San Jose, California · Est. 2020
A college-preparatory homeschool with immersion in German and Spanish, extended study abroad, and service at the heart of everything we learn.
Handel International Homeschool was founded in 2020 to give our children a personalized, grade 6–12 college-preparatory education beyond grade-level limits, while building fluency in German and Spanish.
Principal Julie Handel, a former small-business consultant who was herself homeschooled, oversees curriculum and academic counseling; Peter Handel, a veteran Apple engineer, oversees STEM programming. Our high school program operates under the auspices of The King’s Academy PSP, a registered California private school satellite program (Cal. Ed. Code § 33190).
Our Christian faith shapes our goal: to educate globally minded citizens who serve their communities at home and abroad.
Instruction from accomplished community members in intergenerational environments includes teaching opportunities for the students with peers and younger community members, allowing for richer learning. We intentionally cultivate relationships and skill-building for the good of the community and the ultimate glory of our Creator.
Leo has traveled extensively and studied abroad, averaging 77 days away from California per year. He traveled to debate tournaments in Virginia and Tennessee, and participated in a 9-week rescue response training in Texas. Abroad, he attended a residential equestrian camp in Spain, took 4.5 weeks of classes at Georg Büchner Gymnasium, a university-track high school in Germany, and completed service trips in Peru and Mexico. Travel included 12 countries across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, generally lodging in local homes or dormitories to promote cultural exchange.
Generally, core courses are in English and enrichment programs are in immersive German and Spanish. High school classes are taken at Live Oak Academy, Community Colleges, and Alert International Academy. Private tutors provide coaching and content in Spanish and German.
Local program participation includes LOA Robotics Club, where students have won Cal Berkeley’s PiE robotics contest for 3 years and counting. Leo has competed locally and nationally in STOA speech and debate and performed a lead role in a one-act play through LOA Drama Club.
The administration oversees course categories, standards, and daily activities, giving students flexibility in course selection in order to foster responsibility, decision-making skills, independence, and self-discipline.
Through educational partners, students take College Board–certified AP courses and dual enrollment college courses. 5-unit courses represent a weekly commitment of 6–9 hours of instruction, homework, and study. Descriptions of all course content and instructors are in the course description document.
Specific courses taken are noted in the course description document.
LOA is a hybrid program meeting 3 full days a week and assigning at-home work for the remaining two days. All courses are college-preparatory and pedagogically deep. The curriculum follows a classical approach, teaching students how to think rather than what to think, by using the liberal arts, the Great Books, and the developmental stages of the Trivium to cultivate wisdom and virtue. Class sizes range from 8–15, and classwork includes projects, labs, presentations, reading, discussion, group projects, and exams.
Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
Alert utilizes a military-style structure, intentional discipleship, unique experiences, and professional skills training to create an environment that facilitates the forging process, which is: the Gospel transforms, discipline strengthens, hardship matures, camaraderie sharpens, training equips, and service focuses. Recruits participate in cadres of 7 recruits and a unit of 75 recruits.
Final course grades are at the sole discretion of the outside instructor, contingent upon the fulfillment of syllabus requirements, and are entered directly onto the student transcript. Grades from all courses attempted are reported on transcripts.
We provide both unweighted and weighted Grade Point Average (GPA), with 1.0 added for AP and Community College courses. All subjects except for P.E. and Bible are included in the GPA calculation. The two semesters run August–May.
260 credits, going far beyond the minimum requirements for graduation under California law, plus 40 community service hours each year.
| Course | Credits | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Bible | 10–30 | 4 years required |
| Math | 40 | 4 years required |
| Science | 40 | 4 years required |
| English | 40 | |
| Social Studies / History | 40 | |
| Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) | 10 | |
| World Languages | 30 | 2 years of the same language required |
| Physical Education and Health | 30 | |
| Electives | 20 | 20 minimum credits |
College admissions representatives, counselors, and families are welcome to reach out with questions about our program, or to request a school profile, transcript, or course descriptions.
Send us a note and we’ll reply by email.