Family Learning Expectations

At The Yutzy School, we believe education is most effective when it is reinforced through daily life, meaningful conversation, responsibility, and experience. While students attend school on campus Monday through Thursday, learning is intentionally designed to continue beyond the classroom through family engagement on weekday evenings, Fridays, and weekends.

This shared approach allows students to deepen understanding, apply what they are learning, and grow in maturity, independence, and real-world skills.

Families are not expected to “replicate school at home,” but rather to support and extend learning in natural, meaningful ways that fit their household rhythms.

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
— Deuteronomy 6:6–7

Weekday Evenings: Reinforcing Daily Learning

Evenings provide an ideal opportunity for gentle reinforcement and connection. Families are encouraged to engage in activities such as:

Reading together as a family
One-on-one reading with the student
Discussing what the student learned that day
Practicing foundational skills (reading fluency, math facts, handwriting, typing)
Memorization (Scripture, poetry, speeches, or vocabulary)
Music practice or other skill development
Faith-based instruction and discussion

These activities need not be lengthy or formal. Consistency and conversation are far more important than worksheets or assignments.

Fridays: Independent and Applied Learning

The Yutzy School does not meet on Fridays. Instead, families are expected to treat Fridays as a day for independent, applied, or experiential learning. Appropriate activities may include:

Independent reading or writing
Journaling, letter writing, or summarizing reading
Project-based learning (research, building, creating, experimenting)
Life skills (cooking, budgeting, home maintenance, organization)
Educational documentaries or lectures
Job shadowing, farm work, family business involvement, or supervised work experiences

These experiences help students connect academic learning to practical life and responsibility.

Weekends: Experiential and Whole-life Learning

Weekends provide rich opportunities for learning that cannot always occur in a traditional classroom. Families are encouraged to include students in activities such as:

Work experiences or volunteering
Church instruction and service
Nature exploration and outdoor learning
Museum visits or educational travel
Family projects and hands-on problem solving
Meaningful discussions related to history, faith, current events, or personal growth

These experiences are a valuable and intentional part of a student’s education.

A Shared Responsibility

The State of Kansas expects instruction provided by private schools to be substantially equivalent to public schools, while allowing flexibility in how learning is scheduled and delivered. The Yutzy School meets this expectation through a combination of on-campus instruction and intentional family-led learning beyond the classroom.

This partnership between school and family is essential to our model and to the long-term success of our students.

Parent Partnership and Good-Faith Participation

By enrolling in The Yutzy School, families acknowledge their role as active partners in their child’s education and agree to support learning beyond the classroom through the practices outlined above.

Our goal is not to monitor or micromanage families, but to foster a shared commitment to meaningful, well-rounded education that prepares students academically, socially, and personally.