Electives

For complete COURSE DESCRIPTIONS, click on Course Title below in chart and/or go to Class Registration

For complete TEXTBOOKS/SUPPLIES, click on Course on Class Registration 

For TUTOR BIOGRAPHIES, click on Tutor Name in below chart and/or go to Class Registration

For assistance in choosing the correct class, please see WEST's Class Track Guidelines

Tuition Payments are broken up with two payments for semester classes and four payments for annual classes

 

HEALTH & FITNESS
COURSE TITLE	GRADE	TUTOR	TERM	TUITION
WEST Phy Ed pair with Middle School Health	5-9	Archambault	First 10 weeks Fall & Last 4 weeks Spring	$165
Middle School Health  curriculum on 3-year rotation pair with WEST Phy Ed	5-8	Bruder	Last 4 weeks Fall & First 10 weeks Spring	$190
High School PE+ OFFSITE- NEW  (Fitness & Health) great precursor to PSEO Health	9-12	Darkenwald	Spring	$150

 

HOME ECONOMICS
COURSE TITLE	GRADE	TUTOR	TERM	TUITION
Sewing	5-12	Carl	Full Year	$345
The WEST Kitchen  IN PERSON or ONLINE	6-12	Dutcher	Full Year	$385

 

MISCELLANEOUS
COURSE TITLE	GRADE	TUTOR	TERM	TUITION
Private Piano & Guitar Lessons	4-12	H. Fraser	Full Year	$30/lesson
The Art of Acting - NEW	5-12	Thomassen	Full Year	$365
Acting Essentials - NEW	5-12	Thomassen	Full Year	$365
Logic & Critical Thinking Skills	7-12	Ophoven	Fall	$175
Study Skills	7-12	Pavlish	Fall	$180
Introduction to Photography (1-hr course)	7-12	Smith	Full Year	$360
World Religions	8-12	Carlson	Fall	$185
Introduction to Business	8-12	Tucker	Full Year	$370
Interior Design	8-12	Chernyavsky	Full Year	$365
Worldview	9-12	Arfsten	Full Year	$370
Career Exploration	9-12	Carlson	Spring	$190
Cultural Insights: A Biblical Perspective Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow	9-12	Hopf	Full Year	$350
E-Commerce Business Building	9-12	McMahan	Fall/Spring	$175
HUMAN-ities	9-12	Carlson	Spring	$190
Personal Finance	9-12	Berg	Fall	$185
ACT Test Prep	10-12	Kipp	6 weeks in Spring	$150
ACT Test Prep - Math Intensive	10-12	Kipp	5 weeks    in Spring	$125

 

TRADES
COURSE TITLE	GRADE	TUTOR	TERM	TUITION
Auto Mechanics - OFFSITE	7-12	Svard	Fall	$260

 

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ACT Test Prep
Do not miss out on a financial opportunity in the future! The ACT Test Prep class helps homeschooled students create a class rank once they take the test. ACT Test Scores are also used as a gauge for scholarship opportunities. Be prepared with test scores in hand prior to your student applying for college scholarships.

This course is designed to guide students through strategies that will help them prepare for the ACT Test. Students will be familiarized with the general content and structure of the ACT and strategies both for studying strategically and for taking the test strategically on exam day. Throughout the 7 weeks, students will study each portion of the test: English, mathematics, reading, science, and writing. Throughout the course, they will take practice exams and diagnostic exams to determine each student’s individualized study needs.

The tuition rate is incredibly low compared to other ACT Test Prep courses; plus, the tutor quality is high! Invest now for savings in the future. This course is offered for the first seven weeks of fall semester. A typical ACT Test Prep course lasts between 4-5 weeks in one-hour sessions with an average cost of $50-$150+ per hour. WEST's ACT Test Prep class is well under that rate WITH extended class times of 90 minutes because we understand the budget of a homeschool family and the value of teaching.

Students in grades 10, 11 and 12 benefit from this class as they prepare for the ASPIRE, Pre-ACT, and ACT tests.

ACT Test Prep - Math Intensive
This course is offered for 5 weeks in the spring semester. The ACT has implemented an additional score reporting option.  Students can now report a "superscore" for the ACT in which they get to keep the highest scores earned from different tests.  Many students benefit from extra help on the math portion for either their first ACT test or for superscoring purposes.  This class was designed to help those students on the math portion of the test.

Students in grades 10, 11, and 12 benefit from this class as they prepare for the ASPIRE, PreACT, and ACT tests.

Since students often need to go deeper with their study of mathematics in preparation for the ACT, this course is designed for students who want to concentrate more on the mathematics portion of the ACT in addition to what is already covered in the ACT Test Prep Class. Whether you are taking the ACT test for the first time or are working on increasing your math score for subsequent ACT tests, this intensive course is for you. Throughout the course, students will spend focused time on each area of mathematics most frequently tested on the exam. In addition to studying the content, students will learn how to interpret the way the ACT math questions are written in order to answer the questions being asked, how to use time management strategies on the test to maximize their time on the test, and how to apply special time-saving strategies for certain types of math questions.

Acting
For the beginner, experienced, or advanced actor! Students will have the opportunity to learn about the art of acting through voice, movement, expression, character development, along with theatre history. The class will dive into several different genres of theatre (comedy, drama, monologues, farce, and introduction to improvisation) by reading through scripts, dramatic exercises and games, acting out scenes, and performing a One-Act play for the showcases. Wherever your skills currently are, you will grow from there, in preparation for auditions, or simply to gain more confidence in the craft, in a fun, non-judgmental, colorful, creative class setting. Students can sign up to take both semesters, or elect to take one or the other. There will be much laughter, encouragement, and growth!

Sample scripts we may use/perform from: Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, & A Seussified Pride and Prejudice, & Playing with Plays for students Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, to name a few.

• Students are welcome to join this class anytime throughout the year.

Automotive Mechanics - OFF SITE
Join a hands-on course that offers practical life skills in the garage. Students will engage in all sorts of experiences in this auto mechanics course with an instructor who is passionate about vehicles, collaboration and Jesus.

Make sure to clear not only your student's schedule for this course but also your schedule as a parent. It is like a 2 for 1! One parent may stay during class nights and learn as well. 

• Location will be at the instructor's residence - Rogers - in a shop with a professional car lift
• Course will be 14 weeks in length meeting once a week for approximately 120 min
• Course meets Thanksgiving week
• Included but not necessarily limited to are the following course objectives:
  • Knowing your car and basic maintenance
  • Oil change
  • Tire change
  • Safe driving habits
  • Hands-on experience for the students
• Guest speakers:
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
  • Polaris Engineer

Career Exploration

This project-based course will actively engage students to explore their interests, talents, aptitudes, skills, and learning styles to find possible career matches. Students will investigate a variety of career fields while using steps in the decision-making process to design a Personal Career Plan. A variety of post-high school opportunities will be discussed to help students set career goals. Students will learn skills to help them develop intrinsic, high-performing, and motivational skills to be successful. Most importantly, students will be encouraged to incorporate spiritual practices to find the path that Our Lord most desires for them.

In this class we will use interest inventories, personality tests, and career exploration to assist students in discovering their career goals. Students will conduct informational interviews, learn to write a resume, and participate in a mock interview.

Cultural Insights: A Biblical Perspective for Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow
Equip your students for today with the knowledge and understanding of yesterday.

Students will learn how to have inviting, authentic and productive conversation about cultural and racial differences in a safe and well cared for classroom environment. Through self-discovery, cultural awareness and history, students will learn to understand more about God’s rich, diverse world and the people living in it. How we see ourselves, others and how Christ sees us all is the foundation of this course.Through small and large group discussions, speakers, videos, movies, literature and projects, students will learn that in Christ we have far more in common while being created wonderfully unique.

The heart of this class is to offer opportunity and engagement in who we are, who others are and who God says we are. Creating a safe space for students to ask questions and explore answers that seem a bit taboo and possibly uncomfortable in today’s culture will be guided with sensitivity, love and care.

WEST offers a succession of two outstanding business classes with professional business owners. E-Commerce Business Building partners well with, before, during or after Intro to Business.

High School PE+
The High School Health and Fitness course is designed to empower high school students to fall in love with (or at least not hate) physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle --through fun, adventure, and hands-on exploration of happy movement. Students will utilize every part of the gym including kettlebells, exercise machines, group fitness classes, indoor cycling, ropes, barbells, medicine balls, and more -- and the students will go outside when the weather permits.

Students will be presented with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to make informed decisions about their physical well-being and lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Through a combination of classroom learning, practical activities in the gym, and personalized fitness assessments, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the key components of health and fitness. 

This class is perfect for students considering the field of kinesiology, physical therapy, health and fitness after high school AND/OR for those that are not getting PE credit through sports. It is also an excellent precursor to the WEST PSEO Health & Wellness.

This course is accredited through the National Exercise Trainers Association under the course title "Living Wellness". 

HUMAN-ities
What are the core cultural pieces to humanity? Philosophy, Music, Money, Food, Literature, Architecture, Art, Drama and more. This class studies the major components of life and the relationship we have with the world around us, including world civilizations and their achievements through the classic elements of society. We will explore how different cultures have influenced one another throughout history from ancient times to the 21st century through hands-on, engaging activities, projects, and discussions. We will study popular movements and how they shaped our modern society. By discussing different genres, themes, styles, and ideas from different time periods, we will gain a better understanding of how the past has influenced the present. Throughout this course we will marvel at the gifts and talents God has given us as humans and how He has gifted each one of us with His creativity.

This class is full of exploration and fun! Students will leave the semester with a solid knowledge base of human culture.

To complement the “hard” sciences like math, science, and personal finance, this class will help us gain a fuller understanding of how humanity has expressed itself throughout the ages and how we can evaluate scientific discoveries through God’s moral compass.

This course also serves as a history or elective credit.

This class is also an excellent precursor to PSEO Art Appreciation and World Civilizations as well as a solid course before or after 8-12th grade Worldview, World Religions and World History.

Interior Design
This course will be an introduction to the world of interior design and architecture. Students will master the use and impact of color, learn the significance of space and scale and create their own design projects. Over the year, the students will learn how to design floor plans, lighting plans, create perspective drawings, implement color and understand color psychology, as well as design their own design firm and master a final design project just like a professional designer. This will be a very comprehensive course, designed to give the students a foundation in design that they can build from in the future.  An understanding of different design styles and their impact will help the students understand more about their personal design taste and how they can be implemented to minimize weak spots in a room and create balanced, functional spaces that are inviting. This is going to be an exciting and fun class that will allow each student achieve the necessary skills to implement in their own space or expand into a career interest for the future! There will be a final project at the end of each semester with a presentation and the students will build a personal professional portfolio with their work over the year. If working with architecture or design is something that you are considering studying in the future, this course will be a wonderful introduction to both worlds.

Introduction to Business
This Introduction to Business course will have two primary objectives:  

1. The students will learn the basics of business.  We will be covering topics like branding, website design, financing, business ethics, marketing, hiring, advertising, and more.  
2. The students will also be active participants in learning how to create a business.  This will be the interactive piece of the class.  Students will choose a mock business and then walk through the steps of launching that mock business.  

Students will be using a combination of resources to learn about business.  These include, but are not limited to, guest speakers, reading assignments, online videos, interviews, and more.  Students will need to have their own active Google account.  All assignments and class communications will take place via Google Classroom.  

WEST offers a succession of two outstanding business classes with professional business owners. Introduction to Business partners well with, before, during or after E-Commerce Business Building.

Introduction to Photography

This Introductory Photography Course offering will have students focus on 3 primary outcomes:

1. Use photography to express who they are and the world around them
2. Learn and practice basic concepts such as: composition, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, using and creating light, portrait shooting, posing, and basic editing
3. Develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the way that photography affects culture and everyday life

Course will consist of the presentation of new concepts, in-class “behind the camera” labs, peer and tutor feedback, and a look at the history of photography in and through culture.  Weekly at home assignments are designed to practice concepts taught in class.  A student showcase will conclude each semester.  Students will need to have their own active Google account.  All assignments and class communications will take place via Google Classroom.  

* Because every camera is different, the class will not cover the specific, technical aspects of your camera. Students must know how to operate their camera and adjust their ISO, aperture (f-stop), and shutter speeds. READ your camera's manual and become familiar with the basics of it. 

Logic & Critical Thinking Skills
Students will learn how to follow and lead a discussion, by recognizing logic that supports and opposes viewpoints.  This is a class about Critical Thinking.  We will be using the book “A Fallacy Detective” to learn how to recognize good and bad reasoning, covering the topics of opposing viewpoints, logical fallacies (such as red herring, ad hominem and straw man), making assumptions, statistical fallacies, and propaganda techniques.  The class is a lot of fun as students will be demonstrating fallacies with role playing concepts during each class period.  There will be short video clips shown to enhance the concepts.  This class will be taught from a Christian perspective.  Students can list this class as 0.5 credit on their High School Transcript.   

Middle School Health
In this 14-week course, students will learn and apply concepts that contribute to Health & Wellness, focusing on Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Emotional health. Class time will be spent learning about Nutrition, Fitness, First Aid, Healthy Friendships, Communication Skills, Growing in their relationship with God, Systems of the Body, and more. Students will gain skills in goal setting, critical thinking, an introduction to notetaking, and group discussions.

Our class time will include fun, hands-on interactive learning through games and small group activities. We will work on strength exercises, stretching, and understanding of challenges in attaining health and well-being.

The curriculum is on a three-year rotation so that middle school students can take the class for one, two, or three years.

Personal Finance
Dave Ramsey's Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum will guide the content of the class.This curriculum emphasizes life application while teaching money principles that will change students' lives forever. They'll learn how to pay cash for their first car, gradute from college debt-free, and give in generous and meaningful ways. Saving, budgeting, debt, consumer awareness, bargain shopping, investing, retirement, insurance, money and relationships, careers, and taxes are presented in ways that are both practical and entertaining.

Grades will be based on classroom participation and completion of homework.

• Personal Finance is an elective, not a math course.

Private Piano & Guitar Lessons
Students will receive private lessons on the instrument of their choice learning music theory, technique, and practice skills. Lessons will be catered to each student based on previous experience, skill, and learning style. The primary purpose of these music lessons will be to develop musical ability and personal practice skills while accomplishing any goals students want to set for themselves.

Private Violin Lessons
Each 30 minute lesson will be comprised of both furthering musical expression and strengthening foundational support. Addison especially emphasizes that each student’s individual musical aspirations come first. Learning the violin is rewarding and fun and needs to be taught openly. Addison teaches primarily through the Galamian method but moves through different curriculums freely based on how each individual student responds. 

Sewing
To provide a basic knowledge of sewing or to expand upon the students’ skills that they might already have. Students will gain a basic knowledge of how to sew with a machine, how to thread the upper and lower threads, use the different stitches that are available on their machines, and identify the different parts of a sewing machine. They will learn how to use the basic sewing tools and how to read and use a pattern. The students will sew 3 or 4 different projects by themselves each semester.

Study Skills
In this class, students will learn strategies for making study time more fruitful and efficient.  Areas of focus include time management, organization, healthy study habits, note-taking skills, memory tools, learning styles, group project skills, and test-taking strategies. 

Continue exploring how you learn. Consider taking the Career Explorations course spring semester.

The WEST Kitchen
This class will equip you to prepare simple, healthy, delicious food and learn the basics of nutrition, our food system, and the FDA labeling system so you can become an informed consumer. You will learn how to peel, chop, blend, juice, and prepare a variety of dishes including soups, salads, sides, snacks, main dishes, desserts, some international dishes, as well as some holiday inspired cooking/baking. This class will include some classroom learning, cooking, and eating samples of foods prepared.

The basic skills learned in this class will stay with you for a lifetime. You will leave this class with approximately 25 amazing recipes that you will be excited to prepare for your family and friends. Let's start cooking!

WEST Phy Ed
This class will provide the opportunity for students to enjoy and benefit from physical activity with an emphasis on building community. Each week students will be introduced to a variety of games, sports and exercises creating an awesome awareness of the amazing gift of the human body. The goal of this class is to provide a fun and engaging environment that encourages students to participate in group activities, get their heart rate up and promote healthy bodies. This
class will be held outdoors on the WEST campus.

Worldview
What is truth? Does God exist? Why am I here? In worldview class we make space to wrestle with and discover the answers to these and the other “ultimate questions” in life. 

What you believe will shape how you perceive the world and culture around you and determine the outcome of your life, therefore, students will learn how “ideas have consequences” and explore the foundations of the Christian worldview while comparing these to the foundations of other, competing worldviews.

Students will learn the kingdom principles of identity, purpose, sharing the gospel and how to apply their Christian faith to every area of life: theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, sociology, politics, psychology and more.

 Summit Ministries: “Light Bearers” curriculum will provide the core guidance through topics such as apologetics, cults, evolution, naturalism, moral relativism, relationships, and socialism.

World Religions
What is religion? In this class we will answer that question and explore the major religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and more. In this ever-shrinking world, it is important to understand people from other faiths while retaining our Biblical worldview. While studying each religion, students will also touch on the culture and geography of where each religion originated and is now most influential. Through engaging small and large group discussions, reading assignments, hands-on projects, videos, and interactive games, we will discover what sets Christianity apart from other religions.

After taking this class, students can chose to take the Introduction to World Religions DSST test with significant preparation.

This course is a strong paring before, during or after the Worldview class and HUMAN-ities!