We teach grades 9-12. We do make exceptions for 8th graders that are accidemically and emotionally advanced.

Answer from the dean: We Finland's approach to education. It is something I studied when I was in grad school. When in grad school I wanted to know how they are number one in the world. It is basically a no-nonsense approach to learning. Students spend three or four hours a day on lessons learning the basics. And finding out what they enjoy. During that time, they are taught life skills that are integrated into their studies. I think the US education system teaches way too much fluff, and they actually make learning (in my opinion) more complicated than it should be. A math simple math problem shouldn't have 50 steps to complete.

Class room sizes are 10 to 12 students. After 12 students we go on a waiting list until we can have another class of 10 students.

The day after Labor day to the Friday before Memorial Day. We can have a slightly shorter year because we don’t have to account for snow days.

FLC makes it simple. These are the fees:

--> Application fee: $25 per child due upon receipt of application.

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--> Tuition Deposit: $250 per child due upon acceptance. The Deposit holds your child(ren)'s spot in the program. It also includes a welcome pack with everything your child will need to learn at our school*.

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--> Tuition: Program cost is $3,000 per school year (Labor Day to Memorial Day)

Options:​

-> First Child: $250 (12 installments beginning September 1, 2020)

-> Additional Child(ren): $200 (12 installments beginning September 1, 2020)​

Discounts:

-> Semester Paid in full by September 1, 2020: 10% discount

-> Year paid in full by September 1, 2020: 15% discount

Students can withdraw any time. However, payments will still be required until the official drop dates which is December 31st and June 30th. If a student drops in October, parents are still responsible for November and December payments.

We do offer credit recovery, the rate is still the same as a full time student.

In general the answer is no. We like the students to move through the classes in a cohort this allows them to socialize and builds unity among the students.

In short, no. Nevertheless, our staff and faculty are experienced and understand anxiety, depression, and trauma and will let you know if we have concerns. Still, we do not provide any therapeutic services, only check-ins.

Though we would like to help every student we know our limitations. At this time we do not. We are simply not equipped for that.

Of course we do! Again, we are limited in our capacity so there will be times that we may not be the best option for a particular student. For example, a student with behavior issues may not be the best fit here.

A typical school day begins at 9 AM and ends at noon. In the afternoons, students will have to complete homework, projects, and activities that should not last more than 1 hour. Parents are encouraged to participate in such activities. Teachers will remain active in their classrooms for until 1 PM. This should be considered teachers' office hours where they are available to help students or parents one-on-one.

Yes. We understand that issues may come up and may get people get sick. However, we also know that children that are chronically absent lose out on their education. We allow for 7 sick days a year. If you feel this is a concern please let us know and we will be happy to discuss it further.

We have looked at several learning models and believe that the schools in Finland have it best. Students have 3 to 4 hours of class time. Since we teach online, we have made a hybrid of that model. We will provide 3 teacher-led classroom hours and there will usually be a project or after class work. In total students should have about 4 total hours of school a day. This may be a bit longer if they have a life-skills project but we try to make those interesting and fun.

We do assess our students frequently to ensure they are mastering their subject skills. These assessments, though, in no way are to be utilized for standardized reporting.

Our educational model believes in a team approach to learning. Parents are key members of that team. There are several studies* stating that parental involvement in their children's education results in better academic performance for the students. Parents may be asked for support verifying participation and/or helping their child with projects.

For instance, a younger child learning fractions may be asked to find a recipe, double it, and prepare it for the family. A parent would need to assist with that. Parents will then be asked to email or share a picture with the teacher upon completion of the project. This communication should include comments about their child's performance. These are real world lessons that we want to teach our students. And since we cannot be there to help we choose to recruit parents for the task. Again, it should be a fun parent-child bonding time.

We believe that learning is more fun and meaningful if a student can apply it to real life. Much of what we teach will tie into something that has real life applications. The brain also retains it better as well.

The Scottish Ferguson Coat of Arms states the phrase "Dulcius Ex Asperis". This phrase means "Sweeter after difficulties." It reminds us that nothing good comes easily. In order to reach our dreams, we need to go through some level of difficulty. We thought it very fitting for the current times. We will make it through the pandemic and it wont be easier. However, we learn a great deal about ourselves when there is a struggle and it can make us stronger.

Yes, with virtural open arms. We believe that all colors of the rainbow make this word a much better well rounded place.

No, it does not have any religious affiliation. We are a secular school. We welcome students of all faiths and creeds or those with no religion or creed. Our goal is to educate children.

ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) does not accredit any non public school. There are three paths that ISBE allows any private school to opperate. Those are; do nothing (colleges and public schools will not accept transfers from those schools); Register (the school has submitted paperwork requesting full recognition), Full Recognition (All paperwork, and curriculiums have been submitted and approved after the end of their first year).

Currently, we have the paperwork submitted to be Registered and will have that by the end of October. Then we will file for Full Recognition. Since we have successfully assisted two other schools in this process we are confident to be fully Recognised by the end of the first year.