When my family moved to Mentone, Alabama in August of 2020, we immediately began searching for a homeschool community to join. However, due to Covid restrictions, many of the homeschool co-ops in the area had either closed or significantly limited their enrollment. The nearest classical co-op to us was an hour away, which led me to consider other options.

I began to talk with two homeschooling friends about meeting in our homes once a week do to science experiments, art projects, and memory work together. As we planned, our vision for creating a classical learning environment for our children quickly outgrew what we could do in our homes. We decided to post in a local group asking if anyone else would like to join us. Within just a few days, eight additional families reached out, eager to participate. We received permission from a local church to use their space and began having information and planning meetings with the interested families.

One common thread among many of the families was that they had also recently moved to the area. They were not just seeking educational opportunities. They were looking for a supportive and connected community. This common goal became the foundation for our growing homeschool group, transforming it into much more than a co-op.

Each Monday, we begin with a Morning Gathering that consists of prayer, hymn singing, and scripture memorization.  Afterward, the elementary aged students rotate through four classes: art and music, language arts, history and geography, and science. We have a preschool class for the younger siblings where they read stories, do crafts, learn nursery rhymes and songs, and learn age appropriate lessons about art, music, letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. Following classes, we go to a nearby park for lunch and to give the children a chance to enjoy some unstructured play time.

As the children have grown, so has our program. We now offer a Dialectics class for 7th and 8th graders, where they study history, literature, logic, and enrichment subjects such as art, music, and poetry. Next year we will be adding a Rhetoric class for high school students.

Some of the most meaningful things in our community happen outside of our Monday classes. We have a thriving book club for the children that meets twice per semester. These book clubs have inspired a love of reading in our children. Each family reads the book aloud prior to the meeting. Then we come together for lively discussion, crafts and activities related to the book, and lots of yummy book-inspired snacks.

The moms have our own book club that meets every other month as well. 

The moms have our own book club that meets every other month as well. We read a variety of genres from nonfiction related to homeschooling to classics and literary fiction. We are currently reading through the Lord of the Rings trilogy together, some for the very first time. In addition to book clubs, we participate in field trips and monthly nature walks and have hosted several special events such as a Geography Fair, Medieval Festival, Olympic Games, and Friendsgiving. We love to open these special events up for the entire family to attend. It is a joy to see the students showing their dads and grandparents what they are learning.

What began as a small group with a common vision to give our children a classical education has grown into a vibrant community where families support each other and lasting friendships are being formed.