Welcome to Bandusia Tutorials, an online tutorial service that offers rigorous courses in writing and literature to homeschoolers. Classes take place in online conference sessions, and students receive feedback from the tutor on weekly homework assignments. Please use the menu at the left to learn more about the classes and the tutor, Elena Valle, a former homeschooler herself. If you have any questions after exploring the website, feel free to contact Elena at epicharis [at] gmail [dot] com.
Course Offered in the 2010-2011 School Year:
| Title | Grade Level | Class Time |
| Expository Writing | Junior
High/Early High School | Monday, 1:00-3:00 p.m. |
All class times are Central Standard Time.
Bandusia Tutorials Calendar for 2010-2011:
August 1, 2010: Registration and First Semester Tuition Deadline
September 13, 2010: First Semester Begins
November 29, 2010: Thanksgiving Break (Monday after Thanksgiving)
December 15, 2010: Second Semester Tuition Deadline
December 20 & 27, 2010: Christmas Break
January 3, 2011: Second Semester Begins
TBA: Spring Break
May 30, 2011: Last Week of Classes
Courses Offered in the 2009-2010 School Year:
| Title | Grade Level | Class Time |
| Expository Writing | Junior High/Early High School | Monday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. |
| Nineteenth-Century British Literature | High School (Honors) | Monday, 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
All class times are Central Standard Time.
Bandusia Tutorials Calendar for 2009-2010:
August 1, 2009: Registration and First Semester Tuition Deadline
September 14, 2009: First Semester Begins
November 30, 2009: Thanksgiving Break (Monday after Thanksgiving)
December 15, 2009: Second Semester Tuition Deadline
December 21 & 28, 2009: Christmas Break
January 4, 2010: Second Semester Begins
April 5, 2010: Spring Break (Monday after Easter)
May 24, 2010: Last Week of Classes
What People Say About Bandusia Tutorials:
I have known Elena for ten years, first meeting her as a young teenager. When Elena was fourteen, she opened her own dance school for her fellow homeschooled children. After dragging my children, all boys, to their first dance lessons, her warm and gentle way of motivating them earned their lasting devotion. My children were delighted when she began to offer writing classes for homeschooled children during her summer breaks from college. I was also thrilled because I knew that my children would happily do for her what they would not do for me. My children’s writing skills have improved, and they have been willing to spend hours every day to complete the work she has assigned to them. They marvel that she is able to quietly and respectfully point to areas where other students need to improve, but do not notice she is doing the same to them. Not only does Elena have an effective and gracious teaching style, she is also organized and efficient. I cannot recommend her too strongly.
--Anne, homeschooling parent
When my mom first signed me up for this Great Books course, I wasn't very thrilled. It didn't seem like something I was interested in at all. But being taught by someone who is so excited about what she is teaching made all the difference. Miss Valle made the classes interesting, and I learned so much about history, literature and writing papers. I highly recommend her courses!
--K. James, homeschooling student
Expository Writing was a good class that helped give me a solid foundation in writing. The exercises at the beginning of the year were great for laying down some of the basics that would be used later on in the course when writing the larger papers. I would recommend this class to anyone who is interested in acquiring a solid foundation in writing.
--homeschooling student
Elena Valle is not only a stunning writer but a gifted and caring teacher. Elena has broad and extensive experience as a writer and editor; she is perceptive, encouraging, insightful. She’s extraordinarily knowledgeable about literature and the creative process. I highly recommend her as a teacher.
--Heather Sellers, Professor of English, Hope College
Where Does the Name “Bandusia Tutorials” Come From?
Bandusia Tutorials is named after the Fountain of Bandusia, which the poet Horace wrote about in the first century B.C. This fountain is a small waterfall on the ancient grounds of Horace's Sabine farm, near the village of Licenza, Italy. Horace wrote in one of his poems that the Fountain of Bandusia would become famous because of his words--and it did: two thousand years later, people all over the world are still transported to those waters through poetry. And if you happen to be in Rome and are looking for a literary adventure, you can find your way through the Italian countryside to the ruins of Horace's home and the Fountain of Bandusia itself.
The Fountain of Bandusia on the Sabine Farm
Part of the Ruins of Horace's Sabine Farm near Licenza, Italy