Member Handbook

The Board oversees the 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and insurance, gives instruction in Charlotte Mason methods, supports leaders, and provides content. For the 2026–2027 school year there are two co-ops in the Kearney area, currently supporting over 50 families and 200 students:

• Larkspur Chapter meets at Living Faith Fellowship — 3311 I Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847
• Cottonwood Chapter meets at Holy Cross Lutheran Church — 3315 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68845

This handbook is created by Bluestem Education Guild and may be updated each co-op year with Board approval; the most current versions live on Google Drive. Fees for all programs are assessed each year.

Every committee or team representing the Guild includes at least one engaged Board member who reports to the Board through the year. To start a new committee, club, or team: submit a proposal to the Board (prospective members including a Board member, projected budget, and execution plan); committee policies are voted on by the Board; and any speakers must be Board-approved by vote before invitation or announcement.

At Bluestem Education Guild, we recite the Nicene Creed at each co-op day, affirming our common beliefs in the basic tenets of Christianity as articulated in this ancient creed, accepted by the vast majority of Christian denominations — Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant.

In 325 AD, more than 300 church leaders gathered at the First Council of Nicaea to summarize what the Bible said about core Christian beliefs — intended as “an irreducible minimum of the Christian faith,” finalized in 381 AD in Constantinople. Convened partly to address the Arian heresy denying Jesus’s full divinity, the Creed affirms the Trinity: God is one, existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — and tells the good news of the gospel as it describes the triune God turning toward humanity in the person of Jesus who suffered, died, rose, and ascended, giving us eternal hope.

To explore further: Glenn Packiam’s What’s a Christian, Anyway? is wonderfully accessible, and Our Church Speaks has a two-part podcast on the Creed.

All Board members participate in fundraising and in planning the Leadership Summit and Collective Teacher Inservice.

The Guild and its programs use WhatsApp as the primary means of communication — a community is created for each program and attendees are added. Members must have email access and be able to download WhatsApp; it is each parent’s responsibility to catch up on missed communications, especially after a missed meeting.

When the Board needs to reach all members of a community, the Board Secretary passes information down for the co-op secretary to share. To discuss a conflict with the Board or ask for clarity, contact the Board via WhatsApp including all Board members and anyone privy to the conversation; the Board is given the opportunity to discuss privately as a collective unit in order to present a unified response.

Dues are non-refundable and cannot be pro-rated for families who leave before the end of the year. New families pay the Board Treasurer by Venmo (3% added fee) or check, with student fees paid to the Chapter Treasurer; returning families pay on the website. These fees also support the nonprofit and future growth and learning opportunities.

1. Submit an application to Bluestem Education Guild via the Google Form.
2. Parents may schedule a time to visit co-op once without their children.
3. After approval by the Board and chapter leadership, the family is notified of acceptance and the co-op Director becomes their main contact.
4. The mother is added to the proper communication channels, including WhatsApp.
5. Non-refundable dues are paid (see Dues & Fees above).

All new members attend a New Teacher Orientation, and all members attend the Collective Teacher Inservice in early August, where mothers learn about teaching in a Guild co-op and connect with each other. Waivers are handed out there and must be returned to the chapter secretary by the first Mother’s Meeting: the Respectful Conduct Agreement, Parent Responsibility Form, Statement of Faith, Liability Waiver, and Photo Release Form.

Co-ops have membership limits based on facility capacity, logistics, and quality of care — families can expect a possible waiting list. The school year runs August through May; new membership is not accepted mid-year, though Directors may make exceptions for special circumstances.

• Return the end-of-year evaluation and commit to the next year (early- to mid-May).
• Pay non-refundable dues on the website by May 31 (part goes to your chapter).
• If applicable, complete background checks before Teacher Inservice.

• All attending adults must have a background check through the Board’s choice of program. The primary teacher’s check is covered by dues; any additional attending adult (such as a father or grandparent) pays for their own through the Board.
• All individuals volunteering with children require a background check. Any visitor attending more than three times in a semester must also complete one. All visitors must be approved in advance by the event or co-op day leader and sign in upon arrival.
• If a person is flagged on the Sex Offender Registry or background check, they may not attend co-op in any form, nor family events (dances, gatherings, etc.); they may attend public events such as the talent show and events for parents only. If they would like to discuss it, a minimum of two Board members will meet with them in a public place.
• Questions may be directed to Christine Kremer.

If a parent (Family A) is homeschooling another family’s (Family B) child according to her state application, the child must be included at the beginning of the year — they may not join mid-year. If Family B’s parent expects to attend co-op days, they are treated as fathers/grandparents are, including the background check requirement for frequent visitors.

• Both families must sign all waivers.
• The child must be accounted for in Family A’s student supply fee payment.
• Anyone attending as a visitor beyond the visitor limit — and potentially teaching or subbing — must have a background check.
• If the child is not of homeschooling age (childcare or nanny situations), the same rules apply except the state homeschooling form.
• All children attending must be on the rosters at the beginning of the year, counted and signed in as Family A’s children.
• The situation must be approved by the Director; the Board and Directors may make exceptions case-by-case.

Relinquishing membership

• Membership is a one-school-year commitment and is not assumed year to year. Whether returning or stepping away, please notify a Director by May 15 so open spots can be offered to new families.
• If circumstances change mid-year, speak with a Director. Registration fees cannot be refunded in full or pro-rated after the year is underway.
• No need to find someone to fill your remaining responsibilities — the Directors will handle those details.
• To return later, submit an application; it is considered at the end of the school year. If your chapter is at capacity you may choose another chapter or the waitlist.

Dismissal

The Guild compassionately understands that individual child development or special needs may hinder a positive experience in an interactive environment; if a child cannot follow the discipline policy for these reasons, participation may not be mutually beneficial. The Leadership Team reserves the right to dismiss students or families during or between years when ongoing behavioral, developmental, relational, or conduct concerns remain unresolved despite multiple conversations and efforts toward restoration. Families are given opportunities for discussion, correction, and improvement; persistent negative behavior, repeated disregard for policies, or unwillingness to receive correction may result in dismissal at the Leadership Team’s discretion. Parents’ active support of appropriate classroom correction is a condition of continued membership.

Google Calendar

The Guild coordinates a private Google Calendar for each chapter and the nonprofit. To be added, contact a chapter secretary or the Board Secretary. The calendar includes events by co-op families for co-op families, so some events may not be Guild-endorsed — check each event’s description.

Extracurriculars & clubs

Any co-op mother may start and host a club: talk to the Clubs Coordinator, Julie Quaring. Clubs may be hosted at any public place and must be open to all Guild co-op families. A WhatsApp chat is created for each club with location, time, topic, and suggested ages worked out with Julie; the host advertises and coordinates from there.

Field trips

Field trips may be coordinated by any member as non-mandatory activities, announced on the Guild Field Trips chat. To add one to the calendar, contact Sara Holmquist or Danielle Wolf. RSVP and pay any fees when signing up; refunds are not guaranteed if you don’t attend.

• Families are expected to attend each co-op day and arrive on time; notify a Director if you will be absent due to illness or vacation.
• Parents remain on the premises during co-op — available to help with sudden illness, injury, or behavioral needs even when not directly teaching.
• All families clean up after using the facility and participate well through the year.
• The year includes three four-week units per semester (see the chapter dates PDF on the dashboard for this year’s calendar).
• Mother’s Meetings: three mandatory meetings each semester — vital to a well-functioning co-op. Child care is each member’s responsibility. If a meeting is missed, turn in a narration of the minutes to the designated leadership member within two weeks.
• If a family misses multiple co-op days or meetings, a Director will follow up to check in.

Planned absences

• Reschedule if possible. A planned absence doesn’t mean avoiding sign-ups — choose a role you can fulfill for the rest of the unit.
• Notify your Director before the unit begins and secure a substitute for your responsibilities. Provide your sub with all plans and materials in advance — subs are not responsible for preparing lessons or supplies.
• Inform your Director of the arrangements, or if no sub is available.
• Don’t sign up for lunch ingredients if you know you’ll be absent; if your children attend with another adult, send lunch with them.

Unexpected absences

• Life happens — just communicate promptly with your Director.
• Find coverage for any lunch ingredients you signed up for, and contact available substitutes as soon as possible for any roles you were assigned.

Sickness

• If illness keeps you or your children home, contact your Director. If you're teaching, pass your plans and materials to someone who can lead. For field trips, notify the trip coordinator (refunds may not be available).
• Children may not attend co-op without a parent unless supervised by another cleared adult. Always inform the Director and unit teachers if your child will miss any part of co-op.
• Please keep children home if they’ve had any of the following in the past 36 hours: fever (100°F+), severe fatigue, undiagnosed rash, sore throat/earache/strong cough, red or draining eyes, green nasal discharge, vomiting or diarrhea, or any contagious illness. This protects other children and especially pregnant mothers.
• If a parent must be absent, another approved parent must be designated as the responsible party for their child.

Teaching

• Teachers remain in their assigned classroom or designated area for the entire duration of their teaching responsibility. Scheduled substitutes without an active assignment observe in a classroom, staying available as needed.
• Choose topics and methods with student and teacher growth in mind; avoid teaching the same age group or Feast Cycle class in consecutive units (resident teachers excepted, in communication with the Leadership Team).
• Co-op students 19 and under may not serve as primary supervisors, but may assist under direct adult supervision with the Director’s permission.
• If extra children will be visiting and joining your family for co-op, contact the Director for permission, then the affected teachers.

Financial

• Teachers provide their own classroom supplies; if a class’s needs exceed a reasonable amount, submit a purchase request through the chapter dashboard.
• Some classes may ask families for a nominal project fee or extra supplies not covered by registration.
• Each co-op day includes lunch — families sign up to bring ingredients for the group meal, left in the kitchen for the lunch volunteers to prepare.
• Members RSVP for parties, extracurriculars, and field trips, and pay any fees when signing up.

Membership & adding

• Eligible: current, enrolled Guild co-op parents/guardians, and teen students subject to the Teen Chat Policy below.
• All new members are added by a designated chapter leader or administrator; no member may add outside individuals to any chat. Use your real (or recognizable) name as your display name.

Conduct

• Communicate with kindness, honesty, and respect; use chats for their intended purpose; refrain from gossip, contentious debate, or solicitation; bring concerns to chapter leadership directly rather than airing them in group chats.
• Violations may result in a warning, temporary removal, or permanent removal at the Board’s discretion.

Teen Chat Policy

• Teens are permitted only in their High School class chat and relevant groups/clubs they participate in (e.g. Shakespeare chat).
• Teens may not join or request access to any other chat without explicit prior permission from a chapter leader (chapter groups) or the Board Secretary (Guild chats). Unauthorized joins are removed immediately and reviewed by chapter leadership. Parents are responsible for reinforcing this policy.

Exit policy

• Members leaving in good standing (including graduating seniors) retain access through the end of the current school year, then are removed in routine year-end maintenance.
• Departures under unfavorable circumstances — unresolved conflict, policy violations, or a Board decision — are removed from all chats immediately.
• All membership decisions ultimately rest at the sole discretion of Chapter and Board leadership.

The week before

• About 5–6 days before co-op, a lunch sign-up goes out by email with a SignUpGenius link — sign up for what you intend to bring.
• On Thursday, a member of the leadership team sends a WhatsApp bulletin with anything specific to that week.
• Double-check the lunch signup to be sure all spots are covered, including recess duty. If no spots are available, bring fruit or veggies.

Arriving

• Park on the north or northeast side of the parking lot, leaving the middle and south end empty.
• Doors are unlocked at 9:30 am — enter on the north and northeast sides of the church. Doors lock at 12:00 pm.
• Mothers sign in at the table in the Friendship Hall. Place all bags on the tables by the bulletin board, and give lunch contributions to the kitchen helpers.
• After signing in your family (and any visitors), enter the morning gathering area with reverence for our opening. We begin at 10 am — don’t arrive at 10 sharp expecting time to settle in. Be seated and ready, and remind your children of the expectations for each activity.
• Teachers may need time to set up their classroom or Feast Cycle class; children should be attended by their parents. No running in the hallways.
• Mothers must participate during the morning gatherings and help regulate children — standing and talking is not acceptable. In certain situations lunch prep may begin during the morning gathering, but only the lunch volunteers may be in the kitchen then.

• Lunch begins with staggered start times at 11:30 and is completed by 12:45. Mothers resume responsibility for their children at lunch once teaching duties are done.
• Recess Helpers may skip the line and eat first so they’re ready for duty.
• Children remain seated at the table to eat and talk until dismissed for clean-up or recess.
• At 12:20 the Bell Ringer rings the bell and makes announcements; students not on a Clean Up Team are dismissed for recess.
• Clean Up Teams meet the Clean Up Majesty for assignments and work 10 minutes cleaning the Friendship Hall: throw away dishes, wipe tables, sweep under tables. Teams are dismissed by the bell at 12:30 — not before.

Clean Up Teams by lunch day

• Each mother volunteers for recess duty three times per semester. Six helpers are needed each week — four outside, two inside: Overflow Room (1), Sensory Room (1), Playground (2), Grassy Area (2).
• Students are dismissed by bell following the 12:20 announcements (Clean Up Teams at 12:30). Recess happens in designated areas only — no classrooms, no loitering in hallways.
• Designated Recess Helpers leave the Friendship Hall first, escorting children out — children never leave before a helper.
• One door reaches the recess area from the Friendship Hall; it locks from the outside after 1:30 pm.
• The Opener/Hall Monitor gives a 5-minute warning before recess ends at 1:15 pm.
• Children, no matter the age, may not leave the premises during lunch and recess hours. The church yard and playground are used at your own risk; neither the church nor the co-op is liable for injury or damage.
• Children who can’t follow the rules get one warning, then sit with parents or at a detention table.

Recess areas & their rules

• Overflow Room (toys) & Playground: no running (in the Overflow Room), no wrestling, no pointing fake guns, no throwing rocks, and watch out for babies and young children.
• Sensory Room (Theater): quiet voices; reading and silent activities (puzzles, coloring books) only.
• Board Games & Crafts: at the designated tables in the Friendship Hall.
• Grassy Area (football & sports): a recess helper opens and closes the gate, no running into the street or parking lot, adults retrieve balls, and only throw sports balls.

Students Middle School and older are required to attend the Shakespeare/Plutarch class from 12:45–1:15 in the Overflow Room. Students of other ages are welcome to attend.

Areas we may use

Classrooms 1–6, Theater, Kitchen, Friendship Hall, Playground, Overflow Room, and Nursery.

Off-limits

Sanctuary, library, the offices along the hallway, and the preschool area (a sign marks where it begins).

Good to know

• In the rare event of a Friday funeral, we’ll be notified ASAP and switch to a brown-bag lunch instead of a hot lunch.
• Several kitchen carts/trolleys are available for carting supplies to classrooms.
• The church preschool operates 8:30–11:30 on Fridays and administrative staff are in the building — no one else should be there. Cleaning services come Friday night.

Opener

• Arrive at 9:30 to help families get set up and into the right areas.
• Set up chairs for Morning Time.
• Move classroom signs to the front of the acrylic sign holders by each classroom door.
• Hang the “You Shall Not Pass” sign at the end of the hallway, and place the wooden bench (from the Intro Elementary classroom) across the hallway entrance under it.
• Place the sign-in sheet, highlighters, and name tags on the table by the Friendship Hall entrance — families may need help remembering to sign in.

Bell Ringer

• Feast Cycle: set phone alarms matching the Feast Cycle schedule, and ring the bell throughout the hallway (ring quietly by the prayer ladies’ meeting room).
• Recess: set alarms for 12:20 (announcements & recess dismissal), 12:30 (clean-up teams dismissal), 12:43 (Shakespeare/Plutarch), and 1:10 (afternoon class).

Every classroom teacher

• Wipe down tables, chairs, and whiteboards using the supplies in the classroom; vacuum or sweep if necessary; empty trash cans into the kitchen trash; and put supply caddies away in their designated spot.
• Clean-up is done by teachers and assistants unless students can be directed to do it — do not leave classroom cleanup to the closers.
• Shut the door when the classroom is reset. Children may not return to a closed classroom.

Closers, when co-op is dismissed

• Reset the Friendship Hall tables to the five/six/five configuration (reference photo on the kitchen clipboard), six chairs per table.
• Pick up remaining trash and belongings; walk the hallways, classrooms, and Friendship Hall so we leave the church better than we found it. Lights off, classroom doors closed.
• Round up lost and found, send a photo to the WhatsApp chat, and leave items in the Lost and Found bin in the pantry. Children may not open doors a closer has closed.
• Make sure all kitchen and Friendship Hall trash is taken out and the floor is swept well.

9:30 — before Morning Time

• Make a double pot of coffee (1 cup of coffee for a single pot, right side), fill the hot water carafe (left side), and set out mugs, tea, sugar, and creamers.
• Organize ingredients: refrigerated items in the fridge, bread and chips on the serving tables, extras behind the counter.

10:00 — Morning Time & Feast Cycle

• Set out plates, napkins, and cutlery if needed; put high chairs and boosters around the babies’ table; set platters and serving utensils on the prep area.
• Cut meat and cheese into small pieces for the babies, and make 2 platters of PBJ sandwiches, cut in half.
• Make 6 platters of meat-and-cheese sandwiches, then set out the remaining bread, meat, lettuce, and cheese so people can make their own.
• Set out fruit and veggies on the serving table (extras on the counter), plus condiments, pickles, and hand sanitizer.

11:30 Nursery & Preschool arrive · 11:45 remaining classes

• Refill items on the serving line, and fill a bus tub with warm soapy water for the Clean Up Crews.
• Encourage student helpers to place personal items on the sign-in table and to wipe tables and chairs.
• Make a single pot of coffee for after lunch, and set out chocolate at a table with the moms.

After lunch & recess

• Put away leftovers, wash and put away dishes, and sweep under the tables.

1:15 — during the last class

• Prep tea for Kindergarten and Preschool: metal teapot in the lower cabinet right of the stove, steep tea, sweeten if desired, add a little ice to cool. Put it on the cart with small mugs and push to the classes at 1:25.
• Empty trash cans and replace bags — leave one bag at the end of the serving table for the day’s last trash.
• Place all food to be used another week in the clear container in the fridge (all co-op items live inside it). Take a photo of the inventory and text it to Danielle.
• Set remaining leftovers on the serving table for families to take home.
• Put away high chairs and boosters, retrieve the tea cart, clean the coffee pots and filters, and finish the dishes.
• Return co-op items to the bus tubs on our pantry shelf, wipe down the kitchen counters, and bag all wet rags for the designated person to take home.

9:30 — before Morning Time

• Make a double pot of coffee (1 cup of coffee for a single pot, right side), fill the hot water carafe (left side), and set out mugs, tea, sugar, and creamers.
• Organize ingredients: refrigerated items in the fridge, bread and chips on the serving tables, extras behind the counter.
• Combine the meat and warm it in the crockpot/Instant Pot — you may need the sauté function or stovetop. Heat the beans on the stove (transfer to a crockpot if desired).

10:00 — Morning Time & Feast Cycle

• Set out plates, napkins, and cutlery if needed; put high chairs and boosters around the babies’ table; set platters and serving utensils on the prep area.
• Make 1 platter of PBJ sandwiches, cut in half.
• Set out tortillas and chips (extras on the counter), fruit and veggies on the serving table, and salsa, sour cream, and hand sanitizer. Cut the avocados.

11:30 Nursery & Preschool arrive · 11:45 remaining classes

• Refill items on the serving line, and fill a bus tub with warm soapy water for the Clean Up Crews.
• Encourage student helpers to place personal items on the sign-in table and to wipe tables and chairs.
• Make a single pot of coffee for after lunch, and set out chocolate at a table with the moms.

After lunch & recess

• Put away leftovers, wash and put away dishes, and sweep under the tables.

1:15 — during the last class

• Prep tea for Kindergarten and Preschool: metal teapot in the lower cabinet right of the stove, steep tea, sweeten if desired, add a little ice to cool. Put it on the cart with small mugs and push to the classes at 1:25.
• Empty trash cans and replace bags — leave one bag at the end of the serving table for the day’s last trash.
• Place all food to be used another week in the clear container in the fridge (all co-op items live inside it). Take a photo of the inventory and text it to Danielle.
• Set remaining leftovers on the serving table for families to take home.
• Put away high chairs and boosters, retrieve the tea cart, clean the coffee pots and filters, and finish the dishes.
• Return co-op items to the bus tubs on our pantry shelf, wipe down the kitchen counters, and bag all wet rags for the designated person to take home.

9:30 — before Morning Time

• Make a double pot of coffee (1 cup of coffee for a single pot, right side), fill the hot water carafe (left side), and set out mugs, tea, sugar, and creamers.
• Organize ingredients: refrigerated items in the fridge, bread and chips on the serving tables, extras behind the counter.
• If the soup arrives warm in a crockpot, keep it warm/low; if it needs reheating, warm it on the stove on high — the stove runs really cool.
• Set out the butter to soften, and put hot pads on the serving table.

10:00 — Morning Time & Feast Cycle

• Set out plates, napkins, and cutlery if needed; put high chairs and boosters around the babies’ table; set platters and serving utensils on the prep area.
• Make 1 platter of PBJ sandwiches, cut in half.
• Set out fruit and veggies on the serving table (extras on the counter), plus hand sanitizer.

11:30 Nursery & Preschool arrive · 11:45 remaining classes

• Refill items on the serving line, and fill a bus tub with warm soapy water for the Clean Up Crews.
• Encourage student helpers to place personal items on the sign-in table and to wipe tables and chairs.
• Make a single pot of coffee for after lunch, and set out chocolate at a table with the moms.

After lunch & recess

• Put away leftovers, wash and put away dishes, and sweep under the tables.

1:15 — during the last class

• Prep tea for Kindergarten and Preschool: metal teapot in the lower cabinet right of the stove, steep tea, sweeten if desired, add a little ice to cool. Put it on the cart with small mugs and push to the classes at 1:25.
• Empty trash cans and replace bags — leave one bag at the end of the serving table for the day’s last trash.
• Place all food to be used another week in the clear container in the fridge (all co-op items live inside it). Take a photo of the inventory and text it to Danielle.
• Set remaining leftovers on the serving table for families to take home.
• Put away high chairs and boosters, retrieve the tea cart, clean the coffee pots and filters, and finish the dishes.
• Return co-op items to the bus tubs on our pantry shelf, wipe down the kitchen counters, and bag all wet rags for the designated person to take home.

9:30 — before Morning Time

• Make a double pot of coffee (1 cup of coffee for a single pot, right side), fill the hot water carafe (left side), and set out mugs, tea, sugar, and creamers.
• Organize ingredients: refrigerated items in the fridge, bread and chips on the serving tables, extras behind the counter.
• Heat the oven to 425–450°, line the big baking sheets (sitting on the oven) with foil, and begin baking the scrubbed and poked potatoes. If warming meats in the oven, know that it cooks hot.

10:00 — Morning Time & Feast Cycle

• Set out plates, napkins, and cutlery if needed; put high chairs and boosters around the babies’ table; set platters and serving utensils on the prep area.
• Make 1 platter of PBJ sandwiches, cut in half.
• Set out fruit and veggies on the serving table (extras on the counter), plus toppings and hand sanitizer.

11:30 Nursery & Preschool arrive · 11:45 remaining classes

• Refill items on the serving line, and fill a bus tub with warm soapy water for the Clean Up Crews.
• Encourage student helpers to place personal items on the sign-in table and to wipe tables and chairs.
• Make a single pot of coffee for after lunch, and set out chocolate at a table with the moms.

After lunch & recess

• Put away leftovers, wash and put away dishes, and sweep under the tables.

1:15 — during the last class

• Prep tea for Kindergarten and Preschool: metal teapot in the lower cabinet right of the stove, steep tea, sweeten if desired, add a little ice to cool. Put it on the cart with small mugs and push to the classes at 1:25.
• Empty trash cans and replace bags — leave one bag at the end of the serving table for the day’s last trash.
• Place all food to be used another week in the clear container in the fridge (all co-op items live inside it). Take a photo of the inventory and text it to Danielle.
• Set remaining leftovers on the serving table for families to take home.
• Put away high chairs and boosters, retrieve the tea cart, clean the coffee pots and filters, and finish the dishes.
• Return co-op items to the bus tubs on our pantry shelf, wipe down the kitchen counters, and bag all wet rags for the designated person to take home.

1. Attentive eyes — keep your eyes on the speaker.
2. Listening ears — keep your ears tuned to the person speaking; wait your turn; raise your hand.
3. Respectful mouth — are your words kind? How are you encouraging others?
4. Self-controlled body — keep your hands and feet to yourself; be a blessing with your actions.
5. Kind heart — when we are loving God we are loving others; when we are loving others we are loving God.

Clear expectations set the foundation for positive behavior. Each teacher communicates specific expectations — it is unfair to have unspoken ones. Respectful behavior develops with the child: what’s acceptable for a toddler is no longer acceptable in a teenager.

Dress code & conduct

• Triple B Dress Code (Bust, Belly, Butt): no visible cleavage, no midriff showing while relaxed, no underwear or butt showing. Each member takes responsibility for their own family’s dress.
• Public displays of affection: students should focus on building solid friendships; should romantic relationships form, students refrain from all PDA at Guild programs and events, subject to the Director’s discernment.
• No weapons or devices of any kind (cell phones, iPods, laptops, cameras).

Consequences & discipline

If a child is disobedient or disrespectful, an adult leader implements, in order: 1) verbal correction (a Give Me Five reminder); 2) a few minutes sitting in the hallway; 3) going to the mother and not returning to class. If a child is sent to their mother persistently, the Director and mother must talk; for habitual disruptive behavior, the Director may discern whether the child should lose the privilege of attending co-op activities. The Respectful Conduct Agreement must be signed by all parents and children.

Members and leaders of Bluestem Education Guild seek to invite, initiate, and inspire — and refuse to criticize, complain, or condemn. Because the Guild respects each member’s autonomy in navigating friendships, when a concern or personal conflict arises between members, those members work together toward resolution.

• Avoid gossip — minor and occasional flaws should be covered in love. Never use group texts to air a grievance (this includes WhatsApp); respect one another’s confidences and privacy.
• Avoid comparison — every volunteer has unique skills and capacities; celebrate strengths and compensate for weaknesses.
• Avoid excessive standards — expecting perfection only discourages others until they quit trying. Growth needs a safe place to be honest, try new things, and potentially fail.
• Avoid unforgiveness — negative interactions followed by reconciliation end in strengthened relationships.
• Avoid negative assumptions — assume you don’t know the entire context; ask questions and seek clarification first.

If a concern or conflict arises

1. Speak directly with the person involved, keeping the guidelines above in mind.
2. Contact a Director if the concern could affect a child’s classroom experience or a member’s ability to participate. Directors are objective mediators for conflicts that remain unresolved — any unresolved issue must be brought to a Director’s attention.
3. Submit an incident report through the chapter dashboard; a Director will review and follow up with the appropriate parties.

Relationships outside the Guild — birthday parties, playdates, clubs, get-togethers, sports — are outside its purview and conducted as each family sees fit.

If something happens during co-op that needs to be documented, submit an incident report (available on the chapter dashboard). Filing a report creates an official record and ensures leadership and the Board have the information they need if further action becomes necessary. Reports are kept on file, and retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith will not be tolerated.

Submitting a report does not guarantee a particular outcome, but it is an important step in keeping our community safe and accountable. For urgent safety issues, speak directly with a leader and submit the form so it is properly documented.

Grow

• Exposure to a wide variety of reality — variety is key to a generous education. Exposure breeds taste; a person cannot love what they do not know. Training students to love what is lovely, perceive what is true, and rightly judge what is good allows them to grow fully human, fully alive.
• Self-discipline, good habits, and various skills — to rule oneself is the key to making all other things possible. Habits are built day by day, brick by brick; skill creates pleasure, and a person of many skills lives a rich life free from boredom.
• Endurance — attempting difficult things with patience is a great virtue. Giving a student time to try and try again is a lesson that always retains its value.

Care

• Personal connection between student and reality — introduce something true, good, or beautiful, then “stand aside.” Give space, time, and silence to let the person bond with the knowledge organically.
• Truth, beauty, and goodness — a naked fact is not successfully placed in the mind’s permanent furnishings. Stories, meaning, and connections make knowledge valuable.
• Responsibility — care comes to fruition in personal responsibility: knowledge received ends in care given, toward God, neighbor, and nature.

Attend

• The habit of attention — attention is one of our most noble capacities; the capacity to attend leads to a capacity to worship. We grow it in small steps — to have eyes and really see, ears and really hear.
• Space for silence — a new idea needs to land in the mind and take root. A teacher who is always talking is interrupting; a relaxed pace safeguards the process.
• Wonder and awe — we explore reality to fall in love with it, not to dominate it. Approach learning excluding fear, haste, and pride, and the outcome is joy, amazement, and humility.

Living books

“Children must have books, living books” — usually written by one person with a passion for the subject, in conversational or narrative style, pulling you in and involving your emotions so the subject comes alive. In practice: spend part of each lesson on a longer book broken into smaller readings with introduction and review, or read a different picture book each week — even to all ages.

Narration

In its basic form, narration is retelling — the heart of education, because when we can tell back an idea we have developed a relationship with it. How to practice it:

• Read a portion and ask the child to tell back all he or she can recall. Read it only once, to reinforce the habit of attention, and keep interruptions to a minimum.
• Encourage narrating in the child’s own words, with opinions and connections. Refrain from praising, criticizing, quizzing, or questioning after a narration — a simple “thank you” will do. Narration is a personal act, treated with respect.
• Ideas: a jar of popsicle sticks to draw a name after any reading; narrating in pairs or as a chain (stop mid-sentence, the next student continues); drawing a picture or map and telling about it.

Short lessons

Lessons are short — seldom more than twenty minutes for children under eight. The sense that there is not much time keeps a child’s wits alert and fixes attention; judicious alternation (a “thinking” lesson first, a “painstaking” one to follow) avoids over-stress on the brain. In practice: movement after reading sessions, or a game between harder brain work.

Teachers must refrain from: teaching in a devotional format or leading Bible studies during co-op classes; teaching from or promoting a specific denominational or theological perspective; and promoting specific political viewpoints (redirect student conversations away from politics when they arise).

Teachers may teach topics related to Christianity — biblical events, people, or traditions — from a historical, cultural, or geographical perspective only.

• Acceptable: world religions as historical overview; Holy Week in historical or geographical context; the disciples as historical figures.
• Not acceptable: leading a devotional or Bible study; teaching with the intent to shape specific theological or political beliefs.

Questions about these guidelines go to your Director.

• Check the class Google Drive to see what has been taught, then choose a topic. Avoid teaching the same general topic more than a few times in one year.
• Fill out the class outline in your age level’s folder on the chapter Google Drive, then check with your Class Coordinator. The outline is due by 3pm on the Monday before the unit is taught; leaders review it before the Mother’s Meeting and add the approval date.
• The outline covers: teacher, unit theme, unit fee (if needed), spine, other read-alouds, objective, supporting activities, materials brought by teacher and by students, and the week-by-week schedule. Reading aloud is expected every week in every classroom. Avoid textbooks and lecture-style teaching.
• Ask yourself: “Does my plan fit the pillars of our organization?” We are an enrichment co-op — graded classes are not expected; we desire to spread a feast of living ideas.
• Plan ahead — start tossing ideas around as soon as you know your unit topic; it’s easier to plan something that energizes you. Use the WhatsApp Class Ideas chat, this guide, book lists, and your Class Coordinator for ideas and feedback.

Objective: to invite students to develop a relationship with a piece of art, building a beautiful “gallery of the mind” to recall.

Preparation

• Cut out small artist prints for students (provided by the chapter); find biographical or background information; bring a picture of the artist — one large, or small copies for journals.

Sequence (~10 min)

1. Briefly introduce the artist; provide name and dates for students to copy into notebooks. (1 min)
2. Distribute large prints face down. Set a timer for 3 minutes (1 minute for preschool); students turn prints over and observe carefully until it rings. (3 min)
3. Prints back upside down; invite students to share observations, responding simply, “Thank you.” (4 min)
4. Turn prints over for further comments (1 min); distribute small prints to glue into notebooks. (1 min)

Considerations

• Encourage each student to contribute; don’t expect to answer every question. For preschool, consider printed name labels at gluing time.

Resources

• “How to Do Picture Study” — A Humble Place
• A Delectable Education Ep. 190: Picture Talk

Objective: to develop basic watercolor techniques for painting shapes useful in nature journaling and simple illustrations.

Preparation

• At home: review the lesson from the provided curriculum (Brush Work by Marion Hudson; Brush Drawing: A Basic Course by Richele Baburina); practice strokes, posture, and technique; fill clear containers with fresh water; clean and point brushes; cut graph paper into half-sheets.
• At co-op: arrange supplies on the cart — one palette, water container, and spray bottle per two students; one brush each.

Sequence (~10 min)

1. Show the brush form example, then demonstrate it. (2 min)
2. Pass out supplies; remind students: spray palette until paint is inky, roll the brush to load it, lay the brush down to create the form. (1 min)
3. Students practice on graph paper while you continue demonstrating and guiding; offer more paper as sheets fill. (6 min)
4. Glue finished papers into journals if desired.

Reset

• Students clean brushes to a pointed tip and return supplies to the cart; wipe paint from tables. After Feast Cycle: empty paint water in the kitchen sink, rinse, and return everything to the brush drawing tote.

Considerations

• Brush forms are like handwriting practice — the more you do, the better they get. Ask students to make as many forms as they are years old, complete a page before “freestyle,” or turn forms into illustrations (a horizontal form becomes a leaf). Provide images or real objects as students progress, and consider projects like occasion cards. Replenish paint water with a fresh pitcher and a dump container.

Resources

• Lesson demo part 1 · part 2 (Amelia Rodgers)
• “Getting Started with Brush Drawing” · Brush drawing resources & tutorials
• Brush Drawing: A Basic Course · ADE Ep. 98: Drawing · Brushwork by Marion Hudson

Objective: to develop precision, patience, and beauty in writing by mastering individual strokes and letters — fostering a love for excellent workmanship and attention to detail.

Preparation

• Create handouts demonstrating the week’s strokes and letters; tape a large lined sheet to the wall for demonstration. Be able to form the strokes neatly yourself — this hands-on class needs someone who can do it to assist.

Sequence

1. Enter cheerfully; introduce the day’s work while handing out supplies and handouts.
2. Ask students to recall last week’s lesson, then build on it.
3. Demonstrate new strokes and letters with practice time between; circulate to examine work and personally demonstrate, reminding students of fundamentals (pen angle, letter position on the lines).
4. Collect supplies slightly early so the next Feast Cycle teacher can begin on time.

Considerations

• Refrain from criticizing — offer help: “May I show you a way to form that letter that will make you happier with the outcome?” Students thrive on praise for a stroke done well.
• Avoid: drawing on the child’s paper (demonstrate on a separate sheet), doing the work for them, comparing work, or rushing the alphabet. Go slowly — the goal is mastery.

Resources

• Calligraphy: A Practical Handbook for the Beginner (Muriel M. Parker) · Calligraphy in Ten Easy Lessons (Winters & Lico) · Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy (Eleanor Winters)

Objective: to train students to observe form, texture, and proportion by modeling simple objects in clay — building shapes thoughtfully, morsel by morsel.

Preparation

• Choose simple objects with varied lines and textures — mushrooms, peppers, berries, and pumpkins have been hits. Bring enough for everyone (no more than two students sharing), and don’t overcomplicate: the goal is seeing lines, shapes, forms, proportions.
• In the morning, spray the clay lumps to soften. Supplies: clay in sealed bags, mats, spray bottles, and the modeling objects. Enter cheerfully and distribute quickly.

Sequence

1. Students begin working the clay while you introduce the object and give noticing hints: “Where is it fat? Where is it thin? How can you produce that texture?”
2. Ask what they notice as they model — speaking observations aloud is super helpful.

Reset

• Allow 3 minutes for cleanup and hand-washing; students help collect. Reseal clay bags and return all materials to the tote.

Considerations

• This is an excellent class for quiet conversation about the modeling. God has already given them their best tools — their hands; use other tools only when necessary. Avoid doing the work for them (except softening clay for the youngest) and don’t let them hurry — forming the parts matters more than completing the whole.

Resources

• A Manual of Clay Modeling (Hermione Unwin) · CMI modeling ideas & tips

Objective: to cultivate a love for beautiful music through repeated, attentive listening — a relationship with the composer, not mastery of theory. Reference the Shared Selections and plan from the resources given.

Preparation

• Find biographical background on the composer or piece; test your speaker; create a streaming playlist; listen to the piece yourself.

Sequence (~10 min)

1. “Let’s prepare to listen. Today we will spend a few moments with [Composer].” Provide name and dates for notebooks. (1 min)
2. Introduce or review the piece; share a small living fact about the composer; note the form (concerto, anthem, sonata, opera). (1–2 min)
3. Listen. (3–5 min)
4. Oral narration by age: “What did you hear?” “What did this music make you think or feel?” “What do you remember of the composer’s story?” (2 min)
5. Add title and date to notebooks; close with “This week, listen for… when you hear this piece again.” (1 min)

Considerations

• “Close your eyes — what instruments do you hear? What picture does this music paint?” Even preschoolers can sit and listen quietly — just stand aside! Drawing while listening is allowed.

Resources

• Simply Charlotte Mason: How to Do Music Study
• ADE Ep. 231: Picture & Composer Study

Objective: to train careful observation and expression through drawing — the habit of seeing beauty and recording it faithfully, storing up images of delight.

Preparation

• Familiarize yourself with teaching drawing the Charlotte Mason way; choose a spine book or syllabus appropriate to students’ experience; practice the exercises yourself and research angles, perspective, and shading. Supplies: soft graphite pencils, notebooks, and the drawing subject.

Sequence

1. Place the object a bit away from students — capturing shape, highlights, and shadow — or demonstrate a prepared exercise. A white paper backdrop and a flashlight (or lights off) help reveal shadows.
2. Students observe and commit details to memory: shape, proportions, shadows, highlights.
3. Draw what they actually see, not what they think they see. Once a line is made it is not erased — like Michelangelo pondering the granite, observe and ponder before placing lines.
4. Draw attention to shape: width versus height, straight versus curved, where shadow fades to light, where the darkest parts sit. Instruct from your spine (we recommend Drawing Simplified or Elementary Drawing Simplified).
5. Observe and draw through the rest of class, finishing in time for the next teacher.

Considerations

• Progress from simple solid shapes (broom, feather) to regular objects requiring shading (cans, boxes, pots) to irregular shapes with shading (fruit, leaves). Emphasize noticing and drawing shadow.
• Drawing has nothing to do with talent — it is seeing, remembering, and expressing. Encourage but do not flatter. Practice what you teach. Sometimes remove the object and draw from memory, then compare.
• Avoid: hard pencils, erasers, rulers, or guiding lines; turning it into nature journaling; physically interfering with a child’s work; calling a drawing wrong for not matching your style.

Resources

• Elementary Drawing Simplified and Drawing Simplified (D.R. Augsburg) · Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Betty Edwards) · Home Education pp. 312–313 · ADE Ep. 98 · “The Teaching of Drawing”

Objective: to enjoy learning group dances and folk songs from a variety of time periods and cultures. Folk songs are selected by the Guild for the year and sung with the full group as a “call to order” before Morning Time and Symposium.

Preparation

• Intro Elementary and older: select and learn dances in advance, coordinating with other chapters where possible; create a playlist and bring a speaker. Preschool: identify folk songs, finger plays, and simple group dances for the age.

Sequence

1. Intro Elementary and older: take students to the folk dancing area (the Foyer); instruct correct positions and steps, reviewing prior weeks as needed (5 min); practice with music (5 min).
2. Preschool: the teacher may go to the preschool classroom and lead folk songs (picture books help), finger plays, and simple dances.

Considerations

• The main folk dancing teacher stays the same all year (subs may be trained). Address students with energy and assertion — knowing every dancer’s name is valuable. Adjust for age and physical abilities; colored dot stickers on the floor help mark positions. Listening ears and respectful bodies are vital; wholehearted participation expected.

Resources

• The Book of Song Dances (Feierabend) · New England Dance Masters · Geslison & Groberg hoedown instruction
• American Folk Songs for Children (Seeger) · Pete Seeger, Nancy Cassidy, and Jill Trinka albums · ADE Ep. 172: Folk Dancing · CM Redding on folk dancing

Objective: to develop a relationship with a foreign language through gentle exposure and immersion — much like toddlers naturally learn to speak.

Preparation

• Gather songs/rhymes in the language, vocabulary images for conversational phrases, and picture study images (one per student).

Sequence (~10 min)

1. Introduce the song or rhyme; in weeks 2–4, ask students to recall previous weeks. (1 min)
2. Sing or recite. (2 min)
3. Introduce or review conversational phrases; practice in pairs. (2–3 min)
4. Pass out picture study images and vocabulary; students find the words in the image, point and repeat, then narrate the image using as many vocabulary words as they can. (3 min)
5. Copy or glue new vocabulary into journals. (1 min)

Considerations

• Mastery is slow and steady — set expectations accordingly. Hand motions, repetition, and images aid understanding; puppets or stuffed animals make great conversation partners.

Resources

• Ambleside Online foreign language resources · ADE Ep. 51: Foreign Language
• Spanish: En mi familia (Carmen Lomas Garza) · De Colores and Diez Deditos (José-Luis Orozco)

Objective: to develop the habit of attention by closely observing and recording nature through drawing and written reflection — fostering wonder, memory, and connection to the natural world.

Preparation

• Choose a subject for observation — simple things can be best (clouds, branches, stones), but unique items are a hit too: preserved insects, seashells, skeletons, pelts. Seasonal items are lovely. Bring multiples so no more than two students share.

Sequence

1. Students open notebooks and receive specimens. As they observe and draw, remind them of the three self-leading questions: “I notice…” “I wonder…” “It reminds me of…”
2. Remind students that nature study is predominantly about observation — the better they observe, the better they remember.

Considerations

• Have neighbors take turns saying “I notice…” aloud. Or pretend you’ve been blind from birth and have the class describe the specimen to you — make it a little hard!
• Journal the specimen yourself beforehand and show the class — demonstrating that noticing matters more than artwork.
• Avoid: nature study without drawing (drawing seals the memory); overemphasizing artistic skill; complimenting drawing ability rather than noticing; letting students sit without participating.

Resources

• John Muir Laws’ How to Teach Nature Journaling and The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling · ADE Ep. 225: Nature Study

Objective: to grow in making useful and beautiful paper models through origami and paper sloyd — developing fine motor skills while practicing following directions. Younger students complete simple origami; older students work toward sloyd models using tools like X-acto knives.

Preparation

• Choose an appropriate lesson per age group; gather paper, scissors or X-acto knives, rulers, and pencils; practice the lesson at home and plan how to explain the steps.

Sequence

1. Introduce the model; in weeks 2–4, recall previous models. (1 min)
2. Instruct folding steps — draw them on the board or use a larger demonstration model. (5+ min)
3. Invite another model if time allows. (4 min)
4. Older students (7+): review tool safety and accurate measuring first.

Reset

• Throw away scraps, put in-progress projects in the tote, return tools to the caddy.

Considerations

• Take your time — the goal is folding, measuring, and listening skills, not a project each week. Review models over several weeks to build confidence.
• Tool safety is vital: start with scissors, graduate to X-acto knives at the teacher’s discretion; caps on when not in use. Disrespecting tools means observing without participating.
• Some children need extra support with directional and spatial terms. Pre-cut squares for the youngest. Encourage using models as gifts.

Resources

• CM Poetry: Teaching Paper Sloyd · ADE Ep. 81: Sloyd
• Paper Sloyd for Primary Grades tutorials · Origami (Lucy Bowman) · Paper Sloyd (Ednah Anne Rich)

Objective: to invite students to feel at home in the world of poetry. Two approaches: get to know a poet (four poems over the unit, one style) or get to know a poem (one poem attended to all four weeks — memorization, pronunciation, diction, presentation).

Preparation

• Print and cut copies of the poem for journals; find biographical background; bring a picture of the poet (large, or copies to glue in).

Sequence (~10 min)

1. Name the poet; later in the unit, ask students to recall last week. (1–2 min)
2. Provide name and dates for journals. (1 min)
3. Share a short bio and picture — all at once, or a little each week. (1 min)
4. Read the poem — pause at punctuation, not line breaks. You may withhold the title and ask students what they would call it. (2–3 min)
5. Reflect and narrate: “What did you hear? What were your favorite word choices?” (2–3 min)
6. Share relevant background if time allows. (1–2 min)

Considerations

• Resist turning the lesson into a lecture, and avoid leading questions — allow students to engage on their own terms, even through uncomfortable silence.
• Students can draw while you read, close their eyes and imagine, act the poem out, or create gestures. Pointing out structure (haiku syllables, rhyme schemes, alliteration) is sometimes appropriate. Re-read if time allows.
• Younger students: don’t underestimate them! Shorter poems or excerpts work; if the poet truly won’t fit, read similar age-suited poetry instead.

Resources

• Ambleside Online poetry · SCM Enjoy the Poems · ADE Ep. 236: Poetry
• A Kick in the Head (Janeczko) · What is Poetry? (Rosen) · younger: A Child’s Garden of Verses, The Random House Book of Poetry, National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry

Objective: to grow attention, cheerful obedience, posture, coordination, self-control, and pleasure in purposeful movement through short drill lessons.

Preparation

• Read the introduction and teaching notes in A Year of Swedish Drill (Beginner) from The Schoolyard; select the week’s lesson (the packet is designed to be used in order and repeated as needed); practice the commands so you can call them clearly. Choose a clear space; optional hula hoops or tape to mark each child’s spot.

Sequence (~15 min)

1. Lines or a circle with room to move; remind students that attentive eyes, listening ears, and self-controlled bodies are necessary. (1 min)
2. Call the class to Attention; review positions and new commands. (2 min)
3. Teach or review new skills — demonstrate, practice, correct only what safety and clarity require. (2–3 min)
4. Call the drill: explanatory command, pause, executive command — “Feet… Close!” The pause lets students picture the movement first. (5–8 min)
5. Repeat or combine lessons for older students; younger ones may stay with one lesson. (2–4 min)
6. Return to Attention, then At Ease; calmly dismiss. (1 min)

Considerations

• Short, lively, and orderly — the goal is joyful precision, not exhaustion. Once students understand a movement, call the drill rather than performing it with them. Keep lessons in packet order; adjust by age and ability; keep correction brief and calm; adapt movements for students with physical limitations.

Resources

• A Year of Swedish Drill (Beginner) — The Schoolyard (Nikki Thomas & Emily Bell) · Simply Charlotte Mason: Swedish Drill Teacher

Objective: to invite students to build a relationship with Shakespeare’s plays. The play for the year is selected by the Guild; the chapter provides the script, which stays at co-op. First semester: 12 mandatory meetings for students 12+ to study, read through, and narrate the play in groups (younger students may join if appropriate), plus 12 voluntary practices and rehearsals toward a fall production.

Preparation

• Classroom: select a synopsis for week one; plan how many scenes fit a 30-minute session; gather supporting background (maps, images, vocabulary). Performance: plan how many scenes can be blocked in 30 minutes, with blocking notes if desired.

Sequence

1. Week one: introduce the play with a synopsis, character mapping, and historical context (15 min); later weeks, briefly recall previous scenes (3–5 min).
2. Read scene by scene with competent readers, or listen to a quality recording (such as Arkangel) while following along. (15–20 min)
3. Group narration. (5 min)
4. For the performance: assign roles and scripts, block and rehearse scenes.

Considerations

• Allow adequate rehearsal time through the semester; involve students in costumes, scenery, and props; anticipate extra rehearsals outside co-op as the performance approaches. (Note: with Drama Club expanding, this guide may change in the future.)

Resources

• Why Shakespeare? — Ken Ludwig & Pam Barnhill · ADE: Shakespeare
• Usborne Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare · Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) · Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) · How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) · Arkangel audio recordings · Shakespeare on Toast (Crystal) · Folger Library editions

• Planning: find your age level’s folder on the chapter Google Drive and fill out the unit outline it contains. Come prepared to begin — any delay tends to derail a class quickly.
• Feast Cycle support: the classroom teacher stays in the room during the Feast Cycle to assist with teacher transitions and keep the children seated, quiet, and attentive. Keeping order is the classroom teacher’s duty, not the Feast Cycle teacher’s. Encourage students to greet Feast Cycle teachers and thank them as they leave.
• Conduct: students stay in their classroom, seated, hands to themselves; they respect the teacher and listen while others speak, greeting the teacher entering and exiting — “Hi, Miss Jessi!” and “Thank you!”
• Narration: drawing popsicle sticks with names is a wonderful way to invite narrations from reluctant students. Students will know what they know — avoid leading questions; let them share, then thank them.
• Classroom reset: students clean up after themselves; plan to finish your lesson about 5 minutes early to reset the room.
• Rhythm: change activities every 10–15 minutes for elementary, 15–20 for middle and high school. A structure that works well: introduce or recap the topic → read a book with narrations → hands-on project → extra books or activities in reserve → clean up.
• Discipline: address disruption immediately, following the ladder in Conduct & Community.
• The Key Ideas for a Charlotte Mason Education playlist from the Charlotte Mason Institute is recommended for every age level.

Objective: a safe, nurturing, and joyful environment where young children begin building friendships, delight in simple activities, and feel secure through consistent care, gentle guidance, and read-aloud time.

• Even without formal lessons, this class of living persons thrives on a varied feast: plan ahead with books, music, stickers, and age-appropriate toys and activities. Keep it simple — process over product.
• Arrive 10 minutes before morning classes to ease drop-off transitions; being settled early helps anxious children adjust. Set the atmosphere with music, clean-up time, and simple activities.
• Read aloud every week — bring books from home or the library, or check whether the chapter has a book tote. New snacks are always appreciated; check the roster for allergies.
• Feel free to take the class outside — “Never be within doors when you can rightly be without!”
• At lunch, the teacher helps serve and feed the children (bring their water bottles; mind allergies) until each mother arrives and takes over her own child(ren).
• Gently redirect hitting or biting and communicate incidents at pick-up; if unwanted behavior continues after a third correction, bring the child to the mother. Mothers: please pick up promptly, and remember to leave diaper supplies and a bottle.
• Resource: Parents’ Review on a CM atmosphere for young children

Objective: to gently introduce young children to the beauty and rhythm of a Charlotte Mason-style feast through short, engaging lessons and purposeful play — an entry-level feast for the young mind.

Morning (with the Feast Cycle)

• Students sit in assigned places with pencils and glue sticks handy; help with gluing, oversee the room while guest teachers rotate through.

Morning (when not in the Feast Cycle)

• 10:35–10:40 — age-appropriate poetry (Mother Goose, Cicely Mary Barker) with finger plays or actions
• 10:40–10:50 — artist study: study the picture, close eyes, and remember; ask noticing questions (“What do you think is happening? What would you call this painting?”)
• 10:50–11:00 — folk song and dance, as elaborate or simple as you like
• 11:00–11:07 — a living picture book, with narrations if students are willing
• 11:07–11:18 — an educational activity: cutting practice, fine motor skills, loose parts play
• 11:18 — walk to lunch and help students fill their plates (a varied feast, not just chips and fruit!). Times are approximate — adjust to the students’ pace.

Afternoon

• 1:00–1:10 — open with a living book related to the unit study; keep bunny-trail narrations kindly reined in
• 1:11–1:20 — supporting activity with pieces pre-cut and supplies prepared
• 1:21–1:25 — physical activity: a song, the parachute, follow-the-leader
• 1:26–1:50 — stations, 5–10 minutes each: tea time with poetry (start the tea during lunch!), plus two more — sensory bins, loose parts, memory games, play dough, magnatiles, coloring
• 1:50 — all students help clean up; make certain each finds their mother after dismissal

Considerations

• Consistency matters — at least one consistent teacher through the year helps this class function best. Designate each child’s space with rugs, placemats, or tape. Keep lessons 5–10 minutes.
• Take delight in the children and they will delight in you. Avoid stifling creativity — and avoid winging it: it takes approximately 0.2 seconds for this age group to be distracted.
• Resources: Mother Goose; Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies; Kate Greenaway; older Caldecott picture books; Aesop’s Fables; SCM’s The Early Years; Read-Aloud Revival booklists

Objective: to gently prepare students for a future of self-education and formal lessons through enriching play, engaging books, and beautiful ideas.

• Two-teacher model: one consistent teacher stays for a semester while a lead teacher changes each unit, planning and executing lessons with the consistent teacher’s support.
• During the Feast Cycle, assist with writing names for artist study (labels may be printed for this age).
• Start the tea over lunch so it’s ready for the afternoon.

Afternoon structure

• Opening read-aloud introducing the unit topic (5 min); supporting activity or discussion (5 min) — post any needed family-brought supplies in the class WhatsApp chat
• Physical activity (5–10 min): Swedish Drill, hand-clapping games, cross-body movement
• Stations (30 min): tea time with poetry or a living book (the kids LOVE tea time — a good narration opportunity), plus two teacher’s-choice stations: sensory bins, memory games, magnetic tiles, play dough, parachute, watercolor, handicrafts, more books
• Closing, review, and clean up from about 1:50

Considerations

• A seating chart encourages focus; keep a peaceful, reverent tone; use Give Me Five regularly.
• Resources: SCM Preschool & Intro Elementary guides; The Early Years; SCM Favorite Read-Alouds; Ambleside Online Year 0 booklist; Swedish Drill Teacher

Objective: to guide students in engaging with living ideas through short, varied lessons and meaningful discussion — nurturing independent thinking, respectful dialogue, and delight in learning.

• Assigned seating is highly recommended — separating certain children is often the key to a peaceful classroom (index cards or Post-its work well; consult your Class Coordinator about students who may clash).
• Reading aloud or writing by children is optional at this age. This group may like writing artist and composer names during the Feast Cycle — labels can be handed out.
• Busy hands during readings (like coloring) help maintain attention — this is very important. Brain breaks between Feast Cycle segments (jumping jacks, planks, yoga poses) suit energetic students.
• Encourage multiple children to narrate.

Ideas & resources

• Books: D’Aulaire; Among the Forest People; Little House on the Prairie; Beyond Five in a Row booklists; beautiful picture books on the unit topic
• Popular past classes: Human Body (Renee Schneider), Quilt Study (Hannah Cone & Christine Kremer), Cells (Julie Quaring), Shakespeare (Amelia Rodgers), Oregon Trail (Megan Killion), Farmer Boy (Jessi Westengaard)

Objective: as with Lower Elementary — living ideas, short varied lessons, meaningful discussion — with more expected of growing students.

• Reading aloud by students is encouraged (a mother may ask that her child skip it based on development). Assigned seating may be necessary.
• Consistency in classroom management is very important — maintain authority and address disruption immediately via the discipline ladder.
• This age group is ready to rise to the challenge; they love facts and things that are funny.
• Copywork may be used during the Feast Cycle — encourage copying names, dates, and key information into journals.

Ideas & resources

• Popular past classes: Biographies, Simple Machines (Heather Berrier), Da Vinci (Hannah Cone), Etiquette (Emily Karg), Constellations (Clara Williams)

Objective: living ideas through short, varied lessons and meaningful discussion — building habits that prepare students for deeper study and maturity.

• This age still loves physical games and read-alouds. Clearly express expectations and expect students to rise to meet them.
• Lead dialogue rather than lecture; allow silence without rushing to fill it; model and show humility.
• Narrating to a partner works well, as do acting out and drawing narrations; ask students to review previous lessons each week.
• Keep conversation appropriate and on topic — politics and religion are not acceptable in class.
• A non-disruptive handicraft or fidget tool is allowed; if it becomes an issue, talk with the mother.

Ideas & resources

• Read-Aloud Revival booklists, Studying with the Scientists, biographies. Popular past classes: Bookbinding (Sara Holmquist), Entrepreneurship (Ann Dvorak)

Objective: the same aims as Middle School, carried further — independent thinking, respectful dialogue, and delight in learning for students preparing for adulthood.

• All Middle School practices apply: dialogue over lecture, comfort with silence, partner narrations, weekly review, activity changes every 15–20 minutes, fidget tools allowed, politics and religion off the table in class.

Ideas & resources

• Popular past classes: Leatherwork (Christina Pawley), Health/Life Skills (Kylie Steiner), History of Religion (Christine Kremer), On Mission: Ukraine (Sara Holmquist)

The shared subjects — poetry, artist study, composer study, Shakespeare, and folk song — are fundamental to a Charlotte Mason education; each fosters the habit of attention. As we participate in the Feast Cycle, we become audience members rather than main characters: observers invited to recognize our own experience in an artist’s expression. As Mason says, we select our own morsels for our nourishment.

Each year the Board and Leadership teams thoughtfully curate the selections, considering beauty, variety, and quality. Not every student will love every new experience — very new things can feel unpalatable at first. Our intention is to expand the palate while offering the best the human experience has produced. Our selections do not endorse the entirety of an artist’s or writer’s worldview or lifestyle: even where we do not approve of aspects of a person’s life or beliefs, we can appreciate what is good in their work, explore it as an artifact, and grow in empathy for the common human experience.

Questions or concerns about any selection go to Christine Kremer.

General principles

• Focus on one poet, artist, or composer — avoid collections or novelty selections.
• Include “canon” figures (Bach, Picasso) alongside lesser-known ones, and at least one figure from a non-Western culture.
• Aim for age-appropriate selections that communicate the shared human experience — great ideas done well — choosing figures whose works and biography can be presented with historical objectivity.

By subject

Director

• Main contact for the co-op; leads the leadership team — checking in with members and delegating as needed.
• Holds accountability: discourages negative behaviors, manages conflict resolution between students, parents, and leaders, and curtails gossip. Main accountability for policy follow-through (teaching guidelines, meeting attendance, contribution).
• Plans and leads leadership meetings and Mother’s Meetings — creating the agenda, choosing the opening question, leading discussion.
• Stays in regular contact with the Board and attends Board meetings (or sends a delegate).

Secretary

• Manages the attendance form (clipboard out each morning, filed after each unit) and SignUpGenius for class and lunch signups.
• Membership support with the Board: assists with the chapter directory, rosters, and WhatsApp chats. Supports the summer transition between years — calendar, directory, class rosters, and related documents.
• Takes attendance and minutes at Mother’s Meetings, sending highlights on WhatsApp within a few days.
• Sends the weekly bulletin: list to the Leadership Team Tuesday; updates, changes, visitors, recess on wheels, lunch-signup check, and sub assignments out Thursday.

Treasurer

• Orders supplies (art prints, lunch supplies, school supplies) and is the main contact for members needing orders.
• Manages the account with the Board Treasurer (only the Board Treasurer, Chapter Treasurer, and Director are on chapter accounts); reports bi-yearly; assists with fundraisers.

Feast Cycle Majesty

• Models a Feast Cycle class at Mother’s Meetings; checks in with each Feast Cycle signup after each unit’s signups and through the unit, ensuring teachers feel equipped and cared for.
• Coordinates Shared Selections with the other chapter’s coordinator and the Board President; communicates pilot Feast Cycle classes with the Board, reviewing success at year’s end.

Other duties, distributed by season and gifting

• Class Coordinator: reviews uploaded class outlines (due 3pm Monday before the unit) and gives feedback before the Mother’s Meeting, adding the approval date; records unit topics in the past-topics spreadsheet.
• Lunch coordination: manages kitchen duties and the lunch team, coordinates coffee purchases with the Treasurer, adjusts the signup weekly (five ranch bottles in the fridge? skip it next unit), and manages allergy issues.
• Morning Time / Symposium: plans decided as a team during the summer.
• All leaders willingly step in anywhere during the co-op day — including detention monitoring.

• Leaders are practicing and growing in Charlotte Mason pedagogy. New leaders attend the Charlotte Mason Institute CORE course within one year of starting (the Board pays up to half). Retired homeschool mothers who’d like to keep serving may talk with a Director or the Board about where they fit.
• Leadership commitments run one year at a time (a year off is welcome); Board terms are three years. An ideal chapter team is five people, reviewed yearly with the Director.
• Leaders spend one hour before Mother’s Meetings on decisions and current issues; attend two Guild board meetings (January and the summer Leadership Summit, with optional spring and fall meetings); attend the Summit and participate in the Collective Teacher Inservice; and spend time weekly preparing for co-op.
• Leaders model the Three Is and Cs — invite, initiate, inspire; refuse to criticize, complain, or condemn — participate in brainstorming and event planning, may sit on or lead committees, and guard members’ privacy: leaders are often privy to negative situations and must refuse to gossip.

Healthy leadership

• Evaluate without sparing your own ego — reflection is necessary for growth.
• Invite growth in participation, knowledge, and ideas rather than demand. Initiate by giving as an example — generosity is learned through imitation. Inspire by attending to the whole person, noticing strengths, weaknesses, and needs.
• Conflict resolution: make no assumptions — there are always many perspectives; more than one person can be at fault; step out of binary situations and find the “third way” win-win.
• Admonition: find your own faults first; approach correction with humility and affection; expect initial blame-shifting, and leave space and time for change.

Leadership transitions

• The current team submits proposed candidates with rationale to the Board before the April board meeting; the Board reviews and approves or denies. Mid-year changes require Board consultation and approval in a special meeting.
• New leaders must be able to attend the summer Leadership Summit, where they officially join the team — receiving Notion/Google Drive access and WhatsApp additions beforehand.

Fundraising

• Chapters may fundraise for special projects: 75% stays with the chapter, 25% goes to the Guild. Guild-run fundraisers stay with the nonprofit at the Board’s discretion.

Incident report administration

• Each leadership team reviews, maintains, and responds to incident reports per Guild standards. The Board has access to form results to support leaders and to have full information if an issue escalates. Forms live on Google Forms, shared with each chapter’s team.