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What is The Master’s Academy of Fine Arts anyway?
How do tuition payments work?
Why is the registration fee necessary and non-refundable?
Why do I have to commit to the whole year and pay for it even if I drop out?
Can I take just one class or do I have to take them all?
What is your policy on visitors?
Does my child have to participate in the programs and performances?
My child wants to participate in the drama production but can’t make the rehearsals, is that a problem?
Is The Master’s Academy a Christian based program?
The Master’s Academy of Fine Arts is primarily an elementary school program isn’t it?
But high school is important. Shouldn’t we consider dropping out of MAFA in high school in order to pursue the academics so our students can do well on the SAT and get into good colleges?
Can I count MAFA for school credit?
What is The Master’s Academy of Fine Arts anyway?
The Master’s Academy of Fine Arts is an historically based fine arts program for homeschooled students meeting one day each week for three hours for a total of twenty-five weeks. Each year a Master’s Academy location studies the arts based on one of the six rotating historical time periods: Ancient, Medieval/Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern. During each class day the students take a history course where we combine arts history in its world history context. In addition they take courses in art, drama and music. The last ten weeks of the program students ages 10 and older will choose elective classes for more in-depth study of an area of interest to them. Electives are chosen for students 7-12 years of age. Students ages 5-6 continue with their regular rotation.
What MAFA Is
MAFA is school
MAFA is important
MAFA is work
MAFA is enjoyable
MAFA is a program that requires responsibility from both children and parents
What MAFA Is Not
MAFA is NOT a mother’s morning out program
MAFA is NOT a daycare program
MAFA is NOT a babysitting service
MAFA is NOT a play day
MAFA is NOT a co-op
MAFA is NOT a waste of time
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How do tuition payments work?
The tuition amount is for the entire year. While some of our schools meet for 6 months due to building constraints, other schools meet for seven months. Regardless of the number of months involved, ALL schools meet for 25 weeks each year. Tuition is broken out over seven months as a convenience to you, but may be paid in one lump sum at the beginning of the year if you so desire. (Please see TUITION under “Policies and Procedures”). These are the only two payment options available. Please keep in mind that you are not paying tuition based on the number of weeks you meet in any given month, you are instead paying an annual tuition rate broken down into monthly installments to keep the price more manageable for most families.
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Why do I have to commit to the whole year and pay for it even if I drop out?
Once again, we require that you seriously consider whether or not your children should be involved in the Master’s Academy of Fine Arts each year. We consider the arts to be of great value and importance, on a par with all other academic subjects and sports programs. Most parents would never consider pulling their children out of a Spanish program, or a sports program mid-year because they find those programs to be essential to their child’s education. We want you to know up front that we consider the arts to be essential to your child’s education as well and hope that you will give this program the serious commitment it deserves.
We know that there are often extenuating circumstances which cause you to have to leave the program, so for that reason we have noted two exceptions to this policy:
Family moving more then 50 miles from the current MAFA location (if another MAFA exists in the area to which you are moving, you may transfer your enrollment to the new location.)
Death or unemployment of parent
NO exceptions are made for children who are tired of the program, have re-enrolled in school, or who find the work too challenging. Children may decide not to attend for those reasons, but the parents are still held liable for the tuition. We are under commitment to our staff to pay the salaries we agreed to pay them, which are based on the number of students enrolled. Since we don’t add students throughout the year, when students drop out we simply don’t have the funding to pay the staff as we had agreed.
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Can I take just one class or do I have to take them all?
The Master’s Academy Exposure program is a complete package as described above and as such cannot be broken into individual classes. Many schools offer additional options however which may be taken apart from the regular MAFA program. These Mastervision Enrichment classes are offered after the regular Master’s Academy program each week.
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What is your policy on visitors?
Parents are always welcome visitors and if you are having out-of-town company, or watching someone else’s children for the day, they are welcome to attend as well. We also allow for children who may be considering enrolling in the Master’s Academy to attend for a day. We only ask that you and your children not make bringing visitors a weekly event and please consult your director BEFORE bringing visitors. No visitors are allowed during the 10-week elective portion of the program.
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Does my child have to participate in the programs and performances?
While we recognize that many children are not born performers, we encourage all students to participate in our annual end of the year program in some way. They may choose to take an elective course in art so that their participation is limited to the art exhibit, yet they are still participating. We desire that the children see ALL of the arts as important and not just the performing arts. For that reason, in addition to the dramatic presentation, most schools offer an art exhibit, a project night and displays of other non-performing elective options.
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My child wants to participate in the drama production but can’t make the rehearsals, is that a problem?
No athletic coaches I know would let a child play in a game they hadn’t been to practice for. Most will have to sit out and watch until they can attend practices regularly. Again, the arts have been so devalued for so long, we now think that it’s "child’s play"(pun intended!) to put on a production and anyone can do it. The real answer is... yes, it’s a problem! The arts take work and lots and lots of practice. If we expect the children to gain a full appreciation for the arts, they need to learn early that it is not something to be trifled with, but rather it is something to take seriously and work hard for.
Many of the drama teachers in our program have instituted a policy that if children do not have their lines memorized by a certain date their parts will be given to another. Please be aware of this policy up front so that you know what you are committing to by enrolling your child in the drama elective. It takes work, time and commitment to make the programs run well and we hope you will encourage that in your children along the way.
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Is The Master’s Academy a Christian based program?
Yes it is. All of the classes are taught from a Judeo/Christian Biblical worldview. While no doctrine is taught, we do have students of all faiths, and no faith as well, enrolled in our program. All students are welcome regardless of their faith, but everyone should know up front that the classes will be taught from a Christian perspective.
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The Master’s Academy of Fine Arts is primarily an elementary school program isn’t it?
Not at all! There are many different levels within the Master’s Academy to provide for all ages and all levels of development. Our exposure level program is for students age 5-18.
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But high school is important. Shouldn’t we consider dropping out of MAFA in high school in order to pursue the academics so our students can do well on the SAT and get into good colleges?
Many educational authorities correlate the study of the arts with improved academic achievement.
* According to Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, "There is a direct correlation between improved SAT scores and the length of time spent studying the arts. Those who studied the arts four or more years scored 59 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math portions of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts. For each additional year of arts study, the students gained an average of 22 points on the SAT."
* According to Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., and Gordon Shaw, Ph.D., of the University of California, Irvine, “Music lessons have been shown to improve a child’s performance in school. After eight months of keyboard lessons, preschoolers tested showed a 46% boost in their spatial IQ, which is crucial for higher brain functions such as complex mathematics. "If we want our children to do well in math and science, they need to learn the creative thinking skills that the arts offer them.”
* Clifford V. Smith, President of the GE Foundation says, "GE hires a lot of engineers. That’s why the GE Foundation is making a major commitment to the field of arts and education. We want to develop young people who can do more than add up a string of numbers and write a coherent sentence. We want students who can solve problems and communicate ideas." MIT reports that one New York accounting firm recruiting MIT students uses evidence of a minor concentration in the arts as a screening criteria.
* A Rockefeller Foundation study (1994) reveals that college music majors have the highest rate of admittance to medical school, 66.7 percent of those applying. The acceptance rate for biochemistry majors is only 59.2%
* Rexford Brown, speaking at the Education Commission of the States, said, "Out of a classroom of 30 students, maybe 10 will be employed in arts-related occupations. This economic factor alone is a very good reason to support the arts in education. "The arts account for 6% of the GNP, more than the construction industry (4.8%) and just under wholesale trade (6.9%) " the arts play an extraordinary role in the modern economy" says Denis Doyle, a senior fellow of the Hudson Institute. The arts are one area in which the US has a significant positive trade balance.
* According to The Georgia Plan: A State Action Agenda for Arts Education, "students in Japan and Germany, two of the most technologically advanced and economically sound nations in the world, are required to study the arts well into secondary school. In these countries, 14% of a student’s time in school is spent studying the arts.
In Georgia, students in some school districts spend about 5% of their time in arts education, but most get less than that." One day a week at MAFA exceeds the 14% of time required of students in Japan and Germany and far surpasses the requirements of the state of Georgia which is 0%.
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Can I count MAFA for school credit?
Absolutely! At the end of each year, certificates are given to the students who have participated in the program stating how many hours they have had in arts education for that year.
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