Solus Christus
A CHARLOTTE MASON community school
CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA
Hybrid learning
grades 7–12
We use the award-winning Charlotte Mason Alveary curriculum with a comprehensive subject line-up integrated into the Syllabird online learning management application for easy daily student lessons and activities.
Our Mission: Solus Christus (Latin phrase meaning “Christ Alone”) is a covenant Christian hybrid microschool/homeschool tutorial serving middle and high school students in grades 7–12. Hybrid schools combine in-person and at-home online learning for a flexible blended study experience. In-person studies are tutored in a group cohort atmosphere, with each student working at their designated grade level. Our Alveary curriculum is fully-customized and specifically designed according to the student’s unique needs. Our mission is to provide our students deeply enriching community learning experiences through shared learning objectives rooted in Charlotte Mason educational philosophies. We seek to compliment the family’s choice for a quality sound liberal arts education in a way that builds thriving relationships in Christ while reinforcing proper independent study routines and effective time management skills for a student’s future success. We see it as a great honor to help revolutionize the student’s educational atmosphere by designing learning environments that are purposefully relational, spiritually engaging, and deeply connected to God’s creation, while also challenging students to love their learning process through living studies and relational education.
Our Vision: We see children as made in the image of God and worthy of an education that compliments the Holy Spirit’s divine indwelling. Education should be an extension of God’s holy image, ripe with a feast of living ideas designed to nurture the heart and mind of the learner in Christ. Information becomes knowledge through a process of discovery and through learning how knowledge fits in relationship to self . . . to others . . . to the world . . . and to God. Within this feast of subjects, the learner labors with his or her own mind through self-discovery the same way the body must labor to digest food that has been consumed, and this ultimately culminates in true wisdom from above as the Holy Spirit leads all inspiration.
Our Schedule: We have a flexible hybrid schedule which includes three days of in-person learning and two days of online learning to enhance freedom and promote independent study routines and effective time management skills for a student’s future success. Teachers use technology such the Syllabird digital lesson planner and group chat to communicate, augment learning, and monitor student progress. See the FAQs below for more information on our program and schedule.
A Bird's Eye View
Alveary+ Syllabird
Frequently Asked Questions
Our program is open to middle and high school students in grades 7–12.
The 2024–’25 academic year runs September 3, 2025–June 20, 2025.
The 2025–’26 academic year runs September 2, 2025–June 5, 2026.
Our schedule includes in-person and online learning to enhance flexibility and promote independent study routines and effective time management skills for a student’s future success. Teachers use technology such the Syllabird digital lesson planner and group chat to enhance learning, communicate, and monitor student progress.
In-Person Studies (onsite)—Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.
At-Home Studies (online)—Tuesday & Thursday | Group Zoom Gathering: 9:00 am to 11:00 am. with Independent Studies: 11:00 am to 3:30 pm.
Note: Both in-person (onsite) and at-home (online) learning include a 30-minute lunch and short breaks as needed. Students must bring a packed lunch with snacks and beverage for onsite learning days. Purified water is available onsite.
Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) currently provides families up to $7,000 per year of tuition assistance for about 86,000 students across Arizona. These funds can be used to pay for tuition costs through ESA’s direct payment platform. Personal books and materials purchased every term are in addition to tuition and run approximately $1,300 over the course of a year (or $450 per term). Personal books and materials remain with the student following their academic studies.
Registration fee: $250 due at the time of registration to hold the student’s place and billed annually thereafter. This fee is non-refundable.
Student tuition & payment schedule: $5.500 per year billed in four (4) equal payments of $1,375 per quarter. Payments are aligned with the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Award (ESA) disbursement schedule which takes place July 1 (for September 2025 start), October 1, January 1, and April 1 throughout the academic year.
Alternate Payment Plans: Families not using the ESA direct tuition payment platform may opt for 10 equal monthly payments of $550 to be automatically deducted each month, August through May. Credit card transaction fees are also passed along to the family. Payment by check or money order will not accrue additional fees.
ESA Administrative Fees: $43 per quarter.
Yes! Our program offers optional Saturday outdoor field-art day camps with advanced nature studies four times each school term (12 times a year). This enables our families, students and youth group attendees to come together and connect with God’s creation, nature journaling, watercoloring, community, and overall rest and relaxation. We also plan an annual half-week camping trip at the end of the academic year where we can come together as students and families to celebrate our hard work and dedication while enjoying the great outdoors, tenting, fishing, canoeing, fellowship by the campfire, worship, and much more!
Outdoor Field Art Day Camps: $25 per student
2026 Annual Camping Trip: Fees and location TBD.
Exams: Student exams are performed via well-thought out and articulated verbal and written narrations regarding specific subject material or a literature piece. Exams are performed toward the end of each term with full results and progress reports made available.
Middle School: Report cards for middle school grades 7 & 8 are available at year-end or upon student withdrawal. Students begin to acquire official “credits” upon entering high school in the 9th grade; therefore, middle school grades are reflected as “pass,” “incomplete,” or “needs improvement.”
High School: Transcripts for grades 9–12 are available at year-end or upon student withdrawal. Credits are reflected as follows:
Six (6) total high school credits are possible every year:
- (1) History & Geography;
- (1) English Grammar & Writing;
- (1) Reading & Oratory;
- (1) Mathematics;
- (1) Science; and
- (1) Music, Art & Architecture
NOTE: Please see the Parent Handbook for additional information on withdrawal policies and procedures.
As a member of Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE), our graduates are granted participation in the annual AFHE graduation ceremony. The AFHE is a statewide organization serving the needs and protecting the rights of Arizona’s homeschooling families since 1983. AFHE is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational, religious, and charitable corporation run by a Christian board of directors.
2024–2025 Academic Year:
- Fall Break: November 25–29, 2024
- Christmas Break: December 23, 2024–January 3, 2025
- Spring Break (extended): March 10–28, 2025
2025–2026 Academic Year:
- Fall Break: November 24–28, 2025
- Christmas Break: December 22, 2025–January 2, 2026
- Spring Break: March 9–13, 2026
We use a learning management application called Syllabird. This application is free for families and serves as the place where assignments are posted and submitted and where feedback is given. Instructions for accessing Syllabird are in the course welcome letter provided by the instructor.
ONSITE Learning: The school will provide an assigned laptop computer for the student to work on while on school property.
ONLINE Learning and Zoom Gatherings: The student will need the following technology for online learning and Syllabird studies from home:
Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer with a processor with a speed of 2 GHz or higher on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS with Mac OS 10.9 or later; Windows 11 or 10 (S Mode is not supported). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining Zoom tutorial classes online. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be a better solution. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of Zoom and other applications.
High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/2 Mbps or better.
Webcam and Headset: If you do not have a webcam built into your computer, you will need to purchase an external webcam. We also recommend using a headset for audio rather than a built-in microphone and speakers, as this will help reduce background noise heard by the entire class. Make sure to get a headset that is compatible with your device—USB, 3.5 mm, or Bluetooth.
Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our online classes. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. For reliable performance, after your initial download of Zoom, it is important to frequently update the app as described in the instructions below.
To Download Zoom:
- Visit zoom.us/download.
- Click to download the first option listed: Zoom Client for Meetings.
- Open and run the installer on your computer.
- At
the mandatory parent-student orientation session, parents and students
will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their
particular class
To Update Zoom:
- Launch the app on your computer.
- Click on your profile image (or initials) in the corner of the app.
- Select “Check for updates” from the dropdown menu.
- Install.
Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Funding
Solus Christus is an approved vendor for the Arizona Department of Education’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA). Empowerment Scholarships expand educational opportunities for eligible students outside of the public school system, provides funding that can be used for a wide variety of educational expenses, and pays for private school tuition, educational therapies, tutoring, and more. Families interested in this funding are encouraged to apply directly at the Arizona Department of Education ESA homepage.
