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Today, Marlin and Laurie Detweiler are here to give you a sneak peek of some exciting Summer course options at Veritas Scholars Academy! Listen in to hear a preview of what courses you can expect to see in the coming weeks.

Upcoming opportunities…

Mini-Courses:
Never tried a Veritas live online course before? For only $10, our 3-week Mini-Courses are a great way to explore how they work! Enrollment opens May 1st for any family who has never been enrolled in a Veritas Scholars Academy course. Classes begin on June 9th and are available for 3rd-12th grade.

VSA Summer-Term Courses:
Enrolling now! Students in 7th-12th grade can choose from a variety of electives, or get a jump on the school year by getting full credit for courses such as Omnibus, Math, Grammar & Writing Transition, and more.

Summer A Term - June 2 – July 11
Summer B Term - July 14 – August 22
Summer C Term - June 2 – August 22

Episode Transcription

Note: This transcription may vary from the words used in the original episode.

Marlin Detweiler:

Hello again and welcome to another episode of Veritas Vox, the voice of classical Christian education. Today, Laurie and I are going to talk to you a little bit about the courses that we have during the summer.

As you think about offering courses in the summer, you want to talk first? Laurie, about the terms that we have, we have three terms. Of course. You want to talk.

Laurie Detweiler:
About Summer B and Summer C in a more or less like states.

Marlin Detweiler:
And so yeah, the dates, we had to write them down so we could remember. But basically right after the school year is over, we jump right in with Summer A.

Laurie Detweiler:
Yeah.

Marlin Detweiler:
After the end of year gathering. It goes from June 2nd to July 11th, and then Summer B starts up the following Monday, July 14th to August 22nd. Summer C starts June 2nd, the same as Summer A, and ends at the end of Summer B, so Summer C runs over both A and B. Do you want to describe the difference for us?

Laurie Detweiler:
Summer C we tried for the first time last year. One of the things that we have to think about, people always ask, well, why don't you offer this or why don't you offer this during the summer? And the reason is because it's just too much for a student to do in a condensed time, like to really get mastery.

Marlin Detweiler:
To be specific, Summer A and Summer B meet for three hours a day.

Laurie Detweiler:
And that's all. So I'll say this: why we don't have grammar classes. Because we find that most students in grammar school, it's just too long sitting in a class for three hours. But Summer C is an hour and a half.

Marlin Detweiler:
An hour and a half a day. It's basically half the time per day.

Laurie Detweiler:
Yeah.

Marlin Detweiler:
For both the terms. So each of the terms has the same amount of class time.

Laurie Detweiler:
Right. It's just that because it's spread out over two terms. So, for instance, we teach Algebra One over Summer C, but the student has more time to work through the problems than when it's just condensed and you're having to do massive amounts of work.

Marlin Detweiler:
But there is an Algebra One refresher that's different in Summer A. How would you describe this difference?

Laurie Detweiler:
Right. An Algebra One refresher is for those students that have had algebra but just don't feel confident about what they've done. Maybe they just need some extra work in it. And that's what an Algebra One refresher is.

Marlin Detweiler:
And what are some other classes you would see in?

Laurie Detweiler:
A number of Omnibus.

Marlin Detweiler:
Secondary Omnibus are an error in the –

Laurie Detweiler:
AB terms. So we offer logic in the summer. There's just a number of things that we offer.

Marlin Detweiler:
Yeah. I think composition is in summer. Because again, writing.

Laurie Detweiler:
Right.

Marlin Detweiler:
Having some time to think and write. Right.

Laurie Detweiler:
And so those are there. But we've found that a lot of students really love these courses when it's first starting. And I did not think that would be the case. What's really amazing is there are students that just love the interaction that they have with their peers and with their teacher, and they want to take courses in the summer.

Marlin Detweiler:
Yeah, yeah. It's amazing how many have signed up. We already have more signed up for 2025 than we did for 2024. I think in each. Yeah, in each of the.

Laurie Detweiler:
Summer, I think it's summer.

Marlin Detweiler:
Before we talk a little bit about some of the reasons for taking summer classes, let's jump to something else for just a moment. Talk a little bit about what we're doing with what we call mini courses.

Laurie Detweiler:
We've been doing this for a few years now. And, you know, it's really interesting when I listen to our family consultants in particular or people that are in our service department. One of the questions people always have is, how do I know if my child is going to do okay in an online class? Can you explain it to me?

And to be honest, Covid gave a lot of people a bad taste of what online education was about because people were quickly thrown into teaching online that were not prepared to teach online. Nor did they have the technology because we use the special classroom technology. So it's not like Zoom. There is Zoom for education, but it's not just like a, you know, a GoToMeeting or Google Meet or it's.

Marlin Detweiler:
Got educational tools. It's still for education. And the other thing is the teachers are trained to teach online. There is a very specific training that we take our teachers through. That's a very important thing. But so you were talking.

Laurie Detweiler:
About they do have these mini courses and what they are are fun courses that have an educational component to them that students can come in there. I think they cost like $10.

Marlin Detweiler:
It's a very nominal cost.

Laurie Detweiler:
And I think they may be two weeks.

Marlin Detweiler:

It's 2 or 3 weeks. I don't know. I think it's six classroom sessions. There are a few more students to give more exposure to people. And they're offered initially to people who haven't taken an online class.

Laurie Detweiler:

First, because this is what it is, it's really for, you know, I've heard family consultants say, come test drive our courses, take these mini courses. And really, that is what it is. But they're fun. They're really fun. And students can come experience what it's like to get in a live classroom and see that. Everybody that's done it has said, number one, the kids have loved it, but it's given them a real taste of what it would be like to take it.

Marlin Detweiler:
There are lots of classes being offered under these mini courses, and they are.

Laurie Detweiler:
You also get to meet our teachers.

Marlin Detweiler:

Abroad.

Laurie Detweiler:
Clubs, because the same teachers that teach in the school year teach these mini courses, so it's the same abroad.

Marlin Detweiler:
Can you give some samples too? They're not the kind of courses typically that you would find offered during the regular school year. There might be a focus on one of the great books, or there are some real fun things to write. The list, as of the time that we're recording right now, is not ready to be released.

By the time this recording is released, they will probably be out there. So you'll get a chance to see them. But give a little bit of a sample.

Laurie Detweiler:
I don't know if we're offering this this year. So this is things we have offered or have talked about offering. But for instance, young students in particular, parents are concerned. So it would be like a math factory using Lego, for instance. Because people don't have our consumables, we needed to use something.

So Lego would be what we would use as our own. I said consumable, I meant manipulatives, sorry. And so we would use Legos for the manipulatives. So math doing that.

Marlin Detweiler:
Some programming courses.

Laurie Detweiler:
Some programming.

Marlin Detweiler:
In there and a variety of computer languages, a couple different options.

Laurie Detweiler:
A really fun, like gaming Latin class that we've offered in the past. So come get a taste of Latin. But it's all done with games and things because it's fun.

Marlin Detweiler:
The selection of the courses is related to but not limited to our emphasis in classical Christian education.

Laurie Detweiler:
My computer design actually going to look something up so I can tell you even better about these courses.

Marlin Detweiler:

But they're not courses that are necessarily strictly academic. Some are, some aren't, but they're really related to the kinds of things that those interested in classical education find helpful. Right. Do I have it? Okay. The other thing I wanted to talk about—back to really the summer A, B, and C—talk to us about the reason that people take summer courses.

Laurie Detweiler:

So there are a number of reasons why people take mini courses. But what I find to be the three big ones are: We have a new student coming in, and they're meeting with their academic advisor or their family consultant, and they realize that they're behind. Right. Because our curriculum is different, or maybe I wouldn't even say behind—they just haven't been exposed to something like Latin.

And so what happens is they will take a summer course to get ready for the school year. I also find that new families take them. Our vice president of marketing's son actually took one two years ago—last summer. He was new and coming into our school, and Art will tell you it's one of the best things that happened because it really let him get familiar with online education and a more academic environment before the school year.

Marlin Detweiler:

Yeah, well, and unpacking that reason a little further, the idea of getting students adapted to the technology—gaining a little bit of experience with the technology through a single summer course—is very helpful in navigating things. Right. For students, it's not a big deal, but making it second nature so they're used to working with it when they've got multiple courses and need to pay more attention to the content being taught rather than the tools they’re using really helps.

Laurie Detweiler:

The other thing I'd say is, as everybody knows, Veritas is academic. It's very doable by all students. I often hear parents say, "Oh, my child has to be a brainchild to do Veritas." That is absolutely, unequivocally not true. Any student can do this. We've been doing this a long time.

But one of the things that happens is that, particularly if you've got students who are in athletics or serious music on the side, like an orchestra or something, a lot of people will take a summer course to lighten the load for the year. If they can get one or two courses out of the way, it makes it so the students are only taking five courses instead of six or seven during the school year.

It makes a huge difference. And like I said before, I know students who beg to take summer courses because they get together with their friends, and they all want to be there. Anyway, it's just kind of a fun thing.

Marlin Detweiler:

Another reason students might take summer courses is that they find themselves coming in a little behind, so they want to catch up. And the summer courses make that very possible. Or they may want to get ahead. Some students might say, "Okay, I want to get out in front of my requirements for graduation or the classes that I plan to take." So they jump ahead by taking a summer course.

Laurie Detweiler:

When I can read some of these mini courses, I think it'll be really enticing. Okay. I just went into my email and pulled up the ones we're offering this year.

Marlin Detweiler:

So this is a list of ten.

Laurie Detweiler:

• Courses that we may have done or will be teaching:

• Castle-like Thinking: A Mini Course in Strategy

• Dante, Luther, and Bonk: Who Are These Men? A Mini Course in Omnibus

• How Can I Draw Like That? A Mini Course in Classical Christian Art

• How to Give a TED Talk: A Mini Course on Rhetoric

• Lasting Perspectives: A Mini Course in Classical Christian Art

• Legos, Ninjas and Battle, ships: A Mini Course in Grammar Level Math

• A New Player: A Mini Course in Game Theory

• Passport to the World: A Mini Course in Geography

• Patterns and Order All Around Us: A Mini Course in Math

• Red Herrings: A Mini Course in Logic

• Gigantic Fruits, Rhymes and Rhythms: A Mini Course in Grammar Level Latin

• Structures with a Purpose: A Mini Course in Human Anatomy
  
  I could go on, but suffice it to say, these are fun. And the kids love them.

Marlin Detweiler:
Yeah, so most of you who are listening to this are people who are already taking courses, right? And I have bad news and good news. The bad news is you can't sign up for them until there's some time courses. So the mini, for instance.

Marlin Detweiler:
You can't sign up for them until there's some opportunity for new people to sign up. So we'd like to encourage you to share that list when it comes out with your friends who have not experienced Veritas as a way of drawing them in with you, and then there'll be plenty of time for you to sign up for courses after they've had a chance to get to them first, right?

Laurie Detweiler:
I would say this too. I was talking to a mom the other day, and she said that her daughter actually was getting two other friends together to take a summer course together because they weren't able to always take classes during the school year, but they could do it in the summer. And so that's a really fun thing to do.

Our summer courses are fun. They're not. You know, I've had people say, are they easier? I wouldn't say they're not easier. But they do have a very different feeling to them. We know it's summer, and we want kids to not go, oh, gee, I have to do this course. So, for instance, the omnibus courses, when you've got three hours together, I mean, they get into some pretty heated, heavy discussions that the kids love.

Marlin Detweiler:
I don't think I've ever heard a single student complain, say, I wish I hadn't taken a summer course. I feel like I lost my summer. They absolutely love it.

Laurie Detweiler:
Oh, and I want to say this to you if you're traveling and you're taking a summer course because we all know everybody has vacation. This is a commonly asked question. Like any other course we offer, they're recorded. And so all you have to do is fill out the form to let the teacher know that you're not going to be there, and then you make up the work.

So we get it. People travel, people take time off. You don't want to miss half the course. That would not be a good idea. Your student would probably have a problem. But if you miss some classes here and there, it's not going to be an issue. Our teachers are used to working with us.

Marlin Detweiler:
Yeah. So, in kind of wrapping up here, summer A, June 2nd to July 11th, summer B, July 14th to August 22nd, and summer C covers both of them, June 2nd to August 22nd. The mini courses do overlap with some of that. I don't actually know the exact dates on those. I think they run through June and July, but I'm actually not certain of that.

But there'll be information coming out on those shortly. The summer classes are already being offered. They're already filling up. So don't want to wait!

Laurie Detweiler:

Yeah. If you'll give me a minute here, I'm going to just let you know. So I'm in summer. Sorry. I fired my computer open. I can do this. We have an algebra refresher. Creative writing. And I've heard that's just so much fun. Grammar refresher. Back to the basics. So if your student has not had Shirley Grammar and has not had a lot of grammar. It's a great way to get caught up.

Marlin Detweiler:
Get them ready for composition.

Laurie Detweiler:
All right, guys, this one's fall and summer. A introduction to biotechnology. Maybe I can get Dr. Bob to add another one. Lactose-free and transition one. Literature transition logic one. Canon brass logic one. Veritas novels of Jane Austen. And then all this omnibus secondaries are offered. And then if we go to summer B, we are going to, of course, I have to think.

Marlin Detweiler:
You know, they can see these online.

Laurie Detweiler:
I do. I know I can see them online, but I'm just telling them to entice them. Associate logic. This is, I'm really excited about this one. Biblical archaeology. And I have something to tell you. I know who teaches it. This is going to be fun. Business math, computer programming, Python, film, and worldview.

Marlin Detweiler:
Very popular this summer.

Laurie Detweiler:
Just check this real quick to make sure it is. It's Dr. Michael Calendar, guys. He makes this so fun in the summer. I can't tell you. You want to take it. Grammar and writing transition. Oh, biotechnology is open here in summer B. Summer B Latin transition one. Latin transition two. Literary analysis through short stories. And then we have the omnibus ones.

Marlin Detweiler:
Do you want to read some?

Laurie Detweiler:
I can read some. Hold on. We're having computer problems here.

All right. Let's see. We're going to go back here and summer C algebra one, business math, composition one, composition two. And I can tell you all getting those done during the summer and getting those, you know, before you get into GIS comp is so critical for so many other courses. You take, general science, geometry, Latin one, physical science.

Marlin Detweiler:
So, quite a list.

Laurie Detweiler:
Oh, and I forgot, we will also have our new self-paced rhetoric course, which that is really exciting. To that we're going to be offering, once again, Michael Collender, doctor Collender has done a self-paced rhetoric course, and that's going to be new this year. It will obviously be offered during the school year also, so.

Marlin Detweiler:
Hopefully it'll be ready for the Summer.

So that's, that's a little bit about the summer courses. If you haven't considered them before, take a look. Because they have been used very effectively by a growing number of people, and you might find that they're helpful for you as well.

Laurie Detweiler:
If Dr. Bob was here, I can tell you he'd be pushing them because he's our biggest proponent of summer courses, so it should have been him here instead of me today.

Marlin Detweiler:
But thank you, folks for joining us for another episode of Veritas Vox, the voice of classical Christian education. We hope to see you next time.