The Details

What is Pathways?

Pathways is a secular family-based homeschool co-op in Newtown, CT. It aims to provide a safe and structured environment where one or two days a week during the school year, children can socialize, learn, play,and struggle together under the guidance of a community of caring adults. Every family unit teaches at least 2 classes a day each semester that are offered to a range of ages, thus providing a wide variety of choices and exposure to different styles of teaching and learning. Additionally, due to the requirement that at least one guardian remain on campus for the full day, there is a powerful homeschool parent support system available.

Where is Pathways?

Pathways rents classroom and community space from the Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street, Newtown, CT. We also have access to the grounds and hiking area adjacent.

Who can join Pathways?

Pathways is open to any family ready to invest in community education. We welcome diversity. There are no restrictions or guidelines regarding race, religion, orientation, politics etc. What ages are supported? Pathways welcomes pre-school, grade school, middle school, and high school children. That said, classes will be offered based on age range rather than grade.

What are the requirements to participate?

To ensure a safe and successful co-op experience for everyone involved, we ask that participating families: Teach/assist in at least classes a day each semester. Have one guardian remain on campus during co-op hours. Contribute tuition payments of $225 (Mondays only) or $300 (Mondays & Wednesdays) per semester, per child (see below) Agree with the guidelines outlined in our Family Packet

How is the day structured? And what dates are Pathways in operation?

 Mondays begin at 9:30 AM and ends at 2:30 PM. There are 4 class periods and a lunch hour. Wednesdays begin at 10:00 AM and end at 2:00PMThere are two 90-minute learning sections and a lunch hour. Each family can register for either Mondays OR Mondays & Wednesdays. 

   A typical Monday for a 13-year-old might be:

 9:15 Adults get class materials and rooms set up. Everyone puts on their indoor shoes and gets ready for the day.9:30

Class #1 – Freshman Biology (if attending M & W) OR Civil Rights Advocacy (M only) 10:30

Class #2 – Theater

11:30 OUTSIDE Lunch and Play time.

12:15 Clean up and wash up and put on indoor shoes.

12:30 Class #3 – European Hist. and Lit. (if attending M & W) OR Sports Physiology (M only)

1:30 Class #4 – Photography

2:30 Vacuum, collect recycling and garbage, final tidy, lights out.

2:40 Goodbye till next week   

A typical Wednesday for a 13-year-old might be:

9:45 Adults get class materials and rooms set up. Everyone puts on their indoor shoes and gets ready for the day.

10:00 Class #1 – Freshman Biology Lab

11:30 OUTSIDE Lunch and Play time.

12:15 Clean up and wash up and put on indoor shoes.

 12:30 Class #2 - European Hist. and Lit. Project

2:00 Vacuum, collect recycling and garbage, final tidy, lights out.

2:10 Goodbye till next week

*Fall 2023, Pathways will operate every Monday and Wednesday from Sept 11th to Dec 11th, not including one week in October and another in November.

How do I know what to teach?

If you have skills or interests that you wish to share, Pathways enjoys any and all ideas for classes. However, if you need a bit more guidance, we can suggest a number of open-and-go curriculums, and you can choose one that suits your level of comfort.

What if our family can only do some days of the semester, or part of the day? You sure it’s not a drop-off?

Due to the shared nature of a co-op, we rely on each other to be present each week for the full day. Obviously, one of the joys of a community is flexibility when the unforeseen arises, but we do require an intentional commitment to full days and weeks.

I have a baby and a grade-school kid. How am I supposed to teach 2 classes with a baby?

Pathways will work with you to find a comfortable way forward. Maybe you only assist in classes, so that you can have a bit more flexibility? Or perhaps you’d love a break, and another parent can enjoy some baby time while you teach the middle schoolers. In other words, we love to work with families to help them find a good groove with teaching and parenting in community.

When I’m not teaching a class, what do I do?

You are welcome to do whatever makes sense for you as long as you are available and on campus. Folks socialize, attend online classes, work remotely, practice an instrument, plan their shopping list, knit, gossip, nap, assist in a class, read, watch a movie etc.

 What did I read about indoor shoes? Are there any other rules I should know?

Yes, we strive to leave the spaces better than we found them. We keep a high standard of tidiness, and indoor shoes help a lot! The other rules are along the same lines of common courtesy: kindness, safety, respect, etc.

What about your health policy?

Policy as of August 2023: Our Pathways community imperative is to behave in such a way as to keep everyone as safe and comfortable as possible. - If anyone in your family is exhibiting symptoms of any contagious illness, you are asked to stay home and inform our absence coordinator to arrange for a substitute teacher. Please return when symptom-free. - Masks are optional. Please respect that there may be people in the co-op that choose to mask. - We require that everyone has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine.*However, it goes without saying that policies may change and shift as needed.

Okay, I’m in! Wait, how do we get in?

Great! First, you’ll fill out an online questionnaire with some basic info on your kid(s) and guardian(s) attending Pathways. Then the Pathways Team will contact you to set up a brief interview by phone or video where we can also address any questions you may have. If everyone is in agreement, you’ll be sent a Family Packet and Registration form and you’ll be welcomed into the Pathways community.

I have a million questions. Who can I talk to for the nitty-gritty information before I commit?

Feel free to contact us at PathwaysTeamCT@gmail.com where we can answer any questions by email or set up a phone or video call. We’re happy to chat about the little and big questions on your mind.

How much is this going to put me back?

As a family-based co-op, we strive to run a lean operation so that our families benefit from a great community education at a modest price. As of Spring 2023, we can run on a minimum semester tuition of $225per kid for Mondays only and $300 for Mondays & Wednesdays with sliding discount for families with 3+ kids.If you have more to give, consider offering more. If you have less, talk to us, because it just might happen that someone offered more, and we want to work with you and your family