please. A teacher could have told us this at the beginning of the class, but I never would have remembered it so well, or grasped so much more thoroughly why freedom is that and not getting our own way. There are so many people nowadays who are going around proclaiming notions that sound good (such as the peace and love movement of the sixties) on the surface, but really aren’t. In these classes, we’re really learning why what is true is true, and therefore, how to defend it. If you’ve already had an argument in class about what peace truly is and what its place in the world is, it’s a lot easier to discuss it with someone who think it means no war ever.

The class definitely improves from year to year. The students are maturing; and also the more we’ve read, the richer the experience is. When we were reading Galileo, and his ideas about motion and time, several of us recalled Aquinas’ definition of God as the First Mover, as well as some of St. Augustine’s theories about time in the Confessions. So you really start connecting everything. And I would say we’re a lot more used to the questions, and we’re delving a lot deeper than we did in the beginning. Some of the questions we keep returning to, and I’m always getting a better understanding.

Sorry about this being so long!–I think I inherited my mom’s chatterboxiness. Kate, daughter of Colleen Trinko, now at Thomas Aquinas College

……………………………………

You can perhaps imagine my delight and relief at (1) your kindness and (2) your Catholicity, but perhaps not. You have given me joy, and our new principal, Sister Mary Loreto, will be delighted, too. It seems a conspiracy of error has been woven over our modern culture; this is why we also hope for TV/visual media reform. Back to the Great Books, your selection history is wonderful. I appreciate the generous gift of time and effort to explain the steps of the process.

We are convinced that the Socratic method is the way to stimulate thinking. Each year we have girls who could particularly benefit from this, sometimes being the products of previous home-schooling by enlightened moms. As we gain experience, we hope to spread the benefit. [Our community was founded the first time in order to teach girls to become good mothers who would raise their daughters, in turn, to become good Catholic mothers.]…We are in a stage of rebuilding enrollment, so this is the perfect time to intitiate a program of study of the Great Books. Since we are beginners, study guides with a scholastic orientation will be necessary, like the ones you mentioned by Dr. Robert Alexander of Texas.

If I may add another personal comment, my sister, who has home-schooled a family on Long Island, first introduced this idea to our Superiors a few years ago for our high school. She will be very happy to hear we are now sharing the good news of this classical curriculum. I am very grateful, to put my response mildly, for your gracious help.

Your student’s comments on the angelicum.net were a good tribute to the education you provide. I am looking forward to the energy for the truth that our students will also experience.

Thanks again, with enthusiastic prayers for you and your work. God bless you richly for your assistance. In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Sister Marie-André

……………………………………

“We loved this years Great Books Program. M. was very enthusiastic all year long about the class. She has grown so much through the questions and discussions. She was always challenged with the questions for each reading and struggled somewhat, but she said that they helped her greatly with the discussions. We can already see the fruits of her work. She has engaged her 17 yr old cousin in regular discussions about the differences in their faith. Her Socratic discussion abilities are helping her greatly. You did a great job again.”

……………………………………

“Patrick will definitely be enrolling in the class again for next year. He absolutely loves it, and I can see in my conversations with him that it is enormously beneficial to him. This class has been – by far – the highlight of his first two years in high school. (And I think he enjoys the discussions with the other students after class almost as much as the actual class time. They’re an interesting and varied bunch of young people, aren’t they?).”

……………………………………

Hello all at the Angelicum Academy,
My name is Allison W. and my son Maxwell has been enrolled in the Nursery School program for almost a year. I am writing to tell you that he has completed his first year of school with your Academy, and I cannot possibly describe how pleased my husband and I were with the curriculum, and the ease with which you guided us into the mysterious world of homeschooling. Could you please send us a certificate so that I can give Max a little something to celebrate his accomplishment. Thank you very much.

……………………………………

We’ve been enrolled since preschool and are currently in 2nd grade. Love it!
Cindy

……………………………………

Our oldest son will be a sophmore at Thomas Aquinas [college] in the fall, and he just loves your curriuculum. If his vocation is not to the priesthood, and he marries and has children, he said he already knows which curriculum his family will be using. Thank You, Natalie

……………………………………
Dear Angelicum Academy,

Please feel free to quote any and all parts of this email, especially the part that contains my blog URL. And actually, if my blog URL could be turned into a link so it would count for Google, as long as it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I would appreciate it. I apologize for the poor quality of writing.

In my freshman year of high school, I took Great Books 1 with an online Protestant tutorial service. While I derived some benefit from the course, emphasis was placed on “teaching” the works, not “exploring” them. I must confess that I do not now remember in what year Aristotle was born, nor in what year he died. I only have a dubious recollection of how the Academy received its name, and I would not be able to recount the manner of Persian bridge-making. Nevertheless, I would have continued with that tutorial service on to Great Books 2 had it not been for the fact that this tutorial reads many of the Church Fathers in the second year of Great Books. As a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism, I neither had nor have a great longing to learn about the Church Fathers from Protestants. I must not be ecumenical enough.

Searching online, eventually my principal and I discovered a Catholic Great Books 2 program-one that was offered for college credit! We gathered information about the program, offered by Angelicum Academy, and shortly thereafter I registered for it.

The difference in approach between Angelicum Academy and the other tutorial service was obvious from day one. As Mr. Bertucci is wont to say, their program is more concerned with wisdom than information. It took me awhile to adapt to this different spirit, but eventually I was swept into the tide of the Great Conversation, with much thanks to Mr. Robert Hutchins’ excellent essay of the same title.

Angelicum Academy’s Great Books program opens up the great books while opening minds. Their program teaches students to think, not to memorize. Everything they claim about their program is true. I have taken my first steps into a larger world, a world I might never have known. I recoil at the thought that I might have lived out the rest of my days without the wisdom that beckons to us all in the great books. I will continue to read the great books for the rest of my life, though unfortunately it will not be with Angelicum Academy.

I am leaving; in the fall I shall enter the University of Wisconsin. Though I was in Angelicum Academy’s Great Books program for but a year, and a very hectic year at that (through no fault of Angelicum Academy), their program is the defining element of my pre-collegiate education, my first great beacon to our world’s common intellectual tradition, and one of the few things I will regret abandoning for the halls of vulgar knowledge. Angelicum Academy cannot provide the wisdom gained by suffering, nor that of a St. Alphonsus Liguori; however, it can well provide wisdom of the basic sort. Though for lack of a better term I call it basic, such wisdom seems to be infrequently found these days. Our civilization is rapidly advancing technologically, but the wisdom with which to use this technology no longer lies in our citizenry at large. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but a little wisdom can ensure that said knowledge is used for the good. You may slave over your mathematical science if you wish, but you will most likely forget more than half of it within the course of a few years. Wisdom is not so desultory a guest. (Mathematical science is vanity, anyway; this is where St. Alphonsus’ wisdom proves useful.)

A person should be loath to call themself educated without an understanding of the tradition of the West. Only the educated are free, the philosophers say, and indeed we are all philosophers. The decisions we make from day to day are based on philosophy. Is it not irresponsible to base our decisions on philosophy if we do not have training in the thinking mechanism thus called?

This email need not turn into an apology for philosophy or the Great Books, however; and to write on without end would diminish the chance that you will read this message. Suffice to say, Angelicum Academy provides understanding. You must enroll in their program, whether regular track or college track. If you lack funds, request a scholarship. It will be one of the best decisions you will ever make.

-Edward Chien

P.S. Don’t forget to visit http://catholicismnow.blogspot.com, and if you have any questions about Angelicum Academy’s program, feel free to write to catholicismnow@yahoo.com.

……………………………………
I love the Angelicum Academy. I have three children (4 1/2, 3 and 1) and am now entering our second year with it… I like the fact that it starts at 3 yrs old… this means less work for me (I checked out Little Saints and that was a lot of work for preschool – as is a Montessori type program) and continuity throughout their schooling… even at 3 yrs old, there are simply book reports to do… and the 4 yr old book reports look similar, but slightly more
complicated – it’s great for my son…

I enjoy their choices for most subjects – my 4 year old was so surprised when he drew his first picture in the Draw*Write*Now!

I like the fact that you can even enroll, but use other programs if you want… and they’ll still keep those records. I also like that you can have your school year whenever you want – I personally start around the beginning of May and go year-round… this gives us the flexibility to take off when we want, not forget things over the summer and only do formal schooling about 3 to 4 times per week.

The Angelicum Academy is a Great Books program, so they are really literature based but also interested in truth, goodness and beauty found in the other subjects. I like the fact that they are not going to teach my kids that there are four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and transubstantiation (from a Seton science book!). There is truth and beauty to be found in science, for example, without trying to make it Catholic – it already is just because it
is God’s world that we are studying.

I am interested in the American and world history books, which are from a Catholic perspective, but since they recommended by the Angelicum, I am going to guess for now (until I’m at that level) that they do not say that it was God’s will for us to come and take over the Indian’s land, etc… things that weren’t so good shouldn’t be turned into a good light jsut because our ancestors did it, ya know…)

Anyway, now I’m rambling… the religion program is great – and fairly simple… they choose and recommend great, age-appropriate works for the children to learn their faith… and they will be switching this fall to the Faith and Life series for the basic series – which is a great program to use… there is actually a father-lead religion guide that you can use with this to reinforce the father as the leader in faith in the family… studies show that the father teaching the faith has a more powerful impact on the children remaining faithful to the Church…

Oh, and the Angelicum Academy always responds promptly to emails and questions! It’s awesome… and they are so helpful!

Okay, well, feel free to email me back with more questions about this… I think that might explain why I chose this program over all the others, but if you want a direct comparrison with another program, I can tell you why this works for our family the best…

God bless, Grace Marie [submitted from a loop]

……………………………………

Good Morning,
We received our books yesterday and I can hardly hold the kids back!
Thanks so much and God Bless!
Lori

……………………………………

Thank you. And congratulations on the results of your high school review. 48 college credits at high school graduation is HUGE! How exciting.
Sincerely,
Linda D.

……………………………………

I got immediate unconditional acceptance into the honors program at IUPUI (Indiana University). This is a real landmark in my education because it will help me get into med school. Thank you for the reference letter. And thank you Angelicum for the excellence in teaching materials! In Christ, Christina A.

……………………………………

I just wanted to thank you again for all your patience with my many inquiries. The children are enjoying the curriculum very much, especially the literature we’ve explored so far. In fact, I credit Hillaire Belloc’s Cautionary Verses with stimulating a great upsurge of interest in reading and other literature in our 3rd grader, who was a somewhat reluctant reader until now! Many, many thanks for a wonderful curriculum!

Carol

……………………………………

You’re wonderful! Thank you! By the way, I love the new nursery-level good books literature guide! It is a very helpful guide . Thank you for all of your help! email

……………………………………

I’m so excited about Elfie – and intimidated at the same time. I read through the introduction of the teaching manual, and I value what the IAPC is trying to do here. Very dense materials! It’s amazing what’s packed inside this little philosophical novel, and so much of the teaching manual reminds me of my own graduate studies working in composition theory. Wow – I’d love to sign up for an IAPC summer seminar just for fun! As usual, I’m thrilled about the curriculum suggestions of Angelicum. Thank you for your advice,
Kristin K.

……………………………………

Wow – I’m very thrilled to have found your school. My kids are excited and cannot wait to start your program. I actually involved them in the selection process and they those chose your curriculum over the others.

Thanks for the prompt reply! I can’t say enough good things about your curriculum! I am so happy with the Angelicum program. Peggy B.

……………………………………

I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how blessed my children and I have been with your classes. As a mother of 9, with baby #10 on the way, and a very busy husband, I have always worried about how I could teach the classics to my kids with justice and really engage in some thought provoking discussions. You have been an answer to prayer. Even my kids who don’t talk much in class, sure have plenty to say during the week about your class discussions and this “triggers” further discussion amongst their siblings and parents. It has been so wonderful for all of us. God bless you in your work.

I just thought you’d want to know that, after much prayer and discussion, Pam has chosen to decline the top scholarship to her sister’s Catholic high school in order to fully participate in the Great Books program for the next four years. Needless to say, sitting in on that discussion with you made a major impact on her. We look forward to many more great discussions in the future.

Please let us know when registration will begin.

God Bless,

Arlene M.

……………………………………

You guys are awesome… keep up the good work!

God bless, Grace Marie Rose

……………………………………

After looking at many of the other Catholic homeschool options, I’m back at Angelicum. Perhaps because of that early exposure, most of the curriculum choices on our shelves coincide with your program.

I would highly recommend the [Angelicum Homeschool] program. The staff has been extremely helpful, and worked with me when I had a problem getting things completed. Last year we built a house and it took us a full 12 months to complete assignments. They still graded everything and sent us a report card.
Cheri H.
Magnolia, TX

……………………………………

Thank you, Elisa. Robbie is having such a good year with his books. I’ve never seen him so excited about having such freedom.

……………………………………

In our Elements of Language, we are currently starting a unit study on researching and writing a report. It won’t be turned in to you until the end of the fourth quarter. I was surprised that he chose to write about Jules Verne instead of Bill Gates or some computer video game manufacturer.
Sincerely,
M.T. Kingsley (Terry)

……………………………………

WOW! The transcripts for grades 9 and 10 look great!

Thanks for ALL you help!

Cyndee A.

……………………………………

Your program is the best! That’s great you can reach so many students. Thanks again.
Jane W.

……………………………………

Hello,
I truly think I had heavenly guidance in discovering Angelicum as it has made me so excited about homeschooling. I have a 1st and 3rd grader, and I am thrilled that they (along with my husband and I) will learn Latin and Greek. The history program is so interesting, and I love the Adventures in Art books. The Good Books include many of my childhood favorites. My children have been in public school and I am so tired of the PC garbage they are forced to learn.

One other aspect of Angelicum that I liked was the flexibility. I can pick and choose the parts of the curriculum that I want to use. This first year, I’m using the “canned” program, but I will likely make chages as I gain experience and better understand what is best
for my children.

As I looked through the literature selections for each grade, I was pleased to see books that would appeal to both boys and girls. Your children don’t need to read ALL the books. My 6 year-old daughter is very excited about all the subjects, and she keeps begging me to get out the books so she can look through. Don’t be tempted to follow all the other sheep if you feel that Angelicum is right for you.

Best of luck and God Bless.
Peggy [submitted from an email loop]

……………………………………

I am an experienced Angelicum curriculm user as this is my 4th year using it. My immediate appeal to Angelicum is the liberal arts base. I graduated from the University of Dallas which is a Catholic Liberal Arts education which Angelicum has managed to make available by bringing it down to an appropriate grade level for children to understand. Kudos to Angelicum. I personally feel that there is NO other curriculm out there that compares (saying this from 5 years of homeschooling experience at this point). Yes, Angelicum takes time to execute, but soooo worth it. Education becomes ALIVE. Everyday becomes more exciting than the next as this amazing education unfolds. The National Geographic articles are an amazing resource, and SUCH a time saver with the articles outlined from you from the lesson plans!!!! Angelicum is the BEST hands down, and I hadn’t had time to respond sooner because it DOES keep me VERY busy, but worth every minute!! Oh, and I have a boy, and I sooo don’t believe in girls vs. boys books. Every book read is an exposure to some amazing stories. Couldn’t imagine my boy not reading Little Women, and then Little Men. I would be robbing him if I only offered the one. Besides it will probably only help him understand girls when that crucial time comes. Frankly mothers, don’t we all wish that our husbands understood us a little better than they do??? just my .02
Carolyne [submitted from an email loop]

……………………………………

Thanks so much for all you do. We love Angelicum Academy!!

God bless,
Lynne O’B

……………………………………

The materials I have received are excellent and the children are already exploring their new books in anticipation of a great year. Thank you very much! We are all excited about a great school year!
Thank you for your assistance!

Mahalo nui loa,
Susan C, Hawaii

……………………………………

hello!
I am taking a minute to rave about the penmanship of my two daughters! I used the Spencerian handwriting booklets from your curriculum over the span of two years instead of just one, with just 15 to 30 minute practice sessions each morning. The result is astounding sixth grade writers! They get so many compliments. It is a remarkable program that develops not only incredible handwriting, but discipline, order and perseverance as well. I HIGHLY recommend it to all. They write adeptly in this beautiful handwriting
in all their subjects, in their personal correspondence, etc. It is a well formed habit and not just a “let’s use our best handwriting for this particular notebook” kind of program!
Thank You, Bridget T

……………………………………

Angleicum student Brian Davenport’s received a Perfect National Latin Test Score – Congratulations!

……………………………………

It is so good to hear new people are finding Angelicum. When we found it 2 years ago I was thrilled!! It is so exactly what we wanted for homeschooling our daughter and I had gone through 2 other programs before finding this one.

We are finishing up 9th grade now and cannot wait to start 10th! The readings and discussions the high school kids do are FANTASTIC. My husband and I have noticed that our daughter talks and reasons like and intelligent human being on a regular basis. He commented that she doesn’t sound like a typical teen when she talks.
Cheri,
Magnolia, TX

……………………………………

Hello! We have wrapped up our school year and thank you for the wonderful curriculum. We have really enjoyed it!

Warmly,

Renáe S

……………………………………

Date:1/10/05 8:01:48 AM Pacific Standard Time

Dear Dr. Carmack,

Hello! I hope you had a good start on your new year. I want to thank you for helping me et into pre-med at IUPUI. I am on my way now to become a doctor.

Right now, in doing the essays for the Great Books, I can really see the quality of your home-school program shinning through. I can’t believe how in-depth the questions on the study guide are. Sciences have always been my best and favorite subject, but this program has shown me how to understand and appreciate literature more than I do science. I was wondering if you would like to write two more letters of reference for me. I need ome help with reference letters for my scholarship applications. One of the letters is basically a form that needs to be filled out (I would need to send it to you). The other needs to be written out by you. I know you are busy. Please let me know if you could do this, and I’ll send you the information and addresses. Thank you and God Bless.

In Christ,

Christina A.

P.S. The 2nd Quarter essay is almost done and will be on it’s way soon.

……………………………………

This is our first year with your school. We are so very impressed! Your program has filled the gaps (many I did even know we had!). Also, this is our first year with ever participating in having our children’s work graded outside the family. It was all so well done, helpful, fair, honest and encouraging. Again, helping us see areas we can improve and areas we are ahead in our work. Thank you!

Michelle W. from IL.

……………………………………

……………………………………

Hello,

I received the Grammar test key in yesterday’s mail, so I think I have everything I need now. We are in week 5, and I am definitely a happy customer. We love the materials we are using!

Thanks again,
Lynne

……………………………………

We are all very excited about starting this new school year with Angelicum. I have a BA in French and an MA in Education, and have taught elementary, middle, high school and college, but I feel my real education is about to start-I have not been as well educated as my children will be by using Angelicum.

I think Angelicum is meeting an important need, and answering an ever-urgent call for a truly classical, Catholic homeschooling program.

Thank you so much for all your help! Kelli K

……………………………………

The learning [Great Books study] guides look truly wonderful. I am so happy to have them available this year. It will really enhance our use of the great books discussions!

Sandy Harrison, AR

……………………………………

The Angelicum Academy has been a wonderful resource for myself and my son. He enjoys the curriculum, and I’m looking forward to enrolling him as soon as possible into the full program. I would like to thank the staff of the Academy for their dedication to helping homeschoolers.

G. S,

……………………………………

We are very excited about another year with the academy. When I told Stefan that I was going to enroll him in 1st grade, he got a stricken look on his face. “No mom. I want to go to school here at home.” I explained that I was enrolling him in Angelicum Academy and that that would mean school at home. He smiled really big and said, “Yes, I want to go to Angelicum so I can do school at home.” We are waiting for all the materials to arrive and it feels like Christmas in April/May. It’s hard to believe that Stefan will be 6 in June. That time realy flew by. I feel so blessed to be able to school him at home. Blessings to you and yours. God Bless, Cindy

Am presently in Poland, at Lublin. Just met a professor from Spain who was familar with the Angelicum Academy website! Best wishes, Dr. Peter Redpath

……………………………………

I would also like to take a moment to tell you how pleased I am with your program. I have spent years ordering half of this program, half of another program, supplemental books from another, etc… now I order all from ONE source! YOU! and I must say, i never need supplemental material! in fact we usually have trouble finishing all instead. so thank you very much for always finding the best material out there, so I don’t need to!!

B. T.

……………………………………

Elisabeth,

Wow, that is an amazing compliment. Given that every student has between 10 usually 22 books to read and analyze each year, I can imagine that you read an incredible number of reports. Brian will be greatly encouraged by your confidence in his work. The comments that you provide each quarter as you assess the boys’ work are always so helpful and encouraging, and they help a great deal in putting their work into a larger context. Thank you for the work that you do at the Academy.

Blessings to you and your family and to The Angelicum Academy staff.
Have a great day,
~Carolyn

……………………………………

I just wanted to say thanks. The Great Books set we ordered arrived last week. They are beautiful and they are already starting to be be read.
Thanks again, and best regards,
John

…………………………………

The lesson plans you have are beautifully laid out. Kudos to you!

……………………………………………………….

Thank you for your quick and thorough response. I am sold on Angelicum and look forward to future support through your school. Thank you for your time and effort. God bless and Have a great day.

Future Angelicum family,
Virginia M.

…………………………………………………..

So far, so good! I am very happy with the lesson plans and curriculum. My little one (5th grade) is a bit “overwhelmed” with the Science and says it’s too hard… I may break it into smaller bits for her to make it easier to swallow, so to speak. Otherwise, LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! Thanks for everything!
Yours truly,
Claire

……………………………………………………..

Right after I got your e-mail, the UPS truck delivered our new set of Great Books! You just shipped them yesterday! Wow, we are so excited.
Thank you again,
Kathleen H.

…………………………………………
A current 8th grader, happily using your program

PS (I love your literature book choices!!!!!!!!!) Lisa

…………………………………………………………

It was an interesting year. We signed up in 5th grade, but we decided in winter to hold him back a year, for various reasons. The Angelicum material was too advanced for him and we ended up taking a break and using different stuff for the remainder of the year. His attention level, writing ability, sit-still-ability (for lack of a word for that!), etc, were all at about the 4th grade level. We thought he had ADD, but through counseling with The Angelicum we became convinced that it’s just his sanguine personality. We decided to mold our expectations to his personality and natural skill level rather than bend him out of shape to meet our expectations. He has a youngish birthday for 5th grade, so we decided it would be better to just let him function at the level that he is actually working at and make him an older 4th grader. As a final comment, after we made this decision we noticed a marked improvement in his working ability. Because of the reduced stress level he was freed up to focus on manageable tasks, enabling him to make quick and drastic improvements (most notably in writing skills and concentration). So overall we are very pleased with the growth and progress we have seen in him over the course of this year.

Thank you so much for a wonderful year. We already have the 5th grade lesson plans (which we will be using this year!), so I’m not necessarily going to sign up with your full program this year (unless I can find the extra funds, which might happen yet). But we’ll definitly continue with your program until graduation. You’ll hear from us again next year, if not before. Thank you for all the advice (!!!), the terrific curriculum, etc. I tell all my friends how happy I am with The Angelicum program! Thank you!

Cathi

…………………………

We have really enjoyed our work this year and I feel like Stefan is being exposed to wonderful literature and is receiving a well-rounded education. He certainly has covered more than I ever did in Kindergarten! Mrs. P.

---

Hello,
I received the Grammar test key in yesterday’s mail, so I think I have everything I need now. We are in week 5, and I am definitely a happy customer. We love the materials we are using!

Thanks again,

……………………………………

The learning [Great Books study] guides look truly wonderful. I am so happy to have them available this year. It will really enhance our use of the great books discussions!

Sandy H, AR

……………………………………

The Angelicum Academy has been a wonderful resource for myself and my son. He enjoys the curriculum, and I’m looking forward to enrolling him as soon as possible into the full program. I would like to thank the staff of the Academy for their dedication to helping homeschoolers.

……………………………………

We are very excited about another year with the academy. When I told Stefan that I was going to enroll him in 1st grade, he got a stricken look on his face. “No mom. I want to go to school here at home.” I explained that I was enrolling him in Angelicum Academy and that that would mean school at home. He smiled really big and said, “Yes, I want to go to Angelicum so I can do school at home.” We are waiting for all the materials to arrive and it feels like Christmas in April/May. It’s hard to believe that Stefan will be 6 in June. That time realy flew by. I feel so blessed to be able to school him at home. Blessings to you and yours.

God Bless, Cindy

……………………………………

Am presently in Poland, at Lublin. Just met a professor from Spain who was familiar with the Angelicum Academy website!

Best wishes, Dr. Peter Redpath

……………………………………

I would also like to take a moment to tell you how pleased I am with your program. I have spent years ordering half of this program, half of another program, supplemental books from another, etc… now I order all from ONE source! YOU! and I must say, i never need supplemental material! in fact we usually have trouble finishing all instead. so thank you very much for always finding the best material out there, so I don’t need to!!

……………………………………

Elisabeth,

Wow, that is an amazing compliment. Given that every student has between 10 usually 22 books to read and analyze each year, I can imagine that you read an incredible number of reports. Brian will be greatly encouraged by your confidence in his work. The comments that you provide each quarter as you assess the boys’ work are always so helpful and encouraging, and they help a great deal in putting their work into a larger context.

Thank you for the work that you do at the Academy.

……………………………………

I just wanted to say thanks. The Great Books set we ordered arrived last week. They are beautiful and they are already starting to be be read.

Thanks again, and best regards,
John

……………………………………

The lesson plans you have are beautifully laid out.
Kudos to you!

……………………………………

……………………………………

……………………………………

DEAR ANGELICUM . . .

Thank you for the wonderful seminars. I think they are the highlight of John’s week. I am delighted to see how much he enjoys reading and discussing the great books… Thank you again for helping form these young people.

Sincerely, Pamela

……………………………………
We have been using your curriculum for two years now. LOVE IT!

Ann-Marie
……………………………………

Yesterday, we received with great enthusiasm a carton full of our second grade textbooks. Maja and I are anxious to begin another year together and find the materials beyond our expectations for which we thank you.

Best regards,

Ursula R

……………………………………

Benjamin our son is really enjoying the Socratic Discussions at the Angelicum. What a blessing they are!

……………………………………

I just received the materials for my son’s preschool program and am excited about getting started next week…. Thank you for your kind assistance and for a great curriculum!

……………………………………

 

……………………………………

    I have been studying homeschooling methodology and curriculum for three years, struggling to find just the *right* materials for my children. I’ve read and/or looked at just about everything out there on the market, it seems.  I just never felt completely satisfied with anything that I found.  Namely, I was looking for a truly classical, literature-based Catholic curriculum that would expose my children to the kind of books that would be formative for my children’s souls, providing examples of beauty, virtue and truth (even if it came disguised as a fairy tale). But I also was very picky about the other subjects as well, especially wanting them to have a lot of hands-on science experiences, and to be encouraged to think things through themselves and not just memorize something out of a textbook. I just wasn’t willing to compromise in any subject.  And, of course, I wanted to have a very strong Catholic framework for the whole thing. I thought it was impossible. Every other ‘literature-based’ program I looked at used books that related to the subject area but were not necessarily that high of quality in and of themselves, or the actual educational value was low. And so many of the Catholic programs emphasize workbooks and memorization instead of really teaching the children to think and find answers for themselves, and they seem to fall short on hands-on activities and good books.

     After discovering your program, I was very excited, hoping it was everything it claimed to be, but I really couldn’t tell for sure until I had the materials in my hands to look over carefully. Well, let me just tell you that your materials exceed my greatest expectations! The Philosophy program if fantastic, and Harcourt Science is unbelievably wonderful!  It’s more than I ever hoped to be able to find.  I was trying to make up a curriculum this good all by myself by collecting a variety of materials and using the best parts of each. It was just too complicated, especially considering I have four children to attend to at different ages and grade levels.  It’s so wonderful to know that my best efforts could never have brought me a program this thorough and matching to my standards this exactly, so by signing up my son with your program not only do I gain a superior curriculum, but I get the support gained from the lesson plans (a huge plus!) and all the other services you provide.  I am ecstatic!  I can relax knowing my kids are getting a truly fabulous curriculum and I don’t have to pull it all together and plan it out all by myself.

    Anyway, I just had to tell someone at Angelicum how *wonderful* I think the materials to be, and to thank you so much for your program!

Cathi H.

……………………………………

Thank you so much for your quick response which really put me at ease completely.  I am most satisfied with your academy and with the personal help.  Thank you so much for also helping me with deciding on what books are essential and what are not since I am on a tight budget.

Grethal 
(T.O.R.C.H. Member)

……………………………………

Thanks so much for your comments and observations. Gloria will be joining you again in the fall.  I can only thank God for the Angelicum Academy. It is EXACTLY what I had been looking for!  God bless you all.

Lucia

……………………………………

First off, your customer service is superb!  I was astonished to receive the Saturday telephone call to allay my fears about a “bounced” registration, and also to take my books order over the phone. Said books, then, arrived at my home long before I would have expected them. I do pray that God will sustain each of you at TAA, and bless your hard-wroking endeavours! . . . Thank you again for your gracious help thus far.

Mrs. Antonia W. C

……………………………………

    Congratulations on the completion of Angelicum Academy’s first year!  We are so glad that Cole was a part of it.  He’s finishing his non-Socratic coursework and looking forward to a “lazy” summer.  This was a fairly heavy academic year for Cole with the Socratic Seminar and two courses in addition to the regular curriculum.  He seems to have survived and thrived!  We want you to know that the Socratic Seminar was the engine which drove the year for him!  He absolutely loved it! He’d always been a prodigious reader, but reading the great books and discussing the great ideas was something that energized and elevated his thinking.

    We want to thank you.and all the people involved with the Angelicum Academy for a tremendous experience. What you offer the homeschooling students is not to be found elsewhere! We’re looking forward to another great year!

 Dr. Peter and Ruthmarie L,

……………………………………

Thank you for your quick response!!. I am so excited I can’t even express it, Drs. Quinn, Nelick and Senior made a huge impact on my life.  It is unfortunate that those men were not followed around by video recorders so we could continue to learn.

Debbe

……………………………………

 

……………………………………

    Thank you so much for your reply. It was very helpful. And thank you so much for Angelicum Academy. I am really looking forward to beginning to use your courses this year. I am so pleased with the flexibility you offer to parents and your selection and recommendations of what you have found to be the finest teaching materials. I have not enrolled in any particular homeschool program in the past because I was not able to use materials I already owned or particularly liked. I want to enroll her in a classical program where I will ultimately make the decisions in her education, but where she will have accountability outside the home and where she can receive a diploma. Angelicum Academy is just what I have been looking for! And thank you for the lesson plans!

God bless all of your staff,
Fran

……………………………………

By the way, that science text is excellent!! It is the most perfect textbook I have ever found for my autistic son.  It relates the part to the whole nicely, is completely logical in progression within the book and between the grades, and provides perfect presentation using experiments first and then the information. I have also heard raves from special needs parents about Shurley Grammar. (Both of mine actually are gifted in that area, at least so far.)  My daughter Meg is dyslexic and Sean is autistic, and we have had to find many resources for them in unusual places.

My children are both looking forward to the discussions!

Kristen M.

……………………………………

Angelicum Staff -

My name may cause some of you to cringe, remembering the problems that I ran into with my order. However, you can relax because I am writing to say how much I appreciate the patience and kindness I received even when I was frustrated and complaining. Looking back, I regret that I was so impatient and less than kind – I hope you’ll forgive me.  Thank you for fixing the problems and being such good Christian examples. 

……………………………………

 

……………………………………

We are very pleased as a whole with the Angelicum curriculum.  My children actually love grammar now (which surprises me to no end). We have struggled with this subject for the past four years and now they love it.  Thank you.

Best regards,
Evelyn Walsh

……………………………………

I’d like you and all at Angelicum to know that we are very pleased with the program. This year is the most structured and the most rigorous of our six years of homeschooling, and the transition has been a good one for Andrew and Brian. They are handling the increased demands well, and are learning a lot. I think it is both reassuring and challenging to them to know that an outside authority is overseeing and evaluating their work. This is the first year that I have purchased a curriculum, and I am enjoying having lesson plans already done for me! I hope to enroll our daughter Elizabeth in Angelicum next year, for 5th grade.

Happy New Year!

Martha E

……………………………………

    My son is involved in the Socratic Discussion with the Angelicum Academy.  You do not need to have typing skills.  A small microphone is used and the child just talks into the microphone.  They receive a reading assignment and a list of questions for that reading via email that the teacher/parent is to discuss with the child before the discussions.  The group he is involved in is the 3rd grade group.  It has helped him to be more confident and secure in expressing his thoughts about things.  He would always look to us after making a comment on something and say “Am I right?”  Now he makes a statement about something and has more confidence in his answers and ability to think for himself. This new ability for him has lead us into some very interesting conversations whereas before he would just listen and not express any thoughts on the subject. I would recommend it for anyone, child as well as adult.

Pax Christi,
Catherine

……………………………………

Ds is enrolled as a sophomore with The Angelicum Academy, and is very happy. So are we. The Socratic Seminars provide him with intellectual stimulation and challenges which we could not duplicate anywhere else. The readings are challenging, the weekly seminar a good mental stretch and workout. He does their curriculum for the most part, although he has substituted a more visual approach in math. We’ve also added in a few things (logic and rhetoric) but at a very slow pace. I supplement the Seminar with my own writing assignments from time to time. We review grammar and diagramming pretty much daily… in small doses. Sort of homeopathically.

    Angelicum has made my life much easier, and ds’s academic life more interesting and focused. He loves the seminars … I do NOT exaggerate… These solid Catholic men of intellect are wonderful mentors for high schoolers. They keep very good order, and combine delightful senses of humor with the ability to discuss deep issues. It was the answer to our prayers that TAA was up and running in time for ds to enroll as a freshman.

……………………………………

My 9th grade dd does the Angelicum Socratic discussions. I LOVE them (she does too) & feel they’re VERY beneficial to her (being able to discuss lit w/about 20 students & 2-3 highly qualified instructors is something I couldn’t provide myself).

My comments are based on our experience with the high school program. The reading list was set in late summer. (I think it’s posted on their web site.) I believe the readings are very rigorous & time-consuming, yet of a very high quality. (I do have her do lots of work beyond what Angelicum recommends; perhaps the reading wouldn’t seem so time-consuming if one did only the Angelicum recommendations.) The students also write a paper about every 3 weeks (graded by one of the Angelicum teachers). At the end of each semester, the students have a one-on-one oral exam (excellent practice for dealing with test preparation & being graded by someone else & being forced to think “on your feet”). . . . As someone else stated, the students speak into a microphone & don’t need to know how to type. I’d strongly recommend against auditing; I believe that homeschoolers especially need to learn how to verbalize their thoughts & then be confident enough to “speak up”.

……………………………………

We are enjoying the curriculum and feel we are finally with a program that will teach our children how to think and  wonder.

Pax Christi,
Laurie

……………………………………

I think your curriculum is beautiful. I happened on your website the other day and was quite impressed.

……………………………………

God’s Blessings to You.

Hi.  We have four children, aged 17 months – 8 years. TA seems to be the best choice for us.  We are quite impressed by everything that we have learned about Classical Education and even more impressed by the program offered by TA. We are truly blessed to have found you. Our excitement builds daily……..

 In Christ,

George and Lisa

Radcliff, KY

……………………………………

I really like the science books as a guide to make sure I am covering all areas and they have lots of good hands on experiments…The Good Books are (no pun intended) great! The children love listening to them and I love reading them. They are excellent for CM narration and really help improve vocabulary… To sum it up, I would have to say that the math and science curriculums are good and rigorous. The literature is really nice. Shurley grammar has proven to be very enjoyable…

Donna

……………………………………

Your science curriculum is excellent. I really like it… 

……………………………………

We enrolled for the freshman year and have liked it very much. Cole really enjoys the seminar readings, and the weekly Socratic discussion online. He’s been stretched by the readings and discussions, and his written work positively reflects this.  They’ve been reading Plato’s Dialogues the last few weeks and he’s loved it.  He looks forward to the class interaction and sometimes chats with class members afterwards.  It’s been a nice addition to him as a teen.

The Angelicum allows adjustments, and I’ve made some, but it has simplified our lives and enriched them.  We could not have provided what the Socratic seminars provide for Cole.

We have not found it to be schoolish in high school, but rigorous, yes!  Delightful, definitely! Cole is highly motivated to earn his B. A. and the Angelicum affords him the opportunity to do this by exam, after he completes the four years of Socratic seminars.  The seminars do equire hours of reading, and then active participation in the online class each week. This sounds weighty, but he has found it to be easier than he expected, because the material is extremely interesting and he likes discussing it.

We’re in the last month of freshman year with the Angelicum and we have found it to be a great blessing.  We also tried other programs, or parts of other programs over the years, and have found Angelicum to be our most comfortable fit.  This was our eighth and best year of homeschooling!  

……………………………………

    I have found the staff at all levels and without exception to be very pleasant, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. The Angelicum staff spent considerable time answering my curriculum questions and helping me to place them at the proper levels, in particular with curriculum in which I was unfamiliar… I am only sharing all of this in detail to illustrate Angelicum’s flexibility and helpfulness. I feel that they fully respect the fact that I have the ultimate responsibility for my children’s education. The Angelicum staff provided me with all of the information that I requested and respected the decisions that I made based upon that and other information upon my disposal.

Gwen

……………………………………

HOMESCHOOLERS WIN TWO STRAIGHT NATIONAL SPELLING BEES,  WASHINGTON 
(May 21) – The competition went to a second tiebreaker before James Williams, a 14-year-old from Vancouver, Wash., claimed victory Wednesday in the 15th annual National Geographic Bee.

‘‘I wasn’t expecting this at all, it’s really exciting,”  the soft-spoken James, oldest of six children, said after besting 55 finalists in two days of competition.

The deciding question: ”Goa, a state in southwestern India, was a possession of which country until 1961?” Portugal was James’ correct answer, netting a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime subscription to National Geographic magazine and a week at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Camp.

Dallas Simons, a 13-year-old student at Martin Luther King Magnet School in Nashville, Tenn., placed second and collected a $15,000 college scholarship. Taking third, and a $10,000 scholarship, was Sean Rao, 14, a student at St. Gabriel School in Hubertus, Wis.

It was the second straight year a home-schooler has won the bee.

Ann Williams, the winner’s mother, said she and husband Craig had decided n home schooling before they had any children.

”We wanted to make learning a lifestyle rather than something you have to do,” she said. It allows the children to concentrate on areas they enjoy and the family isn’t tied to a school schedule, she added.