Farm School Program (Ages 5-9 yrs)
The goals of this program are to inspire a deep connection to the land and animals, and building the capacities for confidence, independence, and joy in life and work.
Farm School changes with the seasons; from harvest and cider pressing, to igloos and ice skating, to tending to seedlings and baby animals. No two days are the same, though the flow of the day remains constant. Our days are a balance between farm driven projects, wilderness exploration, and kid-driven play. Projects include construction, carpentry, nature crafts, handwork, cooking, etc.
Reconnect your child to the rhythm of the seasons by giving them a full day each week to be outdoors! Kids in Farm School opt out of their traditional school (e.g. public, private, or homeschool) one day per week to come to the Farm. Many students benefit from the grounding and belonging the farm provides.
We offer flexible participation options. If your child would like to attend every other week, please shoot us an email at newvillagefarmprograms@gmail.com.
Or
Registration
This year, we have modified our registration format from a trimester system to a semester system. If parents decide to commit their children to a full year of Farm School, we are offering a 10 percent discount to the price!
Our Full Year will run Tuesdays-Fridays, from September 5th, 2023 through May 31st, 2024, with a Winter Break from December 23rd through February 4th.
Our Fall Semester will run Tuesdays-Fridays, from September 5th through December 22nd, 2023.
Sibling Discount: After signing up your first child, we offer a 10% sibling discount for subsequent siblings.
Daily Flow
8:30-9:00 // Arrival
9:10 // Morning Circle
9:30 // Chores
10:30 // Snack
10:50 // Project time
11:30 // Secondary Chores
12:15 // Hike to Lunch
1:00 // Story time, game time, forest exploration
1:45 // Hike back to the Farm
2:00 // Afternoon Checks
2:30 // Project wrap up time
2:45 // Closing Circle
3:00 // Pick up
Packing List:
-
Hearty snack and lunch
-
2 filled water bottles (and warm drink, when it's cold)
-
Sunscreen
-
Bug spray
-
Hat
-
Gardening gloves
-
Weather appropriate clothing
-
Rain coat and pants
-
Boots
-
A change of clothes, including extra socks and boots
-
Muddy/wet clothes bag
-
Please leave all electronics (including smart watches) at home. (If your child has a cell phone, we require them to keep it in their bag or backpack unless they need to contact a parent or guardian.)
Scheduling
We generally follow the Champlain Valley School District’s calendar. In addition to our Winter break (December 23rd through February 4th), we also take off Thanksgiving week (November 21st-24th), February Break (February 27th-March 1st), Spring Break (April 22nd-26th).
Snow Days
Again, we generally follow the Champlain Valley School District’s snow day policy. If there are more than 3 canceled snow days in a semester, we will offer a makeup day.
Sick Days
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds for sick days. It might be possible to schedule a makeup day for your child. Please get in touch with us!
Safety
We will educate the children in safe farm conduct around poisonous plants, electric fences, and the animals. New Village Farm reserves the right to terminate its relationship with any child who infringes on the safety of themselves or others by consistently violating the boundaries and conduct requested of them.
Please direct any questions and trial day inquiries to: newvillagefarmprograms@gmail.com.
Refund & Cancellation Policy
-
For each registration, there is a $200 non refundable deposit built into the cost.
-
If you cancel before August 21st, we will provide a full refund minus the $200 non-refundable deposit.
-
If you cancel between August 22nd and September 15th, we will provide a 50% refund.
-
After September 15th, we cannot offer a refund of payment, but we can offer some credit on a case by case basis.
New Village Farm's Tax ID: 27-4665607