Is this a drop-off program?

Yes. We have no service or volunteer requirements for parents. We know you’re busy!

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 Are there any discounts?    

Yes! We offer a multi-sibling discount of 10% for the second and subsequent children as well as a discount if you enroll in both programs.  

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Is there homework for the days at home?

On your days at home, please use whatever curricula you wish. We will share what we did in class and sometimes make recommendations for activities to do in your off days to enhance the school experience, but none of this should significantly impact your curricula choices.

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Are you affiliated with AmblesideOnline.org?

No, but they are great! In fact, if you have not chosen a curriculum yet, we highly recommend looking into this program!  Both our cottage school and forest school does pull some resources from their curriculum and a number of families in our program use it.

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Is this a religious school?

We are a Christian school. While we do not require that participating families are Christian, please know your child will be exposed to Christian teachings.  Our cottage school will be using both Christian and secular curriculums and will be teaching from a Christian perspective.  You are always welcome to contact us if you are interested in learning the specific curriculums we are using.  Our forest school does not follow a specific curriculum and your child will not be forced to participate in prayer.  All comments will be respected with politeness and dignity, but only those consistent with a Christian worldview will be endorsed as truth. 

 

The reason we point this out is in no way to discourage families of diverse opinions from enrolling their students, but out of respect for those opinions. If it is important to you as a parent that the meta-narrative endorsed by your child’s educators be consistent with your own, we want you to know what we are all about upfront so as not to offend later.  I know the deep frustration of the potential conflict you may be facing if you strongly oppose some of the aspects of our school but love others. However, we simply can’t be all things to all people. If you are interested in other part-time schools or learning centers, please check out our list at the bottom of this page. If we’re not the right fit for your family, I sincerely hope you will find a program that is.

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What is your stance on biological origins?

Although we are a Christian program, we do not take an organizational stand on biological origins.  With being in nature, topics will come up about dating fossils and more, and we will teach from a view of scientific inquiry instead of a specific stand.  Feel free to always talk to the director if you have any questions or concerns about this topic!

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What happens when the students are exposed to reproductive terminology?

While human reproduction is not a part of our program, plant and animal reproduction topics and terms may come up.  Our organization does not plan lessons based on them, but what we experience out in Creation may bring it into focus.  Scientific terms will be used when it comes to studying parts of a flower, gender identification of species, etc.  Feel free to always talk to the director if you have any questions or concerns about this topic!

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Can you accommodate special needs?

We realize that some of you homeschool because your child has special needs or behavior issues that a traditional school may not support. Please keep in mind that despite our absolute best wishes for your child, we simply do not have the resources to accommodate certain issues.

 

For the forest school program, physically, students will be asked to participate in P.E. and nature walks. Classes are outdoors, pending severe weather. 

 

In terms of mental-related or behavior issues, we simply do not have the staff or training to accommodate moderate or severe issues. To participate in this program, your child will need to be able to be away from a parent the length of the school day. The ability to learn to participate in a group, be respectful of others, and work independently will be necessary for them to succeed in this program. If you believe this would be problematic for your child, this may not be the program for you, and for that, we are truly sorry. We hope you check out our FAQ on other programs to see if another program will be a better fit.

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What Do the Tuition and Fees Go Towards?

In a traditional homeschool co-op, the parents cooperate by volunteering to teach a class and to stay on-site to help with other tasks. However, for various reasons, this time commitment is not possible for some families. In this program, the parents pool their money (instead of time) to cover fees.  Registration fees cover insurance, background checks, and administrative supplies.  Supply fees cover shirts, art supplies, binoculars and other equipment, curriculum and books, etc.  Tuition covers building rental and to pay our teachers.  We do everything we can to keep costs low without reducing quality. Our prices are comparable to other drop-off programs in the St. Louis area.

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Are there other programs available to homeschoolers if this isn’t a fit for us?

Yes! We won’t pretend this is a comprehensive list, but here are other programs you might like. If you know of a program that isn’t listed here, please share it with us and we’ll add it to the list. We have focused on programs that are somewhat similar to ours in the sense that teachers are paid and students can be dropped off. This is in contrast to traditional co-ops, in which parents share the responsibility of teaching or otherwise serving, and class costs are minimal. However, there are lots of co-ops out there, so ask around in your area to see if there are any near you!

• Homelink (South County). SHARE’s Homelink offers classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, although classes are for a single day. They have a lot of offerings geared towards middle and high school, but also have great elementary options as well as a new Pre-K class! They offer a variety of academic, elective, arts, and foreign language classes, and you can choose which classes and how many to enroll your child in. ​ 

• Open Doors Education (Creve Coeur). For those looking for a friendly, Christian environment in which their children can learn, Open Doors has a two day a week program, currently for children in 2nd – 7th grade (may expand in the future) Children learn math, writing, science, social studies, art and lego engineering. A small amount of work is assigned for two extra days at home. Taught by an experienced teacher in a beautiful Creve Coeur location, and with lots of outdoor play built in, this is a flexible program for homeschoolers. Students can also attend for just one day or just one subject, though most partake in the entire program. Our desire is to support families and their unique learners, and parents are very involved in decision-making. Contact Ali Grimshaw (aligrimshaw808@gmail.com) for more information.

• Dayspring School of the Arts (Maryland Heights). While Dayspring was started by a group of artists 20 years ago and is known for their performing and fine arts programs, they offer much more. They offer a two-day-a-week academic program (three days for older students), and it goes from pre-k through high school. They also offer a homeschool enrichment day on Fridays for pre-k through about 6th grade. The enrichment days offer a great selection of academics, foreign language, engineering, and arts. You get to pick which classes, and how many. They also offer great multi-class and multi-sibling discounts. 

• The Montessori Workplace (St. Louis): I love Montessori!! Here’s a blurb from the site: “The Montessori Workplace was born from a homeschooling mother’s desire to have a well-equipped workspace left undisturbed by the busyness of life.  By God’s grace, this desire has taken shape and become a workplace to share.  It is a place where families can work together or children can come and claim ownership of something uniquely their own- their work, their space- without the demands and all-encompassing schedule of full-time school.”

• The Pillar Foundation (Ellisville). The Pillar Foundation was founded by Michael and Sharon Cordner, two awesome people I met through ministry work and who had dinner with me in the hopes of talking me into homeschooling (which they did!). Classes at Pillar are taught by extremely qualified people, and are mostly FREE! There are a variety of subjects taught, but Pillar is well-known for its government and worldview courses. Classes are for high school students and adults.

• Eagle Learning Center (Ellisville). They meet on Mondays. Here is their description: “Students may enroll in any number of classes, from one up to a full day. Elementary Grades offer Art, Music, Geography, Science, Spanish, Theater, Writing, Latin & Lego Lab. Middle & High School offers Art, Music, Classical Geography, Composition, Humanities, Latin, Public Speaking, Apologia Science — General Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry & Physics, War of World Views, ACT Prep, Spanish & Theater.“

• The Waldorf School of St. Louis. I have no first-hand knowledge of this school, but there are a lot of things about Waldorf that I love and that have inspired our own school. Here is a blurb from their site: “The Waldorf School of St. Louis offers a progressive curriculum that successfully integrates arts and academics to cultivate a genuine enthusiasm for learning. Our unique approach to education corresponds to stages of child development by focusing not only on what children learn, but how they learn.” This school offers a five-day-a-week program, but also a homeschool enrichment program for children entering 1st-8th grade.

• Chesterfield Presbyterian Homeschool Network (Chesterfield). The HSN is another learning center with a variety of really great classes for students in K-8, although it looks like they also have some high school classes as well. This program is promoted through the West County Christian Home Educators (WCCHE), and looks like if offers full-day as well as partial-day options. Here is a blurb from their site: “The Homeschool Network offers a day of core and non-core classes for children in grades K-8 on Thursdays during the school year. Two semesters, Fall and Winter, provide a meaningful supplement and addition to the homeschool family’s individual program.”

• Victory Christian Academy (Arnold). Victory is a Christian school, but offers classes individually for homeschoolers. Here’s a blurb from their site: “Victory Christian Academy is offering options for home school students 1st-8th grades for the upcoming school year. Core subjects Math, Science, English, and History will be made available in the mornings and will be taught 5 days a week. Parents can enroll their home school student in 2, 3 or 4 classes. These classes are $650.00/per class/per year, plus registration fee. Home school students may also choose to participate in the sports programs offered at Victory.”

• St. John Paul II Prepatory School (St. Charles and South County). JPII is a Catholic classical homeschool hybrid program where you attend 3 days in class and 2 days at home continuing the curriculum.  Their new south county campus will be sharing our building!  "St. John Paul II Preparatory School provides students with excellence in education, both academically and spiritually, to prepare them to become faith-filled leaders who will live and defend the Catholic faith with confidence and joy."