Salt & Light Arts Academy
Christian Homeschool Arts & Humanities
Serving Families in Castle Rock and Surrounding AreasWhere Faith, Learning, and the Arts Come Together
At Salt & Light Arts Academy, we believe education should do more than fill a child’s mind with knowledge. It should nurture their love of what is true, good, and beautiful, cultivate their God-given gifts, and inspire them to use those gifts for His glory.
We are a growing Christian homeschool community in Castle Rock, Colorado, bringing together rich humanities instruction, artistic experiences, and opportunities for friendship and collaboration.
Winter/Spring 2027
Fables, Friendship & Storytelling
Our winter/spring 2027 term will bring the wonderful world of storytelling to life through classic animal tales, creative writing, storybook illustration, and musical theater! Students will explore beloved stories and fables, develop their own writing, experiment with artistic techniques, and grow in confidence and creativity through theatrical performance. Each class is designed to complement the others, connecting what students are reading, writing, creating, and performing.
We'll conclude with an end-of-term showcase, where students will have the opportunity to perform and share what they've learned with family and friends!
Scripture & Prayer
We'll begin each morning by gathering together in Scripture and prayer, setting our hearts and minds on God as we begin our day.
Visual Arts
Students will explore the beautiful world of storybook illustration while developing foundational art skills. Inspired by classic children's book illustrators, they'll experiment with watercolor painting, pen-and-ink drawing, character illustration, clay sculpting, and other artistic techniques. Throughout the semester, students will develop their observation, creativity, and craftsmanship as they create original artwork and illustrations for their own stories and fables.
Literature & Writing
Through the delightful stories of Arnold Lobel and Beatrix Potter, Aesop's fables, and other classic animal tales, students will discover what makes a wonderful story! They’ll explore characterization, dialogue, narrative structure, and the timeless lessons found in fables while developing their skills as writers. Through oral narration, discussion, and creative writing activities, students will learn to craft their own short stories and fables, culminating in a collection of their own original work.
Theater
Students will step into the world of theater as they develop confidence, creativity, and performance skills! Through acting exercises, improvisation, vocal expression, movement, and dramatic storytelling, they'll learn the fundamentals of bringing characters and stories to life onstage. Along the way, they’ll explore the elements of theatrical production, including costumes, props, scenery, and stagecraft, as they work together to prepare an end-of-semester performance. Students will have a choice between performing and helping backstage during the performance.
Learning Together, Growing in Community
At Salt & Light, community is an important part of our vision!
Each Friday, we'll conclude our morning with a community lunch, and parents and non-enrolled siblings are invited to join us! We hope this becomes a wonderful opportunity for families to build friendships and grow together.
Program Info
Our Friday morning enrichment program brings together visual arts, literature and writing, and musical theater in a Christ-centered environment where students can learn, create, and build friendships.
The Program at a Glance
Ages
Primarily ages 8–13 (approximately grades 3–6). Siblings in 2nd or 7th grade may also enroll.
Dates
Fridays, January 15 to April 30, 2027
Class Time
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Community Lunch
12:00 to 12:30 PM
Location
Castle Rock, Colorado
Early Bird Tuition
$375 per student for the semester, with a 10% discount for additional siblings. Register by December 15, 2026.
Regular Tuition
$415 per student for the semester, with a 10% discount for additional siblings. Register after December 15, 2026.
Our Friday Schedule
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Scripture & Prayer
Visual Arts
Literature & Creative Writing
Musical Theater
12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Community Lunch
(Parents and siblings are welcome!)
Important Dates
First Day
January 15, 2027
Spring Break
We will follow the Douglas County School District calendar for spring break. No classes on March 19, 2027.
Good Friday
We will meet on Good Friday, March 26, for a special Holy Week enrichment morning exploring the story of Christ's Passion through Scripture, sacred art, literature, and music. We recognize that families observe Good Friday in different ways, so attendance that morning will be optional.
Final Scheduled Friday
April 30, 2027
End-of-Term Showcase
Date and time to be announced.
Join Us!
We'd love for your family to join us at Salt & Light Arts Academy in Castle Rock!
Looking Ahead
We're already dreaming about what's next for Salt & Light Arts Academy!
Our hope is to expand grade levels and offer a new adventure in literature, writing, visual arts, and theater each semester, bringing stories to life through an integrated arts and humanities education. Here's a little peek at what we're planning for the 2027-2028 school year!
These are our tentative semester themes. Final classes and theatrical productions will be announced as plans are confirmed.
The Jungle Book
Explore Rudyard Kipling's classic animal tales through literature, creative writing, nature-inspired artwork, and theatrical performance.
Alice in Wonderland
Step into Lewis Carroll's imaginative world of curious characters, clever wordplay, creative storytelling, and whimsical art!
Meet the Founder
Salt & Light Arts Academy was born from a love of teaching, the arts, the humanities, and the rich educational opportunities that homeschooling makes possible. I’m a homeschooling mama with a background in dance, English, writing, and graphic design. Over the years, I’ve taught children in a homeschool co-op and have experienced firsthand how literature, music, storytelling, and the arts can intertwine beautifully to enrich my own children’s education.
With my own kids now 8 and 10, I feel called to bring a Christian, arts-integrated approach to education beyond our family’s homeschool. My hope is to build a Christian homeschool community where children can truly live out their faith, encounter excellent ideas, develop their creative gifts, and experience the joy of learning and creating together. After all, in Matthew 5:13–14, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
I can’t wait for you to join us,
Ashley Hartford
FAQs
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Our winter/spring 2027 term is designed for children ages 8 to 13, approximately grades 3 through 6. Siblings plus or minus one grade (in 2nd or 7th grade) may be enrolled too.
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Classes will meet in Castle Rock, Colorado. We're currently finalizing our location for the winter/spring 2027 term and will share details with enrolled families as soon as plans are finalized.
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Not at all! Our classes are designed to welcome students with a variety of experience levels. Because writing is a more academic subject, more will be expected of older students. Whether your child is stepping onto the stage for the first time or already loves performing, our goal is to help every student develop confidence, creativity, and new skills.
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Yes! Each term ends with a special student showcase. This will include a musical theater performance. Students will have the option to perform or to help backstage during the performance. Student artwork and writing will also be on display at the showcase. This is a time to celebrate what students have learned and give them an opportunity to share their work with family and friends.
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While we would encourage every child to perform, even if they choose a non-speaking role, no child will be forced to perform if they do not want to. There are plenty of ways your child can participate in our end-of-term performance without singing and acting on stage!
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Absolutely! Every Friday, we'll conclude our morning with a community lunch from 12:00-12:30 PM. Parents, enrolled students, and non-enrolled siblings are invited to bring their lunches and join us for fellowship and friendship.
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Salt & Light is an independently operated Christian homeschool enrichment program. Our instruction is rooted in the historic Christian faith, and we welcome families from a variety of Christian traditions. You can read our Statement of Faith to learn more.
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Our winter/spring 2027 term will run January 15 to April 30, 2027. We will observe DCSD's spring break on March 19. We plan to meet on Good Friday, March 26, for a special Holy Week enrichment morning, with optional attendance for families observing that day. We will follow the Douglas County School District for closures due to inclement weather.
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Salt & Light Arts Academy is designed as a drop-off enrichment program! Parents are welcome to drop their children off at 9:00 AM and return at noon to pick their children up or join us for our optional community lunch.
We also love having parents involved! As our program grows, we may offer opportunities for parents to volunteer in the classroom and during the end-of-term showcase. However, volunteering is not a requirement for enrollment.
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Enrollment is for the entire morning! Our visual arts, literature and writing, and musical theater classes are designed to complement one another, creating a rich, integrated learning experience. Students will participate in all three classes, along with our opening Scripture and prayer time. The community lunch is optional, from 12:00 to 12:30 PM every Friday.
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We offer both pay-in-full and monthly payment options to make tuition more manageable for families!
Early Bird Tuition: $375 per student
Register by December 15, 2026, to receive our special Early Bird rate of $375 for the semester!Regular Tuition: $415 per student
Our regular semester tuition applies to registrations received after December 15, 2026.Flexible Payment Options
Families may choose to pay tuition in full at registration or take advantage of our payment plan, with just 20% due at registration and the remaining balance divided into three monthly payments.Sibling Discount
We also offer a 10% tuition discount for each additional child enrolled from the same family!All tuition options include our full Friday morning enrichment program, featuring visual arts, literature and writing, and theater. There is NO additional fee to participate in the end-of-term showcase.