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Kepler and CiRCE: A Shared Stewardship; a Noble-Calling​

Meet the Faculty
Calendar
FAQ

Important Notes

2024-2025 Summer Semester and Yearlong Course Registration is closed.

See our 2024-2025 Academic calendar here

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Beginning January 15, 2025, CiRCE Online 2025-2026 academic year courses will appear at Kepler Education.

Early enrollment opens February 1, 2025 and a special 10% discount on all courses is available until President’s Day (February 17, 2025).

Click here for Kepler 2025-2026 Academic Year Calendar

Would you like to hear more about this joint venture? Join Andrew Kern and Scott Postma for a live webinar on January 14, 2025 at 7pm ET (4pm PT). Please register here.

Beyond an Acquisition: The Continuation of a Legacy

The transition of CiRCE’s Online Academy to Kepler Education is the purposeful handoff from one steward to another. This decision reflects a shared dedication to the enduring values of Christian classical education that affords each institution a unique opportunity to focus on its most essential commitments.  

Scott Postma of Kepler remarked, “To carry forward the legacy that CiRCE has established is not only a privilege but a profound responsibility. Taking up this mantle will allow us to further our mission of making a classical and Christian education available, accessible, and affordable to families seeking a transformative educational experience.” 

Andrew Kern of CiRCE echoed this sentiment, saying, “It’s never easy to let your babies go, but my confidence in Kepler’s character and our shared commitment to Christian classical education ensures me that this is the right decision. It gives me both hope and joy to see them take on this precious ministry.” 

A Shared Mission

Since its founding in 1996 by Andrew Kern, the CiRCE Institute has championed the principles of Christian classical education, equipping educators to instill wisdom and virtue through the Christian classical tradition. With more than 20 years of experience, CiRCE has been instrumental in developing resources, teacher training, and innovative curriculum that continue to bless Christian educators worldwide. 

Established in 2019 under the umbrella of Roman Roads Press, and now under the leadership of Scott Postma, Kepler Education has pioneered a unique online marketplace, pursuing its motto of “empowering families by liberating teachers” through accessible, affordable, and customizable Classical Christian Education for families. Leveraging modern technology while resting on the time-tested university-model, Kepler has redefined how families can engage with classical education by offering a consortium of quality teachers who have designed courses that foster both intellectual and spiritual growth. 

Future Endeavors and Opportunities

Under Kepler’s stewardship, CiRCE Online Academy’s courses will continue to be offered by the same master teachers who have completed CiRCE’s Apprenticeship program, but with expanded opportunities to bring classical education to a broader audience. Over time, Kepler’s consortium model will allow even more teachers to join the renewal, with students accessing a rich variety of classes across disciplines, each grounded in Christian classical pedagogy. 

Together, CiRCE and Kepler reaffirm their commitment to nurture the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and faithful Christians who will leaven the culture with wisdom and grace. This decision underscores the mission of both organizations to promote an education that cultivates wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul on truth, goodness, and beauty. 

Faculty

Christy Jones

Debbie Sonnenfeld

Joy Ward

Carter Rendall

Amber Vanderpol

Adam Condra

Missy Kennedy

Amanda Kentner

Renee King

Suzanne Laskey

Vanessa Priestner

Kirstie Ruffatto

Marketing and Promotions Specialist; Teacher

Michelle Russell

Jeremy Wagner

Jessie Smith

Daniel Shirley

Kimberly Rethans

Cyndi McCallister

Levi Gulliver

Cheryl Floyd

Kelly Clawson

Anne Marie McCollum

April Langan

Patty Bianco

CiRCE Online Academy, Headmistress

Jacob Douvier

Felicity Tompkins

Julie Flick

Andrea Lipinski

Vice President of Training and Consulting
Calendar

Semester Courses - 15 weeks long

Yearlong Courses - 30 weeks long

Fall Semester

August 19, 2024 – Fall Term begins*

September 2, 2024 – Labor Day (No Classes)

November 25-29, 2024 – Thanksgiving week  (No Classes)

December 6, 2024 – Fall Term ends/ Christmas Recess

Spring Semester

January 6, 2025 – Spring Term begins

February 10-14, 2025 – Winter Recess *

March 5, 2025 – Ash Wednesday (No Classes)

April 14-18, 2025 – Holy Week & Easter Recess

May 2, 2025 – Spring Term Ends/Summer Recess Begins*

*Note: Some courses may have alternate calendar due to holidays and breaks; please check with individual teachers for final academic calendar. 

Policies and Conditions

Frequent Asked Questions

Look through our offerings by topic, teacher, or day of the week. Click on the tile to open the product page, fill in the form information, and click add to cart to complete payment for registration.  

CiRCE Courses are led by CiRCE Master Teachers and pricing is set to help reflect the time and preparation for teachers as well as the length of weeks of the course. Actual class times can vary depending on the course.  

  • 8-week Summer Writing Intensives: $75 registration fee, $500 tuition fee 
    8-week Summer Reading Intensives: $75 registration fee, $322 tuition fee 
  • 15-week Fall and Spring Semester Courses: $75.00 registration fee, $322 tuition fee 
  • 30-week Yearlong Courses: $75.00 registration fee, $647 tuition fee (tuition collected through FACTS management service) *payment plans available for yearlong courses

We intend to keep our student online courses for students ages 19 years old or younger. We do offer many adult training courses and resources, such as intensives, webinars, workshops, Atrium, and Apprenticeship programs. These courses can be found in the drop down under the Training section on our website.  

For beginner writers, we have IEW, LTW Precourse, and Lost Tools of Writing Level One Courses. The Lost Tools of Writing courses are built upon each level, so students of any age should start at Level One before moving into further levels. For beginner Latin acquisition, we recommend starting with a slower pace class of Oral Latin or Latin IA. Students can develop their Latin skills to be well prepared for Latin I Accelerated once they have reached three years of Latin study.  

With any new skill, it takes time and practice to gain mastery. We want students to have a good foundation of invention, arrangement, and elocution elements they can use to assist them in refining their current skills and learning how to write other types of persuasive essays. To gain a good foundation, depending on the student’s age and ability, it can take two or more years of practicing Lost Tools of Writing Level One to be ready for Level II

Many students who have completed Lost Tools of Writing at home or other programs can successfully join the online academy. Teachers may require a sample essay or interview to see what skills have been achieved to ensure they are ready for the preferred course level. 

Once you have registered for your desired course, teachers will contact students and parents with a welcome note. You can use this information to send them any required sample essays or ask specific questions on course requirements. If you do not have the teacher’s contact information, feel free to email Patty Bianco, CiRCE Online Headmistress patty@circeinstitute.org, who can connect you with the instructor.  

If you have a question about placement moving up in an online class, your current online teacher can help provide recommendations for your student(s). If you are new to the CiRCE Online Academy, feel free to email Patty Bianco, CiRCE Online Headmistress, patty@circeinstitute.org for advice.  

If you have already registered for a class and the term has not started, please reach out to CiRCE Online Academy Headmistress, Patty Bianco, to discuss transfer and determine if room is available in the new class.  

Any family wishing to withdraw from a course must do so by notifying the teacher first (if the class has already begun meeting), and then notifying the Headmistress. Please take note of the “Refund Policy.”  Failing to attend a class is different from withdrawing from a class and may result in the forfeiture of any refund. 

If you decide to drop a class, tuition will be refunded according to the following schedules: 

  • Before July 31st: 100% of tuition paid 
  • Before the end of the second week of class: 75% of tuition paid 
  • After the end of the second week of class: No Refunds   

The full tuition for the term is due according to the schedule set up in your FACTS account. CiRCE is contracted with instructors for the duration of the courses. Note: All withdrawals are final and registration fees are nonrefundable.  

If registration numbers are not met 2-4 weeks before the class begins, we will offer a transfer to a new course that has met the minimum registration requirement. If the course is canceled and there are not classes to meet your needs for the year, we will issue a refund for the canceled course.  

  • Computer with reliable internet access 
  • Zoom application with access to camera and microphone 
  • Unique email address for class communication and assignments 
  • Canvas student account (free version) * Parents can create a free account to observe the course. 

Students will use a Zoom link to join class each week. Classes are designed for live participation and recordings are available for makeup classes due to vacation or illness. Students will use a Canvas course to turn in assignments and receive any feedback and assessment. Canvas also is an area to post questions on the discussion forum, contact the teacher, and view recording link.  

Depending on age level and ability, students can take 2-4 hours per week for reading and completing written assignments. Assignments in the first semester can be shorter and take less time than assignments in the second semester for a yearlong LTW course. Latin students should devote time to practice and exercises of at least 30 minutes per day.  

In case of unintended absences due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, the parent or student should contact the teacher to check for any special instructions. Class notes and recordings are available for the student on the Canvas course. It is the student’s responsibility to gather this material and make-up any missed work. 

If your child misses a class due to recreational travel or other events that conflict with class time, we request you notify the teacher 2 weeks in advance. Assignments will be due when the student returns to class, unless otherwise directed by the teacher. 

In the CiRCE Online Academy, we hold to the belief that Christian Classical education deals deeply with few subjects, rather than hastily with many. We strive to pursue great ideas which are most perfectly expressed in great books and great artifacts.  

Our beginner writing classes will typically meet for one hour focusing on literature discussion and a writing lesson for students to practice at home. Some writing classes will use shared stories and other resources to help develop examples for class discussion. Some courses will have set reading material to complete each week for students to discuss during class time and may take anywhere from 90 – 105 minutes for a full class.  

Teachers assess informally and formally with oral and written feedback on exercises in class and assignments. At the end of each term, students receive an evaluation that outlines progress within the course and areas of improvement. At the completion of the course, instructors will provide a written recommendation for repeating or moving forward with the area of study. Number or letter grades are not issued by the teacher. We have developed a cycle of corrections to help students continue practicing until they master their assignment. Students will receive a complete or incomplete grade for assessment.

CiRCE Online Academy does not keep any transcripts or grades from the online courses. Parents are encouraged to keep all written assessments from the online teachers on file for their records.  

Our online teachers can help provide an example of how to convert incomplete and complete assignments to a letter grade, if needed.  

For the CiRCE Online Academy, we believe the purpose of assessment is to motivate diligent effort to achieve known objectives. Assessment must be objective, clear, known, and fitting. Incomplete means that there is more effort needed for an assignment. We encourage students to work to completion on all assignments before moving to the next one. If assignments need corrections or adjustments, they may be marked incomplete and reassigned. An incomplete for the semester or year is an evaluation from the teacher and means that a student may need to practice more skills in the same level before moving up to a more difficult area of study the next year.  

 

If students successfully complete a semester or yearlong writing course, they may be awarded a .5 credit or 1.0 of Composition. Alternatively, Lost Tools of Writing courses may be awarded as 1.0 credit of Rhetoric. Latin courses can be awarded with .5 or 1.0 credit in Foreign Language. Logic course can be awarded .5 Formal Logic and/or .5 Advanced Formal Logic. Course and transcript requirements may vary from state to state, please check with your local state’s regulations for official guidance.
Feel free to reach out to Patty Bianco, CiRCE Online Academy Headmistress, patty@circeinstitute.org for more guidance.  

CiRCE does not facilitate any tutoring sessions. Should a student require assistance from a tutor, beyond normal instruction, class time, and feedback, it may be deemed necessary to establish tutoring sessions. If the parent(s) of the student and the tutor agree to such sessions, the tutor should be paid $35 per half-hour session. These tutoring fees are not included in student tuition. 

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Policies and Conditions

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy

CiRCE Online admits students of any race, color, national, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students through CiRCE Online. It does not discriminate on those bases in the administration of its programs, and admissions policies.

Grievance Policy

Complaints, concerns, and other problems should be handled in the following order:

1. Begin with the source of the grievance. This generally means speaking directly with the tutor, or if the grievance is with another student, then you should contact the other parent.

2. If the grievance is not resolved, then you should contact the Headmistress.

When addressing a tutor concerning a grievance, proceed in the following manner:

  • Respect the tutor’s responsibility to other families.
  • Understand that tutors will have information that the parents are not privy to.
  • Be concrete and specific.
  • Do not ask tutors to understand or act on your feelings as a parent.
  • Do not spread rumors or criticisms behind a tutor’s back, or post inflammatory statements online (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
  • Address the tutor respectfully and in a professional manner.

Failing to abide by these general guidelines may result in student dismissal.

Age & Admission Requirements for Courses

Unless given specific permission from the Headmistress, all students must meet the minimum age requirement for registration upon entering CiRCE Online classes.

Admission to the Lost Tools of Writing Level II course will be by permission or invitation from the Headmistress or tutor, and is only open to students who have completed Lost Tools of Writing Level I.

Admission to the Lost Tools of Writing Level III course will be by permission or invitation from the Headmistress or tutor and is only open to students who have completed Lost Tools of Writing Levels I and II.

Students may be asked to submit a writing sample prior to admission.

Note on Age & The Lost Tools of Writing

The Lost Tools of Writing (LTW) is a writing curriculum that teaches, in Level I, the first three canons of classical rhetoric – invention, arrangement, and elocution. It teaches students how to think of something to say, how to organize their thoughts, and how to express those thoughts in a clear and appropriate way.

The first part of this writing process teaches students to think of something to say. In that process it teaches them to think, in general. This thinking process requires students to have matured to the point where they have developed abstract thinking skills.

We have found with distance learning that younger students sometimes have greater difficulty than they would in a regular classroom. To account for that, we require that a parent attend the first class of the year with their child to see what the expectations are for the student and learn, with their student, how the technology works.

Communication

Given the “virtual” platform of CiRCE Online, the importance of communication cannot be overstated. Following these procedures will help eliminate miscommunication and confusion:

  • Visit the class website daily for any news updates.
  • Check your e-mail daily to receive the steady stream of feedback. This enables you to stay caught up with correction and course work.
  • Written homework assignments are posted weekly and students are expected to read them and follow directions. Students also need to read all forum posts (received via e-mail).
  • Please be prompt with replies to your tutor(s).
  • Remember that CiRCE tutors are available through e-mail and, if needed, by phone. They will willingly and patiently answer any and all questions from students and from parents.
  • Grievances should be addressed with the person towards whom the grievance is directed (see “Grievance Policy” above).
  • Gossip and slander are strictly forbidden by both Scripture and CiRCE policy (see “Grievance Policy” above).

Time Required

Most courses require 60 − 90 minutes of class time once a week unless you take a course that meets twice a week. Time requirements to complete course work outside of class will vary based on the tutor, the course, and the ability of the student. A general rule of thumb is to assume 3 hours of work for every hour of class. Each week, after a student completes his initial work of 1-2 hours of homework, he will need to spend about 15 minutes a day checking his e- mail (or the website) to find comments/feedback on his work and correcting his initial homework submission.

Tutoring Fees

Should a student require assistance from a tutor, beyond normal instruction, class time, and feedback, it may be deemed necessary to establish tutoring sessions. If the parent(s) of the student and the tutor agree to such sessions, the tutor should be paid $35 per half-hour session. These tutoring fees are not included in student tuition.

Assignments

All assignments are to be completed by students in the time frame given by the teacher. Students are responsible for knowing the course work requirements a teacher may administer for any given class, and to accept the consequences for not meeting those requirements. The teacher retains the right to reject assignments that are not submitted by the given deadline.

Attendance and Absences

General Requirements Regarding Attendance
Regular attendance in the online classroom is necessary for a student’s progress. Each new class period builds on the previous class, making it important to attend every class offered during the term. Irregular attendance prevents students from learning the ideas and concepts taught in a course.

Tardiness

Students are considered tardy when arriving to class late or are unprepared. Please be punctual. Tardiness can be a hindrance to learning and a disruption to the class. Penalties for tardiness are determined by the teacher.

Absences and Make-up Work

Attendance is marked as either “present” or “absent.” Your child’s absence will not be marked “excused” or “unexcused.”

In the event of unintended absences due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, the student must contact the tutor to collect notes and assignments from the missed class. It is the student’s responsibility to gather this material and make-up any missed work.

Parents, if you know that your child will miss a class due to recreational travel or other events that conflict with class time, please notify the tutor 2 weeks in advance. Assignments will be due when the student returns to class, unless otherwise directed by the teacher.

Class Withdrawal

Any student wishing to withdraw from a course must do so by notifying the teacher first (if the class has already begun meeting), and then notifying the Headmistress. Please take note of the “Refund Policy.” Failing to attend a class is different from withdrawing from a class and may result in the forfeiture of any refund.

Late Work

Students are hurt when they fall behind. The teacher cannot complete the student’s work, understand for him, or force him to complete assignments. Tutors will, however, send encouraging reminders to students, notifying parents if the student does not respond. If neither

responds to these repeated communications, and the student becomes two weeks behind in his work (for reasons not due to family emergency), we reserve the right to change his status to “Audit” or take other measures, such as no longer assessing the student’s work, requiring tutoring fees for the student, or removing the student from the course.

Textbooks

CiRCE Online does not provide textbooks for any class. It is the student’s responsibility to view the course syllabus and purchase the required texts.

Homework

Homework is assigned to (1) apply the ideas taught in a class and (2) prepare for the next class meeting.

Homework may be assigned by a teacher at his or her discretion. It is important that students complete the work in a timely manner and according to the parameters given by the teacher. All homework is to be done by the student.

Assessment Policy
Principles & Form
The purpose of assessment is to motivate diligent effort to achieve known objectives. Assessment must be objective, clear, known, and fitting.

In every course, the teacher will assess content (or tradition), ideas (or truths), and skills (or virtues).

Procedure

Teachers assess informally and formally. At the end of each term, students receive an evaluation that outlines progress within a course. Teachers shall provide timely feedback on all student work for a course.

Evaluations

Evaluations are issued to the parents at the end of the term. The evaluation indicates whether the student has displayed mastery or needs to repeat the course. Evaluations provide a snapshot that outlines what knowledge, skills, and understanding a student has attained during the course.

Tests and Exams

Tests and exams serve to appropriately assess the student’s understanding of the ideas and concepts taught in a course. Therefore, cheating and plagiarism are strictly forbidden by CiRCE Online. Students are not permitted to communicate with other students during a test or exam, or to submit work that is not their own. Any violation of this policy may result in removal from CiRCE Online.

Honor Code

We believe in the pursuit of wisdom and virtue, and maintain the standards of respect, order, unity, diligence, and honesty as our commitment to personal excellence.

All staff, faculty, and students of CiRCE Online will commit to pursuing excellence (Phil. 4:8). In addition, all members of CiRCE Online will comply with the honor code: respect, order, unity, diligence, and honesty.

Financial Information

All students must enroll through the online registration process. A confirmation email with this welcome information will be included with payment confirmation of the registration fee. A welcome packet of information will be available to follow instructions to pay any yearlong tuition through FACTS Management. Registration/application, and tuition information is available on the CiRCE website, and is subject to change without prior notice.

Payment Delinquency

CiRCE Online expects parents to fulfill their payment obligations in the time frames allotted. Failure to make full payment will forfeit the student’s seat or access to the class. The seat will remain closed to your child until a full payment has been received.

Refund Policy

If you decide to drop a class, tuition will be refunded according to the following schedules: Before July 31st: 100% of tuition paid
Before the end of the second week of class: 75% of tuition paid
After the end of the second week of class: No Refunds

The full tuition for the term is due according to the schedule set up in your FACTS account. CiRCE is contracted with instructors for the duration of the courses.

Note: All withdrawals are final.

Please note: these policies are subject to change without prior notice. Registration fees are non- refundable.

Contact Information

https://circeinstitute.org/product-category/online-training/
Patty Bianco, CiRCE Online Academy Headmistress – patty@circeinstitute.org

Customer Support Line: 704-298-4250
Please note: this document is subject to change without notice.