Homeschool in the Forest (K-2nd) (SY2025-26)

Not all classrooms have four walls! Homeschool in the Forest is for families who want to balance home school or online learning with social play and nature connection in a small group setting. The K-2nd grade program has drop-off class options available on Monday-Thursday for the full year to support your homeschool journey. The K-2nd Fall Nature Club meets from 1-3 p.m., either as an extension to the day program, or as an afternoon-only class. The monthly Forest Fridays program is open to K-5th graders with drop-off class options for ten (10) Friday classes (one per month, Sept. 2025 - June 2026) or you can register for select Forest Friday dates, depending on availability.

Note: Enrollment in the K- 2nd program is a school year commitment. If you must cancel your enrollment before the end of the program year, you are responsible for the balance of your registration until another child can fill the spot. Open enrollment for new families is first come, first serve starting Feb. 1st. (Plan your tour asap learn more and to receive the enrollment code!) Ready for a tour? Contact Monica at director@anbe.org.

2025-2026 Homeschool in the Forest:

• Forest Fridays (K-5th): Sept. 2025 - June 2026 from 9 - 1 p.m.:

Explore seasonal themes one Friday each month (10 Sessions)

Schedule: Sept. 5, 2025, Oct. 3, 2025, Nov. 7, 2025, Dec. 5, 2025, Jan. 9, 2026, Feb. 6, 2026, Mar. 6, 2026, Apr. 3, 2026, May 1, 2026, June 5, 2026

• Fall Nature Club (K-2nd): Sept. 8 - Oct. 31 from 1 - 3 p.m.:

Enjoy crisp Autumn afternoons exploring nature! 

Available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Register for 1 day or maybe all 4!

• Full Year Session (K-2nd): Sept. 2, 2025 - May 22, 2026. from 9 - 1 p.m.:

Monday: Hands-on Science and Social Studies Inquiry (K-2nd) - Join Our Waitlist

Tuesday: Language and Literacy Exploration (K-2nd) 

Wednesday: Wild Math and Outdoor Cooking (K-2nd)

Thursday: Creative Nature Arts: Music, Art, and Dramatic Play (K-2nd)

*About the waitlist: Registration can shift slightly right until September! We will reach out to everyone on the waitlist in order. You will have three business days to reply and arrange a tour before we move onto the next family on the list.

Classes meet entirely outdoors, rain or shine! You will receive complete details about gear and policies when you register. Your child must be five (5) years old by September 1st to meet the age requirement. (If your child is NOT five by Sept. 1st of the enrollment year, they are eligible for the forest preschool.) Early registration is strongly recommended; spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis. Additional policies related to outdoor learning, gear, etc. are provided upon registration in your confirmation email.

Each day provides a different daily focus, allowing teachers to balance intentional learning experiences with emergent, child-driven explorations. We reference MSDE’s curriculum standards to ensure that children meet homeschool requirements (see MSDE’s homeschool info or components of homeschool instruction video here).

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What about Homeschool Portfolio Reviews?

The children’s nature journals, photos, and other learning artifacts will provide you with documentation to support your child’s learning adventures at Notchcliff. While most of the children's time is devoted to nature play, we also translate our adventures into activities that align with grade level expectations and standards. We use the Storypark app to document learning and communicate with families. This makes it easy to print out and share during your homeschool review.

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Parent Volunteers Homeschool in the Forest is a drop-off enrichment program, however, parents may sign up to share a lesson or activity during the program year (which is completely optional). Teachers will share a list of suggested topics in September, which are based on seasonal nature-based concepts and align with topic for the day's class (e.g. on Mondays the suggested topics will align with Hands-On Science and Social Studies). This optional volunteer experience is a wonderful way to share your talent and experience while joining the class as a special guest! Additional volunteer opportunities include standby parent subs, garden helpers, water carriers, and help with community events. We will provide additional information about volunteer opportunities in August during our the Sunset Parent Campfire event.

Enrollment Fees:  Registration is for the full program year (Sept. - May) and cost is based on less than you might otherwise pay a sitter.  If you join partway through the year, we will pro-rate your tuition.  If you are experiencing financial need, please reach out. We have limited aid for those who qualify.

Note: If you must cancel your enrollment before the end of the program year, you are responsible for the balance of your registration until another child can fill the spot.

Payment schedule: Initial Deposits are non-refundable and are due at registration. Remaining balances will be broken down in equal payments and will be invoiced separately. 

Year-round enrollments: Initial Deposit, then 8 monthly payments (Sept.1 - April 1). 

Other enrollments: Initial Deposit, then second payment due Sept. 1