The Humanist Academy

Question 1

What ages do you serve?

Answer

We currently serve children ages 3 and up, PreK through High School.

Question 2

How much is tuition at THA?

Answer

As a Nonprofit Organization, we pride ourselves on making quality education very affordable for our families. Tuition is based on an honor system scale with a range between $550 and $1050 per month for 11 months. Families are able to pay what they feel is appropriate within that range. The Tuition minimum for ages 3-4 is $700 monthly.

Question 3

Does THA serve special needs children?

Answer

We are not trained or staffed to serve children with serious learning disabilities, special needs, or who need specialized attention. We treat each and every situation individually, so if you are interested in THA and believe it is a great fit for your family, please inquire and we will personally assess your unique situation and the fit of your young learner.

Question 4

Is The Humanist Academy a Montessori school?

Answer

Our Spark Studio (serving ages 3-6) is in alignment with a traditional Montessori primary environment, which serves as the perfect foundation for our Acton based Elementary Studio. In principle and philosophy, the Humanist Academy is in alignment with the Montessori method but at the ES and MS levels, the emphasis is on Acton Academy's approach. Although Montessori principles remain in tact at these levels, there is a deeper focus on Socratic guidance, self-paced and adaptive technologies, etc. that you would find less in a traditional Montessori setting.

Question 5

Will children be grouped into grades?

Answer

We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups.

Question 6

Without homework and frequent test taking, how do I know my child is learning?

Answer

The learning at THA goes beyond traditional metrics of grades and test scores. Our learners demonstrate and celebrate mastery of subjects by earning badges, tracking weekly points as a measure of effort, and presenting their work to the community regularly through public exhibitions as real-world tests. Moreover, through the use of self-paced digital platforms, parents can access student progress online at any time in areas like reading, writing, and math. Parents can always access JourneyTracker with their child, a comprehensive online platform that tracks badges, progress in Core Skills, weekly points, completion of learning challengs, etc. Once a year, we also offer the Iowa standardized test as part of exposing them to a real world experience.

Question 7

Do you offer extracurricular activities and/or sport teams?

Answer

Several opportunities are available for extracurricular activities at THA, and what's unique is that often our very own THA Parents are exploring passions and leading the activities with our students. In the past, we have had chess, basketball, rugby, robotics, arts and crafts, yoga, martial arts, STEM, and various other activities for our heroes. Those workshops are usually 5-6 weeks long. Due to the smaller size of our school, we do not currently have any organized sports teams. However, our Warriors are constantly outdoors playing sports during free time and learning new ones during PE. We are excited and open to developing some programs in the near future should the demand arise.