Your Questions Answered: Is Mid-year too Late to Enroll My Child in Seton?

Is mid-year too late to enroll my child in Seton?

We know that many parents want to make a change midyear, so Seton has always offered a half-year program. The half-year program covers two quarters, but these can be any two quarters of the course.

In some subjects, such as history and science, she can start at the beginning or in the middle. In math, you need to determine which lesson is best for her to begin. If she has had no English grammar, she should start at the beginning of the lessons.

Please contact one of our academic counselors to discuss an entrance test to help determine what she needs, subject by subject.

My son has completed all his 2nd Quarter work except for English. May I turn in his other subjects while we finish his English?

That is no problem. We grade the assignments as they come in. You might consider spending a little more time on his English, maybe an hour over the weekends, to help him move along a little more quickly.

Of course, you, as the parent, can make the best decision regarding how much he can learn in a certain amount of time.

We are falling behind. What can I do to catch up?

First, consider which courses are the most important, and then concentrate on those. Religion, Reading, English, and Math should be brought up to date as much as possible. Consider having classes or discussions on the weekend to catch up with these courses. History and science could be studied in the evening or on weekends to catch up.

Remember that the lesson plans are suggestions and guidelines. Students are not required to do every assignment in the lesson plans. To receive a grade for a quarter, a student needs only to submit the specific Seton-graded tests or assignments.

To catch up, look over the lesson plans and see what can be skipped or consolidated. Similarly, for workbook pages, if a student does half the problems on a page correctly, then there may be no need to finish the page. The goal is to have the student learn the same material but progress more quickly.

May I submit my son’s book report from his local homeschooling class?

It is not uncommon for parents to ask us if their student may submit a different book for a book report than the one we send.

You have to remember, though, that it’s very difficult for a grader to grade a book report for a book that the grader has not read. Seton graders are familiar with the books Seton has provided for our students at each grade level. They are also familiar with the specific guidelines that Seton requires for the book report.

Why Emphasize the Five-Paragraph Essay?

The five-paragraph essay is a concise and organized way to express information and support a claim. The five-paragraph structure enables the student to distill the evidence and highlight the important points. For any writer, it is important to eliminate redundant and irrelevant information, presenting the reader with an easily-discernible message.

As students move on into young adulthood, being able to concisely and clearly present information in their writing is a valuable skill, whether it be in college, the workplace, or even their personal lives. The five-paragraph essay is the mechanism by which students can learn to express their thoughts into an adaptable and ordered framework.

The Organizational Principles of the Five-Paragraph Essay

• Paragraph 1: Introduction – introduce the topic and end the paragraph with a thesis statement (specific claim)
• Paragraphs 2-4: Body Paragraphs – support the thesis by introducing relevant  evidence
• Paragraph 5: Conclusion – restate the thesis, recap the main points given in body paragraphs, and end with a personal remark

Sean O’Connor Seton English Counselor

Great Feedback on Seton Audiobooks

We are receiving wonderful feedback from parents about the new Seton Audiobooks. Many Seton textbooks are now available in audio format for students in grades 5 and up, offering families another helpful tool to support learning.

Among the Benefits of Audiobooks

• Listening while following along in the textbook creates a multi-sensory learning experience that strengthens comprehension.
• Audiobooks encourage student independence and may ease the reading load for parents.
• Students with reading challenges can more easily access grade-level content.

Visit www.setonhome.org/audiobooks to see current titles and those coming soon.

For information about audiobooks available from Seton Special Services, contact ssdept@setonhome.org or 540-622-5576.