Programs and Activities

We offer three 8-week class sessions: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each student enrolls in two classes per session. Each class meets for one hour each week. Classes are developed for one of four age brackets, which we refer to by color. Students can choose classes for their age bracket or younger. We also have some classes designed for multiple age groups. 

DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES

Our program development process begins in Spring with student input. Students provide feedback on which classes they have liked most in the past and what topics or skills they would like to see offered in the following year.

The adults then work together to create a program of classes for each of our four age-groups: approximately 5-7, 8-10, 11-12, and 13+.  Children below 5 play and are cared for in Rainbow Room.

TEACHING & ASSISTING

Adults propose classes based on the student input and their own interests, skills, and knowledge. Teaching responsibilities are shared equally among families--usually each family needs to teach 2-3 classes. 

Adults who are not teaching are assigned as assistants so that no teacher is left on their own. Assistants may be asked to help manage materials, assist with individual student needs, or work with a small group. 

EXAMPLES OF CLASSES

Classes last year included:

Yellow Group (5-7): Hand-sewing, the Solar System, Cooking, Patterns in Nature (art), and Around the World in 8 Weeks

Blue Group (8-10): Spanish, Yoga, Magic School Bus, Mythical Creatures, and Survival Skills

Green Group (11-12): Pickwick Club (writing), British History, Art & Design, Birds, and Writing & Illustrating Picture Books

Orange Group (13+): Behavior Analysis, Family History, Literature Study of 1984, Non-traditional Map-Making, and Yearbook

Multi-age: Engineering, Chess (a wildly popular class led by one of the teens with his parent's supervision), Songs with Sign Language

Co-op days begin at our meeting place and end with an afternoon at the park in good weather.

9:30 AM Arrival and set up

9:45 AM Morning Meeting (whole group)

10:00 AM First Period Class

11:00 AM Mid-Morning Meeting (whole group)

11:15 AM Second Period Class

12:15 PM Third Meeting (whole group)

12:20 PM Lunch, followed by clean up

1:00 PM Park Day (rotating schedule of parks) in good weather, which has no official end time

OR

1:00 PM Indoor activity such as board games or ice skating in cold or inclement weather

2:30 PM Indoor activities wrap up, clean up 

3:00 PM Indoor afternoon ends

We rotate parks to keep things fresh and fun for the kids, take advantage of different amenities, and share the burden of driving further distances for families coming from different directions. We publicize the parks in local homeschooling groups and on our Facebook page and invite any homeschoolers to join us! It's a great way to meet the adults and kids in the group.

Some parks in our rotation include:

Mendon - Memorial Park

Marlborough - Ward and Ghiloni Parks

Littleton - Castle in the Trees

Northborough - Ellsworth McAfee

Southborough - Fayville Park

We have a scheduled educational field trip once a month from September through June. Some field trips are paid, others are free but may incur parking fees. Card to Culture and Museum Passes help put field trips within reach. Attending field trips is optional but encouraged.

Past field trips have included:

The New Bedford Whaling Museum (New Bedford)

The Black Heritage Trail (Boston, MA)

New England Falconry (Hadley, MA)

Lowell Mills National Historical Park (Lowell, MA)

The Museum of Work and Culture (Woonsocket, RI)

New England Aquarium (Boston, MA)

Worcester Historical Society (Worcester, MA)

Ecotarium (Worcester, MA)

Minute Man National Historical Park (Concord, MA)

Biomes Marine Biology Center (North Kingstown, RI)

Our main annual camping trip takes place in June and lasts for a week. Families come for the entire time or part of the time. We camp within driving distance to facilitate visits from spouses and families who can't attend. For the past few years we've been camping at Bear Brook State Park in New Hampshire.

A second annual trip takes place at the end of summer. For the past few years this has been an ocean-adjacent location, close enough for day or overnight visitors. We've camped at Salisbury Beach State Reservation and Nickerson State Parks. 

In the past, the group has ventured as far north as Acadia National Park in Maine for a late-summer excursion.

Finally, we embarked on an educational trip to Washington, D.C. in Spring of 2023 and had an amazing experience. We found this trip to be well worth the effort it took to plan. Our next destination is currently in the early planning phase.