Our Spring Semester is set to start on January 5th. If you are interested, now is the time to contact us. 
We have a fantastic lineup of classes again. 
Our teen class has grown so big that we are going to be opening a second location for the teens to meet at near our main campus. The teen will clean up after their classes and then Join the rest of the co-op for lunch.
We are making plans to have a debate club following lunch! 
With around a hundred students enrolled this semester, this is a great place for you and your children to find that community you've been looking for. Hope to hear from you soon!

I know, it seems crazy that we are already planning the next semester. We just want to make sure we can be prepared well for the really great classes we will be offering.  We are looking at Spanish PE, Art, Literature, and Science for little ones. We have a college professor teaching shadow puppets to one age group! We have another group that will study weather. We will offer our teens a never before offered level of class choices. Some of the classes include Ukulele, Choir, Team Building, Biology, Literature, Writing and Speech.

We also have already at least 80 kids registered from newborns to high schoolers. We are so blessed and excited to see God growing and improving the co-op. Friendships between the kids, and between the parents are growing and providing a truly joyful atmosphere. 

If your family would like to join in the fun, and get connected with a group of really great homeschool families, email us at [email protected]. We hope to hear from you soon!

​~Chris

We have ran full speed into this summer and it is flying by! We have had a parent sign up to plan an activity for every other Friday through the summer. So it has been great! So far, we have had a hike up Mount Helena, A planning meeting at a home, and a Trip to The Farm. In Future plans are a trip to the historical society and much more. Email [email protected] to sign up to come on these great outings!

It's hard to believe, but it is time to start planning our next semester. On the "How we teach" page, we have a copy of out Spring schedule. Almost all of our teaching spots are filled, thanks to our excellent parents. There are very exciting classes planned for the next semester. 

We have had very little turnover this semester, so the classes are remaining close to full. We have expanded enrollment to the teen class to 30 kids. If you are thinking about joining us, we would be happy to have you! Please head over to the "Sign up" page. Classes start on January 20th 2017. Please make sure to enroll at least 1 week prior to that. Spots are filled on a "First come, first served" basis. 

The Littles class has a stellar art teacher that worked on purposeful crafts. They helped the kids to go above the bare minimum. They discussed and portrayed social ideas through their art.  The drew family portraits. They talked about their dreams for the future. They had a great time! They also sang a song for the presentation in spanish. It was a blast watching them be so excited on stage!

The Middles Class doesn't have a picture, but they performed Hansel and Gretel for their drama class, and made all the props for the play in their art class! 
It was an amazing semester! It is such a privilege to work with all these talented parents! They amaze me every year. As we continue to grow and mature as a co-op, we hope to meet more needs for this wonderful homeschooling community.

-Chris Hauer
​Co-op Administrator

Wow! It has been a long time since I have blogged for the Co-op. Don't let that make you think we are dwindling. To the contrary, we have been going so strong and busily that I forgot about our website and promoting. This last semester we had a great science class for our oldest group that met with the Montana Wild Center, and combined science and art to create a field guide for Spring Meadow State Park. 

Our middle class prepare science experiments for the science fair, and our younger class did hands on learning about the basic physical sciences. 

As we begin to plan the upcoming semester. We are looking at more science but also creative writing, finance, and Pottery. We have exciting things for all ages. As always gym for all. 
Our next semester starts on September 3rd, but don't wait to sign up. Classes are limited to 15 kids, so the can fill up fast. We will be having a planning meeting on June 3rd 2016 at 11:00am at JFK park in East Helena. I hope to see many new faces there. bring a picnic lunch for your family to stay and play a while. 

Blessings on you all!
​ Chris

Wow! Only three weeks of Co-op left! As this semester wraps up and we prepare for the presentation night, we also are starting to solidify plans for the next semester. 
As, we are still a relatively new co-op, we are still making structural changes to try and find the best format. Listed here are some of the changes we will be making:
First, we will be removing grade designations from classes. Since we are not academic intensive, grade level is unimportant. Instead, to promote friendships and peer interaction, classes will be divided by children's age. We will divide those ages as evenly as we can. In order to keep classes reasonable sizes, we will not allow for children to be moved up into a class that they didn't make the age cut-off for. A child who is having trouble adjusting may be moved down, but it is not recommended. The parent and one of the leaders would need to have a talk to make that change.
Second, We will be adding some classes. We will have Nursery only from 0-2years, Primary 1 for 3-4 year olds, Primary 2 for 5-6 year olds, Secondary 1 for 7-8 year olds, Secondary 2 for 9-11 year olds and Teens at 12-18 year old. The nursery will continue to have small activities for the older kids, such as play dough time and coloring. Primary 1 will be combined with Primary 2 for P.E. and then will have Art class and then free play in the nursery or on the play ground, as they are usually bushed by third period. Primary 2 in addition to PE will have Art every semester, and Alternate between Speaking this semester and Music next semester. Secondary 1 and Secondary 2 will also be combined for Gym and then will trade classes each semester to make curriculum planning and supplies easier. This semester Primary 1 will have applied science and speaking, and Primary 2 will have Music and Art. Next semester that will be reversed. 
Teen class will still be combined for PE and Teen Teams Class, but will have two electives to choose from for their first period. This semester the electives they have chosen are Photography and Survival skills. We are very excited to see how connected the teens are getting!
Third, we will be trying out moving the lunch period to the end. We aren't sure that the younger kids can make it through three periods, but we will give it a try and see if it works. if it doesn't we can always change it back. 
Last, we are going to try putting a limit of 15 kids per class. if a class grows to larger than that, we will try to split it to make another class. This would be another major experiment, that may or may not work out. 
We are praying that God blesses our next semester as much as he has the past three. We want to help as many homeschoolers as we can to stop feeling isolated but instead feel like they have a bunch of healthy friendships for the whole family. 

Things are coming together for the Fall semester. I am so excited to see so many new people wanting to join us. This week applications are due and we are giving out assignments and semester agreements. My children can't wait to their many friends again.
Today I am pondering the idea of being properly socialized. While people always ask if our children are, I don't always feel like people know what they are asking. What is properly socialized? I do know that at home my children learn how to get along with people of different ages and different family members who have the exact same values, and how to obey us. And I believe that to be properly socialized you must learn to get along with people of all ages, not just your peers.
However, the co-op also plays a huge part in my children's socialization. Here they learn how to listen to adults who are not their family. How to tolerate kids who's families have different rules. They learn that they can't always be the winner, or the favorite. They learn to make friends of their choosing despite their differences. I value this so much about the co-op, and can't wait to see how they years in this community will build my children up into functional happy adults! And I can't wait to see them have fun with their teachers and friends, while I get to have fun with their teachers' teens.
We have an exciting semester lined up for all the age groups, but as the teen leader, I must admit I am particularly excited for what the teens will be doing this semester. I think we will have a lot of fun!
Hope to see you there! Make sure to check the sign-up page to start your application.
Chris H.

This week we start the push to recruit and finalize for the next semester. Summer is passing way too quickly! We have some exciting new classes coming up for this year that even have the grown-ups excited. My favorite is the 8-12 year olds science experiment class. I have a feeling this will be a big hit, as that anything that let's the kids get their hands dirty is. If you are interested in learning more or want to schedule a visit, email [email protected] or go to the "Sign up" page for a web application and handbook.

Now is the time to sign up!

Hope to see you!

Chris H