 To apply for admission - GSS accepts applications until August 15, except when home educating families move in from out-of-state or other compelling reason approved by the Headmaster.
- One parent must be a professing Christian
- Enrolled students who wish to re-enroll must re-enroll each year by the deadline. Re-enrollment is contingent on your account being clear and records being up-to-date and the faculty member's acceptance of any new policies.
- Read the bulletin well. Fill out an application for enrollment and have your minister fill out a pastoral reference. The Academic Coordinator will be in touch with you to set up an in-person meeting.
- Students applying in high school require an in-person interview with the parent, with their unofficial transcript
- Ordinarily we require two years of study to earn a diploma from GSS. Seniors are accepted on a case-by-case basis.
- High school grades of 70 or less will not count as transfer credit with GSS.
- Do not withdraw your child from a public school without a signed and sealed CSEF
We require that families with 14-16 year olds new to our program pay all tuition and fees upfront. No refunds are given. Students with a history of academic, social or disciplinary difficulty will be subject to additional accountabililty requirements at the discretion of the academic coordinator. - The process can take two or more weeks, do NOT wait until the last minute!
- Any co-op has a separate application.
Good Shepherd School seeks to support parents who endeavor to provide an academically-centered home education to their students. Tuition for GSS does not include curriculum; nor do we tell you which curriculum to use. There are many outstanding options, and we can help you tailor your curriculum to your students’ learning styles. Some homeschoolers enjoy purchasing all curriculum from one vendor, while others mix and match to suit the needs of their families. GSS does require that you fill out an annual study plan for each student in the program. This describes your curriculum and learning activities planned. www.donnayoung.org has printables for families to use in planning curricula based on unit studies or “real books”. The Christian Home Educators’ Fellowship www.chefofalabama.org has a conference each summer where you can browse vendor booths. School Year Hopefully, we’re always learning! Begin whenever you like. For recordkeeping purposes, our school year runs from August 7 – August 6. There are 170 days in our school year. Testing is required every other year at parental expense for students in grade 4 and older. For college-bound students we have guidance. College & Career guidance and aptitude testing is available. Reporting is required every semester and includes grades & attendance. Download a report card for your records. Meetings are required twice a year to turn in grades. Responsibilities of enrolled families: - Conduct your educational program as outlined in your Annual Study Plan
- Live in accordance with the Christian faith, abstaining from talebearing, sexual sin, drunkenness; participate in regular church attendance
- Turn in tuition, attendance record, and Semester reports on time
- Contact us if you move or change your phone number
- Honor covenants and school policies
Good Shepherd School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, tuition assistance, athletic and other school-administered programs. Good Shepherd School does reserve the right to select faculty and students on the
basis of academic performance, religious commitment, philosophical compatibility, and a willingness to cooperate with the GSS administration and abide by its policies. | Admission FAQs I'm moving in from out-of-state. Can you help me? Ordinarily, we accept applications from March until September. We will accept applications from Christian homeschooling families who move from out-of-state year round. How closely do my religious beliefs need to line up with your Statement of Faith? Admission to GSS is open to professing Christian families who seek a distinctively Christian education for their students. Workshops, meetings, Good Shepherd Hall, and social events will have elements of classical Christianity interwoven. This may include Bible reading, prayer, praise-and-worship, hymns, or psalms accompanied by music. If you have questions or concers, the Academic Coordinator would be happy to discuss them. What are Good Shepherd's prerequisites to enrolling? Teaching parent should have a strong Christian testimony, read our statement of faith, feel called by God to home educate children in their family, be regular in church attendance, intend to teach their children according to the parent-directed Annual Study Plan, and live a Christian lifestyle. Potential faculty members should also be willing to comply with all school policies. What does Good Shepherd offer home educating families? Handling paperwork regarding church school enrollment, curriculum counseling, official transcript (21-day prior written notice requested), graduation, facilitating testing, lending library. Other activities (field trips, co-op, etc.) are coordinated by parent volunteers. Does Good Shepherd School accept applications year-round? No. We accept applications from late spring to August 15, except under unusual circumstances approved by the Headmaster. After August 15, you are welcome to submit an application for our waiting list. I work full-time but would like to take my 7th grader out of public school. What are my options? Your child between the ages of 7-16 must be physically supervised during school hours. Sometimes families have a grandparent or special friend act as the teaching parent. Most Alabama church schools serving home educators, including GSS, ask who the teaching parent will be. I want to homeschool temporarily for one semester so my child can get his grades up well enough to play sports in public school. How can Good Shepherd help me? We expect families to remain enrolled for an entire school year and do not generally accept applications mid-year. Your student would likely benefit from a tutor rather than switching schools. To whom do I send my child's work for grading? As faculty, you are responsible for grading and keeping grades. You may however choose to enroll your child in a distance education program, such as the Calvert School or another similar service, that grades work and keeps records of your students' daily work. My son has ADHD and is not doing well in school. Do you think homeschooling would be a good idea? The beauty of homeschooling is that it can be tailored to your child's learning style. Many children with ADHD are hands-on, kinesthetic learners and often blossom while homeschooling. You'll need to remember that there is a learning curve associated with homeschooling. Can I homeschool my special needs child? Yes. More information is available at Vast Network. Mrs. Karen Torbert at Cathedral of the Cross is also available to help at (205) 854-7777. (Note: additional fee applies) Where can I find someone to homeschool my child? Your local board of education might maintain a directory of private tutors. Many homeschooling famlies use homeschool co-ops and tutorials, but parents are ultimately responsible for their student's education. There are private tutors serving homeschoolers, and services tend to cost upwards of $20/hour. It isn't uncommon that friends teach each other's children. Is homeschooling expensive? Books, field trips, and science equipment will cost families more than participation in public schools. Families do home educate on a limited budget by buying used books , co-opping, and making extensive use of the library. My son has gotten into so much trouble he is in danger of expulsion. Do you think homeschooling him is a good idea? In our opinion, homeschooling should be entered into deliberately and undertaken prayerfully. It is a lifestyle, not an alternative to public schools. It is not a magic bullet that will solve problems that took years to develop. We would encourage you to pray unceasingly for him, become deeply involved in a Bible-teaching church, involve your son in his hobbies and interests, and become very hands-on with regard to his education. GSS accepts students who have been suspended or expelled only if there are obvious fruits of repentence, parents and students are involved in church, and the parent has a specific plan for day in-day out supervision of the student. Is a homeschool co-op or tutorial the same as public or private school? No! A homeschool co-op is a group of home educating families who have come together to provide educational opportunities that their home educated students might not otherwise have access to. Sometimes this means paying teachers or tutors. Typically a high degree of parent participation is required and students are expected to be motivated and independent learners. What are the steps I need to take to enroll my child in Good Shepherd? Read our Bulletin carefully. Fill out an application and ask your minister to fill out the pastoral reference mail or bring it to Cathedral of the Cross. Someone will be in touch with you to set up an appointment to talk with you about the academic needs of your students, what we offer, what our limitations are, curriculum, and so on. We want you to feel that our program is a good fit for you. | Tuition and Fees Registration Fee: $35 per family prior to August 12; $45 per family after August 12. Payable only after acceptance. Please do not send money with your application. Tuition: $250 per family per year (regardless of number of students) if accepted and enrolled by August 15. Payable in 10 monthly payments of $25 per month if needed.
Late enrollments after August 15, $300/ year per family. No payment plans are available. Graduation Fee: $125. This covers cap and gown, diploma, ceremony, and reception. It is due and payable even if your senior doesn't plan to walk in the ceremony. Your tuition and fees cover: Enrollment in a church school as prescribed by Alabama law, official transcripts as needed, records storage, office and telephone, mailings, lending library and costs to maintain used book sale area, curriculum counseling, advocacy with your local board of education (upon admission) if necessary. Your tuition and fees do not cover field trips, curriculum, books, co-ops and tutorials, sports fees, or testing. Tuition and fees are nonrefundable for any reason. |