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This fall our family will begin our 8th year home schooling with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. This year's students will be in 3rd and 11th grades. Our experience with STAA has been wonderful. Some years we have followed the suggested course of study closely and others we have generated our own courses too. We have been very impressed with STAA's choices for our children. We have all enjoyed the way STAA ties courses together for the whole family. For example, most years we have chosen 1 science subject and 1 history period to study with the whole family. Our religion, art, and literature classes usually tie into the history period also which reinforces each subject. We usually read aloud from the suggested books, then do activities or papers according to age and abilities. Our oldest graduated from STAA 2 years early by taking the CHSPE. She then took the assessment at our local Jr. college and was able to go directly into college level courses except for in math. She had taken Algebra I her sophomore year, so she assessed at Algebra II level as one would expect. She graduated from Jr. College in 2 years taking a rigorous course of study and was recognized by the President of the college as a home school student at the ceremonies. She will be attending our local state university this fall.

After completing 9th grade with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy, I did not hesitate to register my daughter for 10th grade. The consistent four-year high school overview helps me to feel secure with the broad picture of high school as well as where we are presently. The academically challenging subjects work together beautifully as a unified whole. For instance, selections from Bulfinch's Mythology are reflected in Astronomy, Greek History, and Greek Drama. The STAA recommended texts provide excellent learning opportunities. After studying Accurate Communication, Traditional Logic and Diagramming, I cannot imagine a high school program without them. It is a thrill to receive the delightfully arranged STAA curriculum weekly guidelines that keep us on track but allow for flexibility. When our church provided Bible Studies during Lent and Advent, we could substitute these hours for the recommended curriculum. The STAA package provides forms that facilitate reporting weekly progress and quarterly reports. We readily adapted to the procedure. The staff at STAA acknowledges that I am my child's teacher and understands and supports the needs of our homeschooling family. One of my greatest concerns was whether my teaching/learning style would be agreeable to STAA. My daughter and I read and discuss the Great Books together in addition to her independent work. Encouragement was just a phone call away. Stress lifted and productivity increased. If in doubt, call! That's my motto. When I was told to tell my daughter to study like a saint, I knew I was home. With STAA, we can celebrate and share our Catholic faith and heritage as well as our homeschooling life.

I have a 9 year old boy in 4th grade, a 5 year old starting Kindergarten, a 3 and 1 years old. We joined STAA this year, and we believe STAA is truly a great blessing to our family. After we took the placement tests, my advisor had a detailed report to help us know more about the strength and weakness of our boy. My advisor really spent the time to get to know me and my children, and help us individually. She did not just send us a standard curriculum to use. Instead, she went through each subject, had a detailed discussion with me, and found out the best curriculum that would fit to my boy's special needs and our family's situation. Since she is so experienced and knowledgeable about all the different choices in the homeschool curriculum market, she truly was a great help!!! For example, my boy loves history. We finished American history last year, but he has already done a lot of reading for European history by himself. Instead going to a year of Egyptian or Greek history as most other schools would have him do, STAA decided to do a quarter of Egyptian, a quarter of Chinese, and two quarters of Greek for him. The text books she picked out for him was perfect in content and fit into the time slots. One of my stresses about homeschooling was finding the right curriculum for my children. Now I feel much more confident and relieved. When I shared with my advisor the joy and hardships of my homeschooling experiences, she said this which really touched my heart: "You are foremost the mother, then the teacher." I really feel she is a friend to me who not only helps me with the academics, but also helps me to fulfill my vocation as a mother.

When my husband and I were finally lead by the Holy Spirit to start homeschooling our children last year, I knew we needed actual curriculum instead of just leaving it up to the Holy Spirit! That is where STAA came in. After researching all the major Catholic curriculum available, we settled on STAA for several reasons. I liked their classical approach to education. I liked the fact that they had taken out a lot of work that I would have to do by researching individual texts available and choosing the best. What a help that was for someone who did not know the first thing of where to start! The phone/email help available was very appealing, especially for our family that was new to this adventure. But really the best thing for our family was STAA's ability to put our children (grades 6, 4, 2) together in so many subjects (history, art, music appreciation, science) and make it work. After the kids' initial assessments when they were starting out, the STAA counselor discussed in detail with me what was needed for them and how to accomplish it. During the year, I was able to correspond by email any concerns I had and that was just wonderful - knowing I had someone else looking out for our children's education. After our first year with STAA, I would definitely recommend it to any family, especially those families with multiple children being schooled at home. We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with STAA as our children thrive in their education with the help of the Holy Spirit through the caring souls at STAA.

It has been truly a blessing to be associated with STAA since 1996. STAA has helped us to provide our family with a superior, solid, Catholic education. When we joined the STAA family our children were in 2nd and 3rd grades. Currently they are in 5th, 9th, and 10th grades. Throughout the years the staff at STAA has taken the time to get to know each of our children spiritually, emotionally, and academically including Mom! A staff member has always been available to listen to our accomplishments, but also guide us through those times that have been challenging. Through the use of the STAA assessment tests, the STAA staff has helped us to design a curriculum that meets the current needs of our family situation. The staff has been able to recommend books and materials that not only meet the academic, but also the spiritual, physical and emotional development of our children. All the curriculum materials recommended have enhanced our Catholic family life. From Little Angel readers in kindergarten and first grade, to Creator and Creation in high school. These materials not only challenged our children to live and learn their Catholic faith, but also has given our family a solid foundation to build on in the future. The recommendation of completing many of the early elementary school subjects orally worked very well for our children. We found that as a result of this method, the children gently learned the material and did not become burned out with writing. As a result, when they were physically and emotionally ready to write, the ideas just flowed out on to paper and they enjoyed the process. Last year as our son began high school we had several concerns related to keeping track of hours, credits, and academics. STAA has taken the stress out of this transition. They have provided us with simple record keeping methods to track hours, credits and academics accomplished. We have always known that STAA's course of study provides an exceptional education for our children. This fact was recently confirmed by one of our local high school principals. After sharing with him the STAA Ancient Greece course of study our son was completing for 9th grade, he informed us that ALL the courses our son was taking this year would be considered honors level classes in any of the local high schools in our area. Thank you for all the support that you have provided our family throughout the past 7 years. I know we would NOT have been able to do it without you. I can think of several occasions that I would have thrown in the towel if it had not been for your support and guidance.

This is our third year with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. We have taken our 8 year old son through first and second grade, heading into third grade this year. Our six year old son is starting first grade. STAA provides a happy medium between the totally do-it-yourself program and the highly structured, you-buy-the program's-books- and-send-in-all-papers-to-be-graded-by-someone-else type program. I think the suggested/basic curriculum is quite reasonable, and should fit most kids. Our 8 year old seems to be the type to march to his own beat, however, and we've had to take a somewhat different approach with the reading program, but its been no problem: the advisors of the program are familiar with several reading programs, and not just the one that they initially suggest using (which is a good program, however, and we are still going to use the readers that come with that program.) One thing I really like are the portfolios. We live in a state (Michigan) that doesn't require us to keep them or to have the State review curriculum, etc. The end result seems to be that a number of homeschoolers whose programs doesn't require them, don't think to do them, or don't necessarily know what to put in them. STAA has a nice format, and it's nice to have my son's work neatly organized. I refer back to what he's done on a fairly regular basis, and don't have to go searching through different stacks of stuff to find what I am looking for: it's all in one neat 3-ring binder.

The staff at the St. Thomas Aquinas Academy proved to be more helpful than I'd hoped for as I began homeschooling two years ago. My 7-year-old son has learning disabilities (part of my reason for homeschooling) and every recommendation from STAA has been exceptionally on target. My son is now at grade level (or above) in all subjects but one due in no small way to the experience, knowledge, intuitiveness and faith of those at STAA. Whether it was during my early, nervous, tenuous days of homeschooling or, later, just curious about the "latest" math approach, St. Thomas' has been ready, able and willing to supply me with needed answers and, sometimes just as importantly, has been able to ask me the right questions. I cannot recommend the STAA enough.

Our family has been using St. Thomas Aquinas Academy for 8 years. As the parents of 3 young children we needed a plan with very specific offerings that would accommodate the requirements that both my husband and I felt were desirable in a curriculum provider. When we decided to homeschool we searched for a Catholic classical curriculum that had a hands-on component to it, had some degree of flexibility with respect to curriculum materials, offered advisory services as well as help forming and finding curriculum, was individualized per child, offered report cards and diploma, and could help in defining where to do multiple age level teaching. It was a big order and the fact that it had to be Catholic really narrowed the choices. We have found St. Thomas Aquinas Academy has offered us all of the above and more! Our advisor has always been very helpful, thoughtful, understanding, knowledgeable, well prepared, and spiritual in every conversation that we have had with her when creating a curriculum for each individual child (based on their ability, learning style and interest) as well as for me, the teacher, and all children together (multiple age level teaching). Each year the children take the assessment tests that STAA provides to assess what they have learned over the course of the year. Our advisor then analyzes those assessments, and sends a one-sided sheet of paper that briefly details strengths and weaknesses in each subject area. She then puts together a recommended curriculum outline and we develop, together, a curriculum for each child based on where they are in mastery of subject area, what they want to learn, what we want them to learn, and what we can combine, into perhaps a unit study, to teach them together. The phone call takes about a half hour per child. By the time we are done, I have a curriculum plan for each child, lesson plans, forms for any record keeping that needs to be done (quarterly reports, course of study, etc.), where to buy books at the best price, an outline of how to teach each subject and how often to teach it, and a very good understanding of what my children have mastered and what my goals are for the year. Of course, with a mom like me, staying on track can be the difficult part with all of the wonderful opportunities that are available to homeschooled children today, but using quarterly reporting keeps me focused on where we need to be. The St. Thomas Aquinas Academy curriculum has been an education for all of us. The children have not only grown in their understanding, but I also have learned a great deal. Spiritually our family has grown in ways that I never would have imagined! I highly recommend St. Thomas Aquinas Academy to anyone who can relate to this experience, as it will be a journey well worth it. Thank you so much to all at St. Thomas Aquinas Academy.

Your sisters and brothers in Christ,
Christine from New Hampshire

We have been so very happy with our first year with STAA! Thank you for walking me through it and for all the fantastic resources and materials we are using, there is not one we don't like!

This will be my daughter's third year with STAA. She is now a ninth grader, and we have been homeschooling her for nearly seven years. Before using STAA, we were on our own, selecting curriculum, scheduling, etc. That worked well at the time, but as she approached the middle school years, I felt as if I wanted guidance and someone else's input. STAA has worked so well for us. I have been so pleased with their suggestions and help. We had always used Saxon Math, and were successful with it. So STAA recommended that we continue with it as long as it was effective. It wasn't long before we hit a snag/log jam; and my advisor had great suggestions, helped us get through a struggling time with Math, and eventually recommended Math-U-See Algebra 1. That has been a really positive change for us, and once again, my daughter is doing excellent with her math. I have especially liked the curriculum recommendations for writing (Wordsmith) that were given us. I was at a loss as to how to go about writing, even though my daughter is an excellent writer. I didn't know how to draw out her creativity, and had tried several programs. STAA just seemed to "know" my daughter, so when we followed their advice, teaching writing was no longer a struggle for us. My daughter and I also appreciate the freedom we have to disagree with their curriculum suggestions, or use something else that works for us. STAA has been understanding of difficult transitions in our lives, flexible and supportive. I plan to use their expertise throughout my daughter's high school education.

STAA has truly been a Godsend to our family. Our advisor is always ready to help. She not only recommends the books for my boys, she helps me teach my perfectionist, prickly 3rd grader and my stubborn, but oh, so clever 1st grader with gentle and loving words of wisdom. She also offers advice on how to get it done with three more little ones running around under my feet! On days when I have really struggled with doubt and indecision she has lifted me up like a gentle hug from the Father. In his infinite mercy he has provided us with a constant source of encouragement and know-how to achieve the (often impossible) task he has set before us. Do not underestimate the importance of a Catholic program...Our goal is more souls for heaven and the restoration of the family as the basic unit of civilization...no secular home-school provider will be able to keep you centered on this goal...STAA DOES! Plus the curriculum choices are challenging, classical and flexible when they need to be (like a new addition to the family and mom is not 100% for a few months!) I can't say enough about STAA . May God continue to bless this family in their apostolate.

We have homeschooled with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy for six years, with one to four students (plus babies and toddlers) in any given year, from pre-first through seventh grade. STAA customizes the program to suit our individual needs, with the flexibility to change as our life's circumstances change. For instance, we have done block-style scheduling upon the birth of a new baby; dedicated a particularly bleak February to student-led illustrated compositions for science, history, penmanship, and religion; and adapted math programs and facts drill to suit a distractible, high-energy child. Hands-on activities and living books add to our history and science courses, but they are part of an overall plan, giving us the structure that Mom appreciates. Our favorite subjects are the ones we can do as a family: art and music appreciation, map making and geography songs (using the lovely maps from Berg's Geography: A Literature Approach), science experiments, and reading aloud together. Our advisor is an absolute gem, ever ready with sound advice about academic instruction and, more importantly, about teaching each particular child according to his strengths and weaknesses. The STAA program is rigorous, yet flexible and manageable; we are confident that our children are receiving a sound Catholic and classical foundation in their studies. The only thing left for me to wish for is for them to move to Ohio, near us!

After doing a lot of research regarding home school curriculums, we decided upon STAA because 1) they would work with us to find the appropriate materials for our two children, 2) they provided enough structure to allow us to move through the topics where we had less experience, and 3) they would work with us regarding timing and extracurricular activities. We chose home schooling because our small rural catholic school closed during the middle of the school year and we had a couple of learning challenges - my daughter needed some extra support in some of the basics because of a year in public school where she was not challenged and my son who needed to move forward at a pace faster than either private or public schools where we are located could handle. We have been very pleased with the cooperation and support that we have gotten through STAA.