Nicole French has homeschooled her two children for eleven years. Prior to her family's involvement with Libertas Academic Collaborative, the French family was part of the Tallahassee Classical Conversations community where Nicole worked with elementary school and high school students. Graduating in 1995, Nicole holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Florida. The French family are members at Four Oaks Community Church's Killearn Campus. Nicole is an avid lover of literature, history, and coffee.





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Ms. Wright is a graduate student at Florida State University and a mathematics tutor at FSU's Academic Success Center, tutoring undergraduate students.

​Melissa Jordan has spent the last eleven years homeschooling her four children and the last six years tutoring with Classical Conversations. She worked with students in Foundations for three years and tutored Essentials of the English Language for the last three years.


She and her husband, Jeff, attend Four Oaks Community Church with their family. They are actively involved with missions efforts and volunteering with several non-profit organizations around Tallahassee.

Electives alternate yearly, these courses may not be offered next year.

Bible and Theology
Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation (Track 1 - 2023-24)
 Students will have the opportunity to learn the basics of biblical interpretation, hermeneutics, and exegesis by studying selected books of the bible. Students will learn how genre, setting, audience, context, and background influence the way we read and interpret the bible. Students will also learn how to apply the bible personally in their own lives, as there will be a strong emphasis on application. This course is the first of four tracks in the Bible and Theology Libertas Curriculum.

This is the break down over a 4 year cycle:

Track 1 – Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation (2023-24)
Track 2 – Biblical Survey (2024-25)
Track 3 – Apologetics and the Bible (2025-26)
Track 4 - Systematic Theology (2026-27)
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Geography and World Cultures (7th-9th)
In this middle school class, students will learn the countries, important cities, and particular features of each continent and so much more! We will study the interesting people who inhabit these countries and their cultures - the food they eat, the games they play, and the dangers they face. Learning about and praying for unreached people groups will be a focus. Through the study of climates, populations, economies, time zones, languages, and more, students will gain experience with map reading using an atlas. This class will also help prepare any student who would like to participate in the National Geo Bee. 


Speech, Debate, and Mock Trial (7th-9th)
This course will teach logic by using the skills involved in speech and debate. In this class students learn how to conduct informal and formal debates, but also how to develop good arguments by using solid logic and the resources available in their own thinking as well as the world around them. Students will employ the techniques of logic and rhetoric, such as the common topics of definition, comparison, relationship, circumstance, and testimony. Additional study of ethos, pathos, and style is also included, as well as a study of debate arrangement.

This will be combined with curriculum from Florida Law Related Education – through which students will prepare to argue a court case in the group’s annual Middle School Mock Trial Competition, as well as participating locally in a mock trial with another home school group.

ADVANCED HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (9th-12th)
Advanced Human Geography: High School- This course will explore multiple geographic systems (political, cultural, economic, etc.) that impact humans and how they relate to each other.  Discovering the patterns and processes shaping the cultures and activities of people groups around the globe will help students better comprehend the spread of Christianity and to recognize the relevance to their daily lives. Along with becoming more geo-literate, students will engage in topics such as agricultural land use, population migrations, political power struggles, and economic factors. The desire is to encourage students to see how they may leverage their understanding of human landscapes for the Gospel.


FOUNDATIONS IN ENTREPRENEUERSHIP (9th-12th)
1st Semester
Foundations in Entrepreneurship: High School- Based on the instruction of Dave Ramsey and others, this course will focus on economics, finance, marketing, and management as it relates to owning a small business. Along with exploring the foundations of entrepreneurship, students will have the opportunity to learn from local business owners from a variety of fields, as they share their experiences and wisdom with the class. Problem solving, brain-storming, and hands-on activities will be utilized to encourage students to explore entrepreneurial opportunities.

FOUNDATIONS OF FINANCIAL PLANNING (9th-12th)
2nd Semester
The Foundations in Personal Finance: High School is a comprehensive, turnkey curriculum taught via video lessons by Dave Ramsey yet facilitated by a teacher. Students will complete the student text, which is a comprehensive, 288-page student soft-cover consumable book, during class and some parts at home. It provides students an opportunity to learn, practice, and apply important personal finance knowledge and skills. We will cover 12 chapters, which are aligned with the National Standards for Financial Literacy. This course will cover important money topics that build financial confidence and inspire hope in your students' lives. (My husband and I completed this course 15+ years ago and have followed Dave Ramey’s financial principles with great freedom, reward, and amazement—so I look forward to class activities, discussions, and testimonials as I impart personal failures and feats with your students!)

UKULELE
This course teaches students how to play ukulele from the ground up, focusing mainly on chords; strumming techniques; and all of the basic music theory needed to play chord charts, accompany other musicians, transpose, improvise, compose, and self-teach. Students will practice at least 120 songs in class and at home using the instructor’s original YouTube tutorials. The instructor will also provide written lessons, access to hundreds of additional chord charts and song tutorial videos, and other supplemental resources which students may elect to use at their own pace. In class, students will enjoy one-on-one attention from both the instructor and at least one teacher’s aide (depending on class size). Students of all levels will learn from this course’s unique approach to chord theory, and even the most advanced students will dramatically expand their song repertoires by participating.
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Textbook: N/A
Class Materials:

• Ukulele

LINE DANCING
​Line Dancing is a fun and socially engaging way to improve memory, balance,
coordination and increase fitness levels and it is an activity any age can participate
in! Line dancing is comprised of basic steps and coordinated patterns put
together to form a complete dance that is repeated several times throughout a
particular song, similarly as words strung together form sentences which in turn
are combined to make a paragraph.
Each week of class would consist of learning new basic steps and dances with a goal
of introducing two dances per week while continuing to practice the previously
learned dances. The repetition would rotate and continue so that at the end of the
semester, all dances learned should be committed to memory. If there are enough
children enrolled, I would like to introduce a couple of Country Western dances
such as Two-Step and East Coast Swing during the last ten to fifteen minutes of
each class. Step sheets would be sent home or emailed so the children could
practice at home should they choose. At some point in the semester, each student
would be assigned to make up their own dance, learn it well and teach it to the
class.

Middle School Science
Middle school science will employ the classical model as students study astronomy, life science, and earth science. Students will research and report though presentations on various topics throughout the year. A sketchbook will be compiled each year documenting research papers, drawings, and biographies. Focus will include both memorization and understanding cause and effect relationships. 

Track 1 (2024-25): 
First Semester - Astronomy and Historical Scientist Study
Second Semester - Life Science with a focus on animals 

Track 2 (2023-24)
First Semester - Earth Science
Second Semester - Life Science with a focus on botany and cells
   

Physical Science
    The goal of this lab is to inspire students to pursue learning about God’s order. A course designed to be taken before Biology 1, Physical Science is an overview of earth science and physics. This lively course covers atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, weather, Newton’s laws and simple physics, forces in creation, sound, light, and astrophysics. Many hands-on experiments demonstrate the topics covered. Lab time is a lecture/experiment format. Assignments and lab reports will be completed at home. Quizzes, Mid-term, and Final exams are given in lab.

Biology
Prerequisites: Concurrently with/or after Algebra 1
    The goal of this lab is to develop an awe of God’s creation of living organisms. This course is a college-prep biology course that provides a strong background in scientific classification and terminology. Studies include: biological keys, kingdoms, chemistry of life, cellular biology, genetics, creation/evolution, dissections, botany, and a crash course on human body systems. Students will dissect at minimum: clam, grasshopper, perch, earthworm, crayfish, frog, snake, spider, flowers and a mammalian eye. The students will also become proficient in using the microscope. Assignments and lab reports will be completed at home. Lab will be a lecture/experiment format. Quizzes, Mid-term, and a Final exam will be given in lab.

Chemistry
Prerequisites: Proficient in Algebra 1
    This course will follow Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Chemistry, 3rd Edition and will include the study of significant figures, units, classification, the mole concept, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, acids and basics, redox reactions, solutions, atomic structure, Lewis structures, molecular geometry, gas laws, and equilibrium. In addition, this class will focus on the application of chemical concepts in the laboratory, and a full laboratory experience will be provided, well beyond that called for by the textbook. Diligent study of this subject should prepare the student well for the study of chemistry in college. The student can expect 4 to 6 hours of homework each week, which will be routinely checked, as well as chapter tests and quizzes. In addition, two formal lab reports will be completed each semester.

MIDDLE SCHOOL OMNIBUS AND RHETORIC

The Latin word "Omnibus," meaning "for all," is an apt description of our Middle School course. In Omnibus, we will be covering the 1700s through Modern Times in chronological order. While this course will largely focus on American History, we will also study other parts of the world to explore people and events, not only through historical facts, but also through maps, literature, poetry, drama, religion, and art for a more complete view of the world. History is brought to life and literature is given context as we seek to integrate these parts into a cohesive whole. Primary source documents are used whenever possible. Biography presentations and fun semester projects will allow students to share their knowledge in creative ways.

Libertas Middle School Rhetoric classes emphasize the classical method of building up the student's reasoning and articulation skills while helping them successfully complete Omnibus themed writing assignments. Each semester the Middle School focuses on different classical forms of writing. Along with writing instruction, our focus includes filling gaps in mechanics (a sequential, thorough review of grammar, punctuation, and form), developing an appreciation and love of style, and rhetorical analysis of classic American and World Literature, along with famous speeches. Students will keep a journal, a commonplace book, and a grammar notebook. Homework will be minimal and mostly associated with Omnibus literature and primary sources. 
 
HIGH SCHOOL OMNIBUS AND RHETORIC
US American - Omnibus is a course that unites history, literature, art, and culture to gain a fuller understanding of a time period. In the 2022-2023 school year, we will study the United States, from colonization to contemporary times. In context with the experiences of God’s people during this time, students will explore American foundations through its literature, drama, poetry, art, architecture, philosophy, and historical texts. Primary sources will be used as often as possible, including those of the founding fathers. Evaluation of materials examined will come through journals, essays, projects, and semester exams, focusing on an understanding of significant ideas.
 
Rhetoric - In conjunction with Omnibus, the Rhetoric class will help students gain the skills to argue and express ideas eloquently and effectively in both written and oral formats. Through debate, writing exercises, and essays, students will respond to Omnibus material. Both the practicalities of grammar and citations as well as the beauty of well-crafted sentences will be used to aid these efforts to argue well.

SENIOR SEMINAR - MODERN OMNIBUS AND RHETORIC
Modern history examines the social, political, economic, and cultural development in the modern contemporary world in the period between the seventeenth and the twentieth century. Students will analyse key events such as revolutions, nation states, modern war, globalisation, political regimes, capitalism, totalitarianism, democracy, and communism, touching on the philosophies that brought about these ideologies. Methods of instruction will include socratic discussions, student led class discussions and more project/presentation/paper based evaluations.  In this Senior seminar, some time will be spent exploring post-high school opportunities and taking the required steps to make those things happen.
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After graduating from Florida State with a degree in Humanities, Jennifer Drury taught a variety of courses at Christ Classical Academy, beginning in 2004. Crafting Omnibus courses remains one of her favorite parts of teaching, and she loves the freedom to do so outside of traditional school. She began tutoring fellow students in math and science in the 10th grade. While tutoring homeschoolers and teaching courses for a SAT prep company during college, she realized that she loved the humanities even more than her math and science courses and changed her major from chemistry, but she never lost her love of seeing students make math connections.

Mrs. Drury has homeschooled her children and taught courses from her home for the past six years. She enjoys helping students to find truth, goodness, and beauty, along with a lot of fun, in the great books within a historical context. Along with her husband and two daughters, she loves being a member of Center Point Church, where she is the administrator.