In Ohio, if your child attends CCS, you will need to officially unenroll them from public school and register as a homeschooler with your local school district. This is because our school will operate independently from the public and private school systems. At CCS, we will guide you through the process and help you complete the necessary homeschool notification form (it is so simple!) so your child can attend our school smoothly and is in compliance with state requirements.

Sprouts and Scouts are our age level grouping. Students will either be a Sprout (ages 5-7) or a Scout (ages 8-11). Students will be taught with other students in their same age level but not necessarily the same academic level. Just because a student is a “Sprout”, they do not have to be working on material at a certain academic level. They will be learning at the level they are at, no matter their age/”grade level” in the traditional school setting.

Every Friday, we will be focused on the community. Whether that is being out in the community on an expedition (field trip) or doing a community service project in our school, we will be giving back to our community in some way. Community service activities could be making blankets for hospitalized children, packing and decorating sack lunches for those in need, and more.

Each term, a different topic will be focused on in either science or history (3 science and 3 history topics per academic year.) All students will come together each day (Monday-Thursday) for a multi-age mini lesson that pertains to that topic. Students will then work on a self-directed project that relates to the topic. These projects will be presented at the showcase- the final Friday of each term.

Students are called Explorers because it gives them a sense of self that shows what they can discover on their own, not just what the world expects them to learn.

Fridays are family days-families are invited and welcome to be a part of Fridays-whether that is parts of the day, all of the day, or just once during the year-whatever time you can join us, is cherished. Other opportunities for family participation: Breakfast with books, helping with our outdoor space (bird feeders, gardens, composting), Expeditions (field trips), guest readers, and more. We would also love opportunities for parents/guardians to support learning with learning based on parent/guardian interests-if you are interested in something or great at something, we would love to learn from you!

We will conduct brief, 1:1 assessments/questionnaires at the beginning of each year with the Explorers to make sure that they are given the correct academic instruction. There will be no state or CCS “tests” or material to memorize for Explorers during the year. 

Parents/Guardians will always have access to each Explorer’s Trail Map-a “report card” that shows you each standard mastered and the date it was mastered. Parents/Guardians are also able to contribute to this trail map. Going on a trip and visiting an old ruin or COSI? GREAT! Let us know and we can record that skill on their Trail Map. The Trail Map is like a current, ongoing report card that shows all “standards” a student has mastered through demonstration and projects, never “tests”.

Parents/Guardians are welcome to ask us about the IOWA test during the year if they wish to give a standardized test to their child. This is a knowledge based test that measures academic progress. We are happy to discuss and answer questions if this is something you are interested in measuring for your child.

We are using homeschool models to reach all students at the level they are at. Students will have 1:1 time with a Guide, group learning time, independent learning time, as well as mentorship/partner time. We want to show students that they can learn from an adult as well as learn independently- and enjoy doing it!

We want to make sure we provide you with as much information as possible before making the decision to apply to CCS. Please make sure you email us to receive our Field Guide (handbook) and biweekly newsletters. Please feel free to reach out and ask us any questions before or after reading the Field Guide. Once you think CCS aligns with your vision for your child(ren), please contact us to receive the application. We will review it and then set up a meeting/conversation so that we can make sure to answer any questions you or we may still have before admitting your child(ren).

There is no attendance requirement. We do keep a record of attendance each day so that we are aware of who is in attendance for safety reasons and in case an emergency were to arise. We do not keep official attendance records and do not have a required number of days or hours that Explorers must attend. Because Explorers are homeschooled through the state of Ohio, how often you send them to us is up to you. However we do not adjust tuition for part-time enrollment.

We have multiple reading, writing, and math curriculums that we will be using. Because every Explorer learns differently, we will switch up the curriculum as needed. We have three ELA curriculums: one that nature based and Charlotte Mason inspired, another that is phonics/dyslexia law based, and a third that is writing focused. We have two math programs- one that is based on best practices from countries around the world and another that is nature based. We also have a multi-age nature study program, science program, and history program. Contact us and we are happy to share all of our curriculum specifics with you!

These “special” classes are not “special”- they are a part of everyday at CCS. We will be studying handicrafts from the around the world, learning about world music, and getting our bodies moving daily. We will be taking field trips to learn about music, art, and movement weekly so that we can see these activities in real life- not just replicated in a classroom setting like traditional schools.