This program is currently full. If you would like to be put on a waiting list, please email Mary at paradisefarmschool@gmail.com.
Paradise Farm Home Study Support Program
September 2020 – May 2021 (BEGINS SEPTEMBER 9th!)
Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to Noon(we MAY have enough participants to offer Tuesdays as well)
The Paradise Farm Home Study Support Program is a Parent/Child program to support families with children from infancy to age 14 who are learning at home. This includes homeschooling families, as well as those who are doing online schooling / remote learning. Children may attend with their parent, grandparent or other important adult in their life (each family needs to have one adult present.)
It is an outdoor program. There may be occasions when the group will use an indoor space, but the primary focus will be outdoor learning in all weather. Remember, any weather is good weather as long as you’re properly dressed!
The program is a parent co-op model. There will be ten families and two paid teachers. One teacher will lead the early childhood program each day, and one teacher will lead the grades program. Parents will be asked to take turns guiding groups in the grades program so activities can be tailored to grades 1-5 and grades 6-8, or doing other volunteer work to support the program.
The program for kids in grades 1-8 will spring from The Permaculture Student Homeschool Curriculum with Matt Powers, featuring gardening, cooking, food preservation and permaculture. Additional activities related to history, literature, handwork, nature journaling/ observation and games will be included, as well as a snack each session. Families do not need to purchase the curriculum – resources will be provided by Paradise Farm Education Program. Supplemental resources will be emailed to each family once per week to extend the learning at home, if you choose.
The early childhood program (kids ages two to kindergarten) will include animal feeding, nature walk, morning circle, snack, storytime, and free play/handwork for the parents. Parents who have children in both age groups will attend the early childhood program unless they are teaching in the older kids’ program for the day, or their older child needs their support. (If your little one wants to stay with you on days you are helping with the grade schoolers, that is just fine.)
The Paradise Farm Home Study Program Calendar:
Wednesday, September 9 - FIRST DAY OF CLASS. We will meet every Wednesday after, except --
Wednesday, November 25 – THANKSGIVING BREAK
Wednesday, December 23 – Wednesday, December 30 – WINTER BREAK
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 – SPRING BREAK
Our last day of class for the year will be Wednesday, May 26, 2021
PROGRAM COST
You may choose from one of three payment plans:
$750 per family, due by September 1, 2020
$410 due by September 1, 2020; and $410 due by January 1, 2020 (total $820 per family)
$92 per month from September through May, due by the 15th of each month (total $828 per family)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Do we have to sign up for the whole year?
Families will sign a contract to join the program for the entire year. If your family drops out or misses days, you will still be expected to pay the full tuition. This helps us to ensure that our teachers can be paid and the program is sustainable for the entire school year.
Do parents have to teach/lead a group?
The program is a parent co-op model. Please let us know if you have skills/ interests you would like to share with the kids. Parents who are not comfortable taking on a teaching/guiding role (or who only have children in the early childhood program) may volunteer in other ways to support the program, such as preparation of materials or set-up/clean-up. Volunteer commitment will be approximately one or two hours every month.
What kind of Covid-19 safety precautions will be in place?
The idea behind providing a primarily outdoor program is that physical distancing is easier and mask wearing is less necessary than in a confined, indoor environment. The goal is to provide a social environment that is not restricted or fear-based. For this reason, activities will be planned to naturally include physical distancing when possible. When the group is indoors, or for certain activities such as cooking, older kids and adults will be asked to wear masks. As the situation with Covid-19 continues to change, the teachers will keep the pulse and make changes when necessary. We will always accept input from parents, but the final decisions regarding safety protocols will be made by the Paradise Farm teachers and they will be communicated clearly.
Will there be any expectations of families outside of class?
You will be provided with additional resources each week, but you will not be required to do use them. They are optional.
Parents will be asked to join three parent evening meetings during the year (most likely on Zoom.) These meetings will be required.
Because we are creating a bubble of ten families, we will ask that families take their commitment to the safety and health of the group seriously. This will be discussed in our first of three parent evenings, during which we will make our group covenant together (this may include things like staying home if any member of the family is ill with Covid-like symptoms, or self-quarantining from class if the family has engaged in a risky activity, like attending a large gathering or a water park.)
What will we do when the weather is bad?
The plan is to be outdoors whenever possible, so participants need to be dressed for the weather. In the case of inclement weather, we will gather in the barn or house. During the coldest months, the living room of the farmstay suite in the house will be available for parents with infants to take short breaks from being outdoors (for changing, nursing, etc.) Some small group activities may also happen indoors, but for the most part we will plan to be outdoors.
Email Mary at paradisefarmschool@gmail.com.
Paradise Farm Home Study Support Program
September 2020 – May 2021 (BEGINS SEPTEMBER 9th!)
Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to Noon(we MAY have enough participants to offer Tuesdays as well)
The Paradise Farm Home Study Support Program is a Parent/Child program to support families with children from infancy to age 14 who are learning at home. This includes homeschooling families, as well as those who are doing online schooling / remote learning. Children may attend with their parent, grandparent or other important adult in their life (each family needs to have one adult present.)
It is an outdoor program. There may be occasions when the group will use an indoor space, but the primary focus will be outdoor learning in all weather. Remember, any weather is good weather as long as you’re properly dressed!
The program is a parent co-op model. There will be ten families and two paid teachers. One teacher will lead the early childhood program each day, and one teacher will lead the grades program. Parents will be asked to take turns guiding groups in the grades program so activities can be tailored to grades 1-5 and grades 6-8, or doing other volunteer work to support the program.
The program for kids in grades 1-8 will spring from The Permaculture Student Homeschool Curriculum with Matt Powers, featuring gardening, cooking, food preservation and permaculture. Additional activities related to history, literature, handwork, nature journaling/ observation and games will be included, as well as a snack each session. Families do not need to purchase the curriculum – resources will be provided by Paradise Farm Education Program. Supplemental resources will be emailed to each family once per week to extend the learning at home, if you choose.
The early childhood program (kids ages two to kindergarten) will include animal feeding, nature walk, morning circle, snack, storytime, and free play/handwork for the parents. Parents who have children in both age groups will attend the early childhood program unless they are teaching in the older kids’ program for the day, or their older child needs their support. (If your little one wants to stay with you on days you are helping with the grade schoolers, that is just fine.)
The Paradise Farm Home Study Program Calendar:
Wednesday, September 9 - FIRST DAY OF CLASS. We will meet every Wednesday after, except --
Wednesday, November 25 – THANKSGIVING BREAK
Wednesday, December 23 – Wednesday, December 30 – WINTER BREAK
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 – SPRING BREAK
Our last day of class for the year will be Wednesday, May 26, 2021
PROGRAM COST
You may choose from one of three payment plans:
$750 per family, due by September 1, 2020
$410 due by September 1, 2020; and $410 due by January 1, 2020 (total $820 per family)
$92 per month from September through May, due by the 15th of each month (total $828 per family)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Do we have to sign up for the whole year?
Families will sign a contract to join the program for the entire year. If your family drops out or misses days, you will still be expected to pay the full tuition. This helps us to ensure that our teachers can be paid and the program is sustainable for the entire school year.
Do parents have to teach/lead a group?
The program is a parent co-op model. Please let us know if you have skills/ interests you would like to share with the kids. Parents who are not comfortable taking on a teaching/guiding role (or who only have children in the early childhood program) may volunteer in other ways to support the program, such as preparation of materials or set-up/clean-up. Volunteer commitment will be approximately one or two hours every month.
What kind of Covid-19 safety precautions will be in place?
The idea behind providing a primarily outdoor program is that physical distancing is easier and mask wearing is less necessary than in a confined, indoor environment. The goal is to provide a social environment that is not restricted or fear-based. For this reason, activities will be planned to naturally include physical distancing when possible. When the group is indoors, or for certain activities such as cooking, older kids and adults will be asked to wear masks. As the situation with Covid-19 continues to change, the teachers will keep the pulse and make changes when necessary. We will always accept input from parents, but the final decisions regarding safety protocols will be made by the Paradise Farm teachers and they will be communicated clearly.
Will there be any expectations of families outside of class?
You will be provided with additional resources each week, but you will not be required to do use them. They are optional.
Parents will be asked to join three parent evening meetings during the year (most likely on Zoom.) These meetings will be required.
Because we are creating a bubble of ten families, we will ask that families take their commitment to the safety and health of the group seriously. This will be discussed in our first of three parent evenings, during which we will make our group covenant together (this may include things like staying home if any member of the family is ill with Covid-like symptoms, or self-quarantining from class if the family has engaged in a risky activity, like attending a large gathering or a water park.)
What will we do when the weather is bad?
The plan is to be outdoors whenever possible, so participants need to be dressed for the weather. In the case of inclement weather, we will gather in the barn or house. During the coldest months, the living room of the farmstay suite in the house will be available for parents with infants to take short breaks from being outdoors (for changing, nursing, etc.) Some small group activities may also happen indoors, but for the most part we will plan to be outdoors.
Email Mary at paradisefarmschool@gmail.com.
