FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS COLLIN COUNTY CATHOLIC CO-OP?
Collin County Catholic Co-op, also known as C4, is an academic co-op for homeschoolers in the Dallas area, offering a variety of classes for students in grades 7-12 including English, history, math, science, theology, Spanish, and electives that may vary each year. Classes meet once a week at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano, and students are given assignments to complete at home during the rest of the week. Most classes require little to no parental involvement. They are designed to help parents and students. You can sign up for the classes and subjects on an a la carte basis, choosing to have each student take one course or several.
WHO TEACHES THE CLASSES?
All classes are taught by practicing Catholics, and they include discussion of faith whenever possible, especially in history, English, science, and of course theology. Our tutors are either former school teachers or those with an interest and experience in their field.
DO THESE CLASSES COUNT FOR HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT FOR GRADES 9-12?
Yes! The tutors design their high school classes to be academically rigorous enough for students to earn a full year credit. There may be some 1 semester classes that count as 1/2 credit -- you can read more about them in the class descriptions.
The middle school classes will also cover a full year of content in that academic subject but will not generally include enough work to count for a high school credit.
WHAT COMMITMENT IS REQUIRED FROM FAMILIESÂ FOR THIS TYPE OF CO-OP?
All families are asked to contribute to the running of the co-op each week. Some moms act as the hall monitor, study hall monitor, or front desk check-in person while their student is in class. Others help with setting up in the morning or cleaning up in the afternoon. It is possible to bring younger children with you for many of these positions. Many families have their teenager work as a babysitter or cleaner instead. If you absolutely cannot contribute time, there is an option to pay out instead.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PARTICIPATE?
It depends upon which classes you choose. There is a base registration fee for each family to join the co-op, and after that the tuition varies from $25-60 per month per class. The tuition is comparable to that of classes taught at other co-ops in the northern suburbs of Dallas.
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF A TYPICAL CLASS?
Class sizes vary from 3-15 students. The small class sizes allow tutors to get to know students and give individual attention and feedback.
ARE THE SCIENCE CLASSES REAL "LAB SCIENCES"?
Yes, the tutors will lead students in a variety of experiments and hands-on activities throughout the year so they can cover all of the topics you would expect a typical high school class to cover. These classes can solve the problem of how to do labs at home!
HOW DO STUDENTS PRACTICE SPANISH WHEN CLASSES MEET ONLY ONCE PER WEEK?
Class time is about 50% instruction and 50% practice. Homework assignments include listening activities performed by native Spanish speakers in regular conversations using a website aligned with textbook lessons.
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Oral quizzes and participation in conversational Spanish are factored into class grading. End of semester finals include two presentations in Spanish. Students are encouraged to practice with classmates outside of class whenever possible.
WHAT IS COVERED IN A WESTERN CIVILIZATION CLASS?
Texas A&M teaches a world History course which covers the development of major world societies, modes of production, politics, and global division - all the stuff that you could expect from a history class and what most of us learned in our high school and college studies. They also teach a Western Civilization class which teaches about ancient and medieval civilizations, political, social, and intellectual developments. The key world is "intellectual." Your students will learn about the great thinkers, the great philosophers, art and architecture, and the great writings that every "civilized" person should be familiar with along with the "nuts and bolts" of history. Western Civilization classes help students understand the connections between our modern Western society and the cultures that shaped its development.
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Western Civilization 1 begins with a study of Hebrew history and covers Classical Greece, Ancient Rome, the birth and development of Christianity, and events in European history through 1492.
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Western Civilization 2 begins with 1493 and follows history in Europe and North American through modern times.
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Western Civilization 1 & 2 do not have to be taken in order, although it is recommended to do so if your schedule allows.
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Either course can be listed on a high school transcript as a World History course (or World History/Geography if extra mapping activities are added at home), and Western Civilization 2 includes enough American History that it could be listed as US History.
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
You can e-mail Sondra Mullan, the C4 registrar, at c4atstmarkreg@gmail.com to request class descriptions, current schedule, and more information about the co-op.
You can also ask any other board member for more information:
Director: Jennifer Zerangue (c4atstmarkdirector@gmail.com)
Assistant Director: Stephanie Reisinger
Parish Liaison: Jennifer Dostalik