Saint Newman Fellowship

Meeting monthly from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, our Oratory Co-op Day offers a structured day of classes in the Charlotte Mason method for students 6 and older, completed by Mass at noon in the church and followed by lunch, play, and afternoon Shakespeare for the older students. Depending on need, we have a preschool and nursery is available for children of teachers and volunteers.

Fall 2022 Classes include: Hymn and Folksong, Art (Clay modeling), Folk dancing, and Shakespeare performance. This year we will read and put on a performance of The Winter's Tale.

Class sizes are limited and, as a true co-op, each participating parent stays with their student(s) to teach or assist in classrooms. Please contact us soon if you are interested!

At the heart of all our activities is devotion to Christ in the Eucharist, and like all we do, we want to invite our children into what is often limited to an "adult" activity in an appealing and age-appropriate format. One Friday afternoon each month, after our Oratory co-op, we invite all local Catholics to join us for a 30-minute guided Children's Adoration period, with simple, traditional prayers and hymns punctuated by periods of silence. Please feel free to drop in whenever you can!

Two Fridays each month, we meet at local nature parks for a brief lesson and lots of time to explore and observe the natural world. Families join when they can and bring their own nature journals and simple art supplies to write and draw descriptions of the beauty they observe. A short nature lesson is given before the nature walk, and drawing and recording written observations is modeled with ample time for questions and guidance.

One Friday morning of each month, we meet at a park or a member's home to discuss a book for our own formation, as mothers and educators, while the children have social and play time. We are currently reading Charlotte Mason's original volumes. 

The community brought about by sharing the work and joy of educating together provides many benefits! Not the least of which are the occasional mother's nights out organized by members as fun and interesting events come up. Previous outings have included late-night museum visits, coffee dates, and swing dancing!