Homeschool with Bluestone
Bluestone Nature Programs celebrates the whole child through unstructured play, ample time in nature, community building, and place-based learning. The natural world serves as our teacher, with developmentally appropriate opportunities to foster social-emotional development, challenge cognitive thinking, awaken our senses, and express our creativity sprinkled throughout each day. Through curated activities and experiences, our Homeschool Co-Op promotes a deep connection to the natural world while meeting learning outcomes in a way that celebrates each child's unique learning needs. ​
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Please take a moment to learn more about our philosophy and hear what other families have to say. Then, read on below for important information.
Is Bluestone right for your child?
Does your child love to learn through real life experiences? Are you looking for an alternative education that allows for creative, age appropriate opportunities to discover, make friends, connect with the natural world, run, play, climb and explore? Then Bluestone's Homeschool Co-op is right for your child!
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The Bluestone Homeschool Co-op is for families of children ages 5-14 years old who want to balance home school or online learning with social play and nature connection in a small group setting. This program meets bi-monthly for the full school year, allowing us to create a tight-knit learning community. Note: Enrollment is for a school year commitment unless otherwise noted. 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.
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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 nature playschool.) Early registration is strongly recommended; spaces are available a first come, first serve basis. Additional policies related to outdoor learning, gear, etc. are provided upon registration in your confirmation email.
Each gathering provides a different focus, allowing teachers to balance intentional learning experiences with emergent, child-driven explorations. We reference PADOE curriculum standards to ensure that children meet homeschool requirements. We use nature journals to document our adventures, and Mentors follow up each gathering with a newsletter to help families with their homeschool portfolios.
Family Commitment to the Co-op
By joining the co-op, a parent from your family agrees to attend class with your child. Caregivers provide helpful support to teachers and get a bird’s eye view into their child’s learning experiences. As an added bonus, caregivers learn nature-based education approaches and best practices from our skilled Mentors!
What are my options?
2024/25 Options (September-June)
For the 2024/25 year, Bluestone Homeschool Co-op meets the first and third Thursday of each month, September-June (January only meet third Thursday) from 1-3 pm. This program takes place at Brandwein Nature Learning Preserve in Port Jervis, NY.
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To allow for flexibility, we offer a fall and winter/spring registration. But, we encourage families to attend the entire school year!
Note: If you must cancel your enrollment before the end of the session, you are responsible for the balance of your registration until another child can fill the spot.
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If you need financial assistance, limited funding is available. We never want funding to be a barrier to our program, but please know that assistance is limited and designed for families with significant financial need. Please contact our Director, Emily Woodmansee, to learn more.
Enrollment Process
Interested? Please reach out!
Open enrollment for new families is first come, first serve starting Feb. 1st.
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Enrollment Process​
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Review the website and read through what our program is all about.
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Enroll! Everything you need to enroll your child is available online and will be shared after your initial registration.
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Fill out and return all paperwork by the due date. Be sure to also read our Family Handbook, sign, and return it.
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Get ready! Nature play is a unique and fun experience. Start gathering appropriate gear for your student, talk about what it will be like to go to school, and spend time outside as a family!
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*Bluestone Village and Bluestone Nature Programs does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity).
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