Paradise Farm School Year Parent-Child Programs
The School Year Program is full. Early Childhood March and Spring session sign ups will be available in January.
For the 2024-25 school year, we will have two types of offerings for families on Wednesday mornings. Both are for parents and their children. The two groups will join together for snack and other activities, as determined by the farm teachers.
Families with children ages 4 and under should sign up for either the full program OR the shorter sessions, not both. Families who have children older than age 4 should sign up for the full year option.
Option #1: Full Year Program -
September 4, 2024 - May 21, 2025
Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. - Noon
with the following days off during the year:
11/27/23- Thanksgiving Break
12/25/24 & 1/1/25 Holiday Break
2/12/25 Winter Break
The full year program tuition is $1000 per family for the year. This includes all of the children in one family, 8th grade and younger.
The full year program will be comprised of an early childhood group and a grades group. See the program descriptions below for each age group. Parents will be expected to participate along with their child(ren).
Option #2: Early Childhood Seasonal Sessions (for parents and their children ages 4 and under). Register for as many as you like!
Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. - noon
Fall 2024: 9/18 - 11/6 - 8 weeks; $240
Late fall 2024: 11/13 - 12/18 (NO class 11/27) - 5 weeks; $150
NO SHORT SESSIONS JAN or FEB
March 2025: 3/5 - 3/26 - 4 weeks; $120 (Registration will open in January 2025)
Spring 2025: 4/2 - 5/21 - 8 weeks; $240 (Registration will open in January 2025)
General Information about our Farm Programs during the 2024-25 School Year
The Paradise Farm programs are parent/child programs to support families with children from infancy to 8th grade. 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.) The teachers at Paradise Farm are guides; parents are responsible for their own children while at the farm.
It is an outdoor program. There may be rare occasions when a 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!
Program descriptions for each age group
The program for kids in grades 1-8 will spring from farm life, featuring chores, gardening, cooking and permaculture. Additional activities related to history, literature, crafts, nature journaling/ observation and games will be included, as well as a snack each session.
The early childhood program (for the Seasonal Sessions as well as the full year group) will include a variety of age-appropriate activities, such as animal feeding or other simple farm chores, nature walk, morning circle, snack, storytime, and free play for the children as well as handwork for the parents. During the months of January and February, the early childhood group will consist of a casual playtime at the farm. The group will do animal feeding and a morning walk together, but no other organized activities will be planned. Parents who have children in both the EC group and the grades group will accompany their youngest child each morning.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Do we have to sign up for the whole year?
Full year program 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. In the case of a family dropping out of the program on or before January 1st, 2025, an attempt will be made to fill the spot with a family on the waiting list. If this is the case, the family that is leaving will be reimbursed for the second semester. There is no guarantee that this will happen, however, so you should assume you are paying for the entire year.
Families enrolling for Seasonal Sessions will pay for each session when they register. There is no credit given for days missed. Canceled enrollment prior to 14 days before a session begins will be refunded. No refunds will be given if canceled within 14 days of the start of a session.
What are the payment plan options for the full year program?
You may choose from one of two payment plans:
Will there be any expectations of families outside of class?
New parents in the full year program will be asked to join one parent evening meeting at the beginning of the year (most likely on Zoom.) This meeting will be required. If there is a need for other meetings throughout the year, we will let you know.
There are no expectations outside of class for families in the Seasonal Sessions.
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 sudden inclement weather, we will gather in the barn or house. During January and February, 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. If there is extreme weather in the forecast (extreme wind chills or poor driving conditions, for example), we may cancel for the day. After one bad weather day, any canceled days throughout the year will either be refunded or made up at the end of the school year, determined and communicated by the director.
Email Mary with questions at [email protected].
The School Year Program is full. Early Childhood March and Spring session sign ups will be available in January.
For the 2024-25 school year, we will have two types of offerings for families on Wednesday mornings. Both are for parents and their children. The two groups will join together for snack and other activities, as determined by the farm teachers.
Families with children ages 4 and under should sign up for either the full program OR the shorter sessions, not both. Families who have children older than age 4 should sign up for the full year option.
Option #1: Full Year Program -
September 4, 2024 - May 21, 2025
Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. - Noon
with the following days off during the year:
11/27/23- Thanksgiving Break
12/25/24 & 1/1/25 Holiday Break
2/12/25 Winter Break
The full year program tuition is $1000 per family for the year. This includes all of the children in one family, 8th grade and younger.
The full year program will be comprised of an early childhood group and a grades group. See the program descriptions below for each age group. Parents will be expected to participate along with their child(ren).
Option #2: Early Childhood Seasonal Sessions (for parents and their children ages 4 and under). Register for as many as you like!
Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. - noon
Fall 2024: 9/18 - 11/6 - 8 weeks; $240
Late fall 2024: 11/13 - 12/18 (NO class 11/27) - 5 weeks; $150
NO SHORT SESSIONS JAN or FEB
March 2025: 3/5 - 3/26 - 4 weeks; $120 (Registration will open in January 2025)
Spring 2025: 4/2 - 5/21 - 8 weeks; $240 (Registration will open in January 2025)
General Information about our Farm Programs during the 2024-25 School Year
The Paradise Farm programs are parent/child programs to support families with children from infancy to 8th grade. 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.) The teachers at Paradise Farm are guides; parents are responsible for their own children while at the farm.
It is an outdoor program. There may be rare occasions when a 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!
Program descriptions for each age group
The program for kids in grades 1-8 will spring from farm life, featuring chores, gardening, cooking and permaculture. Additional activities related to history, literature, crafts, nature journaling/ observation and games will be included, as well as a snack each session.
The early childhood program (for the Seasonal Sessions as well as the full year group) will include a variety of age-appropriate activities, such as animal feeding or other simple farm chores, nature walk, morning circle, snack, storytime, and free play for the children as well as handwork for the parents. During the months of January and February, the early childhood group will consist of a casual playtime at the farm. The group will do animal feeding and a morning walk together, but no other organized activities will be planned. Parents who have children in both the EC group and the grades group will accompany their youngest child each morning.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Do we have to sign up for the whole year?
Full year program 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. In the case of a family dropping out of the program on or before January 1st, 2025, an attempt will be made to fill the spot with a family on the waiting list. If this is the case, the family that is leaving will be reimbursed for the second semester. There is no guarantee that this will happen, however, so you should assume you are paying for the entire year.
Families enrolling for Seasonal Sessions will pay for each session when they register. There is no credit given for days missed. Canceled enrollment prior to 14 days before a session begins will be refunded. No refunds will be given if canceled within 14 days of the start of a session.
What are the payment plan options for the full year program?
You may choose from one of two payment plans:
- Non-refundable deposit of $50 due by August 15th. The entire remaining amount per family due by September 4, 2023.
- Non-refundable deposit of $50 due by August 15th. Half of the remainder due by September 4, 2023 and half due by January 8, 2025 (a $50 financing fee will be added for this payment plan.)
Will there be any expectations of families outside of class?
New parents in the full year program will be asked to join one parent evening meeting at the beginning of the year (most likely on Zoom.) This meeting will be required. If there is a need for other meetings throughout the year, we will let you know.
There are no expectations outside of class for families in the Seasonal Sessions.
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 sudden inclement weather, we will gather in the barn or house. During January and February, 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. If there is extreme weather in the forecast (extreme wind chills or poor driving conditions, for example), we may cancel for the day. After one bad weather day, any canceled days throughout the year will either be refunded or made up at the end of the school year, determined and communicated by the director.
Email Mary with questions at [email protected].