Santa Maria Catholic Homeschool Co-op
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
What is the Purpose of Our Co-op?
We are a small group of East Valley Catholic homeschool families who gather together to teach our children in a safe, nurturing and loving environment. We have been called by God to be the primary educators of our children but also recognize the value of sharing this calling with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ and creating long lasting friendships. We strive to empower each other to share our Catholic faith, fostering a catholic community while growing in virtue and holiness for our families.
When, Where & Who?
We meet 3 Mondays a month from 9:30am-2pm at Resurrection Catholic Church in Tempe. Our co-op includes Nursery (under 3 years), Pre-Grammar (3-5years), Grammar (K-5th grade) and Upper Level (6th-12th grade). In addition, we schedule optional field trips monthly to encourage friendship formation while enjoying educational experiences outside the typical educational school day.
What Curriculum is Used?
Our Co-op uses Catholic Schoolhouse curriculum which is a rotating three-year program designed to enrich the educational experience of homeschool families. It draws inspiration from classical elements and presents them in a structured environment. The curriculum focuses on memory work in all subjects and timeline dates. Families can then choose to incorporate it as deeply as they want. There are some families who come to the Co-op just for fun and social purposes and don't focus on the memory work much at home. Other families build their studies around it. Some families choose to build their enrichment studies, such as Science, Art and History around CSH but utilize other curriculum choices for core subjects such as Language Arts and Math.
What Does a Typical Day Look LIke?
The day is structured to flow through the various subjects and to touch on every subject: religion, art, music, science, Latin, history, language arts, geography and historical timelines. We offer a Nursery for infants and toddlers, as well as a Preschool program. In Music Pre Grammar students learn to play songs with Handbells. Grammar students are taught songs on the Recorders. Science class provides opportunites for the students to have hands on experiments and exciting projects to complete. For sll students the day includes 4 learning periods, 2 break periods and a lunch period. See the EVENTS page for School Calendar and Daily Schedule.
What are the "Tours" of the Curriculum?
There are three tours for the program that repeats every three years:
Tour 1- Early American History-Modern History
Tour 2- Ancient Civilization
Tour 3- Renaissance Period
This is beneficial because by the time your child repeats a tour, they will be older but will likely remember some of the memory work and songs, but the activities and lessons they do will continue to grow with them. The learning will build upon the previous years.
Is There a Difference Between Grammar & Upper Levels Lessons?
Yes, Upper Level students, from 6th Grade through High School, do not engage in singing memory work songs like the Grammar students; however, they still commit to memorizing the information from the History Timeline and other subjects. The Upper Level curriculum includes a greater emphasis on writing, featuring classes such as Creative Writing, where students also enhance their public speaking skills through peer presentations. Besides Latin, they are learning American Sign Language. For instance, last year, the Upper Level students were able to recite the 'Our Father' in Latin and sign it in ASL. This year, they will delve into photography and take on the project of creating the Co-op Yearbook. In Science, they will be studying Chemistry and doing hands on experiments together in the classroom.
Other Fun and Exciting Things About Our Co-op:
Our Co-op meets 3 weeks out of the month (one day per week) with one week being used as a week to catchup on materials and often attend a field trip as a group. We also will add fun events, such as Our All Saints and Valentine's Day parties, Community Service Day, May Crowning and more. This last year, we ended our school year with a Pizza and Swim Party. See the Events page for pictures of past events.
We would love to have your join us on your homeschooling journey!
If you would like more information regarding this co-op or the curriculum, please contact santamariacoop3@gmail.com.
Please note: We are not an official local chapter of Catholic Schoolhouse at this time
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