Traditions of Wisdom Homeschooling Program

This spring, the “Traditions of Wisdom Homeschool Program” will be reading the story of Alice in Wonderland. We have a fascinating lineup of lessons inspired by Lewis Carrol. These include learning the order in nature, starting with Fibonacci's number and the golden ratio. We will also be playing with numbers, and fiddling with "sense" and "nonsense" in language (what are appropriate morals for a story, puns, and language games). For the older ones, we additionally will be learning about logic, which is essential in thinking and writing clearly! It is a little bit philosophical and very fun, and I think will be indispensible for them in the future. We also will be preparing a Maypole and will learn some Maypole dances to share with you for our celebration at the end of the session.

Thursdays will be a practical series on gardening in addition to spring songs and reading The Wind in the Willows.

Kate Meyer’s CV:

University of Notre Dame, 2020 (I studied Romance Languages - Spanish and French, mainly - Great Books, and a little bit of agriculture.)

Teacher assistant at The Windward School of Manhattan in New York, 2020-2022 (I taught English, History, and music to middle schoolers with language-learning disabilities like dyslexia.)

Apprentice on the Sow’s Ear Farm in Ohio with Shawn & Beth Dougherty, 2022-2023 (This is where I learned to farm ecologically and began to think about its impact on our being.)

Spanish Teacher at Prairie Hill Waldorf School, 2023-2024 (Taught Spanish to grades 1-8. I made lots of friends here and dove deep into Waldorf methods of teaching.)

Farmer at Farmwise / Cook and Homemaker, 2024-2025 (I started helping Bente with her programs during the summer of 2024, then brought my cow in September, and have been learning how she conducts the homeschool coop this year. I also have been a homemaker and cook in Brookfield for a non-profit.)

Have lived: In Brookfield, Chicago, California, Paris, and Spain (In Jaén when I was one and thirteen, and in Toledo when I was 21).

Calendar of the year:

Previously, the homeschooling program has only been on Fridays. This year, I will offer both Thursdays and Fridays. Thursdays will have a more practical lesson in the afternoon and Fridays will be more similar to what we’ve done before. They will be independent of each other (you don’t have to do Fridays in order to do Thursdays, and vice-versa), but probably complementary. You could do both or just one. Currently, our “events” for the parents are planned on Fridays, but if there is a cohort of parents who are only coming on Thursdays, we can plan something for them, as well.

(I will be out of town the beginning of January, which is why the winter program doesn’t start until January 29.)

Thursdays: 9:30-3:30

If this group is fewer than 6 children, we will do animal chores together, make lunch together, and then have an afternoon lesson consisting of songs, a practical lesson (see examples below) and a story. If more, we will have another adult and split up the chores/cooking as we have done this past year.

Fridays: 9:30-3:30

Mornings, children will alternate weekly between doing outdoor animal chores and cooking lunch. Afternoon lesson consisting of jump rope, Spanish, singing, a lesson (see below), math, a story, and an artistic element.

4 Sessions of 8 weeks each:

Session 1

Th: August 28 - October 16

F: August 29 - October 17

Session 2

Th: October 23 - December 18

(Thanksgiving off)

F: October 24 - December 19

(Friday after Thanksgiving off)

Session 3

Th: January 29 - March 19

(March 26 reserved as makeup for snow day)

(April 2 off for Easter)

F: January 30 - March 20

(March 27 reserved as makeup for snow day)

(April 3 off for Easter)

Session 4

Th: April 9 - May 28

(June 4 reserved as makeup for snow day)

F: April 10 - May 29

(June 5 reserved as makeup for snow day)

Community and Celebration:

Session 1

October 16, 3:30pm

Tea with parents to discuss educating children: sharing tips, hopes and getting to know each other

Session 2

December 19, 2:30pm

Advent Spiral Reflection and showcase

Session 3

January 30, 3:30pm &

March 19, 3:30pm

Tea with parents

Session 4

Friday, May 29 (June 5 if snow day), 2:30pm

Maypole celebration and showcase

* Parents, if you would like to help with any of these events, please let me know which ones they are and we can form a committee of sorts.

Price:

$800/block/child

If paid in full one month in advance, $720/block/child.

Paying secures the spot of your child.

Curriculum: (Waldorf, culture, and Bente-inspired)

Session 1:

Thursday:

Harvest

Braid garlic and onion

Canning pears, other fruit and nut harvests on farm

Making sauerkraut (the science of fermentation)

Making cheese (the science of bacteria)

Yogurt and kefir (understanding different ferments and their tastes)

Making butter (more milk magic)

Story: Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Friday:

Latin: What is beauty?

Lesson - Solfege musical scale

Illuminated manuscripts with stories

Latin roots in English language

Songs - Gregorian chant learned in solfege, Llibre Vermell de Montserrat

Stories - Medieval saint stories, Fairy Tales, King Arthur and the Round Table, Robin Hood, or Canterbury Tales

For older ones: identifying Latin roots, creating an illuminated manuscript of the solfege scale

For middle ones: created an illuminated manuscript of a letter based on stories

Session 2:

Thursday:

Home materials

Basket weaving (and history)

Making lotion

Making soap

Dipping candles (the science of bees)

Home decorations from natural materials

Garlands for winter holidays

Grapevine wreaths

Wrapping gifts

Story: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Friday:

Greek: What is a hero?

Lesson - Constellations and legends of the

stars - making a constellation book

Greek roots in the English language

Introducing harmony

Songs - Seikilos tune, Songs about the stars

Story - The Odyssey (the hero’s trajectory)

For older ones: identifying Greek roots, oration

For middle ones: creating a book of the constellations

Session 3:

Thursday:

Fiber arts

Embroidery

Sewing a button

Making a patch

Sewing hems

Darning socks

Crochet/Knitting

Story: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe series by C.S. Lewis

Friday:

Ireland: What is symmetry?

Lesson - Form Drawing, Celtic Knots

Introducing musical beats, dances

Songs - Irish Folk Songs

Story - Celtic Fairy Tales

For older ones: diagramming sentences

For middle ones: illustrations of stories, form drawing, celtic knots

Session 4:

Thursday:

Depending on the age of the group, either:

Woodworking

Carving a wooden spoon

Gardening: Principles of Ecological Gardening

Begin the garden at the farm and learn about the following:

Soil

Companion plants

Strong plants

Transplanting

Water

Sun

Harvest

Bugs in the garden

Story: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Friday:

English: What is order?

Lesson - Older: Logic (Laws of Thought)

Younger: Math (counting)

Botany

Songs - English songs that play on order

Story - Alice in Wonderland

For older: Logic games, learning to compose reasonable and persuasive paragraphs

For middle: drawings of botany and life cycles, to learn order in nature; counting

Registration form:

If you have not already done so for a previous farm school session, fill out this google form.

Snow day policy:

If a farm program is cancelled for weather, a makeup day will be offered on a given placeholder day (usually the week preceding the last date for that session).

Sick policy:

Children are expected to stay home if they have experienced a fever or vomiting within 24 hours of the start of the program. For other cases of communicable illness, the parent of the child can email the group, describing their situation and asking for the go-ahead of all the parents before bringing their child. The parent can contact Kate directly and ask her to make that communication, if preferred.

Diet Policy

We make meals that use farm ingredients where possible and model the Weston A. Price diet (soaking grains, using high-quality ingredients, etc.) with some exceptions. Due to the small size of the group, we cannot accommodate special diets beyond this. You are always welcome to inquire whether this has changed.

Juniper Buds Program:

Please ask about our dovetailing day program for younger siblings! It includes participating in farm chores, nap time, free play, and stories.

The rate is the same as the farm program ($800 per 8-week session), and follows the same time frame (9:30-3:30). It is a drop-off program. This is a work and play-based, outdoor, rhythm-strong, Waldorf-inspired day for the younger siblings, guided by their own leader.

Schedule of the day, for youngers:

9:30 - Drop-off by bonfire pit. Circle time and songs.

10:00 - Chores time: Set table for lunch, help to milk cow, bring food and water to roosters in garden, special project outside

11:00 - Adventure walk

12:00 - Lunch

12:45 - Cleanup chores

1:15 - Nap Time - Cat nap in the hay barn (Blankets and pillows will be provided.)

2:00 - Story time and game

2:30 - Free play

3:30 - Program in the yurt ends. Younger kids join for snack in yurt, then older kids join the younger for free play.

- Children will need to bring gear to be outdoors in whatever weather through the whole day. We will provide bedding for them

- Children should be toilet trained.

- Program will happen if there are at least 2 younger siblings total committed.