One of Our Excelsior Students Honored on KBACH!

One of our students was chosen as the KBACH “Classical Next” student honoree musician and they gave her a live feature spot on air. She also gives a shout out to Excelsior (woot woot!) Way to go Kate! Watch her play so beautifully on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgRRqMYeJt0 or hear her interview on https://kbaq.org/classicalnext (scroll down to May 2023). Kate is the House Leader for Pegasus and Student of the Month. She blesses us every year by playing her violin for morning assembly or at one of our performances.

Excelsior Open House

Excelsior Classical Homeschool Academy Community and Accountability We are a community that fosters friendships and spiritual growth and accountability for academic excellence. Open House We host our open house once a year in the spring as open enrollment begins. Join us for an in-person tour where you can meet the families and ask questions. Come visit and experience all that God is doing within our homeschooling community. The tour will begin at 10am. We will take a tour of all the classes, as well as have a Q&A time with Pauline, the director. Everyone Read More …

Excelsior Scores Among the Highest in the Country for the National Latin Exam!

National Latin Exam Phoenix AZ

We did tremendously well and our students have much to be proud of. We had Summa Cum Laude students–one student with a perfect score, one that missed only one question, and several that received Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude rankings. All of our students scored on average with the rest of the country if not far better! Interestingly, homeschoolers in general score better than those in public or private schools on the NLE. We give much credit to the accountability we receive at Excelsior, our wonderful teachers and moms, Read More …

Things I Have Learned in My Homeschool Journey

 by Lisa Serra Soon I will be retiring from this career to which I have devoted myself.  I began homeschooling my oldest son in 2002.  At that time, I had three children.  My path into homeschooling was circuitous like most of yours.  I had a precocious son who could read and understand math like a second grader but he couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes.  In the spring of 2002, my husband and I sat through kindergartens that were traditional, child-centered, Montessori, and one that was so esoteric Read More …

Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Weighs In

We submitted a request with questions after my last post to you all. They called my husband very promptly, excellent customer service. The big question on my mind was can ESA contract families continue to get HSLDA protection. I’m not willing to give that up. The answer is that you can continue to be HSLDA members with ESA contract status. The only thing is they won’t get involved with arguments over what is a qualified purchase. They said, “That’s between you and the state.” So if you buy curriculum and they say, “No, Read More …

Prayers Needed – Opposition to the ESA Law is Underway

homeschool ESA expansion referendum

A couple things I want you to pray for: 1) That current homeschooler groups would broaden their definition of homeschooling to include ESA contract homeschoolers. I have heard from several homeschoolers that have been denied community because they have ESA status. Those families likely have special needs children (because up to this time it was military, foster, or special needs). That is so sad to hear. They are homeschoolers just like any of us, the only difference is that they are taking back their tax dollars and using them for Read More …

ESA Passed! Updates and Questions Answered

Since my last post, Governor Ducey has signed the ESA expansion bill (yesterday). It is groundbreaking — the whole country is talking about it. Highlights: Everyone now can apply and participate in ESA But you don’t have to. You do not have to participate if you don’t want to. It doesn’t affect current homeschoolers at all. If you choose to participate you do give up your “legal status” as a homeschooler (you are not supposed to file the affidavit and if you already have you are supposed to revoke it. ESA is a contract with Read More …

ESA Info and Webinar

Hi homeschooling friends,Ever since this new ESA bill passed the house and the senate I’ve been doing a lot of research on what it means and what the legal implications are. In summary there are basically six categories of education in Arizona (public, private, charter, online charter, homeschool, ESA contract students).  So homeschooling is one category and ESA contract students is a completely separate category. All categories have their own laws/requirements. What I don’t get, is why for whatever reason, the Arizona law is written to make ESA it’s own separate category.  I don’t understand why it can’t be one in the same.  Homeschoolers who accept ESA and homeschoolers who do not.   Read More …