Answers to Little Beakers - Sandy Homeschool / Afterschool / Pre-School FAQs
Which level is best for my child/ren?
Little Beakers offers three levels of homeschool classes:
Elemental (Level 1) classes are intended for students ages 6-9
Subatomic (Level 2) classes are for students ages 10 and up
Molecular (Level 3) classes are for advanced students (ages 14+) who have attended one or more years of Subatomic level classes at Little Beakers AND/OR tested into the level
Each level offers three years of curriculum, allowing students to enroll in an age appropriate level when they re-enroll without concern for repeating lessons.
The Preschool Science Discovery Program for children ages 3-5 offers a 30 minute condensed version of the Level 1 curriculum that focuses primarily on the hands-on portion of the lesson with less time focused on theory and history.
How often do classes meet?
Classes meet weekly. Students are enrolled in a class that will meet at a specific time on a specific day of the week, unless otherwise notified. Each academic unit includes 4 weekly class meetings. There are 4 academic units in the Fall semester and 5 academic units in the Spring semester. The current class schedule and class calendar can be found on our website.
What is the cost of the program?
A $40 non-refundable annual registration fee (paid during enrollment) per student is required to reserve their space.
Tuition is based on the class level of enrollment and is as follows:
Preschool Science Discovery Program students: $60 per academic unit/month (includes four 30 minute classes)
Level 1 and Level 2 students: $105 per academic unit/month (includes four 50 minute classes)
Level 3 students: $150 per academic unit/month (includes three 60 minute classes and one 120 minute class)
For all levels, siblings concurrently enrolled are eligible for a 10% tuition discount.
Does Little Beakers offer scholarships?
As a small privately owned business, Little Beakers is unable to offer scholarships. We are approved 3rd party vendors with several programs that offer financial support to homeschool families. The list currently includes: Children’s First Education Fund, HaromonyEd, OpenEd and Utah Education Fits All. Each program has its own application process/requirements and will need to be contacted directly.
My family is part of the UFA scholarship program. How do we enroll?
Little Beakers is an approved vendor with the UFA scholarship program. Families can enroll online and pay the $40 non-refundable registration fee, then submit to Odyssey for reimbursement. If you prefer to have Odyssey directly pay the registration fee, you must:
Contact the lab to confirm that there is space in your preferred class day/time
Access the Odyssey website and select the registration fee and semester tuition for the appropriate level from the marketplace and complete your order
Little Beakers will be notified of the order and the payment, when received, will be applied to your account
Note: Space will not be reserved without a completed registration and confirmation that your student has been awarded a UFA scholarship
How does billing work?
During the enrollment process, each student pays a one-time, non-refundable, registration fee. At that time, parent’s identify the method they prefer to pay tuition invoices. The options include: auto pay with a credit card on file, request an invoice to self pay with credit card or ACH bank draft, use direct pay from a 3rd party vendor via direct deposit or check or pay cash in the lab. We do not accept personal checks. Parents can also request a monthly invoice (one per academic unit) or an invoice for the full semester.
Each academic unit includes 4 classes and may include weeks from more than one calendar month. See the Academic Calendar for a list of weeks included in each academic unit. Tuition will be billed on or about the 15th of each month for the next academic unit’s tuition.
Can we attend a trial class?
Instead of a “trial class”, which can be disruptive to the class and often leaves the trial student feeling left out when they are not sure if they will return to complete lessons/projects, Little Beakers offers no-obligation Homeschool Info Sessions for parents and potential students. During the 30 minute info session, parents meet with a manager/teacher to have their questions answered while potential students participate in a mini-guided lab session with a member of the Little Beakers staff. Space is limited. It is free to attend, but reservations are required.
What about holidays?
Unless otherwise noted, classes will meet on their regularly scheduled day of the week. The exceptions; classes will not meet during the weeks that include Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, or Spring break for the public school district in which the lab is located. Little Beakers - Orem follows the Alpine District calendar and Little Beakers - Sandy follows the Canyons District calendar.
Do we have to start enrollment at the beginning of the semester?
Students are welcome to join our program at any time, including mid-unit/academic month. Our curriculum is designed to layer knowledge in such a way that new students can be brought up to speed quickly. In the event that a student joins the program mid-unit/academic month, the first tuition invoice will be prorated accordingly.
Can I enroll my student in more than one session per week?
Students may enroll in a single class that will meet once per week. For each level, the same lesson is taught throughout the whole week. Students are not permermitted to enroll in more than one level at a time.
Can all of my children attend the same class?
It depends on the ages of your students. Siblings who fall within the min/max age range for a given level can enroll in the same class session. If one of your children is older, they are welcome to enroll with their younger siblings in a lower level, keeping in mind that an 11 year old may be in a level 1 class with a majority of students who are closer to 6 than 9.
Am I able to sit in or outside the class while it is in session?
Only enrolled students are permitted in or near the room while class is in session. While the adults bringing students to class are welcome to stay in the lab during class sessions. Because it is distracting for the other students and can create an unsafe environment if a student leaves the room during class because they can see or hear their grown-up, any adults waiting in the lab must remain in designated spaces and out of view of the students. An exception can be made on a case by case basis by Little Beakers management for students who have professional aides responsible for providing a student additional assistance.
My child is below the minimum age limit for a level, but will turn the required age in a few months. Can I enroll them in the higher levelnow?
Students must meet the minimum listed age on the first day they attend class in order to enroll in any level. Minimum ages for each level of our program are aligned with typical developmental stages for children. We strive to meet not only the academic needs of students, but also their social/emotional needs by giving them the opportunity to engage wth their peers. Once a student reaches the minimum age for the next level, teachers will be happy to discuss and determine with parents if their student would benefit from advancing to the next level.
Is the curriculum for the year available to review before enrolling so that I can choose which units/months my student will attend?
Monthly unit themes for classes are not published or provided to the public. Until Little Beakers corporate office provides a final version of the monthly curriculum for each level, theme details are subject to change. Families enrolled in the program will receive an overview of the next unit’s lesson plan approximately 1 week prior to the start of each unit. Lessons for each month’s theme will include:
Introduction to and/or exploration of the Periodic Table of Elements (according to class level)
Molecular model building and nomenclature
Themed hands-on science activities or experiments
Dissection of a preserved specimen
What if my child misses a class?
In the case of level 1 and level 2 students who are absent for any reason there are 3 ways to makeup a class.
They may attend a different class session, of the same level, the same week and cover the same material presented in their regular class
The students may arrange in advance to attend a different level class in addition to their regular level in a given week. They will not make up material, but will make up the time.
Students may attend one of the scheduled makeup classes that are typically offered during holiday breaks and the last 2 weeks of each semester.
Preschool Science Discovery students can schedule a 30 minute make-up session immediately following their regularly scheduled class. Advance notice is required in order to allow for appropriate staffing.
Due to the nature of the classes, any make-ups for Level 3 students must be coordinated with the teacher in advance.
NOTE: Make-up classes do not roll over from semester to semester. Any make-up classes not used at the end of a semester are forfeit.
Can my student receive credit for attending classes at Little Beakers?
Little Beakers - Utah curriculum is created by Little Beakers founder, Dr. Cinttya Morgan, M.S., Ed.D., who is located in Texas. It is aligned with The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which was used as the framework for Utah’s Science with Engineering Education Standards (SEEDs). Little Beakers offers 3 years of curriculum for each level and key learning goals for the grades as identified in NGSS and SEEDs are covered during the full 3 year cycle.
For programs that require a record of student learning, each student is provided with a notebook for collecting and organizing class materials from each week and, at the end of each semester, student families will receive a summary of topics covered. Acceptance by a future program that your student may apply to will depend on the specific requirements of that program.
Do your teachers have credential/teaching certificates?
At this time, none of the individuals leading classes have formal teaching credentials. Each teacher does have the experience, education and passion for the material to ensure that lessons are engaging and effective. Each person is trained to present the lesson plans that are designed to meet the standards of NGSS.
How do I cancel enrollment? Is there a penalty?
Once a student is enrolled in the program, their seat is reserved in the chosen class session for the balance of the academic year unless or until parents notify the lab that they wish to withdraw /cancel enrollment. The following conditions apply to student accounts once parents communicate their intent to withdraw/cancel enrollment:
Parents must notify the lab of intent to withdraw in writing via email, prior to tuition payment to avoid autobill charges to their account.
Tuition must be paid in order to maintain enrollment. Missed classes will be recorded in student files in the form of absences. Multiple opportunities will be made available each semester to schedule make-up sessions.
Once tuition is paid, any refunds of full month tuition is subject to an admin fee to cover credit card processing charges.
There is no refund for partial month tuition. Once enrollment has been cancelled, any unused make-up sessions will be considered forfit.
Upon receipt of intent to withdraw, a student will continue to attend classes through the period of paid tuition. Then the student’s seat will be released and made available to waitlisted and new students.
If a student plans to miss multiple consecutive classes, but wishes to maintain enrollment, tuition must be paid to hold their seat in the class. Make-up sessions will be added to their account for missed classes.
If a student pauses enrollment/withdraws from the program and returns during the same academic year, the Annual Registration Fee that was paid during initial enrollment is stil active and will not need to be paid again.