Testimonials
Our daughter Rachel is in Beyond Format Writing this year. Several times throughout the year Rachel has commented that Mrs. Chapman is a fantastic teacher. Rachel has experienced tremendous progress while in Mrs. Chapman’s class. We are thankful for you, THEO & Mrs. Chapman. God has blessed us through you all. Thank you for all you do. Thank you to the great instructors at THEO.
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“Our daughter was interested in science and signed up for Mrs. Szumila’s ‘Science Fair’ class and was encouraged and blessed along the entire way to state! She progressed from the local homeschool science fair, to the regional science fair, and ultimately the state science fair in San Antonio. What a fun experience! Mrs. Szumila provided such wise advice, encouraging always the right amount but providing a great atmosphere for feedback! We are thankful we chose THEO!”
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“I was teaching IEW in our school at home, but the result was often tears and frustration as I graded too harshly for my budding writer! Enter THEO and Mrs. Cantu to the rescue! Mrs. Cantu has the wonderful gift of providing exactly the right feedback at exactly the right time. What a blessing for us, as it saved my daughter’s love of writing! She progressed
thru all of Mrs. Cantu’s IEW classes and thrived in the Creative Writing class also. Thank you THEO and thank you Mrs. Cantu!!!”
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“We have been so thankful for all the science classes that Mrs. Smith teaches. What a blessing to have all the lab sciences available for our daughter who is so interested in science! She has gotten so much hands-on lab work that we never could have done if we had tried to do all of that in our school at home. We’re thankful for the excellent teaching, the sweet learning environment, and the great opportunity to do lots of labs!! Thank you THEO, and thank you Mrs. Smith!!!”
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I really enjoy that THEO is an option for my children. The Lord has really given you a gift in THEO. When I walk into THEO, there is peace there, and I can feel the Spirit’s presence. I am pretty sure this is your doing. Thank you for your prayers and dedicated work to THEO. You are a blessing to many families. I really enjoy watching you work and take charge because you do it so lovingly with grace, humility and straightforwardness. You are a breath of fresh air. Thank you for your patience because I am sure God has to fill you up daily on that fruit. 🙂 Also, thank you for your community updates. They have been very helpful to me as well. May God bless you today, and may His face shine on you.
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We just settled Grace at Chapman University in Orange, CA the week before last. Also, a brief note of THANKS for the 2014 spring (I know you repeated this past spring as well) college presentation by Donna Szumila. It was fabulous and, I believe, the info I received there helped to garner Grace a generous academic scholarship at Chapman, as well as offers of academic scholarships from other universities to which she applied. And Donna was very gracious and fielded a number of email questions from me after that seminar. She is wonderful, and I appreciated her assistance so much! Thank you for offering that wonderful seminar. We haven’t had an equivalent one, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend at THEO.
My husband and I were able to have a long Skype session with Grace Friday night (she is now enrolled as a freshman at Chapman University in Orange, CA, as a double major in dance and science), and she is loving it there. In talking about her classes and her professors on Friday, she offered all on her own her high praise for Michelle Miller, from whom she took physics last year. Grace said that she has now realized how organized, efficient and wonderful Mrs. Miller is! She likes her professors for this semester at Chapman but is realizing that when she compares their organization/administration to what she has experienced, Mrs. Miller stands head and shoulders above them. She also said this applied to Mrs. Miller’s teaching methods as well. She is remembering fondly how well Mrs. Miller explained things in class and made things interesting. She knows that college-level classes are different, but her classes are small (Chapman is a smaller university), so they aren’t the standard freshman-level lecture courses. She spoke so highly of Mrs. Miller (and Mrs. Smith as well) and is really grateful for the teaching she has had at THEO. So, I again wanted to share with both of you so that you will both be reminded what affect you are having for the Kingdom and how you are influencing the next generation. Thank you so much for doing so!
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THEO in one word? Empowering
Two or more? Think of it like superheroes. They have a side kick. Only those sidekicks are more of Hero Support. Homeschooling is based on many things for different families, but main leader is the Parent. But, not all parents have same abilities. That’s where THEO lends it’s Hero Support to enable and empower parents and students to accomplish great things. THEO comes alongside and offers special training, skills, confidence and counseling in a myriad of ways. And likewise the parents feel a part of this special community of learners. Having THEO by my side makes this journey all the more possible for my family.
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We see THEO as providing the gap between a homeschooling co-op and a private school, and this is the reason we made the very difficult decision to transition to THEO. We were amazed at the broad range of options that THEO offers. One can truly customize their child’s schedule to fit that child’s particular needs. James is excited to be able to take dual credit classes in a Christian environment as well as taking Physics and Pre-cal with Mrs. Miller. There are several other classes that he would enjoy if we had more hours in a day!
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Your question “What are we” provoked me to this response. In one word, I think of THEO as: Ally, Associate, Comrade, Partner to families in pursuit of the God-honoring intellectual development of their children. I might express that in a complete thought like this: THEO partners with home educators in the intellectual development of their children.
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You could call it an Academic Buffet. It was the only way to explain that: you have an unlimited selection, can choose whatever you want to partake in, and you are satisfied in the end! We all graduate with full tummies, right!? Our academic needs and appetites are abundantly met and we can even choose dessert(extracurricular activities).
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To me, THEO is individual the classes a student needs to have a solid academic background. It’s a place for students to find mentors, not just instructors or teachers.
I have also expressed to a few parents that a program like THEO can help kids excel in college because it teaches kids about scheduling, communicating with their instructors, managing their study time, and advocating for themselves when they have a question or concern.
So really, I guess THEO is the real world on a smaller scale. Not everyone does the same thing at the same time. But every one has the opportunity to get what they need.
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I could write a book about why every family should send their students to THEO, but I would like my kids to get a spot! So, here is a brief “why THEO is amazing” message to share as you please. Thanks for what you do!
THEO is one of the most amazing resources and biggest blessings available to home school families in North Texas! We began taking classes at THEO in 2008; two of our children have taken classes with amazing teachers at THEO (a third to begin this next year). Every class they attended provided them with a teacher who loved the Lord, was both knowledgeable AND passionate about their subject, embraced each student’s strengths and weaknesses, and held them to high standards. It has been such an honor to be associated with THEO and we look forward to being a THEO family for many more years.
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Theo has been a blessing for our family these past two years. Not only did my daughter get challenged at her level, but she received lots of love. The teachers took every kids needs into consideration, worked with the families and most of all, have a connection with the kids to know how far to push them or how to teach them to reach them.
Our first year at Theo, I received one-on-one guidance from Terri and individual teachers. Teacher took their own time for tutoring with things outside of their own class when I asked for help with something I was teaching, and never would charge me anything extra. They wanted to support me and help me. That was amazing! My daughter had the teacher’s e-mails and phone number for when she needed them while doing their homework and they ALWAYS responded and helped.
Our second year we got lots of what we got the first year and more. My daughter chose to go back to Theo and do more there because she felt God was present in all the teachers and people that worked there. She felt love from everyone there. We have encounter some health and logistics challenges this year, making it a tough year for us, but by the Grace of God, we were at Theo with a group that supported us, worked with my daughter on catching up and absences (schools would not work with us as well), and I received lots of love, support and guidance through the year.
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This is our first year with THEO and we are overflowing with gratitude to God for it! I am tickled pink to have found such a blessing-to be able to add THEO classes to our homeschool schedule has been an answer to prayer. My son can get extra socialization, he absolutely loves his teacher Donna Cantu, and has grown by leaps and bounds already in her writing class. He enjoys the independence of going to THEO while also enjoying the benefits of being at home for some classes, the best of both worlds! We are definitely coming back to THEO next year, adding to our classes, and have been telling everyone we know about it. Could not be more pleased with Terri and the biblical values she uses to guide THEO, the effort she puts into it, our teacher Donna Cantu, and our experience this year. Looking forward to coming for many more years!
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WE LOVE THEO!!!! IT SAVED OUR HOME SCHOOL!!!! Once our daughter hit high school, she wanted a place that felt more like school. Theo met all of our requirements: friends, excellent teachers, and a place led by christian values. Every class has been amazing and the whole experience has far exceeded our expectations. Theo has been a true blessing for our daughter. My only regret is that we didn’t start Theo earlier on in our home school journey. I love and appreciate Terri’s convictions which is always smothered with love and grace! Abbey is very sad that this is her last year at Theo!Everything I said is true! One other thing I forgot to mention as far as requirements is affordability. That’s important because we know most home school families have one income trying to live in a two income society. It’s not easy. That’s another thing we really appreciate! I could really go on and on.:)
If I may, I would like to brag about Abbey and it’s all God working it out. Abbey applied to Mary Hardin Baylor when she was a junior and applied for a leadership scholarship. She got it along with an academic scholarship. We got her financial aid package this last week. We knew she was awarded $10,000 a year between the two, but when we got the aid pkg, she actually received $19,000. Yay God!!! That was the only way she was going to be able to attend. You’re never really sure about home schooling when you start out, but you know when you’re called to do it.
I will miss Theo being apart of our schooling. You have been a huge blessing!
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THEO has been an answer to our prayers. We have had 5 years of public school, 1 year of private school, and 1 year of online home schooling and none compare to THEO. THEO is the perfect blend of a classroom environment with experienced teachers and homeschooling. The classes are small which allows a good student /teacher ratio and the teachers are wonderful Christians who instill learning in a nurturing setting. Our child, Mario, absolutely loves it. With his flexible schedule, he is also able to pursue wrestling, his favorite sport. As a Mom, I am so thankful that the teachers are the “drivers” of his curriculum and I follow up with his homework. This has taken a big weight off of my shoulders while still providing the benefits of homeschooling. Mario also seems more responsive when he has to be accountable to a teacher. Your Christian atmosphere is very important to us. When Mario came home to tell us that “he and his classmates held hands to pray for a sick parent”, I knew we were on the right path. I am also very impressed with the variety, level, and quality of classes offered along with extra workshops, speakers, presentations, etc… I have not seen any other school program provide so much.
Many thanks to you, Terry, and all of the wonderful teachers who make THEO what it is. I hope and pray that THEO is alive for many, many, more years to come.
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By a THEO senior: Parent Narrated Endeavor for Adaptable Private Learning and Education. This can be abbreviated to PNEAPLE (pronounced like “pineapple”). I came up with some variations of this as well.
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THEO Teachers and Staff have both encouraged and challenged my son to grow educationally and in maturity. Beyond the classroom, they have shown genuine care for him. Recently, they have really rallied around him regarding an extracurricular opportunity and we are overwhelmed by the outpour of love and support. The academic standard at THEO is high but the support and help is also high. THEO has helped to prepare our son for the next stage beyond high school courses and we are so thankful.
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General THEO Review
I feel that THEO has been a great asset to our family. My sons are 19 and 15. Their transcripts include THEO classes in higher math, science and Spanish. It started out with a fear of blowing up my kitchen doing lab science, but I value THEO for other reasons too.
1) THEO policies are reasonable and practical. The focus is honoring God and working cooperatively for the good of all.
2) THEO administration is straightforward, friendly and easy to navigate. There is a ministry focus underlying everything.
3) My sons’ teachers take a huge burden off me for classes I feel less qualified to teach.
4) THEO serves as a bridge to the larger academic world. They learn to interpret class requirements from other adults and must take more responsibility, yet mistakes are addressed with grace.
The Fabulous Michelle Miller – Before my older son took classes from Mrs. Miller, I heard her name in the THEO hallways. Students with varying degrees of seriousness about school ALL said, “She makes difficult things easy to understand.” As a credentialed teacher in my pre-homeschool days, I know that is a gift, particularly in higher math and science. I am fond of saying that she “saved my bacon” with child number one. His motivation to excel far outpaced my ability to teach him and Michelle Miller filled that gap. This child is also obsessed with knowing the why. He asked innumerable questions, and follow up questions. Mrs. Miller answered as many as humanly possible during AND after class. She also allowed him to work ahead when he needed to travel for academic competitions.
Paula Smith – Both my sons took science from Mrs. Smith. She does a great job with all ages and her classes are, very conveniently, only one day a week. We took General Science, Earth Science, and Biology. Paula gave my boys a good start in scientific thinking and reasoning, along with lab procedures.
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THEO has been an answer to prayer. If I had imagined a perfect resource for homeschool families, THEO would be it. Our 13 year old daughter has been challenged to grow in her academic excellence, independent work habits, and social skills since joining two THEO classes in 2014. She speaks so highly of her very talented and caring instructors and she has developed some close friendships in her courses. We are thankful for Mrs. Threadgill’s vision and investment in all of the THEO students and families. We appreciate the continual communication about THEO happenings, special events, and resources for homeschooling families. Most importantly, we are blessed by the Christ centered values and environment that define the culture of THEO.
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I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all that you and your faculty and staff do for the student body and families that they represent.
THEO is a tremendous blessing, as are you and the team that you have hand-selected. God has truly placed the finest in our midst.
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May 2020 I wanted to reach out and say thank you to you and the staff at THEO. We weren’t sure what to expect going into this year as it was our first co-op experience. It was amazing. Your support and the time you spent discussing our son’s goals and helping us plan the rest of high school was invaluable. Your staff and teachers made our son comfortable and the transition was pretty seamless.
We especially appreciate all the time, effort, and sacrifice everyone made to keep THEO going these last few weeks of the shut down. I know it wasn’t easy but at least for us, it was critical. We are hopeful that life gets back to something close to normal in the next few weeks so we can all enjoy our summer. We are looking forward to coming back in August.
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