Blog
Frequently Asked Questions
If you cannot find the answers you are looking for here, contact me via email at admin@dwanethomas.com.
I try to respond to all questions within 24 hours, unless you contact me on a Sunday. I do not work on Sundays.
Incidentally, I may have already answered your question in the Frequently Asked Questions below.
Do you provide grades in the Online Classes?
How do I Update My Credit Card Information?
How do I Update or Cancel My Subscription?
Why am I Being Charged During the Summer?
How do I add sub-accounts for each of my children?
As a Student, Can I just Watch the Previous Classes?
Should I Read Henle Latin or Lingua Latina?
Latest Blog Posts
When Do Classes Begin?
On this site, classes always start after Labor Day (early September). Classes usually end in mid to late May. The current schedule is here: https://dwanethomas.com/schedule/. As always, all subscriptions are FAMILY subscriptions. EVERYONE in the family is welcome...
What Breaks do You take During the School Year?
During the Fall semester, will take one week off for Fall Break, one week off for Thanksgiving and two weeks off for Christmas. During the Spring semester, we will take one week off for Spring Break. I’ve taught the series for years, guiding my students...
As a Student, can I just watch the previous classes?
Absolutely. Many of my students actually prefer to watch classes later. This gives them a chance to move at their own speed. Several students have even joined classes late and then, watching at their own pace, have caught up with and joined more advanced classes. ...
Tip of the Week #333: Henle Latin is Back
After several years, I'm bringing Henle Latin back to the site! This Fall, we will work our way through First Year Latin by Robert Henle. Starting in September, we’ll meet Mondays through Thursdays from 10:00 to 10:30 AM Central Time Zone. If you can't make it to...
LEGO Tip of the Week: Take Vulcan on Vacation
We meet so many of you driving through Birmingham on your way home from the beach. Here’s something fun for your next trip: Did you know Vulcan is the official symbol of Birmingham? He’s the Roman god of the forge—and the world’s largest cast iron statue! At Bricks...
LEGO Tip of the Week: 🛠️ Miss a LEGO Tip? Catch Up Here
I’ve been collecting all the LEGO Tips of the Week in one place! Since our official website (https://bricksandminifigs.com/vestaviahills-al/) doesn’t allow a blog, I’m keeping a growing archive of tips here instead: 👉 https://dwanethomas.com/lego/ Whether you're a...
Tip of the Week #332: What the French Revolution Taught me About Politics
What the French Revolution Taught Me About Politics In French class, we just finished reading about the French Revolution and the rise and fall of Napoleon. It struck me, while reading these stories, that people spent much of their time grasping for power—only to end...
Tip of the Week # 331: Want to Level Up in a Language? Try Comic Books!
📘 Want to Level Up in a Language? Try Comic Books! I loved reading comic books as a kid. Then I grew up and stopped reading comics. Now I’m reading them again—this time in French, Spanish, and German. Comic books are a great way to enjoy language learning. You get...
LEGO Tip of the Week #15: Easy Way to Clean Your Bricks
Over time, LEGO bricks can get dusty, sticky, or grimy—especially if little hands or pets are involved. Here’s a simple way to clean them without damaging your collection: The Soak & Swish Method 1. Fill a large bowl or tub with warm water and a few drops of mild...
Possessions are problematic
I have been reading (again) Early Retirement Extreme: A philosophical and practical guide to financial independence. This is the most hardcore guide to frugality I’ve ever read — like a Special Forces field manual for cutting expenses. In the section “A Renaissance...
How do I add sub-accounts for each of my children?
Have multiple children? To give each their own account and track progress separately, just follow these steps: After signing in to your account, click on the Members menu and go to Account Info. Next, click on the subscriptions link. On the subscriptions page, you...
How Do I Update my Credit Card Information?
Go to the Members menu and choose Account Info. After that, click on the Subscriptions link on the resulting page, and you'll see a screen like this...Click the Update link circled in yellow above, and you'll end up a screen like the one below where you can input new...
Tip of the Week # 330: The One Tip That’ll Save You Time with Furniture
🛠 Tip of the Week: Hide It Where You’ll Need It Here’s a tip I wish I’d started using years ago: When you assemble furniture, tape the spare parts and instructions to the underside. Instead of tossing the bag of screws in a junk drawer or losing the instructions in a...
LEGO Tip of the Week #14: I Just Discovered this LEGO Building Trick
If you’ve ever tried to build a large LEGO scene—like a castle with a river or a town with rolling hills—you know how quickly things get wobbly, uneven, or hard to move around. That’s why I was excited when a Bricks and Minifigs customer introduced me to something...
Tip of the Week #329: Tired of Forgetting Things? Try This
Tip of the Week: A Simple To-Do List that Works I’ve tried dozens of digital to-do lists. Most are too complicated.This week, though, I found something simple and useful: To-do Tab. To-do Tab is a free extension for Chrome. Install it, and every time you open a new...
LEGO Tip of the Week #13: Organize Your LEGO Search with Brick Manager
Organize Your LEGO Search with Brick Manager I hope you all had a happy Saturday! One of the things I love most about Bricks & Minifigs Vestavia Hills is getting to chat with all of you. You’re always sharing great LEGO tips, and I always learn something new! Just...
Tip of the Week #328: How to Master Your Time using the Eisenhower Matrix
President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” That insight became the basis for the Eisenhower Matrix, a simple but powerful tool to help you prioritize effectively: Urgent & Important – Do...
LEGO Tip of the Week #12: Build More with What You Have!
If you love customizing your LEGO builds or are looking for fresh project ideas, check out Rebrickable. Rebrickable is an incredible site with thousands of fan-made LEGO instructions. You can also upload your own collections and discover creative new ways to...
Tip of the Week #327: How to Pack Light
Not long ago, I took a group of students to Europe. To pack for the trip, I used the following checklist: Rick Steves Packing List (PDF) I recommend packing light. Resist the urge to take it all with you. If you get to your destination, and realize you are...
LEGO Tip of the Week #11: How to Apply LEGO Stickers Like a Pro
Did you know you could use brick separators to apply stickers? When applying LEGO stickers, use the brick separator’s thin edge to hold and guide the sticker into place. This gives you better control than using fingers and helps avoid fingerprints, bubbles, or crooked...
